James Rogers

DOB: 9th December 1984

Position: Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 2010/11

Season of last appearance: 2018/19

Full Appearances: 115

Substitute: 6

Goals: 1

Also played for:

Dover Athletic, Dartford, Folkestone Invicta, Maidstone United, Hythe Town.

Player Profile:

Left-sided player who started his career with Dover. James featured in the club's reserve team during the 2001/02 season and continued to play regularly for them during 2002/03 as well.

He made his first-team debut as Dover entertained Moor Green on 20.9.03 and, after 25 minutes, James scored direct from a corner to put his side ahead. Dover went on to win 2-0.

Over the course of the next seven years, James became a popular player at Crabble and was part of the squad that won the Isthmian League Division 1 South during 2007/08 and then the Premier Division during the 2008/09 season. He made well over 200 appearances for Dover before signing for Margate at the start of October 2010 having not featured in Dover's side at all during the opening months of 2010/11.

Margate manager Iain O'Connell told the Isle of Thanet Gazette: "I was hoping to get him in the summer but he wasn't sure what was going on at Dover...he's a really good addition."

James made his debut on the left-hand side of midfield as Margate lost 2-1 at Sutton in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 2.10.10 and Iain O'Connell told the Thanet Times: "He hasn't played a lot of games but he's a fit lad and I think he's going to get better and better. He worked tremendously hard and he's going to fit in really well."

From then on James was a fixture in midfield and the Thanet Times said he was "impressive" in a 0-0 draw at Billericay on 23.10.10. The Isle of Thanet Gazette then described him as being "outstanding" in a 1-1 draw at Tonbridge on 9.11.10 before the Times said "he had his best game since joining" in a 3-2 win over Sutton at Hartsdown Park on 13.11.10.

On 22.1.11, James made a one-off appearance at left-back in a 2-0 home win over Hastings and, on 19.3.11, he was sent off in a 3-2 win over Hendon at Wembley FC. The Thanet Times said he "lost his head and was sent off for two yellow cards in the space of five minutes". James played once more - in a 2-1 defeat against visitors Concord Rangers on 22.3.11 - before joining Conference South club Dartford a few days later. He'd made 32 appearances (one as sub) without scoring before his departure.

James initially played regularly for the Darts but, at the start of the 2011/12 season, he struggled to gain a first-team place and, in September 2011, he joined Folkestone on a dual-registration basis.

Their boss Neil Cugley said that he "was really chuffed when the Dartford manager [Tony Burman] called because there's no money involved for us and they want him to play". However, James only featured in two Isthmian League Division 1 South games for Folkestone before the arrangement ended.

He then featured regularly in the Dartford side for the remainder of 2011/12 as the club won promotion to the Conference and, by the end of the campaign, James had made 53 appearances (nine as sub) and scored five goals during his Darts career.

He stayed with the club for 2012/13 too but, in September 2013, James rejoined his old club Dover on a free transfer and made his second debut for them in a 2-0 win at Bath in the Conference South on 21.9.13. Dover finished the season by winning promotion to the Conference via the play-offs and, in May 2014, James left the club to sign for Isthmian League Premier Division club Maidstone.

James was a key part of the Maidstone team that rose up the leagues, making more than 50 appearances as they won the Isthmian Premier title in 2014/15, and they also reached the 2nd Round of the FA Cup, losing at Wrexham.

James played in the Stones' 1-0 1st Round FA Cup defeat at home to Yeovil on 8.11.15 and they won promotion from Conference South in 2015/16.

He stayed at Maidstone as they joined the National League in 2016/17, being involved in the Stones' two FA Cup 1st Round ties with Rochdale, which Maidstone lost after a replay.

James rejoined Margate in 2017 following the appointment of Steve Watt as manager. James' first appearance was in a 0-2 Conference South defeat at home to Whitehawk on 25.2.17. He then played every game between them and the end of the season, in which Margate were relegated.

James was then a mainstay of the Margate team in the Isthmian League in 2017/18, making 51 appearances (three as sub) without scoring.

He remained a first-team regular in 2018/19, making 25 appearances (two as sub). He was sent off in injury-time for dissent in a 0-2 home defeat against Potters Bar on 13.4.19. However, he did score his only goal for the club in the final game of the season at Harlow on 27.4.19 in a 4-3 win. It was also his last game for Margate.

James left at the end of the season and was reunited with Steve Watt at Hythe Town in the Isthmian South East Division.

He remained at Hythe for the next couple of seasons, becoming player-manager after the departure of Watt in November 2021. However, he stepped down from that role at the end of 2021/22.

James spent 2022/23 at Isthmian Premier side Folkestone Invicta as a player and made 47 appearances.

James was announced as joint manager of new SCEFL side Lydd Town with former Margate team-mate Tom Wynter for 2023/24. In 2025-26, he was player-coach at Herne Bay with former Margate player Liam Friend as Bay's manager.