Quick Facts
Biography
Michael Wayne Anthony Ebanks (born 2 October 1964), known as Wayne Ebanks, is an English former footballer who played at right-back for West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Port Vale and Cambridge United between 1981 and 1987. He helped Port Vale to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86. He later became a police officer.
Playing career
Ebanks began his career at West Bromwich Albion, and played seven First Division games for the "Baggies" in the 1983–84 season under the stewardship of Ron Wylie and Johnny Giles. He then fell lout of the first team picture at The Hawthorns, and was loaned out to Bill Asprey's Stoke City, playing ten First Division and two cup games for the "Potters" in the disastrous 1984–85 season. After leaving the Victoria Ground, he returned to Stoke-on-Trent in March 1985, this time on loan to rivals Port Vale. He featured eleven times in the Fourth Division for the "Valiants", and impressed manager John Rudge enough to win permanent transfer in June 1985. He featured 15 times as Vale won promotion to the Third Division in the 1985–86 season, and then played 22 games in the 1986–87 campaign. He was given a free transfer in May 1987, and joined Cambridge United on a non-contract basis. He cut his time at the Abbey Stadium short to join the police force.
Post-retirement
After leaving the game Ebanks joined the police force.
Career statistics
- Sourced from Wayne Ebanks profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[A] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 1983–84 | First Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Stoke City (loan) | 1984–85 | First Division | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Port Vale | 1984–85 | Fourth Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 1985–86 | Fourth Division | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 1986–87 | Third Division | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| Cambridge United | 1987–88 | Fourth Division | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Career Total | 60 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 0 | ||
- A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy.
Honours
- with Port Vale
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1985–86
- Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.