Brian Nicholas

Position
Midfielder
Nationality
Place Of Birth
Aberdare
Date Of Birth
April 20, 1933
Date Of Death
October 14, 2021 (88)
Games Played
126
-
Per Game
Games Started
126
1.0
Per Game
Minutes
11340
90.0
Per Game
Goals
1
0.01
Per Game
Assists
0
0
Per Game
Notes
Stats
Matches
Transfers
Gallery
Internationals

Although born in the South Wales mining village of Cwmaman, near Aberdare, an area more famous for producing rugby players than footballers, his parents moved to Slough when he was four-years old. Brian was an outstanding schoolboy player and despite being Welsh-born was selected for England schoolboys. In April 1948 he played at Highfield Road for England against Wales. In the same England side were future full internationals Albert Quixall and Norman Deeley. Over 25,000 watched England win 2-1.

His outstanding performances in four internationals earned him an apprentice contract at Queens Park Rangers and a year later at the age of 16 the red-headed youngster made an impressive debut against a 17-year old John Charles playing for Leeds United.

After leaving school Brian didn’t grow much and his lack of height meant that wing-half was a better position for him and by 1951 he was a regular at right-half for the Loftus Road side. He played 121 games but never managed a goal.

In 1955 after an excellent season for Rangers he attracted the interest of newly-crowned league champions Chelsea. The Blues paid £5,000 for his signature but in three years at the Bridge he found it hard to become a regular and made only 30-odd appearances. He played alongside some of England’s brightest stars including Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Coventry-born keeper Reg Matthews.

Billy Frith signed him for City in February 1958, paying £3,000 for him and the following season he was key player in the first half of the promotion season. On Boxing Day however he seriously injured his cruciate ligaments against Torquay and missed three months.

The following season the City looked good bets for promotion until a disastrous Easter and finished fourth. Brian played 127 games for City and managed a solitary goal in a Southern Floodlit Cup game with Southend.

When Hill took over in late 1961 Nicholas retained his place at first but at the season’s end he was told he wasn’t part of his plans. He got a job at Massey Ferguson and played for Rugby Town and later Hinckley Town .

Football League Fourth Division (England)
1958-1959
Coventry City
26
26
2340′
26
26
0
2340′
0
0
0
0 (0)
0
0
Football League Third Division (England)
1961-1962
Coventry City
24
24
2160′
1960-1961
Coventry City
8
8
720′
1959-1960
Coventry City
35
35
3150′
67
67
0
6030′
0
0
0
0 (0)
0
0
FA Cup (England)
1961-1962
Coventry City
2
2
180′
1959-1960
Coventry City
2
2
180′
1958-1959
Coventry City
2
2
180′
6
6
0
540′
0
0
0
0 (0)
0
0
League Cup (England)
1961-1962
Coventry City
1
1
90′
1960-1961
Coventry City
1
1
90′
2
2
0
180′
0
0
0
0 (0)
0
0
Southern Professional Floodlit Cup (England)
1959-1960
Coventry City
4
4
360′
1 (0)
1958-1959
Coventry City
1
1
90′
5
5
0
450′
0
0
0
1 (0)
0
0
Football League Third Division South (England)
1957-1958
Coventry City
20
20
1800′
20
20
0
1800′
0
0
0
0 (0)
0
0
Totals:
126
126
0
11340′
0
0
0
1 (0)
0
0
Date
For
Against
H/A
Result
Football League Fourth Division 1958-1959
Football League Fourth Division 1958-1959
Coventry City
Walsall
A
L 3:0
90`
Coventry City
Bradford Park Avenue
H
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Torquay United
H
W 3:0
90`
Coventry City
Darlington
A
W 1:4
90`
Coventry City
Hartlepools United
H
W 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Chester
H
W 5:1
90`
Coventry City
Crystal Palace
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Bradford Park Avenue
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
York City
H
W 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Workington
A
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Northampton Town
H
W 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Crewe Alexandra
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Millwall
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Barrow
A
W 0:3
90`
Coventry City
Aldershot
A
W 0:4
90`
Coventry City
Carlisle United
H
L 1:2
90`
Coventry City
Aldershot
H
W 7:1
90`
Coventry City
Gillingham
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Gateshead
H
W 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Exeter City
H
W 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Gateshead
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Southport
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Oldham Athletic
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town
A
L 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Oldham Athletic
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Darlington
H
D 0:0
90`
Football League Third Division 1961-1962
Football League Third Division 1961-1962
Coventry City
Watford
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Barnsley
A
L 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Lincoln City
H
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Torquay United
A
L 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Notts County
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Southend United
H
D 3:3
90`
Coventry City
Grimsby Town
H
W 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Newport County
A
W 1:2
90`
Coventry City
Reading
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Hull City
A
L 3:1
90`
Coventry City
Northampton Town
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers
A
L 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Barnsley
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Bradford Park Avenue
A
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Lincoln City
A
W 1:2
90`
Coventry City
Bradford Park Avenue
H
W 3:0
90`
Coventry City
Notts County
H
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Halifax Town
H
W 3:1
90`
Coventry City
Southend United
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Swindon Town
A
D 3:3
90`
Coventry City
Newport County
H
W 3:0
90`
Coventry City
Swindon Town
H
W 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Reading
A
L 4:0
90`
FA Cup 1961-1962
FA Cup 1961-1962
Coventry City
King's Lynn
H
L 1:2
90`
Coventry City
Gillingham
H
W 2:0
90`
League Cup 1961-1962
League Cup 1961-1962
Coventry City
Workington
A
L 3:0
90`
League Cup 1960-1961
League Cup 1960-1961
Coventry City
Portsmouth
A
L 2:0
90`
Football League Third Division 1960-1961
Football League Third Division 1960-1961
Coventry City
Walsall
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Grimsby Town
H
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers
H
D 4:4
90`
Coventry City
Colchester United
A
L 4:3
90`
Coventry City
Bradford City
A
L 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Newport County
H
W 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Bradford City
H
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Barnsley
A
L 4:1
90`
Football League Third Division 1959-1960
Football League Third Division 1959-1960
Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Brentford
A
L 3:1
90`
Coventry City
Southampton
H
W 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Port Vale
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Barnsley
A
L 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Bury
H
L 0:1
90`
Coventry City
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
A
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Newport County
A
L 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Accrington Stanley
H
W 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Colchester United
A
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Chesterfield
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
York City
H
W 5:2
90`
Coventry City
Wrexham
A
W 1:3
90`
Coventry City
Wrexham
H
W 5:3
90`
Coventry City
Reading
A
L 4:2
90`
Coventry City
Brentford
H
W 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Norwich City
A
W 1:4
90`
Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town
A
L 3:2
90`
Coventry City
Southend United
H
W 2:0
90`
Coventry City
Southampton
A
L 5:1
90`
Coventry City
Barnsley
H
W 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Tranmere Rovers
H
W 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
H
W 4:0
90`
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers
A
L 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Accrington Stanley
A
W 0:2
90`
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers
H
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Newport County
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Bradford City
A
W 1:3
90`
Coventry City
Chesterfield
A
W 0:3
90`
Coventry City
Bradford City
H
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Swindon Town
H
W 3:1
90`
Coventry City
Halifax Town
A
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
York City
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Halifax Town
H
L 0:1
90`
Coventry City
Mansfield Town
H
W 2:0
90`
Southern Professional Floodlit Cup 1959-1960
Southern Professional Floodlit Cup 1959-1960
Coventry City
Fulham
A
W 0:1
90`
Coventry City
Fulham
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Southend United
H
W 4:0
90`
1
Coventry City
Southend United
A
D 0:0
90`
FA Cup 1959-1960
FA Cup 1959-1960
Coventry City
Southampton
A
L 5:1
90`
Coventry City
Southampton
H
D 1:1
90`
FA Cup 1958-1959
FA Cup 1958-1959
Coventry City
Plymouth Argyle
H
L 1:3
90`
Coventry City
Weymouth
A
W 2:5
90`
Southern Professional Floodlit Cup 1958-1959
Southern Professional Floodlit Cup 1958-1959
Coventry City
Millwall
A
L 6:1
90`
Football League Third Division South 1957-1958
Football League Third Division South 1957-1958
Coventry City
Gillingham
A
L 3:2
90`
Coventry City
Gillingham
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Norwich City
H
W 2:1
90`
Coventry City
Aldershot
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Swindon Town
H
L 0:1
90`
Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town
H
W 5:0
90`
Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town
A
W 1:3
90`
Coventry City
Exeter City
A
L 1:0
90`
Coventry City
Plymouth Argyle
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Walsall
H
W 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Aldershot
H
W 6:0
90`
Coventry City
Queens Park Rangers
H
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Walsall
A
L 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Southend United
A
L 5:1
90`
Coventry City
Norwich City
A
D 1:1
90`
Coventry City
Brighton & Hove Albion
H
D 2:2
90`
Coventry City
Southampton
A
L 7:1
90`
Coventry City
Colchester United
A
L 4:1
90`
Coventry City
Brentford
H
D 0:0
90`
Coventry City
Torquay United
A
L 1:0
90`
Club Out
Club In
Transfer Date
Fee
Club Out / Club In
Transfer Date / Fee
Coventry City
- without club -
Wed, 30 May, 1962
Coventry City
- without club -
Wed, 30 May, 1962
Chelsea
Coventry City
Sat, 01 Feb, 1958
Chelsea
Coventry City
Sat, 01 Feb, 1958