Dave Rouse

DOB: 1st June 1956

Position: Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 1972/73

Season of last appearance: 1984/85

Full Appearances: 72

Substitute: 20

Goals: 4

Also played for:

Luton Town (0), Gillingham (0), Canterbury City, Deal Town, Herne Bay, Ramsgate.

Player Profile:

Thanet-born player who attended Garlinge Primary School and played for them in the final of the Watson Trophy, a competition organised by the Margate Schools Football Association, as they lost 1-0 to a Birchington side captained by Ricky Fusco in a match played at Margate's Hartsdown Park ground on 5.5.66.

Dave initially joined Margate during the 1971/72 season and played exclusively for the reserves at that time.

He stayed with the club for the 1972/73 campaign and was described by the Isle of Thanet Gazette as showing "exceptional promise" early in the season. On 15.11.72, Dave made his first team debut aged only 16, playing on the right wing as Margate went down 6-0 in a Kent Floodlight Cup tie at Hastings. He turned in what the local press said was a "sound display".

In December 1972, Dave was sold to Luton for a three-figure fee but he returned to Margate in January 1974 and became a regular in the reserves once more. Dave also played three times for Gillingham's reserves during that period.

He made one first-team appearance for Margate before the end of the 1973/74 season, playing in the Southern League Cup semi-final at Bromsgrove on 17.3.74.

In the summer of 1974, Dave unluckily broke his hand stopping a thumping Bruce Walker shot in training but he recovered to show good form for the reserves during the early part of the 1974/75 campaign. On 12.10.74, he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Dover Reserves and he then broke into Margate's first-team during the second half of the season. Dave made a total of 24 appearances (four as sub) in midfield and scored three goals. They included two spectacular strikes in a 3-0 win over Yeovil at Hartsdown on 15.3.75, one from 20 yards and the other a 25-yard effort.

Dave enjoyed a good run in the first-team at the start of the 1975/76 season but, by the end of 1975, he was only making occasional appearances in the senior side.

In January 1976, he was loaned to Canterbury for a month and Dave made three Southern League appearances for City without scoring before returning to Hartsdown. He finished the campaign having made 19 appearances (six as sub), scoring once. On 30.8.75, the local press had said that he "shone like a beacon amongst mediocrity" while playing for the reserves and, on 6.3.76, he played half a game in goal for them. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Dave made a "first-class deputy goalkeeper". However, in the summer of 1976 he left the club.

Dave spent the 1976/77 campaign at Deal and then joined Herne Bay in the summer of 1977 before linking up with Ramsgate for the 1979/80 season.

He rejoined Herne Bay for the 1980/81 campaign.

In the summer of 1981, Dave returned to Hartsdown Park, five years after he'd left, and he went on to make 32 appearances (two as sub) for Thanet United during the 1981/82 season. Despite playing in midfield he failed to score and in March 1982 he left the club once more.

Dave then joined Ramsgate for the 1982/83 season and played for the Rams during the 1983/84 campaign too.

In the summer of 1984, he rejoined Thanet and during the early part of the 1984/85 season Dave was a regular in United's matchday squad. He played in each of the campaign's first eight matches although five of his appearances were as a substitute. However, as the season wore on, Dave found himself in the reserves more often than not and he only started one first-team game during 1985 - a 1-1 draw at Basingstoke on 25.4.85. He made a total of 14 appearances (seven as sub) during the season without scoring.

Dave stayed with Thanet for the start of the 1985/86 campaign but played exclusively for the reserves. Dave then dropped into local football before returning to Herne Bay where he spent the 1987/88 campaign.

He later returned to Hartsdown Park once again, making a one-off appearance for Thanet's reserves during the 1988/89 season.

He also made six appearances (two as sub) for Margate's reserve side during the early part of the 1989/90 season before leaving the club once more.

Dave returned to Hartsdown Park for the last time to make three further appearances (one as sub) for Margate's reserves at the start of 1990/91.

Dave's older brother Colin (born 1947) played for Margate's reserves in the 1960s and his spell with the club included the 1966/67 season.

Dave sadly died in 2022.