James Cotterill (born 3 August 1982) is a former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

. He plays as a

central defender In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...

for Handsworth Parramore.

Footballing career

He began his career at Scunthorpe United, and was released in 2003 after making 24 appearances for the first team. Following this, Cotterill joined Barrow in August 2003, where he remained until December 2006. He made 115 appearances in all competitions for Barrow. On 1 March 2007, two weeks after his release from prison, Cotterill joined Northern Premier League side

Ossett Town Ossett Town Association Football Club was an English football club based in Ossett in West Yorkshire. History Ossett Town AFC were formed in 1936 when, during a public meeting, the Mayor of the Borough of Ossett charged John Carter, a former ...

. During the 2007/08 season he joined Ossett's ex manager Steve Kittrick at local rivals Guiseley A.F.C. He joined Bradford Park Avenue on a short-term loan in November 2010 making two appearances for the club. He left Guiseley in February 2011 to look for regular first team football. He later re-signed for

Assault conviction

On 11 November 2006, during an

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

first round match between Barrow and

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been ...

, Cotterill was involved in an

off the ball Off the ball (or OTB) is a term used in football (soccer), football in the United Kingdom, usually associated with a player's action when not in possession of the ball, such as a fight or a late challenge. If a referee does not see an OTB incide ...

incident with Rovers player

Sean Rigg Sean Michael Rigg (born 1 October 1988) is an English former professional footballer who played on the wing or as a striker. In a 13-year career in the English Football League and National League he scored 57 goals in 477 league and cup appear ...

. Cotterill was seen to punch Rigg in the face, leaving him with a double fracture of the jaw, which was screened later that evening on

Match of the Day ''Match of the Day'' (abbreviated to ''MOTD'') is a football highlights programme, typically broadcast on BBC One on Saturday nights, during the Premier League season. The show's current presenter is former England international striker Gary ...

. After the incident, Rigg was only able to eat with a teaspoon and drink through a straw, and his treatment involved the insertion of two metal plates into his jaw, which will remain permanently.FA Cup assault footballer jailed
from BBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2007. Cotterill was banned from all football activity by

The FA The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...

until March 2007, and on 11 January 2007 he was jailed for four months after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm. An appeal to free Cotterill had failed, however, he was soon released from prison on 14 February 2007 although he was forced to wear an

electronic tag Electronic tagging is a form of surveillance that uses an electronic device affixed to a person. In some jurisdictions, an electronic tag fitted above the ankle is used for people as part of their bail or probation conditions. It is also used i ...

in his home town Barnsley until 11 March 2007. Hoping to re-build his life, Cotterill also thanked the Barrow fans who helped release him. Cotterill also apologised to Sean Rigg saying he "never intended to hurt Sean".'I'm so Sorry'
from North West Evening Mail. Retrieved 19 February 2007.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotterill, James 1982 births Living people Footballers from Barnsley English men's footballers Men's association football central defenders Scunthorpe United F.C. players Barrow A.F.C. players Ossett Town A.F.C. players Guiseley A.F.C. players Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. players Handsworth F.C. players English Football League players