Chris Payne (soccer)

Christopher Payne
Born	(1990-09-15) September 15, 1990 Gosford, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	2007–present
Known for	Playing for Sydney FC, North Queensland Fury, Newcastle Jets, East Bengal, and other clubs

Christopher Baden Payne (born 15 September 1990) is an Australian professional football player who currently competes for Umina United in the Central Coast Football Men's Division One league.

Club career

He completed his Higher School Certificate at Narrabeen Sports High School.

Sydney FC

Payne participated in all three of Sydney's pre-season trial games, registering two goals against his former team Manly United at Cromer Park. His official debut occurred during the opening fixture of the 2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup versus Queensland Roar, where he scored Sydney’s inaugural goal, earning the distinction of being the youngest player to score for the club in a competitive match. He transferred from Manly just one week before the commencement of the 2008/09 season, with Manly receiving a transfer fee of $3,000.

His first A-League goal came in a 3–1 victory over the Newcastle Jets at EnergyAustralia Stadium. In the Preliminary final against Wellington Phoenix, Payne scored a disputed goal using his arm. Despite displaying strong performances throughout Sydney FC’s Finals campaign, he was not offered a contract renewal and subsequently returned to Manly United. On 28 June, he signed with North Queensland Fury for the upcoming season.

North Queensland Fury

During his debut for North Queensland Fury in Round 1, Payne scored to level the match at 1–1 in a 3–3 draw against Perth Glory. He found the net again against Perth Glory in Townsville, opening the scoring with an impressive strike that contributed to a 2–1 win. After North Queensland Fury folded on 7 December 2010, Payne secured a two-year deal with the Newcastle Jets.

Newcastle Jets

Payne made his first appearance for the Jets in a pre-season friendly against NSW Premier League side Sutherland Sharks, scoring in a 2–1 victory. His A-League debut for Newcastle came on 17 December 2011, in a 2–1 defeat to his former club Sydney FC at Ausgrid Stadium.

Although he had one year remaining on his contract, Payne's position became uncertain under new head coach Gary van Egmond, who excluded him from future squad plans due to concerns over his performance. In January 2012, Newcastle Jets and Gold Coast United attempted to arrange a player swap involving Payne and Tahj Minniecon; however, the trade fell through after Minniecon sustained a heel injury. On 3 February 2012, Payne and Newcastle Jets mutually agreed to terminate his contract more than a year early because of his unclear role within the squad and van Egmond’s public comments.

Bonnyrigg White Eagles

Following his release from Newcastle, Payne signed with Bonnyrigg White Eagles for the 2012 season of the New South Wales Premier League.

Central Coast Mariners Academy

Payne scored on his debut for Central Coast Mariners Academy during a 3–1 loss to Sutherland Sharks on 3 February.

Return to Manly

Payne rejoined Manly United for a fourth tenure and played an instrumental role in their journey to the 2014 Waratah Cup Grand Final against Blacktown City. He scored twice in that match, although Manly were defeated 6–2 at Lambert Park. Manly also qualified for the inaugural 2014 FFA Cup, where they faced Sydney Olympic at Cromer Park. Payne opened the scoring in a game that ended in a 3–1 loss.

East Bengal

On 1 February 2017, Payne joined the Indian I-League side East Bengal, taking over the foreign player slot previously held by Kyrgyzstani Ildar Amirov. He made his first appearance on 15 February in a match that ended 1–1 against Shillong Lajong, during which his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Payne netted two goals on 4 March in a 2–1 victory over Shillong Lajong, contributing to East Bengal's return to the summit of the league standings. Shortly after, on 7 March, he scored once more in a 2–1 defeat facing Churchill Brothers. Payne was released from the club on 3 May ahead of their Federation Cup campaign.

A-League career statistics

(Accurate as of 22 February 2015)

Club	Season	League			Cup			Asia			Total
		Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Sydney FC	2007–08	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0
	2008–09	5	0	0	2	1	0	-	-	-	6	1	0
	2009–10	14	3	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	14	3	0
North Queensland Fury	2010–11	21	4	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	21	4	4
Newcastle Jets	2011–12	1	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	1	0	0
Total		41	7	4	2	1	0	-	-	-	43	8	4

Club

Sydney FC

• A-League Premiership: 2009–10
• A-League Championship: 2009–10

Bonnyrigg White Eagles

• National Premier Leagues NSW Premiership: 2012

Sydney United 58

• Waratah Cup: 2016, 2023
• National Premier Leagues NSW Premiership: 2016
• National Premier Leagues Championship: 2016

APIA Leichhardt

• National Premier Leagues NSW Championship: 2019

Individual

• NPL NSW Leading Goalscorer (Sydney United 58): 2016 – 22 goals

External links

• North Queensland Fury profile