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Date and Place of Birth 23rd May 1975 - South Shields
Transfers to and from Burnley from Nottingham Forest - 29th December 1994 (loan) returned - 28th February 1995
First and Last Burnley Games Southend United (h) - 31st December 1994
Swindon Town (h) - 4th February 1995 replaced by Ted McMinn
Other Clubs Nottingham Forest ---------------------------------------- Bristol Rovers (loan), Gillingham (loan), Watford (loan), Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Grimsby Town (loan), Bradford City, Cheltenham Town, Gillingham, Cheltenham Town |
Burnley Career Stats
| Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Others | Total | |||||
| apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | apps | gls | |
| 1994/95 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - |
| Total | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | - |
Profile by Andy Ashworth
Dubbed "Psycho II" by the LET when he signed on loan for us, Armstrong was brought in when both Vinnicombe and Dowell picked up injuries. His position as understudy to Stuart Pearce at Nottingham Forest had seen him pick up the moniker but in truth he was a very different player. He only managed four games for us, covering a sticky situation, before returning to the Tricky Trees.
Regular loan moves punctuated his Forest career as Old Big 'Ead looked to toughen him up and his inability to nail down a regular place saw him look for a permanent switch. After making just shy of 50 appearances he was sold to Huddersfield Town for £750,000.
He played in over one hundred games for the Terriers but fell out of favour under a new regime and was shipped out to Sheffield Wednesday, who were managed by Terry Yorath, for a knock-down £100,000. The revolving door at Hillsborough did him no favours, nor did the serious injury he picked up and he was again loaned out before having his contract cancelled by mutual consent.
Bradford picked him up on a short term contract and he stayed for 4 months before adding to the Burnley/Cheltenham connections by signing for the Whaddon Road outfit. He was a virtual ever present in his two years and John Ward was desperate to keep him but he was lured to Gillingham by then boss Ronnie Jepson.
He did himself no favours with the fans though with comments made on his social networking profile page inferred his displeasure at the club. Apparently he was unhappy and expecting to be replaced by a non-league player, but at the beginning of January 2008 was still a Gill.
On the last day of January 2008 he was one of three players released after just half a season at the Priestfield Stadium. Armstrong was quick to find a new club and on Monday 4th February returned to Whaddon Road and signed a contract with Cheltenham Town until the end of the season. He was able to sign outside of the transfer window having been released by Gillingham hours before it closed.
He played 14 league games back at Cheltenham as they won their fight against relegation and in June 2008 he signed a new one year deal with the club.
Cheltenham boss Keith Downing was replaced by Martin Allen early in the 2008/09 season and Armstrong was told he was free to find himself a new club. On 21st November 2008 he signed a two month loan deal with Blue Square Premier club Burton Albion.
He stayed with Burton Albion until the start of 2009 before signing for Kidderminster Harriers until the end of the season. His stay wasn't extended and he was released by Kidderminster on 12th May 2009. He quickly signed a deal with Mansfield for the 2009/10 season.
Armstrong was in the first team at Mansfield but at the beginning of March 2010 made a surprise move to join Forest Green Rovers on loan until the end of the season. In June 2010 he made that move a permanent one and signed a deal as player/coach but was released a year later. He was appointed manager at Eastwood Town in May 2011 but quit in September and returned to playing, firstly with Boston United and then Hucknall Town where he was player/coach. That ended in March 2012 and he then became manager of Quorn, his fourth club in one season.
July 2012 saw yet another move and he signed for East Counties League club Basford United who are based in Nottingham where he started his professional career.
Links
Two former loan players leave Kidderminster (18/05/09)
More ex-Clarets changing clubs (01/07/09)