James Brian Palmer (born 25 November 1985) is an English footballer who plays as a right back. He began his career at Brentford, for whom he made one professional appearance before dropping into non-League football upon his release in 2005. Palmer moved into Sunday League football in 2007 and served as player-manager of Bell on the Green Casuals. He has sometimes been known as Brian Palmer.[2]
Playing career
Brentford
Palmer began his career as a youth at Brentford and entered the club's Centre of Excellence at age 10.[3] He progressed through the youth system to begin a scholarship in 2002.[4] Palmer maiden call into the first team squad came on 24 August 2004, for a League Cup first round match versus Ipswich Town and he remained an unused substitute during the 2–0 defeat.[5] Palmer received his second call into the first team squad for a Football League Trophy first round match against Milton Keynes Dons on 28 September 2004.[5] Picked in a squad composed mostly of scholars, Palmer made his professional debut in the match and played the full 90 minutes of the 3–0 defeat.[6] Palmer was an unused substitute on three further occasions during the 2004–05 season.[5] Palmer joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Kingstonian on a work experience loan in December 2004.[7] He remained at Kingsmeadow until March 2005 and made one appearance and scored one goal for the club.[8][9] The goal would be the only senior strike of his career and it came in a 2–2 draw with Harrow Borough on 29 January 2005.[8] Palmer was released at the end of the 2004–05 season.[10]
Staines Town
Towards the end of the 2004–05 season, Palmer joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Staines Town on loan until the end of the campaign.[11] He made two appearances for the club and his loan was made permanent during the 2005 off-season.[11][12] He managed only two appearances during the 2005–06 season and spent a period with Southern League Premier Division club Northwood,[13] whom he joined on a dual-registration basis.[14] Palmer departed Staines Town in December 2005.[15]
Wealdstone
Palmer transferred to Isthmian League Premier Division club Wealdstone in December 2005 and made 16 appearances during the remainder of the 2005–06 season.[15][16]
Palmer made a substitute appearance for Wealdstone in a Brian Collins Challenge Trophy shootout win over Harrow Borough on 6 August 2006.[17]
Sunday League
Palmer moved into Sunday League football in 2007 and joined Hayes Middlesex Sunday League Sixth Division club AFC Stanwell Athletic.[2] He was appointed player-manager in the latter stages of the 2007–08 season.[18] The club folded during the 2008 off-season, which led Palmer to approach The Bell on the Green pub in Bedfont, which agreed to provide funding for the club, on the condition that the new club was named Bell on the Green Sunday.[18] Over the following decade, Palmer player-managed the club to promotions in the 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2013–14 seasons and victory in the Arthur White Memorial Shield in 2011.[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] As of November 2016, Palmer was still player-manager of the club's Casuals team.[27][28] He also had a spell as player-manager of Middlesex County League Third Division club AFC Bedfont during the 2014–15 season.[29][30]
Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition