Leicester City are heartbroken to learn that Chris Garland, a striker who played for the Club in the mid-1970s, died on July 13, 2023, at the age of 74.
Chris made his Bristol City debut as a 17-year-old striker in December 1966 and went on to make over 150 appearances for the Robins, winning one England Under-23s cap.
Chelsea manager Dave Sexton signed Chris for £100,000 in August 1971. He was Chelsea’s equal highest scorer in 1972/73, along with Peter Osgood, in the League Cup Final defeat by Stoke City. In 114 league and cup games for Chelsea, he scored 31 goals.
Jimmy Bloomfield signed him for Leicester City at £110,000 in March 1975.
The Foxes were 20th in the First Division when he joined, despite the presence of Mark Wallington, Steve Whitworth, Dennis Rofe, Jon Sammels, Alan Birchenall, Keith Weller, Frank Worthington, and Lenny Glover.
However, Chris’ signing, combined with the arrival of Leicester-born England centre-back Jeff Blockley from Arsenal, galvanized the team. His eight goals in the final 11 games of the season helped keep a struggling team from being relegated.
The first three of his eight goals came in his third game for Leicester City, when he scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Filbert Street.
He was sent off in the first game of the 1975/76 season, but he was a fixture in the side that finished seventh in the Premier League that season, forming a strong strike partnership with Frank Worthington and Bob Lee.
He was also a frequent first choice in Bloomfield’s side the following season, until November 1976, when Bristol City accepted a £110,000 bid to bring him back to Ashton Gate. Chris appeared in 63 league and cup games for Filbert Street, scoring 19 goals.
Bristol City had risen to the top division during his absence. Chris tore his cruciate ligaments in his second season back at Ashton Gate (1977/78), and he struggled with injuries for the next three seasons.
To restore fitness, he went on loan to Västers SK in Sweden’s Second Division in 1981.
His contract at Bristol City was ended twice, once with his permission when, along with seven other players dubbed “The Ashton Gate Eight,” he took voluntary redundancy to assist prevent the club from going bankrupt and disappearing. He then played for six months in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Bristol City was relegated from the First Division to the Fourth Division three times in a row in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Chris was a non-contract player for the Robins when they were relegated to the Fourth Division. That season, he added 103 league and cup goals to his career total before retiring in February 1983.
He is one of just five players who have scored in all four divisions for the same club.
Chris was active in a variety of initiatives after leaving football. He was a coach at Yeovil Town. He also started various businesses and managed Minehead in the Western League.
Chris had a difficult time throughout the next few years. Life had its ups and downs.
Things became more difficult when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1989, at the age of 39. When this was disclosed in 1992, many of his old teammates rallied for a series of testimonial events held by Minehead FC.
In May 1993, Bristol City played Manchester United at Ashton Gate on his behalf. With the assistance of the PFA, he underwent surgery in 2006, which considerably improved his condition.
He published his autobiography, A Life of Two Halves, two years later. Chris had dementia and was living at a care facility in Newport at the time.
Leicester City Football Club’s thoughts are with Chris’ family and friends during this difficult time.
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