!! Robbie catches up with Eric Nixon !!

Hi Everyone

Whilst on a goalkeeping tutor course Robbie caught up with fellow goalkeeping coach, legend Eric Nixon. Robbie has known Nico for 3 years now having met Nico in Reading & have been friends since.

"it was great catching up with Nico he is a great guy, who shares all his knowledge of the game with others. With over 500 professional games under his belt that's a lot of experience. & likes telling a good joke!!! 

Nico has written a book, an-autobiogarthy called Big Hands Big Heart. It's a great read for anyone or a goalkeeper who wants to make it in the professional game. The highs & lows of Nico's goalkeeping career in a book it's great stuff!!

Born in Manchester, Nixon began his career in August 1982 atNon-League club Curzon Ashton from Ashton-under-Lynein Greater Manchester. On 10 December 1983, he signed for Manchester Cityfor a transfer fee of £1,000. He made 84 appearances in five years at the club,and was sent out on loan five times. And it was with four of those loan spellsin the 1986–87 season that he achieved the rare distinction of playing for aclub in all four divisions of the Football League in a single season. In August1986 he went on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were then in the FourthDivision, making sixteen league appearances. This was followed by short spellson loan at Bradford City, who were then inthe Second Division, in November 1986, and Southampton, who were then in theFirst Division, in December 1986. The following month he went out on loanagain, this time to Carlisle United, who were then in the Third Division, wherehe made sixteen league appearances.

Nixon'sfinal loan move while at Manchester City came in March 1988,when he was sent to Tranmere Rovers, for whom he made eight league appearances.

Nixonsigned for Tranmere Rovers permanently for a fee of £60,000 on 26 July 1988. Innine years at Prenton Park Nixon made 432 appearances, including 333 leagueappearances, and was with the club during their rise from the Fourth Divisionto the First Division play-offs in 1992–93. In the 1988–89 season he kept 25clean sheets, which still stands as a club record for the most clean sheets ina season.

He wasalso a part of the Tranmere team that won the Leyland DAF Cup in 1989–90,beating Bristol Rovers 2–1 in the final at Wembley with goals by forwards IanMuir and Jim Steel. In 1996, towards the end of his time at Tranmere, Nixonfound himself again being sent out on loan three times. In January he joined Reading; the following month he was loaned to Blackpool,for whom he made 20 league appearances; and in September he spent a second loanspell at Bradford City, making twelveleague appearances.

Stockport County, Wigan Athletic and back toTranmere Rovers

On 27August 1997, Nixon was signed by Stockport County for £100,000. In19 months at Edgeley Park, he made 42 leagueappearances, and he was also sent on loan again, this time to Wigan Athletic inAugust 1998, before signing for them permanently in March 1999 on a freetransfer. However, his time at Wigan wasshort-lived, and on 4 July he was back at Tranmere Rovers for a third time, onanother free transfer, where he stayed for a further four years, becoming a part-timegoalkeeping coach. After focussing on coaching rather than playing, Nixon spentone short loan spell at Kidderminster Harriers in October 2001,  for whom he kept three clean sheets in threegames. On his return, he signed non-contract terms with Tranmere. On 8 August2002, he again signed as a non-contract player with the club to provide coverfor Keith Welch, who Tranmere had just signed.

The2002–03 season was his testimonial season and his testimonial match was playedat Prenton Parkon 6 August against the club he supported as a youngster, and for whom he firstplayed professionally — Manchester City.

When heplayed in goal against Crewe Alexandra on 21 September 2002, Nixon, at 39 yearsand 352 days old, became the oldest player to ever play for the club.

Nixon'sfinal club was Sheffield Wednesday, for whom he signed on a free transfer on 1July 2003, and where he was used as a goalkeeping coach, aking one leagueappearance — on 27 September 2003 against Grimsby Town.His spell with the club was spent coaching three days a week, and spending twodays back at Tranmere Rovers coaching.

Coaching

Eric & Robbie 

While hewas still playing, Nixon had started working towards gaining his goalkeepingcoach licence, and in August 2004 he became a full-time goalkeeping coach withTranmere Rovers.

Nixon nowholds both a UEFA goalkeeping coaching A license and a UEFA football coaching Alicence. On 10 February 2006, Nixon gave up his coaching responsibilities withTranmere Rovers because of knee problems and also to attend a personal-fitnesscoaching course before opening a health and fitness studio in Prenton, eforemoving to Dubai,where he worked as a personal fitness trainer.

On 5February 2007, Nixon was honoured for his outstanding service to TranmereRovers as the winner of the Dave Russell Award at the annual Sports PersonalityAwards in Liverpool.

Nixon hasalso written a regular column for the Liverpool Echo newspaper.

InOctober 2008, Nixon was appointed goalkeeping coach at Conference North club Fleetwood Town by manager Micky Mellon. The twowere teammates at Tranmere Rovers and during Nixon's spell on loan at Blackpool in 1996. He left the club in May 2011 by mutualconsent. Eric now works at Woodchurch School's Leisure Centre.

BTS