Nicholas Colin Bignall (born 11 July 1990) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a forward. A product of the Reading academy, he played on loan for a number of Football League clubs before recurring injuries forced him to drop into non-League football.
Playing career
Reading A forward or left winger, Bignall began his career in the academy at Reading and scored 20 goals for the U18 during the course of his two-year scholarship. Bignall signed a two-year professional contract ahead of the 2008–09 season, but spent much of the next three years away on loan from the Madejski Stadium. He made 53 appearances and scored five goals for League One clubs Northampton Town, Cheltenham Town, Stockport County, Southampton, Bournemouth, Brentford, Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers.
After signing a new two-year contract in April 2009, Bignall made his debut for the Royals with a start in a League Cup first round match versus Burton Albion on 11 August 2009. He scored two goals in the 5–1 victory. He also started in the following round versus Barnsley, before leaving the club on loan and returning early through injury on 21 December 2009. He returned to fitness in January 2010 and made one further appearance during the 2009–10 season, as a substitute for Simon Church after 74 minutes of a 1–0 victory over Barnsley on 30 January.
Bignall made what would be his final Reading appearance early in the 2010–11 season, with a start in a 1–0 League Cup first round extra time victory over Torquay United on 11 August 2010. He signed a new two-year contract in October 2010, but subsequently spent much of the remainder of the 2010–11 season away on loan. Bignall failed to receive a call into the first team squad during the early months of the 2011–12 season and suffered a season-ending injury while away on loan in October 2011. Bignall's contract expired in June 2012, but remained with the club on a non-contract basis in a bid to return to fitness. He finally departed in 2014.
Non-League football In March 2014, Bignall dropped into non-League football to join Conference South club Basingstoke Town and he was a part of the squad which won the 2013–14 Hampshire Senior Cup. He departed the club early in the 2014–15 season and had short spells with National League South clubs Sutton United and Hayes & Yeading United, before returning to The Camrose late in the campaign. He departed for the final time during the 2015 off-season and had short spells with Lincoln City and Gainsborough Trinity, before joining National League South club Hungerford Town in 2016. He remained at Bulpit Lane until his departure at the end of the 2017–18 season. After a year out of football, Bignall played for Isthmian League South Central Division clubs Bracknell Town and Uxbridge during the 2019–20 season.
Coaching career In September 2018, it was reported that Bignall had returned to Reading to coach in the club's academy, as part of a coaching degree course at Oxford Brookes University.
Personal life Bignall is colour blind.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsReading 2009–10Championship 10—22— 32 2010–11 00001000 10Total 10003200 42 Northampton Town (loan) 2008–09 League One 5120—— 71 Cheltenham Town (loan) 2008–09 League One 131——— 131 Stockport County (loan) 2009–10 League One 11210—1Appearance in the Football League Trophy1 133 Southampton (loan) 2010–11 League One 3000—— 30 Bournemouth (loan) 2010–11 League One 5000—— 50 Brentford (loan) 2010–11 League One 60——10 70 Exeter City (loan) 2011–12 League One 30—1000 40 Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 2011–12 League One 1000—— 10 Basingstoke Town 2013–14 Conference South 93——1Appearance in Hampshire Senior Cup0 1032014–1520———20Total113——10123Sutton United2014–15Conference South7120——91Hayes & Yeading United2014–15Conference South40——1Appearance in Middlesex Senior Cup050Basingstoke Town2014–15Conference South51——1Appearance in Conference South play-offs061Total164——20184Lincoln City2015–16National League00——1Appearance in Lincolnshire Senior Cup010Gainsborough Trinity2015–16National League North 12510—00 135Hungerford Town2016–17National League South17320—2Appearances in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup12142017–1833931—1Appearance in FA Trophy03710Total501251—315814Gosport Borough (loan)2016–17National League South20———20Bracknell Town2019–20Isthmian League South Central Division7120—0091Uxbridge2019–20Isthmian League South Central Division31———312020–215010—3090Total8110—30120Career total 154 28 12 1 4 2 122 182 33
Honours Basingstoke Town
Hampshire Senior Cup: 2013–14
References
External links
Nicholas Bignall at readingfc.co.uk