BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Nile Ranger (born 11 April 1991) is an English footballer who is currently a free agent. He is a product of the Crystal Palace youth academy and played international football for England U19. He has also played in the Premier League for Newcastle United, and on-loan for Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.
Early life
Born in Wood Green in North London, Ranger attended Alexandra Park School. He began his football career at Crystal Palace Football Academy and was at their development centre from a young age. He was with the Protec Football Development School for a few weeks before being scouted by Southampton. His career was almost over before it began, as whilst playing for the club he was sentenced to 11 weeks in a Young Offender's Institute for his part in an armed street robbery in Muswell Hill committed before signing for the club.[5] He returned to Southampton after completing his sentence, but was eventually released as a player with a bad reputation.[6] He was offered terms bySwindon Town after a successful trial before Newcastle signed him.
Club career
Newcastle United
In July 2008, then director of football at Newcastle, Dennis Wise, brought him to Newcastle United. Ranger made his academy debut against Leicester City on 23 August 2008 and made his debut for the reserve team against Sunderland at St James' Park on 1 September 2008. He impressed hugely in these levels, finishing with 15 goals for the Under-18s and seven for the reserves in his first season on Tyneside. That resulted in his winning the "Wor Jackie Milburn Trophy" in 2009. He was subsequently rewarded by then-managerAlan Shearer with a new and improved three-and-a-half year contract.[7]
Ranger's Newcastle debut came as a second-half injury-time substitute for Shola Ameobi against West Bromwich Albion in the Championship on 8 August 2009.[8] He made his first senior league start against Leicester City on 31 August 2009, where he won the man of the match award. He played just over 84 minutes before been substituted and received a standing ovation from fans.[9] He scored his first senior goal for the club in a 2–0 win over Coventry City on 9 December 2009, after coming on as a substitute for Peter Løvenkrands.[10] Ranger scored the second of his two league goals that season in a 2–0 home win against Crystal Palace on 27 January 2010,[11] as Newcastle ended the season as champions and were promoted to the Premier League.
After appearing as an unused substitute in the first two Premier League games for Newcastle, Ranger was awarded with starts in the Football League Cup wins over Accrington Stanley and Chelsea. He scored the first equalising goal in the game at Stamford Bridge on 22 September 2010, appearing in a right-wing berth, as Newcastle went on to triumph 4–3.[12]
Ranger made his Premier League debut on 16 October 2010, coming off the bench in the 89th minute in a 2–2 draw against Wigan. He made a host of substitute appearances for Newcastle after that, notably in the 1–0 away win to Arsenal. Ranger turned Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny and was through on goal before the Arsenal player tugged him down and received a red card. Ranger signed a new five and a half year contract on 3 December 2010, keeping him at the club until 2016.[13] He also started several games after, for a while, being the club's only fit striker after the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool and injuries to Shola Ameobi and Leon Best.
On 21 November 2011, having failed to appear for Newcastle in the season up to that date, Ranger signed on loan for Championship club Barnsley until 14 January 2012.[14] In his fifth game for Barnsley, a 1–0 away defeat to West Ham United on 18 December 2011, Ranger injured his foot. His loan was cut short and he returned to Newcastle.[15]
On 22 March 2012, Ranger joined Sheffield Wednesday in League One on loan until the end of the 2011–12 season.[16]
Ranger left Newcastle by mutual consent on 1 March 2013.[17]
Swindon Town
Ranger joined Swindon Town of League One on a one-year deal, with the option of a second, on 16 August 2013. He was signed despite his ongoing rape case.[18] Ranger scored his first goal for Swindon on 27 August 2013 against Queens Park Rangers in the League Cup and his first league goal in the following game, on 31 August 2013 in a 5-0 home win against Crewe Alexandra.[19][20] He was a regular in the side until early November, scoring four more goals. On 14 November he failed to report to the club for training after being given a period of leave. He played one more game before again failing to turn up at the club. Manager, Mark Cooper decided Ranger would not appear until he showed "respect for the team". In December Cooper said he would offload Ranger if he failed to train and because of his disciplinary record. In January 2014 Ranger was due to meet the club concerning his future. He was recalled to the squad scoring in a 2-1 win against Peterborough United on 11 January. [21]He continued to play throughout January and early February, scoring three more goals. On 14 February 2014 he suffered a hamstring tear in a game against Colchester United. This would be his last game for Swindon. He had played 28 games in all competitions, scoring ten goals. His time with the club had been beset with disciplinary problems and issues with his private life and on 2 May 2014, Ranger and Swindon Town mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.[22][23] [24]
International career
Ranger made his debut for the England U19 on 25 March 2009 against the Czech Republic U19s. He got his first goal for the Under-19s in his second match, against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a headed effort. He helped his team to the final of the UEFA U-19 Championship but his team eventually lost the final to host nation Ukraine 2–0.
Controversies
In 2007, at the age of 15, he was sentenced to 11 weeks in a Young Offenders Institute after being convicted of participating in street robbery in Muswell Hill, London.
On 27 August 2011 he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in Newcastle city centre, leaving the victim unconscious in the street, but was found not guilty of this in trial in October 2012.[25]
In October 2011 he was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Newcastle's Cathedral Square. The charge came only days after Ranger had been reinstated to Newcastle United's first-team training after a three-month exile in the club's reserves.[26] In March 2012 he was convicted of being drunk and disorderly and was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £135 costs.[27][better source needed] Prior to this, in May 2011 Ranger was questioned by Newcastle after posing with a replica gun in a photograph.[28][29] The gun was later handed in.[30][better source needed]
In March 2012, he was fined by The FA for making homophobic comments on social networking website Twitter.[31] Later in the month he was arrested once more, this time for breaching terms of his bail whilst awaiting trial on four assault charges.[27]
In the early hours of 23 September 2012, police were called to a house in Enfield, north London after reports of a disturbance. The front door of the property was badly damaged and Ranger was arrested at the scene and later charged with criminal damage.[32] The charge against Ranger was dropped in November 2012 after the court accepted his explanation that he had damaged the door after fearing his girlfriend was being kidnapped.[33]
On 25 January 2013, Ranger was arrested on suspicion of rape in a Newcastle hotel room.[34] In connection with the same alleged offence, Ranger was charged with rape on 8 July 2013.[35] On 4 March 2014 he was cleared of the charge at Newcastle Crown Court.[36]
On 14 March 2013, Ranger was charge with common assault after an incident in Newcastle city centre.[37]
In July 2013, Ranger once again hit the headlines after getting a tattoo of his own surname on his forehead.[38]
On 3 January 2014, Swindon Town chairman Lee Power confirmed in a press conference that the club would be meeting with Ranger and his management in the following days to confirm his sacking due to his disrespect shown towards the club through constant absence during training. Power said "I'm the chairman of the club and I've got to do what's best for the club. Unfortunately, what's best for the club is having to sit down with Nile and talk about parting ways. While this is ongoing Nile is not training with the squad."[39]
On 23 March 2014, Ranger was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage to a taxi in Liverpool.[40]
On 28 April 2014 Ranger was charged with criminal damage after an incident at a block of flats in Swindon on 13 April.[41]
Career statistics
- As of 25 January 2014[42]
| Season | Club | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Play-Offs | Europa League | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2009–10 | Newcastle United | Championship | 25 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 30 | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 28 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| Barnsley (loan) | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |
| Sheffield Wednesday (loan) | League One | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 2 | |
| 2012–13 | Newcastle United | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | Swindon Town | League One | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 |
| Career Total | 83 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 97 | 13 | ||
Honours
Newcastle United
Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League One runners-up: 2011–12
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