Paul Wimbleton

Who is Paul Wimbleton?

Paul Philip Wimbleton is a former English professional footballer.

Born in Havant, Wimbleton was an England schoolboy international in his youth, making 10 appearances and scoring 5 goals. He began his career at Portsmouth making his debut during the 1981–82 season. At the start of the following season he sustained a serious knee injury. He attempted to return to action for the club but his injury had not fully healed and he was forced to undergo surgery. He needed a long recuperation period in order to overcome the injury and this led to his release by the club in 1984.

In July 1986 he signed for Cardiff City manager Frank Burrows, who had been Portsmouth manager for a short time when Wimbleton began to break into the first team. He was ever-present in his first year at the club, making 46 league appearances and playing a total of 59 competitive games. He finished as top scorer with eleven goals in all competitions before helping the side gain promotion, also winning the Welsh Cup. Wimbleton was voted PFA Team Player of the Year and Cardiff Player of the Year. He spent one more year at Cardiff before moving to Bristol City in 1989.