Biography
Experienced Irish centre back Tony Brien was signed by Terry Dolan in July 1996 to shore up the defence of a side struggling in the fourth tier. Signed from West Bromwich Albion, Brien was clearly able to play at a higher level but was short on pace and fitness thanks to a chronic hip injury acquired earlier in his career. Brien was a first team regular in his first season under Dolan, in his second season Dolan was replaced by Mark Hateley. The former England international used Tony until City suffered a November thumping at the hands of Shrewsbury Town, at which point new signing Matt Hocking was preferred in a central defensive role. Brien left the Tigers in January 1988.
Born in Cork in the south of Ireland, Brien joined Leicester City as a teenager and was an Ireland Youth international. He made his debut for the Foxes during a second tier match in late September 1987. In December 1988 Brien moved to Chesterfield for a steepling £90,000 fee, where he spent five years and made over 200 appearances. A move to Rotherham United in 1993, when Chesterfield swapped Brien for defender Nicky Law, was followed by a transfer to West Bromwich Albion two years later (the latter move came after a trial at Sheffield Wednesday). Brien barely played for the Baggies in his year at The Hawthorns prior to a move to the Tigers.
Hull City was Tony’s final league club, he joined Stalybridge Celtic but soon retired from playing. He worked for a beer distribution company and ran a bar in Majorca before settling in Hull. In 2017 Brien revealed that from the age of 12 he had been subject to sexual abuse by convicted sex offender Ted Langford, a coach at Leicester City’s feeder club Dunlop Terriers. It was also claimed that in 1988 former England and Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor, who employed Langford, had advise Brien to not report the allegations.
Details
Nationality: Ireland
Date/Place of Birth: 10 February 1969, Cork
Hull City First Game: 17 August 1996, Darlington H (League Division 3), 27 years, 189 days old
Hull City Final Game: 8 November 1997, Shrewsbury Town H (League Division 3), 28 years, 271 days old
Clubs
Leicester City (1986-1988), Chesterfield (1988-1993), Rotherham United (1993-1995), West Bromwich Albion (1995-1996), Mansfield Town (1996), Chester City (1996), Hull City (1996-1998), Stalybridge Celtic
Hull City Record
Career: 59 apps, 1 goals
Tony Brien| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996/97 | 29 (3) | 1 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | - | - | 2 (0) | 0 |
| 1997/98 | 14 (1) | 0 | - | - | 5 (0) | 0 | - | - | - | - |