Adrian Clewlow

*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.

Adrian Clewlow

Appearances: 8 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 0

Date / Year of birth: 1974

Position: Goalkeeper

Season of first appearance: 1991/92

Season of last appearance: 1992/93

Also played for: Folkestone, Chelsea (0), Ashford Town, Herne Bay, Canterbury City and University of Richmond (USA)

Dover-born son of 1970's Margate player Colin Clewlow who started his senior career with Folkestone, making his first team debut for them aged only 16 in a Southern League Cup tie against Crawley in November 1990.

Adrian joined Margate early in 1991 after Folkestone went out of business and he made eight appearances in the reserves before the end of the 1990/91 season.

Adrian started the 1991/92 campaign in Margate's Under-18 team and on 24.10.91 their home game against Herne Bay Under 18's was abandoned with five minutes left after objects were thrown at Adrian by spectators. In November 1991 he spent a week on trial at Chelsea and impressed sufficiently to be signed as an Associate Schoolboy by the London club.

On 4.4.92 Adrian made his first team debut for Margate when he stood in for the injured Kevin Hudson for a home game against Andover. The Thanet Times said that he could "be reasonably pleased with his overall performance" as the visitors won 2-1. Adrian then played in six of Margate's last seven games and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he "gave a good account of himself" during a 1-1 draw at Braintree on 7.4.92. After a 2-1 win at Gosport on 11.4.92 the Thanet Times reported that Adrian was "steadily gaining in confidence" and at the end of April 1992 he played for England's Under-18 side in a 2-2 draw in Switzerland. Adrian was the first serving Margate player ever to play for an England youth side. He was chosen as the club's 'Young Player of the Year' and finished the season having made seven first team appearances.

In the summer of 1992 Adrian appeared in some of Herne Bay's friendlies as well as playing in a few of Margate's pre-season games but he started the 1992/93 campaign at Hartsdown Park. As he was too old for the Under-18's, reserve team fixtures were very limited and Hudson was an automatic choice for the first team Adrian struggled to get regular match practice during the season. In November 1992 he was loaned to Ashford for a month and surprisingly played for them in a 4-0 win at Margate on 8.12.92. Adrian returned to Hartsdown before the end of December but continued to find opportunities to play at any level very limited so when he was called up for a Southern League match at home to Salisbury on 2.2.93 he wasn't ideally prepared. Margate lost the game 5-3 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette reported that Adrian had "an absolute nightmare of a match". The article said he was "as unhappy about crosses as Dracula" and that "he flapped and missed far too often for peace of mind and his uncertainty inevitably spread to the defence". Adrian didn't play for the first team again and in March 1993 he was released having made ten reserve team appearances in addition to his single outing for the senior side.

Adrian joined Herne Bay after leaving Hartsdown Park and then moved on to Ashford for the start of the 1993/94 campaign. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "was in fine form" in a 1-0 home win over Margate on 30.11.93, "pulling off several good saves".

In the summer of 1994 he signed for Canterbury before rejoining Ashford in October 1994 as cover for injured former Margate keeper Joe Radford.

Adrian later moved to the USA and played for the University of Richmond in a league called the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) from the 1995 season when he was the CAA's 'Rookie of the Year' through to 2002.

By 2005 he was playing amateur football in the Central Virginia Soccer Association and in 2006 Adrian was living in Boston and working as a teacher there.

His sister Mel (born in 1976) was a very successful hockey player who played for Canterbury and won over 100 international caps for England / Great Britain.

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

FAC

FAT

SLC

KSC

 

1991/92 (MFC)

7 (52)

0

0

SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (14TH OF 22)

1QR

3QR

1R

1R

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

 

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1992/93 (MFC)

1 (53)

0

0

SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 22)

2QR

2QR

1R

1R