Mike Marsh (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Mike Marsh is a footballer and now a coach, who came through the ranks at Liverpool
and was part of their 1992 FA Cup
-winning side.
, he was spotted playing for his local side Kirkby Town by, then, Liverpool reserve team coach
, Phil Thompson
who advised manager Kenny Dalglish
to sign the talented youngster, which he did on the 21 August 1987. Marsh made his Liverpool debut on the 1 March 1989 in the 2–0 win over Charlton Athletic
at Anfield
, when he came on as a 58th minute substitute for Jan Mølby
.
Marsh graduated from the reserves and established himself as a first-team regular in the 1991–92
season. His first goal also came during this season in one of the most memorable matches ever played at Anfield, on the 6 November 1991 in a UEFA Cup
2nd round 2nd leg tie against Auxerre
. The game saw Liverpool turn a 2–0 deficit from the first leg in France
into a 3–2 aggregate win. Marsh's 29th minute equaliser swung the game in Liverpool's favour.
Marsh was an unused substitute in the 1992 FA Cup Final where he picked up a winners medal as Liverpool beat Sunderland
2–0. He continued to be a regular squad member in 1992–93
and began the 1993–94 season
in style with a great curled goal in a 5–0 win at Swindon Town, but Graeme Souness
allowed him to leave within days of that goal when he joined West Ham United
as a makeweight (along with David Burrows
) in the deal that took Julian Dicks
to Anfield. Marsh had appeared 101 times for Liverpool in which he scored six goals.
Marsh signed for West Ham on the 17 September 1993 and made his debut the following day in the 2–0 win over Blackburn Rovers
at Ewood Park
. Marsh's time at Upton Park
was short-lived. He spent just fifteen months at the club, during which he made 61 appearances, scoring just twice.
Coventry City
signed Marsh for £450,000 on the 30 December 1994 but he was soon on the move again after just nineteen games and two goals in six months at Highfield Road
.
It was the manager who let him leave Liverpool, Graeme Souness, who wanted Marsh's signature and he got it for £500,000 on the 26 June 1995 taking Marsh to Turkish
side Galatasaray
. Marsh played just three times in two and a half months for the team from Istanbul
before he was on the move yet again to Southend United
whose newly installed manager was Marsh's ex-Liverpool team-mate Ronnie Whelan
. He signed for the Shrimpers on the 3 September 1995 for £500,000. Marshy, as he was known by his team-mates, made his debut on the 9 September 1995 in the 1–0 defeat to Sunderland at Roker Park
. Marsh had two good seasons at the Essex
club, appearing in seventy-five league games in which he scored ten times. Unfortunately the second of these seasons saw Southend relegated to the 2nd Division, the third tier of English football. Things got worse for Marsh as he picked up a knee
injury which ultimately and prematurely ended his professional career. He had played ninety seven times for Southend, scoring thirteen goals.
payout he received when he retired he was required not to play league football again, so he spent the remainder of his playing days in the non-league game. The first non-league side he signed for was Barrow
where he stayed six months before moving to the ambitious Midlands
club Kidderminster Harriers
on the 19 November 1999. Kidderminster were being managed by former Liverpool team-mate, and the man Marsh had replaced when making his debut, Jan Mølby.
The Harriers were in the Conference
looking to gain league status for the first time in the clubs history. They achieved their dream by the end of Marsh's first season for the club, however, due to the terms of the insurance claim, Marsh couldn't follow Mølby and his team-mates into league football and had to leave after just twenty-four league appearances in which he hit the net four times.
Marsh joined Conference side Southport
on a free transfer on the 18 May 2000 and spent just over a year there playing thirty seven times and scoring seven times.
On the 9 June 2001 he joined another ambitious Conference outfit, this time Boston United
, who paid Southport £15,000. Marsh's experience helped guide Boston to the Conference title but once again he had to leave as he wasn't allowed to join his Boston team-mates in league football. He played seven times for Boston scoring just once against Chester but was a major influence within the Boston camp.
His last move was to another ambitious club, Accrington Stanley
who were hoping that Marsh's magic for taking sides from non-league to league would rub off on them, which it did as Accrington won the Northern Premier League
thus gaining promotion to the Conference. Marsh ended his career after just one season at the Crown Ground on the 2 June 2003.
appointed him as their first-team coach. He quit Northwich, to become assistant manager at Bradford Park Avenue
in November 2008. Later that month he was appointed caretaker manager of Park Avenue after Dave Cameron
resigned following a defeat against bottom-placed Witton Albion
; he shared the role with goalkeeping coach Gary Stokes because he had commitments in Spain.
Marsh is currently the Head Academy coach of the ambitious Accrington & Rossendale College in East Lancashire, the team competes in the Lancashire F.A under 18 league on a Monday night and a British Colleges Elite league on a Wednesday afternoon. Marsh combined this role with his Academy coaching job at Liverpool F.C (under 16's) and with his Master's football commitments. In May 2011 Liverpool announced he was to move up to coaching the under 18 side.
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...
and was part of their 1992 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...
-winning side.
Professional career
A midfield player or full backDefender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, he was spotted playing for his local side Kirkby Town by, then, Liverpool reserve team coach
Liverpool F.C. Reserves
Liverpool F.C. Reserves are the reserve team of Liverpool.-Reserve team:Liverpool Reserves play in the FA Premier Reserve League. In their division, the reserves became Champions in 2000. They competed in the Lancashire Combination from 1896 to 1911, with the exception of the 1898–99 season, in...
, Phil Thompson
Phil Thompson
Philip Bernard Thompson is a retired English footballer, who played as a defender for Liverpool team of the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, he also represented the England national football team on 42 occasions...
who advised manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
to sign the talented youngster, which he did on the 21 August 1987. Marsh made his Liverpool debut on the 1 March 1989 in the 2–0 win over Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, when he came on as a 58th minute substitute for Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
.
Marsh graduated from the reserves and established himself as a first-team regular in the 1991–92
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...
season. His first goal also came during this season in one of the most memorable matches ever played at Anfield, on the 6 November 1991 in a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The 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...
2nd round 2nd leg tie against Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
. The game saw Liverpool turn a 2–0 deficit from the first leg 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...
into a 3–2 aggregate win. Marsh's 29th minute equaliser swung the game in Liverpool's favour.
Marsh was an unused substitute in the 1992 FA Cup Final where he picked up a winners medal as Liverpool beat Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
2–0. He continued to be a regular squad member in 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....
and began the 1993–94 season
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...
in style with a great curled goal in a 5–0 win at Swindon Town, but Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
allowed him to leave within days of that goal when he joined West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
as a makeweight (along with David Burrows
David Burrows (footballer)
David Burrows is an English former footballer. During his career he played for West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday as well as the England Under-21 and B teams...
) in the deal that took Julian Dicks
Julian Dicks
Julian Andrew Dicks , is a retired football player and manager, last attached to Isthmian League Division One North club Grays Athletic.-Playing career:...
to Anfield. Marsh had appeared 101 times for Liverpool in which he scored six goals.
Marsh signed for West Ham on the 17 September 1993 and made his debut the following day in the 2–0 win over Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. Marsh's time at Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
was short-lived. He spent just fifteen months at the club, during which he made 61 appearances, scoring just twice.
Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
signed Marsh for £450,000 on the 30 December 1994 but he was soon on the move again after just nineteen games and two goals in six months at Highfield Road
Highfield Road
The Highfield Road Stadium was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C. until the club moved to the new Ricoh Arena after the 2005-06 season...
.
It was the manager who let him leave Liverpool, Graeme Souness, who wanted Marsh's signature and he got it for £500,000 on the 26 June 1995 taking Marsh to Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
side Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
. Marsh played just three times in two and a half months for the team from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
before he was on the move yet again to Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
whose newly installed manager was Marsh's ex-Liverpool team-mate Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...
. He signed for the Shrimpers on the 3 September 1995 for £500,000. Marshy, as he was known by his team-mates, made his debut on the 9 September 1995 in the 1–0 defeat to Sunderland at Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
. Marsh had two good seasons at the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
club, appearing in seventy-five league games in which he scored ten times. Unfortunately the second of these seasons saw Southend relegated to the 2nd Division, the third tier of English football. Things got worse for Marsh as he picked up a knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury which ultimately and prematurely ended his professional career. He had played ninety seven times for Southend, scoring thirteen goals.
Semi-professional career
As part of the insuranceInsurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
payout he received when he retired he was required not to play league football again, so he spent the remainder of his playing days in the non-league game. The first non-league side he signed for was Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
where he stayed six months before moving to the ambitious Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
club 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...
on the 19 November 1999. Kidderminster were being managed by former Liverpool team-mate, and the man Marsh had replaced when making his debut, Jan Mølby.
The Harriers were in the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
looking to gain league status for the first time in the clubs history. They achieved their dream by the end of Marsh's first season for the club, however, due to the terms of the insurance claim, Marsh couldn't follow Mølby and his team-mates into league football and had to leave after just twenty-four league appearances in which he hit the net four times.
Marsh joined Conference side Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
on a free transfer on the 18 May 2000 and spent just over a year there playing thirty seven times and scoring seven times.
On the 9 June 2001 he joined another ambitious Conference outfit, this time Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
, who paid Southport £15,000. Marsh's experience helped guide Boston to the Conference title but once again he had to leave as he wasn't allowed to join his Boston team-mates in league football. He played seven times for Boston scoring just once against Chester but was a major influence within the Boston camp.
His last move was to another ambitious club, Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
who were hoping that Marsh's magic for taking sides from non-league to league would rub off on them, which it did as Accrington won the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
thus gaining promotion to the Conference. Marsh ended his career after just one season at the Crown Ground on the 2 June 2003.
Coaching
After retiring from playing he was, until recently, on the coaching staff of Southport. In 2008, Northwich VictoriaNorthwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
appointed him as their first-team coach. He quit Northwich, to become assistant manager at Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
in November 2008. Later that month he was appointed caretaker manager of Park Avenue after Dave Cameron
Dave Cameron (footballer)
David Cameron is a football player and manager. He is a coach at Droylsden Football Club-Early career:Cameron began his career with local side Dunipace Juniors before moving to Falkirk. In the summer of 1995, he linked up with East Stirlingshire spending a season there before joining the Argyll...
resigned following a defeat against bottom-placed Witton Albion
Witton Albion F.C.
Witton Albion F.C. are a football club based in Northwich, England. They were founded in 1887. They have won the Cheshire Senior Cup 11 times since 1902. Their most recent success in this competition was in 2006, when they defeated Stalybridge Celtic in the final. They have also reached the FA Cup...
; he shared the role with goalkeeping coach Gary Stokes because he had commitments in Spain.
Marsh is currently the Head Academy coach of the ambitious Accrington & Rossendale College in East Lancashire, the team competes in the Lancashire F.A under 18 league on a Monday night and a British Colleges Elite league on a Wednesday afternoon. Marsh combined this role with his Academy coaching job at Liverpool F.C (under 16's) and with his Master's football commitments. In May 2011 Liverpool announced he was to move up to coaching the under 18 side.
Honours
- 1991–921991-92 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...
FA CupFA CupThe 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...
with Liverpool FC - 1999-00 Football ConferenceFootball ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
with Kidderminster HarriersKidderminster 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... - 2001–022001-02 in English footballThe 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
Football ConferenceFootball ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
with Boston UnitedBoston United F.C.Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's... - 2002–032002-03 in English footballThe 2002-03 season was the 123rd season of competitive football in England.-Most Memorable rise:*Wigan Athletic marked their 25th season of Football League membership by winning the Division Two championship and reaching the league's second tier for the very first time.-Most Memorable...
Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier LeagueThe Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
with Accrington StanleyAccrington Stanley F.C.Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....