Cliff Payton

DOB: 16th October 1935

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 1956/57

Season of last appearance: 1956/57

Full Appearances: 1

Substitute: 0

Goals: 0

Also played for:

Plymouth Argyle (0), Wisbech Town, Accrington Stanley (0), Tonbridge, Gillingham (25,5), Dartford, Metropolitan Police.

Player Profile:

6' 0" tall Brighton-born forward who played in goal for Brighton Schoolboys before being spotted by Plymouth when playing as a striker. Cliff joined the Devon club as an amateur and then had a spell with Wisbech before starting his National Service.

While in the army he played for Accrington Stanley, joining them in July 1956.

After being demobbed, Cliff moved south again and, in December 1956, he joined Margate for the briefest of spells. He made his debut for the club on 15.12.56 in a 2-0 defeat at Dover in the Kent Senior Cup but it turned out to be his only appearance in a Margate shirt. His performance didn't impress manager Almer Hall, he felt that Cliff lacked "the bite" needed for the Kent League. As a result, Cliff was immediately released.

He then linked up with Tonbridge and certainly enjoyed a better time of it with the Angels in the Southern League. Cliff's performances caught the eye of Gillingham and they signed him in March 1959.

He went on to make 25 first-team appearances for the Gills during the 1958/59 and 1959/60 seasons before being released in the summer of 1960.

Cliff joined Dartford for the 1960/61 campaign.

In April 1965, he joined the police force and played for the Metropolitan Police in the Metropolitan League during 1965/66. Cliff eventually reached the rank of detective sergeant before leaving the force in January 1977.