Biography
Rugged Scottish centre back John Anderson was signed by City manager Jan Molby in June 2002 as the Dane began crafting a squad to seek promotion out of League Division 2. While Molby didn’t last long and was replaced by Peter Taylor in October 2002, Anderson was a mainstay of the defence for both managers throughout the season and missed only four of the 49 senior matches played in all competitions. He struck up a good partnership with Justin Whittle in the heart of the City defence, it was hard to envisage a more fearsome pairing in operation across the leagues. Anderson was a fine defender and also a ball player who would often be seen emerging from a bone-crushing encounter with the ball at his feet ready to initiate a City attack. John scored just one goal for the Tigers, a twisting volley after a corner was nodded down to him by Whittle in a 4-1 victory faraway from home at Torquay United.
At the start of 2003/04 season Anderson sustained a nasty injury in a pre-season friendly and by the time he was restored to fitness Irishman Damien Delaney had taken his place in Taylor’s first eleven. Anderson left City on the March 2004 transfer deadline day.
John Patton Anderson was born in Greenock on the Firth of Clyde and came into professional football in his early 20s after cutting his teeth in the Scottish junior football scene with Gourock YAC. He joined his local club Greenock Morton in July 1993, made his debut against Falkirk in January 1994 and scored his first goal against Cowdenbeath three weeks later. For the next six years Anderson was a defensive mainstay for the second tier side and by May 2000 he had made 248 senior appearances for Morton and scored 35 goals. He joined Division One rivals Livingston in the 2000 close season and assisted the ambitious West Lothian side to promotion to the Scottish Premier League in his first season, scoring 7 goals in 41 starts. In the 2001/02 season Anderson made just 16 appearances in the top flight before joining Hull City in the 2002 close season.
Anderson joined Bristol Rovers in March 2004 and made 8 appearances during the rest of the season, reappearing at the KC Stadium on the last day of the season for Rovers as City celebrated the promotion that had been secured against Yeovil Town a week earlier. He made 39 starts for the Gas in the 2004/05 season but dropped out of the side early in 2005/06, leaving the club and stopping playing in the 2006 close season – Anderson scored two goals in 60 appearances for Bristol Rovers.
John then returned to East Yorkshire and was appointed assistant manager at North Ferriby United in July 2007, rising to become the Villagers’ manager in October 2010. He left the job a year later and in November 2013 he was appointed an academy coach at Hull City. He worked his way through the age bands – after spending the 2015/16 season coaching the Leeds United Under-18s he returned to the Tigers and in July 2020 became manager of City’s Under-18s academy side, a role he left in July 2023.
Details
Nationality: Scotland
Date/Place of Birth: 2 October 1972, Greenock
Hull City First Game: 10 August 2002, Southend United H (League Division 3), 29 years, 312 days old
Hull City Final Game: 29 April 2003, Rochdale A (League Division 3), 30 years, 209 days old
Clubs
Gourock YAC, Greenock Morton (1993-2000), Livingston (2000-2002), Hull City (2002-2004), Bristol Rovers (2004-2006)
Hull City Record
Career: 45 apps, 1 goals
John Anderson| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | 42 (1) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2003/04 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |