Consider the Brothers Hoyte
Both have played for England at under 17 to under 20 level. Indeed Justin played at under 16 and under 21 level. Both were signed by Arsenal, and yet neither could quite make it.
Obviously I don’t know these guys, but I do recall watching them as youngsters playing for Arsenal reserves and thinking (wrongly as it turned out) that each would make it at Arsenal and that we could have a pairing as famous as the Compton brothers. How fortunate it is that Mr Wenger, and not I, is in charge of seeing who gets the extended contracts.
But there is perhaps no coincidence in that the Hoyte brothers have gone into sport, for their mother Wendy was a British sprinter.
Let’s take them in turn.
Gavin Andrew Hoyte was born 6 June 1990 and signed up with Arsenal aged nine and became captain of the under 18s. He signed pro forms on 10 September 2007. Having appeared on the bench he played in the 2007/8 league cup campaign, and the 2008 pre-season games. He played in the Sheffield United league cup game on 23 September 2008 and in subsequent league cup games.
In December 2008 he signed a new contract and went on loan to Watford. The following season he went to Brighton. But then there was the first sign that all was not working out well, for in January 2012 he was loaned to AFC Wimbledon of the fourth division, and in April that year he had a trial for Stevenage.
On 1 July 2012 he was released and signed for Dagenham and Redbridge.
Years | Team | Lge games | Goals |
2007–12 | Arsenal | 1 | 0 |
2008–09 | Watford loan | 7 | 0 |
2009–10 | Brighton & Hove Albion loan | 18 | 0 |
2010–11 | Lincoln City loan | 12 | 0 |
2012 | AFC Wimbledon loan | 3 | 0 |
2012– | Dagenham & Redbridge | 35 | 0 |
Figures up to September 2013.
Justin Raymond Hoyte was born 20 November 1984. He too joined Arsenal aged nine, and signed pro forms in May 2003.
He made his debut as a substitute on 7 May 2003 against Southampton – quite a moment to choose as this was the first of the “49” – the game in which Pires scored his sensational hattrick.
In 2005 Justin went to Sunderland and on 31 August 2005 played his first game for them and indeed played 31 first team games that season for them in the Premier League.
With Cole feeling sick at only being offered £50,000 a week and Gaël Clichy injured Hoyte got a run in the team, and on 2 January 2007 scored not only his first goal for Arsenal, but the first Arsenal goal (against Charlton) to be scored by an Englishman at the Emirates.
On 14 August 2008 Middlesbrough made a bit for Hoyte and he was transferred there on 16 August for £3m.
However he left Middlesbrough on a free transfer in July 2012, but then re-signedYears
Team | Lge Games | Goals | |
2002–2008 | Arsenal | 34 | 1 |
2005–2006 | Sunderland (loan) | 27 | 1 |
2008– | Middlesbrough | 139 | 2 |
In August 2013 he was again made available for offers from other clubs. In 2013 he also transferred his allegiance from England and has since played for Trinidad and Tobago.
Further updates on both brothers would be welcomed.
- The Anniversary Files: January to June
- The Anniversary Files: July to September
- The Anniversary Files: October to December
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
Gavin Hoyte was doing well on loan at Lincoln in 2010-11 and certainly would have left for somewhere in the lower divisions the next summer, but for his serious cruciate injury. He returned to Arsenal until fully rehabilitated and moved on one year late.