Jump to content

Margate F.C.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ChrisTheDude (talk | contribs) at 21:02, 13 June 2007 (→Statistics and records: forgot to wikilink all those seasons). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Margate
Margate FC badge
Full nameMargate Football Club
Nickname(s)The Gate
Founded1896
GroundHartsdown Park
Margate
Kent
Capacity2,100 (400 seated)[1]
ChairmanEngland Malcolm Rowlett[2]
ManagerEngland Robin Trott[2]
LeagueIsthmian League
Premier Division
2006–07Isthmian League
Premier Division, 6th

Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United.

The club was founded in 1896 and joined the Southern Football League in 1933. After a spell in the Kent League after World War II the team returned to the Southern League in 1959 and remained there until 2001 when they gained promotion to the Football Conference, the highest level of English non-league football. Their stay at this level saw the team forced to groundshare with other clubs due to drawn-out and problematic redevelopment work at their Hartsdown Park stadium, and by the time they were able to return to their own ground they had been relegated to the Isthmian League.

The team, nicknamed "The Gate", have reached the third round proper of the FA Cup on two occasions. On the second of these occasions they played Tottenham Hotspur, a First Division team and the reigning UEFA Cup holders.

History

Early years

Margate team photo from the 1901–02 season.

Margate Football Club was originally founded in 1896 as an amateur club, playing friendly matches on local school grounds.[3] In the years prior to the First World War the club played in several different amateur leagues, with little success, and played at various grounds in the Margate area before settling on a pitch at what would later become the Dreamland amusement park in 1912.[4] This ground became known as the Hall-by-the-Sea Ground,[5] taking its name from a local dance hall.[6]

The inter-war years

After the war Margate stepped up to the original Kent League, but in 1923 the club was suspended from the league due to financial irregularities and promptly folded. A year later the club was reformed, initially under the name Margate Town, and returned to the Kent League, still playing at Dreamland, but folded again due to heavy debts.[5] In 1929 the club reformed once again and moved to its present home at Hartsdown Park, part of which was leased from the local council for conversion into a football stadium. Around this time Margate signed a Dutch player, a highly unusual move in an era when it was almost unknown for Continental players to move to English clubs.[7] Goalkeeper Gerald Keizer, who joined the Kent club from Ajax Amsterdam, later went on to play for Arsenal.[4]

From 1934 until 1938 Margate, by now playing in the Southern League, served as the official nursery side for Arsenal.[8] Under this arrangement the London club were permitted to loan promising young players to Margate in order for them to gain match experience. Star players such as Eddie Hapgood also turned out for Margate whilst regaining match fitness after injuries.[5] In the second season of this arrangement, 1935–36, Margate reached the third round proper of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 3-1 to Blackpool after defeating Q.P.R. and Crystal Palace in the earlier rounds, but shortly after this the club was forced to step back down to the Kent League for financial reasons.[9]

The post-war years

After the Second World War the Gate continued to play in the Kent League under new manager Charlie Walker, who led the team to two Kent League championships but was then controversially sacked.[5] The team slumped during a succession of rapid managerial changes which only ended in 1950 when Almer Hall was appointed manager, a post he was to hold for the next twenty years. Under Hall the team won a host of local cup honours and reached the rounds proper of the FA Cup on a number of occasions, but were never able to match this success in league competition.[10]

In 1959–60 Margate returned to the Southern League after the Kent League folded, and in 1962–63 won the Division One championship and with it promotion to the Premier Division.[9] Two years later the club turned full-time professional but this policy proved financially untenable when the team were relegated back to Division One in 1965–66. Nonetheless, they won promotion at the first attempt and returned to the Premier Division in 1966.[9]

During the 1970s Margate endured severe financial problems and a series of mediocre league seasons, but were involved in two famous FA Cup ties. In 1971 the Gate went down 11-0 to Bournemouth, with Ted MacDougall scoring a cup record nine goals.[11] Then, a year later, Margate beat Swansea City and Walton & Hersham to set up an FA Cup 3rd round tie against Tottenham Hotspur. A record crowd of over 14,000 packed into Hartsdown Park.[3]

The Thanet United era

Thanet United badge

On several occasions in the 1970s Margate had discussed a merger with neighbours Ramsgate to form a new team representing the whole Isle of Thanet, which was regarded as the solution to the financial problems being experienced by both clubs. The negotiations floundered, however, and when Thanet United F.C. was finally formed in 1981 Ramsgate had no involvement and it was purely a name change for Margate. When Thanet District Council announced they would not be prepared to put any funding into the new club the idea of a merger between Thanet United and Ramsgate was finally completely abandoned.[5]

The Thanet United era saw a run of generally medicore seasons in the Southern League Southern Division, with financial problems continuing unabated and a series of managers coming and going. In January 1989 the club came close to relegation to the Kent League and possible total collapse, but in March a new board took over, who reverted the club's name to Margate Football Club for the 1989–90 season and appointed Trevor Ford as manager. Success still eluded the club on the pitch, however, even after the signing of former Football League players such as Mike Flanagan and Mark Weatherly, who later took over as co-manager and led the club to a Kent Senior Cup win, a rare triumph in this era.[5]

The Chris Kinnear era

In 1996, the club's centenary year, Chris Kinnear was appointed manager.[12] In 1997–98 he took the team to the first round proper of the FA Cup where they played Fulham in a home tie that drew a crowd of 5,100. Although the Gate took the lead, the Cottagers eventually won 2-1.[13] The following season saw the club finally win promotion to the Southern League Premier Division, albeit only after an appeal was lodged against the league's initial refusal to allow the team promotion due to the club failing to carry out necessary ground improvements in time.[14] This was soon followed in the 2000–01 season by the Premier Division championship, and with it promotion to the Football Conference.[9]

The 2001–02 season was Gate's first ever season of Conference football and they finished the season in eighth place. In the 2002–03 season the team began groundsharing at Dover Athletic's Crabble ground while redevelopment was carried out at Hartsdown Park, but various issues meant that the planned redevelopment stalled.[15] On the pitch, Margate enjoyed more success in the FA Cup when, after defeating Leyton Orient in the first round, they were drawn at home to Cardiff City in the second round, but lost 3-0 at Crabble. The following season, despite finishing sixteenth, the Gate were forcibly relegated one division due to the ongoing delays and problems with the redevelopment plans for Hartsdown Park.[9]

Margate spent the 2004–05 season in the Conference South, now groundsharing at Ashford Town.[16] Amidst ongoing issues with the redevelopment work, which at one point made it seem very likely that the club would fold completely,[3] Margate were again relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division.[9]

Return to Hartsdown Park

File:MargateFC2005.jpg
Margate (blue shirts) in action in 2005

In August 2005, Margate returned to Hartsdown Park after three years in the wilderness. During an indifferent season manager Kinnear was controversially suspended.[17] Robin Trott was placed in temporary charge as player-manager in April 2006 and, after an unbeaten five game run, was given a one-year contract at the end of the season. After Margate narrowly missed out on the play-offs in 2006–07 it was announced that Trott was to be given a new contract for the 2007–08 season.[18]

Stadium

Hartsdown Park viewed from the air in 2005, with much evidence of the building work still in progress.

The Hartsdown Park stadium has been Margate's home since 1929,[5] the same year the park within which it stands opened to the public.[19] Little development of the stadium took place[20] until 2002, when the club launched an ambitious scheme to completely redevelop the site. The club moved out and the old stadium, which was constructed mainly from timber and corrugated iron,[21] was demolished in early 2003, but the local council disputed the plans submitted.[22][23] Although planned to be completed by August 2003,[24] the redevelopment dragged on for three years, mired in issues regarding planning permission for the commercial facilities the club wanted to build in addition to the stadium itself.[25] The team spent three years ground-sharing with other Kent clubs, but club officials' failure to confirm a return date to Hartsdown led to Margate's expulsion from the Conference National in 2004.[3][26] In 2005 the club was finally able to return to the ground, albeit with pre-fabricated stands and temporary buildings in place.[27]

The club's ultimate plan involves a stadium with a capacity of 5,000 forming part of a complex incorporating a hotel, fitness centre, conference centre, all-weather pitch and ten 5-a-side pitches.[22] Work on the 5-a-side pitch complex began in May 2007.[28]

Support

In the 2006–07 season Margate's average attendance was 677, the fourth highest in the Isthmian League Premier Division, although this was fractionally down compared to the average of 690 in their first season back at Hartsdown Park.[29] During their three seasons in the Conference National, from 2001–02 to 2003–04, the club's average home attendances were 1,233,[30] 684,[31] and 562.[32] For the last two of these three seasons the team were playing in Dover.

The club has an active independent supporters' association and the fans were actively involved in getting the stadium ready for the club's return in 2005.[33][34]

Colours and crest

Margate's kit at the turn of the 20th century

Margate's current colours are blue shirts with white trim and blue shorts, but a number of other combinations have been worn. The club's earliest known colours were black and white stripes.[35][36] By the 1920s the kit had changed to plain white shirts (with the team having the appropriate nickname of "The Lilywhites") but in 1929 the club adopted amber and black as its colours. In 1949 the colours changed once again to blue and white.[5] During the Thanet United era, the team wore plain white shirts,[37] but when the club's name was changed back to Margate in 1989, the blue kit was re-adopted.

The club's current crest is a simplified version of the coat of arms of the town of Margate,[38] incorporating a lion conjoined to a ship's hull (a reference to the arms of the Cinque Ports)[39] and the white horse emblem of Kent.[40] Previous crests have included the full town arms, the letters "M.F.C." above a lighthouse, and the letters "M.F.C." superimposed on a football.[41]

Various sponsors' logos have adorned Margate's shirts but the most notable was that of the pop group Bad Manners, whose name was printed on the team's shirts as part of a sponsorship deal with their record label in the late 1990s.[42] Lead singer Buster Bloodvessel was running a hotel in Margate at the time and actually joined the football club's board of directors.[43]

Players

Current squad

As of June 5, 2007:[44]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
n/a GK England ENG Scott Chalmers-Stevens
n/a GK England ENG Damian Rowlands
n/a DF England ENG Justin Skinner
n/a DF Jamaica JAM Pat Sappleton
n/a DF England ENG Robin Trott
n/a DF England ENG Dean Standen
n/a DF England ENG Louis Smith
n/a DF England ENG Danny Allen
n/a MF England ENG Steve McKimm
No. Pos. Nation Player
n/a MF England ENG Jimmy Jackson
n/a MF England ENG Jay Saunders
n/a MF England ENG Michael Yianni
n/a MF England ENG Neil Hoggart
n/a MF England ENG Kieran Morris
n/a FW England ENG James Pinnock
n/a FW England ENG Danny Hockton
n/a FW England ENG Rob Haworth
n/a FW England ENG Nick Bagley

N.B. The Isthmian League does not use a squad numbering system

The club also fields a reserve team in the Kent League Division Two[45] and has a thriving youth section running teams in every age range from under-7 to under-18.[46]

Notable former players

For a list of all Margate players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:Margate F.C. players.

Margate's all-time appearance record holder is Bob Harrop, who played 564 times between 1962 and 1978. Five other players have made over 400 appearances, namely Terry Joyce (526), Norman Fusco (494), Ray Summers (485), Bill Edwards (475) and Brian Hughes (403).[47]

The club's all-time top goalscorer is Martin Buglione, who scored 158 goals in the early 1990s. Three other players have reached the 100-goal mark for the club, namely Alan Blackburn (121), Peter Vandepeer (119) and Phil Amato (107).[48]

International players

The only player ever to gain full international caps whilst on Margate's books is John Keister, who played for Sierra Leone during his five-year stint with the club.[49][4] [50]

Managers

Margate's first known manager was Arthur Graves, who was installed as manager when Margate Town was reformed in 1929.[5] Since then more than 25 men have managed The Gate, of whom by far the longest serving was Almer Hall, who was manager for twenty years from 1950 until 1970.

From To Manager
1929 tbc Arthur Graves[5]
1934 1936 Jack Ramsay[5]
1936 tbc Jack Lambert[5]
1939 1940 Bill Fogg[5]
1940 1946 Club inactive due to World War II[5]
1946 1948 Charlie Walker[51]
1948 1948 Alex Weir[52]
1948 1949 Committee[53]
1949 1950 Jock Basford[54]
1950 1970 Almer Hall[10]
1970 1971 Gerry Baker[55]
1971 1971 Committee / Eddie Clayton / Terry Morris[56]
1971 1977 Les Riggs[57]
1977 1977 Peter Donnelly[58]
1977 1978 Dennis Hunt[59]
From To Manager
1978 1979 Jack Smith[60]
1979 1982 Terry Morris[61]
1982 1983 Peter Donnelly[62]
1983 1983 Alan Fagan[63]
1983 1987 John Wickens[64]
1987 1988 Norman Fusco[65]
1988 1988 Phil Winfield[66]
1988 1989 Garry Aldous[67]
1989 1990 Trevor Ford[5]
1990 1990 Colin Powell[5]
1990 1991 Steve McRaye[5]
1991 tbc Tommy Taylor[5]
1993 tbc Mark Weatherly/Andy Woolford[5]
1996 2006 Chris Kinnear[5]
2006 present Robin Trott[5]

Current staff

Management

Officials

  • Chairman: Malcom Rowlett[2]
  • Directors: Alan Bown, Colin Page, Keith Piper, Kim Marsden[2]
  • Administration manager: Victoria Bush[2]
  • Club secretary: Ken Tomlinson[2]

Honours

Statistics and records

Margate's league positions since the formation of the Alliance Premier League in 1979. Horizontal grey lines represent the breaks between divisions, vertical broken lines represent points when the structure of the National League System changed.

Margate's best ever league finish since the establishment of the Alliance Premier League in 1979 was an 8th place finish in Conference National (level 5 of the overall English football league system) in 2001–02. The team have twice progressed as far as the third round proper of the FA Cup, in 1935–36 and 1972–73, and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy in 2001–02.[9]

The club's biggest ever winning margin in a single match was 12-1, a score they have achieved twice,[69] firstly against Deal Cinque Ports in an FA Cup First Qualifying Round match in 1919–20[70] and again against Erith & Belvedere in the Kent League in 1927–28.[71]

The highest recorded attendance at Hartsdown Park was 14,169 for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup in 1972–73.[72] This figure is unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future, as even after its planned redevelopment is completed, the ground will hold less than half this number of fans.

Rivalries

Margate's main rivalry is with Thanet neighbours Ramsgate.[73] After many years playing in different leagues the two clubs were able to renew their rivalry when Ramsgate joined Margate in the Isthmian League Premier Division in the 2006–07 season. The attendance of 1,676 when the two sides met at Hartsdown Park was more than double Margate's average home crowd for the season.[74]

Another of Margate's rivals is Dover Athletic. Despite meeting rarely in competitive games over recent years, both teams were in the Conference in the 2001–02 season. In that season, the last season the two teams were in the same division, the two games between Margate and Dover were watched by a combined total of over 6,000 spectators. 3,676 watched the game played at Margate's Hartsdown Park stadium, and 2,325 were in attendance for the game at Dover's Crabble stadium.[75]

References

  1. ^ "Revenge on the Cards as Margate Pay a Visit (13th April 2007)". Cheltenham City F.C. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Who's who". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  3. ^ a b c d "Club 'could fold' over stadium". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  4. ^ a b c George, Ricky. "Keister on crest of wave". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "The History of Margate Football Club". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  6. ^ "Building of the Month September 2006: The Scenic Railway at Dreamland, Margate, Kent". The Twentieth Century Society. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  7. ^ Davies, Hunter (2003). Boots, Balls & Haircuts: An Illustrated History of Football from Then to Now. Cassell Illustrated. p. 202. ISBN 1-8440-3261-2.
  8. ^ "Bluebirds get the job done". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Margate". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  10. ^ a b "Almer Hall". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  11. ^ "AFC Bournemouth - A History in the Making". AFC Bournemouth. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  12. ^ "English FA Cup - Round 1". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  13. ^ "PLAYER PROFILES FOR MARGATE". Scarborough F.C. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  14. ^ "News: May 1999". Bath City F.C. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  15. ^ "Club 'can start work on stadium'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  16. ^ "News Centre". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  17. ^ "Margate suspend managerial pair". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  18. ^ "Budget cut, but Trott stays with Gate". kentnews.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  19. ^ "United Kingdom Database of Historic Parks and Gardens". University of York. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  20. ^ "Margate Club Profile". Ciderspace - The Independent Yeovil Town FC Website. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  21. ^ Wallis, Mark. "About the Ground: Hartsdown Park". The Little Gazette. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  22. ^ a b "CVA Signed, Sealed and Approved!". Clubs in Crisis. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  23. ^ "Thanet Council Blasts Margate". ConfGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  24. ^ "Margate FC - Hartsdown Road (sic) 1975-2003". Pyramid Passion. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  25. ^ "Football club in administration". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  26. ^ "Margate opt for demolition". ConfGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  27. ^ "Margate FC". Pyramid Passion. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  28. ^ "Club News Update". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  29. ^ "Attendances: Isthmian League Premier Division". Tony's English Football Site. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  30. ^ "Stats 2001/2: Margate". ConfGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  31. ^ "Stats 2002/3: Margate". ConfGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  32. ^ "Stats 2003/4: Margate". ConfGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  33. ^ "Football club enjoys homecoming". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  34. ^ "Supporters raise funds for Margate". KentishFootball.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  35. ^ "TEAM PHOTOS". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  36. ^ "History/Honours". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  37. ^ "1987/88 SEASON". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  38. ^ "The Mayor and Charter Trustees of Margate". The Mayor and Charter Trustees of Margate. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  39. ^ "THE HERALDRY OF THE CINQUE PORTS". Official Website of The Confederation of the Cinque Ports. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  40. ^ "The history of Kent". Kent County Council. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  41. ^ "MARGATE FC HISTORY WEBSITE". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  42. ^ "Margate master testing times". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  43. ^ "Andover Advertiser". Andover Advertiser. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  44. ^ "Squad". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  45. ^ "Second Division Table 2006–07". The Kent League. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  46. ^ "Margate F.C. Youth Section". Margate F.C. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
  47. ^ "Appearances 1946/47-2005/06". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  48. ^ "Goalscorers 1946/47-2005/06". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  49. ^ Duncan, Alan. "Thorne ends dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-05-26.
  50. ^ "Odds & Ends". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
  51. ^ "Charlie Walker". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  52. ^ "Alex Weir". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  53. ^ "Club Comittee (caretakers)". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  54. ^ "Jock Basford". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  55. ^ "Gerry Baker". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  56. ^ "Comittee/Eddie Clayton/Terry Morris (caretakers)". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  57. ^ "Les Riggs". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  58. ^ "Peter Donnelly". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  59. ^ "Dennis Hunt". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  60. ^ "Jack Smith". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  61. ^ "Terry Morris". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  62. ^ "Peter Donnelly". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  63. ^ "Alan Fagan". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  64. ^ "John Wickens". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  65. ^ "Norman Fusco". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  66. ^ "Phil Winfield". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  67. ^ "Garry Aldous". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  68. ^ a b c "Club honours". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-06-02.
  69. ^ "Team Records". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  70. ^ "1919/20". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  71. ^ "1927/28". margatefchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  72. ^ "Opponents: Margate". AFC Wimbledon. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  73. ^ "Margate win Thanet derby day". Kent News. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  74. ^ "Attendances: Isthmian League Premier Division". Tony's English Football Site. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
  75. ^ "Fixtures 2001/2 : Margate". Confguide.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.


Template:Isthmian League Prem teamlistTemplate:Kent League Second Division teamlist
National teams
League competitions
Level 1
Levels 2–4
Levels 5–6
Levels 7–8
Levels 9–10
Cup competitions
FA cups
League cups
County cups
Others
Lists
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Margate_F.C.&oldid=137988309"