Pettinger: Paul Allen (Paul)

1992-1994 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Sheffield: 01-10-1975

Debut: Nil

6' 13st 7lb (1994)

Pettinger was capped at both Schoolboy and Youth level by England. He was initially on the books of Barnsley in the 1991/92 season but did not feature in the first team. He signed for Leeds on 16th October 1992 and played mostly at Junior Level and was the goalkeeper for the highly successful team that lifted the FA Youth Cup in May 1993 at the expense of the much-vaunted Manchester United squad which contained so many players who were to find fame at the international level in their future careers. He was loaned out to Torquay United to get some first team experience from 23rd December 1994 and featured in three games while at Plainmoor. He then dropped into Non-League football with Dagenham and Redbridge, Halifax Town and Kettering Town, before being loaned to Rotherham United from 11th August 1995 but played only one game as a substitute. Pettinger was an unused substitute for three consecutive games in the 1995/96 season on 16th September 1995 at home to Queens Park Rangers in the EPL followed by Notts County at home in the League Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg three days later and the away EPL game at Wimbledon the following Saturday 23rd September 1995. He joined Gillingham on 28th March 1996 but failed to make the first team, before departing for Carlisle United on 2nd August 1996. Again he didn't make the first team and on 1st August 1997 he returned to Rotherham United where he played sixteen games. Ironically he finished Rotherham's 2000/01 promotion season as first choice by making thirteen consecutive appearances. Pettinger, who got his chance to play for the Millers mainly due to an injury to regular choice Ian Gray, grabbed his chance well and kept his place in the side from Gray. Though with the return of Mike Pollitt, Pettinger did not feature in Ronnie Moore's plans of First Division football, and did not get offered another contract with the Millmoor side. It was slightly surprising when Rotherham decided to release him in June 2001 on a free transfer. Lincoln City's then manager Alan Buckley was in desperate need of cover for Alan Marriott and quickly persuaded Pettinger to move to Sincil Bank on 11th July 2001 beating off opposition from Chesterfield. When Marriott had a poor spell, Pettinger was given his opportunity but he failed to grasp his chance and Marriott soon returned to the side. He was somewhat injury prone at Lincoln and his various niggling injuries meant that Buckley was forced to name youth team player Darren Horrigan as substitute goalkeeper on several occasions during the 2001/02 season, in which Pettinger managed just three starts, two of which were in the LDV Vans Trophy. Pettinger joined Kettering Town on a month's loan in March 2002, after their keeper, Ian Bowling, had received an horrific head injury and he stayed until the end opf the season, making fifteen League appearances. He returned to Lincoln for the 2002/03 season but did not make the first team as Alan Marriott's superb form during that season saw Pettinger sitting on the bench for nine games before being loaned to Non-League side Yeovil Town, where he did not make the team, and then Telford United. There he filled in for the injured Paul Edwards for three games, and then moved to Gainsborough Trinity so he could get first team football. In February 2003, he joined Gainsborough on a permanent basis when his contract was severed by Lincoln City and he made fourteen appearances for them. He rejoined Kettering Town in May 2003 and made twenty-six starts in 2003-04 and was then was transferred to Hucknall Town in February 2004 and, after helping them win the UniBond League title, playing sixteen games, he then moved on to Conference National club Harrogate Town in the summer of 2004, where he joined a long list of ex-Leeds United players and made forty-one starts in the League. He then had a spell with Stalybridge Celtic starting at the beginning of the 2005-06 season and making forty-one League appearances in that season followed by twenty-three in the League and one as an unused substitute and four stsrts in the F.A. Trophy in 2006-07, before he joined Worksop Town on 2nd March 2007 and made an impressive debut in a 0-0 draw with Nuneaton Borough and made eleven starts before the end of the season. He then had a very brief spell with Ilkeston Town before joining Frickley Athletic in January 2008 for an equally short stay when Manager Billy Heath brought him in as cover for teenager Adam Nicklin, who was away with the England College squad in Italy. He quickly joined Belper Town in January 2008, before with Matlock Town in December 2008, where he was first choice but sustained a knee injury in August 2009 which kept him out for the rest of the season.