Nicky Southall

He was transferred to Grimsby Town for £40,000 and played 55 times, scoring nine goals. On his home debut he had to play in goal after the Grimsby keeper was sent off – allegedly, the other players forced him in because he had the same surname as legendary Everton keeper Neville Southall.

On 26 June 2012 Southall joined Whitstable Town as a player/coach. He then took over as player manager. but left at the end of the 2013–14 season, moving to Maidstone United as assistant manager.

Southall signed for the Gills for a fourth time, as player/coach. His fourth Gillingham debut came in a defeat to his previous club, Dover, in a first round FA Cup match on 6 December 2010. When he departed Gillingham in May 2012, his appearance in the FA Cup represented his only appearance in his two years with the Gills.

Southall rejoined Dover Athletic during the 2009 pre-season on trial, playing in a handful of friendlies before signing on a permanent deal. In August 2009, Southall scored his first goal for Dover with a well struck free kick to give his side the lead in an encounter against Dorchester Town. He became player/assistant manager when Ian Hendon was appointed manager of the club in May 2010; however, within a month Hendon had been appointed as assistant manager at Gillingham by his predecessor at Dover, Andy Hessenthaler.

Southall made his third debut for Gillingham in the 3–1 away defeat to Huddersfield Town on 3 February. He joined Dover Athletic on a one-month loan deal on 9 September 2008. Southall made an immediate impact on his Dover debut, setting up Shaun Welford for the opening goal of the game against Hendon. He regained a place in the Gillingham team later that season, and made his final appearance as a substitute in the playoff semi-final second leg against Rochdale on 10 May 2009.

At the end of the 2006–07 season he was due to be out of contract. Forest fans were keen to see his contract renewed, however, on 31 January 2007 it was announced that he had rejoined Gillingham for a third spell on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Nottingham Forest offered the 33-year-old a two-year contract shortly after. In the 2005–06 season, he came second in the club Player of the Season vote, behind Ian Breckin, with 18% of the votes. He finished the season with eight goals as Forest narrowly missed out on a play-off place.

Gillingham were relegated to League One at the end of the 2004–05 season after being held to a draw by Nottingham Forest. He was out-of-contract and Gillingham did not retain his services.

After Bonetti had a disagreement with Laws, Southall was given a chance to re-establish himself in the first-team. After scoring an own-goal against Stoke City during Grimsby's relegation run-in the 96/97 season, Southall was frozen out of the first team in the 1997–98 season.

During his time in professional football Southall was a midfielder from 1991 to 2014 who competed in the top four tiers of English league football, notably in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers. He has represented Hartlepool United, Grimsby Town, Gillingham, Norwich City and Nottingham Forest in the Football League as well as Dover Athletic and Whitstable Town in Non-league.

Leslie Nicholas "Nicky" Southall (born 28 January 1972), is an English former professional footballer and assistant manager at National League side Maidstone United.