Mark Munday – In His Own Words

Started as a youth player Thanet Utd U12s managed by Margate FC secretary and legend Ken Tomlinson and then by Bob Wickens another top Thanet football man.

Senior football began at Thanet Utd when I was aged 16 in the 1st team with Norman Fusco as manager and played alongside Neil Cugley, Pat Hilton Joe Radford and the great Dave Carr amongst others. I continued at Thanet Utd until I was sacked by then manager Gary Aldous aged 17 for choosing to play for Bob Wickens Ramsgate FC U18s against Charlton Athletic in the FA Youth Cup instead of attending Thanet Utd training. (A mention about this and Gary – I totally understood his position and respected his decision at the time and we parted the way very amicably – later Gary signed me for Gravesend & Northfleet FC so he was more than happy to work with me again and I did not think twice about signing for him).

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Thanet Utd and all of the older players I played with certainly looked after me at this time. I went on and played for Folkestone Invicta FC under manager Neil Cugley. My return to Margate FC was from Gravesend & Northfleet FC in a deal which saw myself and Paul Lamb – two local players rejoin the club under the leadership of Chris Kinnear and Keith Piper.

Mark Harrop and Lee Turner had joined the year before from The Fleet and had sung the praises of the club and what was trying to be achieved. It made sense for me to sign as I had a very young family to be a bit closer to home playing for MFC. The squad was developing nicely, Mark Harrop, Lee Turner, Bill Edwards, Elliot Martin, Tony Dixon, Lee Spiller, Martin Buglione and Paul Sykes were all signed and Iain O Connell came that year as well with Lamby & I and a developing squad was starting to gel together. Attendances were improving and we were winning. It felt like something good was beginning to happen at MFC and it was nice we were winning part of it being local. In the seasons that followed we had great times, promotions, memorable nights at Hartsdown Park, FA Cup runs and Sky TV cameras – Fulham FC, Buster, Keegan  and Wilkins and of course a full to capacity Hartsdown Park and a penalty scored – a moment watched in the ground by my dad, my brother, my family and lots of friends. My Mum was at home with my very young son Jake watching on TV.

New additions to the playing staff Charlie Mitten, Graham Porter, Jay Saunders, Phil Collins and Leon Braithwaite strengthened us and were also great lads to add to an already strong playing squad Promotions over the years, great rivalry with Havant & Waterlooville and Burton Albion to name two who also had stellar squads that were pushing us to our limits each and every game- great memories and a great to be involved in it at the sharp end. You want to be challenging for titles and promotions and you want to test yourself against the best sides and to gain promotion to the Conference National was the icing on the cake. Memories of that year for me was the home game vs Newport County to seal promotion and champions on a midweek at a bouncing packed Hartsdown Park and the away game at Burton Albion when the league was already won. Thanks if I can remember to Folkestone Invicta, managed by Neil Cugley getting a draw at Burton away to pave the way for us to win it – Conference National time – Chris Kinnear took MFC to the heights he had experienced with Dover FC previously, so he knew a thing or two about surviving and thriving at the pinnacle of non league football and so he entrusted many of us with new contracts and playing against the best non league at the time could offer. The 1st year at that level at Hartsdown Park was fantastic for me. First away game at Boston Utd and Steve Evans. We won 1-0. Steve Evans didn’t like losing to us and he did not hide that fact as they were favourites to win it that year. Personally, I reached double figures for goals that year so was delighted with that return and played lots of minutes that year and felt very proud that I had played my highest level, played well and coped, contributed to the success of MFC and held our own in what was undoubtedly a very good level of football- with many now fully fledged league clubs.

Great memories that will stay with me and I will always hold a strong connection with MFC, my playing colleagues and all the MFC supporters who throughout my time at the club have been nothing but superb. The time we left Hartsdown Park to groundshare with Dover & Ashford held mixed thoughts for me. We had some great cup runs, Leyton Orient and Cardiff City were fantastic experiences but it never felt quite the same being away from Hartsdown Park. That being said my time at MFC from a 16 yr old to when I left for pastures new so many years and appearances later was always a pleasure and hold some of the greatest times I experienced on the pitch and some even better lifelong friends made on it.

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Mark Munday