PILGRIMS IN PROFILE: Spencer Weir-Daley

177 appearances, 66 goals and one trademark aeroplane celebration - today’s Pilgrim in Profile is Spencer-Weir Daley.

His career began at Nottingham Forest as the forward progressed through the youth system before debuting in the league cup at Macclesfield in 2005-06.

After scoring on league debut at Gillingham a shoulder injury ruled him out of the remainder of the campaign.

The following season saw him join the Pilgrims in League Two as Weir-Daley joined Boston’s survival rivals Macclesfield Town on loan, before joining Lincoln City on similar terms.

He scored twice in seven games with the Silkmen before striking five times in 11 Imps outings.

Forest then lent him to Bradford City in League One, SWD scoring a last-minute equaliser on his debut, before recalling him to Nottingham for the play-offs.

Weir-Daley made his 11th appearance for his parent club in the first leg win at Yeovil but didn’t feature in their 5-2 reverse at the City Ground.

Having turned down a year's contract at Forest, Weir-Daley joined Notts County for 2007-08 and left in the January of his second season, joining Boston eight months later in October 2009 after a brief spell at Ilkeston Town.

Debuting off the bench at Nantwich Town, Weir-Daley became the first double barrelled player to score for the Pilgrims in his first start (at home to North Ferriby United).

Weir-Daley struck twice in that 3-1 home win, going on to score in each of his five starts for the club with further goals against Marine, Ossett, Hucknall and Burscough.

After breaking into the starting XI in early November, Weir-Daley missed out on a start just once in the league from then until the end of the season as Boston won promotion via the play-offs at Bradford Park Avenue.

The aforementioned run of six goals in five preceded a sticky spell for Spencer: just one goal in seven over the Christmas and New Year period.

United had scored 17 goals in those games, 10 of them against Durham City (Weir-Daley the notable absentee on the scoresheet).

Boston’s remarkable scoring record continued into February as Weir-Daley got himself back amongst the goals, scoring seven in four games against Halifax, Ashton, Ossett and Durham as the Pilgrims netted 18 in just four games (5-2, 2-0, 7-0, 4-1).

The Durham trip in early March saw Weir-Daley score his only Boston hat-trick.

Another two goals arrived that month for the forward before he replicated his November form with six goals in five games across April as the Pilgrims set themselves up for the title.

But, like the rest of the squad, Weir-Daley couldn’t net a promotion clincher at Marine as a 0-0 draw dropped Boston down to third.

Wins over North Ferriby and Bradford Park Avenue secured promotion to the Conference North but Weir-Daley failed to add to his 21 goals in the regular season (from just 34 appearances, 28 of those starts).

Boston finished third once again in 2010-11, Weir-Daley again enjoying a successful campaign.

Having scored six goals in 19 across the first four months of the campaign, the forward’s form hotted up as the country endured the Big Freeze.

United played just once in December, SWD scoring the only goal in an FA Trophy shock at York City, before he completed another five game goalscoring run with strikes against Gainsborough, Eastwood, Gloucester and Hinckley in early January.

He added another before the month’s end at home to Redditch.

After failing to strike in five February games managers Rob Scott and Paul Hurst reduced his involvement to substitute appearances in their final six games with Boston.

Weir-Daley rescued a point in the duo’s final Boston game (at home to Harrogate Town) as he came off the bench to score twice for a 2-2 draw, the second in stoppage time.

Under Jason Lee and Lee Canoville the Pilgrims secured a play-off spot and although he hadn’t scored, Weir-Daley scooped another two man of the match awards against Worcester and Hyde.

Having not struck against Guiseley in either leg of the play-off semi final Weir-Daley ended the season on 14 goals, enough to take the top goalscorer spot ahead of the soon-to-be-signed-by-Scott-and-Hurst pairing Shaun Pearson and Anthony Church (11 goals each).

United may have registered 86 goals that season, but the trio were the only players to hit more than six strikes across the campaign.

Weir-Daley joined Blue Square Premier AFC Telford United the following season after signing terms in late August.

But things didn’t work out at New Bucks Head and by January he was back at York Street, scoring in his comeback game at Dartford in the FA Trophy.

Six goals in 19 games was enough to earn a new deal from now-sole manager Jason Lee for the 2012-13 season and Weir-Daley scored five in his first five appearances of the season, including both United goals in a 4-2 defeat at Oxford City and a first minute strike at Llanellian Road, Colwyn Bay four days later.

Once Lee had left and replacement Graham Drury’s unlucky 13 game tenure was over, Weir-Daley scored the first two goals of the Dennis Greene era in a 4-0 win over Gloucester City, watched by just 548 at York Street (the club’s seventh smallest league gate ever).

New boss Greene signed Weir-Daley up for the forthcoming campaign in April 2013 and the forward started well, scoring eight in the first 15 league games. Injury ended a run of 55 appearances without missing a game on Boxing Day as Weir-Daley didn’t return until February’s 6-0 win over Gainsborough.

The final 16 league games included just two Weir-Daley goals, the 65th and 66th of his Boston career, as the forward started just seven games, coming off the bench a further seven times.

Behind Ricky Miller (28) and Marc Newsham (21) in the goalscoring charts with 10, the forward left that summer.

The following season Weir-Daley was top goalscorer with 23 in Corby Town’s promotion-winning season.

The Steelmen won 3-2 at Poole Town in a first-versus-second clash on the final day to secure the Southern League Title.

Spencer opened the scoring then hit an 81st minute winner to clinch the championship, Corby needing the win to take top spot having trailed the Dolphins on goal difference going into the game.

The 2016-17 season saw Weir-Daley score against the Pilgrims as United ran out 3-2 winners in Northamptonshire before he was loaned to Kettering Town in February 2016.

With Corby relegated, Weir-Daley joined Kettering for the following campaign.

Part of the Poppies side which dumped Boston out of the FA Cup in October 2016, Weir-Daley left for Hednesford Town before playing for Redditch United, AFC Rushden & Diamonds, Barwell, Peterborough Sports, Gresley Rovers and Shepshed Dynamo.

His record as Boston’s only doubled-barrelled goalscorer was ended by Jordan Adebayo-Smith’s strike against Grantham in the Lincolnshire Cup last November.

Weir-Daley has also enjoyed international involvement since leaving York Street, representing Monserrat, scoring three times to date.

Weir-Daley scored for six management set-ups during his Boston career: Hurst and Scott, Lee and Canoville, Lee (solo), Graham Hyde (caretaker), Drury and Greene, having opened the equaliser in Hyde’s only caretaker game in charge, an emphatic 5-1 comeback win over Droylsden in December 2012.

He scored his 66 goals against 39 different teams, including six against Hinckley and four versus Harrogate and Stalybridge, and received just one red card for an off-the-ball incident against Altrincham in 2012.

At Dennis Greene’s insistence he added an appearance wearing number 4 to his more regular 9, 10 or 11 shirts, and started at seven twice.