Brian Arthur Greenhalgh, born Chesterfield, England, February 20, 1947. A highly dedicated and hard-working forward, Brian Greenhalgh proved to be the right man at the right time for Cambridge United.
Brian Greenhalgh arrived at Preston North End in 1964 as an apprentice and contributed nine goals in 19 Football League appearances for The Lilywhites before he was transferred to Aston Villa at the front end of the 1967-68 season. After finding the back of the goal 12 times in 40 League matches for The Villains, he was deemed surplus to requirements by newly appointed manager Tommy Docherty and subsequently joined Leicester City midway through the 1968-69 campaign. Despite being a promising addition to the squad, the striker found himself way down the pecking order at Filbert Street and he was sold to Huddersfield Town for an estimated transfer fee of £15,000 in the summer of 1969 after having spent only four months with The Filberts. Greenhalgh helped Huddersfield gain promotion to the First Division the following season, but he struggled for regular playing time with The Terriers and ultimately left Leeds Road for Fourth Division outfit Cambridge United in 1971. The previous year 1970 had been a turning point for The U´s, with the club being elected into the Football League at the expense of Bradford Park Avenue, and they were now determined to prove that they belonged in the professional ranks. At Abbey Road, Greenhalgh was a constant threat to opposing teams and he was one of the key-players in the side that went on to win promotion to the Third Division in the 1972-73 campaign. During his time with Cambridge, Greenhalgh made 166 League appearances and produced 47 goals for the men in Amber and Black, making him one of the club’s standout performers during that period. In 1974, after his successful stay in Cambridgeshire, Greenhalgh was brought to AFC Bournemouth by manager Trevor Hartley, and although his time at Dean Court was relatively short-lived, it was another chapter in his varied career. Following a brief loan spell at Torquay United in 1975, the happy wanderer eventually moved on to Watford where he finished his professional football days in 1976. Brian Greenhalgh Playing Career: Preston North End, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Huddersfield Town, Cambridge United, AFC Bournemouth, Torquay United, Watford.