Mark Falco
Encyclopedia
Mark Peter Falco is a former professional footballer with a number of clubs including Tottenham Hotspur
, Watford
, Rangers
and Queens Park Rangers
.
, Falco started his professional career as a junior at Tottenham Hotspur
, making his first-team debut in 1979. In his time at Spurs he played along strikers Steve Archibald
and Garth Crooks
. He had a good career at Spurs however scoring 98 goals in 236 games. He won the 1984 UEFA Cup with Spurs, successfully dispatching his penalty as Spurs overcame Anderlecht in a shootout. Whilst at Spurs, he had a brief spell on loan
at Chelsea
over November and December 1982, making three appearances.
In 1986 Falco signed for Watford
, scoring 15 goals in 30 matches, but soon moved on to join the growing English contingent at Rangers
in the Scottish Premier League. In his short spell at Ibrox
, Falco scored 10 goals in 19 competitive games, including a vital strike against Dinamo Kiev
in the European Cup
.
Falco was signed by Queens Park Rangers
for £350,000 in December 1987, and made his debut against Manchester United
soon afterwards. He went on to play 87 league games for QPR scoring 27 goals. He moved to Millwall
in 1991. He retired through injury in 1992.
In 2009, Mark Falco was voted as one of the top 50 greatest Spurs players of all time.
in a cleaning and asbestos
clearing concern based in Hertfordshire
.
.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, 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...
, 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...
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
.
Career
Having spent his early years as a prolific goalscorer for Fields United, a youth team in the London Borough of HackneyLondon Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, Falco started his professional career as a junior at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, making his first-team debut in 1979. In his time at Spurs he played along strikers Steve Archibald
Steve Archibald
Steven Archibald is a former Scottish football player and manager.- Club career :He first came to prominence playing in midfield for Scottish First Division side Clyde, but was converted to striker when he signed for Aberdeen, forging a prolific partnership with Joe Harper...
and Garth Crooks
Garth Crooks
Garth Anthony Crooks OBE is a retired English football player of Jamaican ancestry. He played principally for Stoke City and Tottenham, with whom he was a prolific goal scorer and an FA Cup winner at Wembley in 1981...
. He had a good career at Spurs however scoring 98 goals in 236 games. He won the 1984 UEFA Cup with Spurs, successfully dispatching his penalty as Spurs overcame Anderlecht in a shootout. Whilst at Spurs, he had a brief spell on loan
Loan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
at Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
over November and December 1982, making three appearances.
In 1986 Falco signed for 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...
, scoring 15 goals in 30 matches, but soon moved on to join the growing English contingent at 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 the Scottish Premier League. In his short spell at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
, Falco scored 10 goals in 19 competitive games, including a vital strike against Dinamo Kiev
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
in the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
Falco was signed by Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
for £350,000 in December 1987, and made his debut against 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...
soon afterwards. He went on to play 87 league games for QPR scoring 27 goals. He moved to Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
in 1991. He retired through injury in 1992.
In 2009, Mark Falco was voted as one of the top 50 greatest Spurs players of all time.
Honours
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
- UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
winner 1984
Post football career
Falco has gone into partnership with fellow ex–Spur John PrattJohn Pratt (footballer)
John Pratt is an English living, former, professional footballer. He spent much of his career at Tottenham Hotspur F.C and played as a midfielder.- Tottenham Hotspur career :...
in a cleaning and asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
clearing concern based in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
.
Personal life
Mark retired from the professional game due to injury in 1992, but this was also shortly after the birth of his two children, Sarah and Peter Falco, both born at Whipps Cross Hospital in LeytonstoneLeytonstone
Leytonstone is an area of east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located seven miles north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex...
.