Marcus Gayle
Encyclopedia
Marcus Anthony Gayle is an English
born Jamaican
former professional footballer
who played as a striker
or winger
, though towards the end of his career he also played as a central defender
. He is the current reserve team manager of AFC Wimbledon
.
As a player, Gayle played from 1989 until 2008, notably in the Premier League for Wimbledon
and Watford
, and in the Scottish Premier League
for Rangers
. He has also played for Brentford
, KuPS
and Aldershot Town
before ending his career with AFC Wimbledon
, the supporter owned club that was formed out of the ashes of the former Wimbledon who had become the Milton Keynes Dons. Gayle became the second player to feature for both clubs following Jermaine Darlington
. Gayle also earned 14 caps for the Jamaica national football team
, featuring in FIFA World Cup 1998 in France
.
in 1988, scoring 26 goals in 193 appearances for the Bees. He was loaned to KuPS
in 1990, before becoming a regular player in the Brentford side under new manager Phil Holder
in 1990-91
, when the Bees qualified for the playoffs but lost to eventual promotion winners Tranmere Rovers
in the semi finals. He played 33 games in the Third Division that season, scoring six goals. He was a key part in their Third Division title success for the 1991-92 season
, scoring 6 goals in 38 games to give Brentford a place in the new Division One, as the old Second Division would be known from the start of the 1992-93
campaign due to the creation of the FA Premier League
. The 1992-93 season looked as though it would be a successful one for the Bees, who entered the new year in 10th place and on the brink of the playoff zone, with all the talk at Griffin Park
being about a second successive promotion and top division football for the first time since 1947. However, a collapse in the second half of the season saw the Bees relegated. Gayle initially remained loyal to the Bees, but on 24 March 1994 he linked up with his old Brentford striker partner Gary Blissett
in a £250,000 move to Wimbledon, who were in the process of finishing a creditable sixth place in the Premier League.
1-0. He played in their final 10 games of the 1993-94
, but unfortunately did not score. He scored his first two goals in 1994-95
, playing 23 games as the Dons finished ninth. He missed just four league games in the 1995-96 season
, scoring five goals and helping Wimbledon finish 14th. In his best season for the Dons, 1996-97
, he scored eight league goals as the Dons finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the semi finals of both domestic cups. He also scored the winning goal for the Dons in a surprise FA Cup
fourth round replay 1-0 win over Manchester United
in February 1997.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40146
1997-98
was less successful. The Dons began the season well and were in the top five for much of the first half of the season, but a dismal second half of the campaign saw them finish 15th. Gayle was a regular player once again, appearing 30 times in the league, but scored just twice. He was their top scorer in 1998-99
, scoring 10 league goals, but once again their good form tailed away to a late season slump and they finished 16th. He did manage seven goals in 1999-2000
, but defeat to Southampton
on the final day of the season and a surprise win for relegation rivals Bradford City over Liverpool
meant that Wimbledon's 14-year stay in the top flight was over.
campaign before he finally departed on 9 March 2001 in a £1million move to Scottish Premier League
giants Rangers
. In seven years at Wimbledon, he had played 226 league games and scored 37 goals.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40147
when he joined Watford
for £900,000. His performances in the Premiership earned him a call up to the Jamaica national team and he was included in their squad for the 1998 World Cup. was expected to leave, along with most of Vialli's other unsuccessful signings, in the summer of 2002. However, he re-emerged as a centre-back under new manager Ray Lewington, and won the Player of the Season award that year. He also scored in the club's 2–1 defeat to Southampton
in the FA Cup semi-finals. Another good season followed in 2003–04
, but injury plagued his 2004–05
, and he left Watford two days after the sacking of Lewington in March 2005.
on 2 July 2006. He scored the first hat-trick of his career for the Shots on 14 October 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute to score three times in just 9 mins 30 seconds against Kidderminster Harriers
. He was released by Aldershot at the end of 2006–07
season .
in May 2007 by former Aldershot manager Terry Brown
, making him only the second player to play competitively for both AFC Wimbledon and the old Wimbledon FC (the first being Jermaine Darlington
) and, after scoring against Maidenhead United
in the FA Trophy
, becoming the only player to have scored for both incarnations of the South West London club.
14 times for Jamaica
and played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
.
following a 2–1 Isthmian League Premier play-off final victory over Staines Town
. He is presently working towards his coaching badges and in September 2008 took the role of AFC Wimbledon
reserve team manager. Marcus is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association and has played for Wimbledon's Masters side and Old Players XI.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
born Jamaican
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
former professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
or winger
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, though towards the end of his career he also played as a central defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He is the current reserve team manager of AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
.
As a player, Gayle played from 1989 until 2008, notably in the Premier League for Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
and Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, and in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. He has also played for Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, KuPS
KuPS
Kuopion Palloseura is a Finnish football club, based in the 8th most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. The team plays its home matches at Kuopion keskuskenttä...
and Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
before ending his career with AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
, the supporter owned club that was formed out of the ashes of the former Wimbledon who had become the Milton Keynes Dons. Gayle became the second player to feature for both clubs following Jermaine Darlington
Jermaine Darlington
Jermaine Mortimer Darlington is an English football player who plays for Whitstable Town as a left-sided midfielder or full-back.-Career:...
. Gayle also earned 14 caps for the Jamaica national football team
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
, featuring in FIFA World Cup 1998 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Brentford
Gayle started his career at BrentfordBrentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
in 1988, scoring 26 goals in 193 appearances for the Bees. He was loaned to KuPS
KuPS
Kuopion Palloseura is a Finnish football club, based in the 8th most populated city of Finland, Kuopio. KuPS plays in Finland's Premier League, Veikkausliiga. The team plays its home matches at Kuopion keskuskenttä...
in 1990, before becoming a regular player in the Brentford side under new manager Phil Holder
Phil Holder
Philip "Phil" Holder is an English former association football player and manager. As player, he made more than 150 appearances in the Football League representing Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and A.F.C. Bournemouth, and played in the North American Soccer League for the Memphis Rogues...
in 1990-91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
, when the Bees qualified for the playoffs but lost to eventual promotion winners Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in the semi finals. He played 33 games in the Third Division that season, scoring six goals. He was a key part in their Third Division title success for the 1991-92 season
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
, scoring 6 goals in 38 games to give Brentford a place in the new Division One, as the old Second Division would be known from the start of the 1992-93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
campaign due to the creation of the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. The 1992-93 season looked as though it would be a successful one for the Bees, who entered the new year in 10th place and on the brink of the playoff zone, with all the talk at Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
being about a second successive promotion and top division football for the first time since 1947. However, a collapse in the second half of the season saw the Bees relegated. Gayle initially remained loyal to the Bees, but on 24 March 1994 he linked up with his old Brentford striker partner Gary Blissett
Gary Blissett
Gary Blissett is a former English professional footballer.He played for Crewe Alexandra, Brentford and Wimbledon in a professional career spanning almost fifteen years...
in a £250,000 move to Wimbledon, who were in the process of finishing a creditable sixth place in the Premier League.
Wimbledon
He made his debut for Wimbledon two days after joining them as they beat Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
1-0. He played in their final 10 games of the 1993-94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, but unfortunately did not score. He scored his first two goals in 1994-95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
, playing 23 games as the Dons finished ninth. He missed just four league games in the 1995-96 season
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
, scoring five goals and helping Wimbledon finish 14th. In his best season for the Dons, 1996-97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
, he scored eight league goals as the Dons finished eighth in the Premier League and reached the semi finals of both domestic cups. He also scored the winning goal for the Dons in a surprise FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
fourth round replay 1-0 win over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in February 1997.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40146
1997-98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
was less successful. The Dons began the season well and were in the top five for much of the first half of the season, but a dismal second half of the campaign saw them finish 15th. Gayle was a regular player once again, appearing 30 times in the league, but scored just twice. He was their top scorer in 1998-99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
, scoring 10 league goals, but once again their good form tailed away to a late season slump and they finished 16th. He did manage seven goals in 1999-2000
1999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
, but defeat to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on the final day of the season and a surprise win for relegation rivals Bradford City over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
meant that Wimbledon's 14-year stay in the top flight was over.
Rangers
Gayle initially stayed loyal to the Dons in spite of their relegation, playing 32 league games and scoring three times in the 2000-012000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
campaign before he finally departed on 9 March 2001 in a £1million move to Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
giants Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. In seven years at Wimbledon, he had played 226 league games and scored 37 goals.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=40147
Watford
He played just four times for the Gers until a close season return to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when he joined Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
for £900,000. His performances in the Premiership earned him a call up to the Jamaica national team and he was included in their squad for the 1998 World Cup. was expected to leave, along with most of Vialli's other unsuccessful signings, in the summer of 2002. However, he re-emerged as a centre-back under new manager Ray Lewington, and won the Player of the Season award that year. He also scored in the club's 2–1 defeat to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the FA Cup semi-finals. Another good season followed in 2003–04
2003-04 in English football
The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
, but injury plagued his 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
, and he left Watford two days after the sacking of Lewington in March 2005.
Return to Brentford
He re-joined Brentford, his first club and made 37 appearances for the Bees. Gayle was released from his Brentford contract on 17 May 2006.Aldershot Town
He signed for Aldershot TownAldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
on 2 July 2006. He scored the first hat-trick of his career for the Shots on 14 October 2006, coming on as a second-half substitute to score three times in just 9 mins 30 seconds against Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
. He was released by Aldershot at the end of 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season .
AFC Wimbledon
He was signed for AFC WimbledonAFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
in May 2007 by former Aldershot manager Terry Brown
Terry Brown (football manager)
Terry Brown is the current manager of the English League Two football team AFC Wimbledon and is the former manager of both Aldershot Town and Hayes.-Playing career:...
, making him only the second player to play competitively for both AFC Wimbledon and the old Wimbledon FC (the first being Jermaine Darlington
Jermaine Darlington
Jermaine Mortimer Darlington is an English football player who plays for Whitstable Town as a left-sided midfielder or full-back.-Career:...
) and, after scoring against Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
in the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
, becoming the only player to have scored for both incarnations of the South West London club.
International career
Gayle was cappedCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
14 times for Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
and played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
AFC Wimbledon
He announced his retirement from competitive football after AFC Wimbledon sealed promotion to the Conference SouthConference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
following a 2–1 Isthmian League Premier play-off final victory over Staines Town
Staines Town F.C.
Staines Town FC are an English football club based in Staines, Surrey. They are currently competing in the Conference South. The team are usually known as 'The Swans'...
. He is presently working towards his coaching badges and in September 2008 took the role of AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
reserve team manager. Marcus is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association and has played for Wimbledon's Masters side and Old Players XI.