About Margate Football Club History
The Margate Football Club History website was originally launched by Jeff Trice in 2001. Jeff’s work on the site continued until 2015 but it was eventually re-launched by new site owner and former club president and director Gordon Wallis assisted by Steve Tomlinson. This site is run independently of Margate Football Club which can be found here
After abandoning the idea of a Margate FC history book, Gordon (who sadly passed away in October 2024), along with Jeremy Jacobs, Neil Wyatt and the team at New Time Media, undertook the huge task of transferring content from the original website to what you see today which is Phase One of the project.
The new site includes all of the original content with many photographs and articles having been reformatted. More than 5,300 match records had to be transferred and this painstaking task commenced in early 2023. All match records (from 1946) and most of the associated data is correct up to the current season.
Phase Two will commence in 2025 and see the completion of player records from 2014 to 2024 along with new photos and articles. By far the biggest area of research and work will be to update records from before 1940. The Arsenal Nursery years will, of course, feature heavily. It is expected that Phase Two will take at least two years to complete.
Every team Margate has played (except for friendlies or exhibition matches) feature under “all teams” in the seasons and games section on the site. Where there has been a name change to an opponent (for example, ‘Dover’ and ‘Dover Athletic’) we’ve highlighted the alternative names and have listed the matches separately.
Errors or omissions relating to the website can be notified to us using the form on contact page. In particular, information is welcome from anyone who can supply match and player details which are currently lacking. This applies especially to any missing birth or death dates, full names, photographs, etc, of players and others who represented the club during the 1920s and 1930s or even earlier! Ideally, we’d like to hear from people who have the enthusiasm and time to assist with the research, some of which may be spent at the British Library or interviewing MFC fans or local historians.
We’d like to thank those who during 2024 have provided assistance and some of the new content (apologies if we’ve omitted anyone): Roger Wash from Hatter’s Heritage (Luton Town), Ian Grant of the Watford Football Club Archive, Ralph Morris of Pride of Anglia (Ipswich Town), Rob Wallis, Ian Kay, Peter Winkworth, David Barker, Simon Buckingham, Craig Ian Davenport, Ian Bull, Pam Bea, David Upton, Mark Sandwell, Daniel Winsbury, Michael Rowlinson, Peter Brown, Molly Rodway, Terry Scott, Terri Jones, David Icke, Don Walker, and former players Phil Amato, Gordon Burden and Brian Gregory. And a very special thank you to the brilliant Simon Ellinas for his illustrations.
Here’s a list of those who provided the original site content:
Steve Ball - assistance above and beyond the call of duty with the new-look site in 2011
Alison Watkins - library research
Dr Alan Kay (RIP) - photos and general information
Martyn Lambert - results, statistics and all the league tables on the site
Steve Darling - photography and loan of programmes
Paul Bates - general information
Andrew Mahoney / Thanet Times & Gazette - access to archive and permission for use of photos
Bob Dean - player information
Ian Bullock - photos and statistics of Tooting players who also played for Margate
Keith Smith - result information
Brian Allison - 70's information and anecdotes
Mr D of Canada - 60's and 70's information
Aussie Paul (RIP) - 60's info
Jeremy Jacobs, Gary Hyde and Geoff Pay - moral support
Rob Woolacott - team pictures and Alex Jackson cigarette card
Rick Dixon - photocopy of 1932 Margate v Purton programme
Nigel Maxted - various photos and programme scans
Ray Hopper - programmes and info
Tony Tipple (RIP) - programmes and info
Mark Elliott - photos of Aldershot players
Jerry King - various information
David Salmon - various Dartford-related information
Vince Taylor - various ground-related info
Andy Perkins (Waltham Forest FC) - player information
Paul Godfrey (Cheltenham Town FC) - player information
Tony Bowden - Crystal Palace / Margate player information
Dave Farebrother (Sutton United FC) - player information
Tony Dolbear (Sutton United FC) - player information
Chris Collings (Dover Athletic FC) - general information and player / programme photos
John Fitzhugh - player photos
Dave Ellis - Gillingham information
Bob Bradley & Margate Museum - access to local archives
Rich Garner - loan of programmes & press cuttings
Dave Pendleton - Bradford City / Margate player information
John Litster (Programme Monthly magazine) - Scottish player information
Steve Bell - player info, especially those who also played first class cricket
Martin Pearce - player information
Bryan Reed - various Maidstone-related info
Steve Lewis (Lordswood FC) - player information
Richard Barrett - 80's photos
John Hutchinson (RIP) - various information
Gerry Cotton - 60's info
Terry Hunt (Hayes FC) - player information
Jon Barnes (Grantham FC) - player information
Andrew Howe - info on players who played in Australia
Jerry Dowlen (Cray) - player information
John King - Charlton player information
Adam Wallace - George Wallace information
Steve Miles - loan of various items
Arran Ayres - player information
Colin Cameron - Charlton Athletic information
Gerry Collis - Thanet United information
Adrian Line & Steve Binks (Chatham Town FC) - Bobby Harrison photo
Roger Sinden - author of the Hastings United book 'Hastings Reunited'
June Evans - Eddie Belchamber info
Carole Lytell & Kathy Soares - Charlie Walker info (his daughter & grand-daughter respecitvely)
Barry Lilburn - Stan Lilburn information / photos
Neil Wyatt - stalwart scribery
Nathan Richards (Penzance FC) - Ron Barr info
Richard Ralph - Kent League tables / player photos
Bernie Thompson - Whitstable Town info
Ian Johnson - photo of John Archer
Ian Kay - loan of Alan Kay's archive material
Bryan Reed - Maidstone United info
Barry Solly - donation of old programmes
Paul Zannetti - player info
Dave Hills (jnr) - info on Dave Hills (snr)
Terry Smith - programmes
Ray Cotton (RIP) - programmes and info
Peter Stickels - information on Albert Stickels and Arthur Stickels
Ken McDonald - Harry Sparrow info
Paul Vanes - attendances for games against Hinckley
Andy Porter (Tottenham Hotspur) - Info on various Spurs / Margate players
Tim Harrison - Phil Bibby info
Arthur Sims - Phil Bibby photo
Dave Laughlin - Phil Bibby assistance
Plunket Carter - Jimmy O'Farrell info
Dave Morrison - North American Soccer League player info
Paul Plowman - Swindon Town player info
Elly Spurgeon - photo of Keith Spurgeon
Stuart Allen - West Ham player info
Mr Coup - Steve Bowtell info
Dave Tyler - Arthur Tyler and Reg Tyler info
Wayne Anderson - Geoff Finch info
David Williams - Bedford Town info
Don Walker - many of the photos of recent (2000's) players
Tony Hill - Leeds United info
Jon Sinclair - Watford player pictures
Neil Kaufman - Orient player info
Dave Homewood - Ashford player pictures and info
Ian 'Toop' (QPR fan) - Ernie Adams picture
John Kirby - photos / match reports
Ken Tomlinson - loan of photos and other items
Jim Dow - 'where are they now ?' info
Derek Scott - 'where are they now ?' info
Lloyd Briscoe - Jimmy Briscoe and Brian Moffatt info
Kenneth Westerberg - QPR player info
Sylvia Cope - Freddie Pearce info and numerous team photos from the very early days of the club featuring Freddie (Sylvia's grandfather)
Jill Waters - additional Freddie Pearce info
Alan Futter - Croydon Common player info
Matthew Rains - Ron Austin info
T Pilcher - Vic Pilcher info
Lady in the club shop - loan of team photos (September 2011)
Alison Munday - Percy Munday info / photo
Wendy-Jayne Wilson - John Wickens photo / info
Trevor Charles Berry - 1960's scrapbook
Wendy Jordan - photographs and player info
Clare Adams - Ernie Adams info
Bill Thompson - Don Thompson info and pictures
Robin Silman - Gertrude Thornton photos and info
Suzannah Foad - Player info
Michael Rowlinson - John Rowlinson info
Andy Chapman and Mick Cumo - Plymouth Argyle-related info
Kathie Bridge - Jeff Bridge info
Steve Rhodes - Terry Dann info
Garry Marley - player info
John Jopling - 1937/38 Margate team photo from the collection of the late Charlie Thomas (former vice-president of the Football Association)
Steve Burks - player info
Elaine McGlynn - Jimmy Bonds info
John Pilcher - Vic Pilcher info
Mike Corden - various player photos
John Hogwood - Bert Hogwood info
John Parker - Ron Matthews photo
Greg Sterne - Peter Donnelly info
Paul Harrison - Alan Brown info
Roger Bassett - Tunbridge Wells info
Russell Copeland - Freddie Kearns info
Helle Enkelund - Knud Knudsen info
Grahame Joyce - Margate v West Ham autographs
Dawn Greenan - photo of scooters outside Hartsdown Park
Derek West - photo of J W Jones and various cuttings
Ken Saffrey - 1960's match reports and press cuttings
Stephen Cockram - Dave Chick info
Phil Thomas - Jock and Ray Flannigan info
Sami Claasen - Ron Stephens info
Lisa Douglas - Ray Flannigan info
Peter Ray - Johnny Ray info
Peter Cove - pursuit of Brian Hughes and collection of info, photos etc
Harry Burden - Harry Merritt info
Brian Rogers - photos from his dad Eddie Rogers' collection
Mike Floate - various photos
David James - Margate v Peterborough photos
Steve Furlong - Charlie Baker / team photos
John Roffey - attendance info
Pauline Munday - Dickie Johnson info
Jeff Trice - research, site design etc 2001 - 2015
Steve Tomlinson - site editing and development
Plus the following players.....
Phil Nash, Peter Vandepeer, Ted Bensley (RIP), Les Fell (RIP), Paul Thomas, David Bevis, Vic Pain (RIP), Ray John (RIP), Cass Theodore, Dave O'Callaghan (RIP), John Fahy, Albert Foan (RIP), Ray Ellam, Brian Hassall, Gordon Burden, Carl Scriven, Richard Hemmings, John Batley, Johnny Hubbard (RIP), John Hold, Allen Batsford (RIP), Peter Gaze, David McFall, Tony Spink (RIP), Arthur Blackley, Bryan Clifton, David Maughan, Davie Houston, Bob Harrop (RIP), Malcolm Cook, Colin Holder, Adrian Bray, Laurie Thomson (RIP), Bob Grover, Clive Haywood, Mike Renshaw, Bobby Ford, John Munday, Neil Edmonds, Marc Smelt, Paul Jefcoate, Jimmy Hunt, Andy Edwards, Greg Wood (RIP), Brian Gregory, David MacMillan, Steve Crane, Rob Cork, Karl Emerick, Jason Eede, Martin Buglione, John Musselwhite, Allan Anderson, Ron Vallance, Paul Lawrence, Peter Nott, Lennie Lee, Dean Yorath, Paul Domeney, Simon Briggs, Gerry Jordan, Terry Morris, Geoff Finch, Brian Adlam, Stan Earl, David Pye, Bryan Parry, Jeff Bridge, Mick John, Gary Hammond, Leslie Smith, Phil Amato, Ian Kuypers, Andy Preece, Johnny Ray (RIP), Brian Hughes, Graham Sawyer and Brian Ede.
