[3] Nelson played in the 1966 FA Youth Cup final in which Arsenal beat Sunderland 5–3 over two legs.
[2][4] He was a regular in Arsenal's reserve side for several seasons, before making his first-team debut against Ipswich Town on 25 October 1969.
[3] He made two appearances in Arsenal's successful 1969–70 Fairs Cup campaign but played no part in the final itself, and his four league matches during the 1970–71 Double-winning season were not sufficient for a medal.
[7] For the next five seasons he was a near ever-present in the Arsenal side, and he played in all three of their successive FA Cup finals, in the starting eleven in 1978 and 1979 and as a substitute in 1980.
[13][14] After spending a season as a coach at Brighton & Hove Albion, Nelson left the game completely and went into the insurance industry.