Thetownend.com

Marshall makes his mark
           

  THERE aren’t too many Town fans who could have honestly envisaged Mark Marshall playing a pivotal role in the club’s push for promotion this season.

           

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/5060816.Marshall_makes_his_mark/?ref=rss
           

with austin and marshall both doing well on saturday, I wondered how many other decent players are doing the business having made the jump from non-league to pro football. McKail Smith at Peterborough, any others?

Beckford?

I didn't include him on the grounds of him being a tw@t, but yeah, he joined Leeds from wealdstone didn't he?

George Boyd went from Stevenage to Peterborough and is now on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Freddie Eastwood, Phil Smith, DJ Campbell, Michael Kightly. There's a fair few out there.

M-Smith, cant remember his full name who played for Peterborough, he was also non-league.

You mean Mackail Smith who got mentioned 5 posts before yours? ;)

Oh so he did.

Ian Wright, picked up whilst playing Sunday league football, has he been mentioned?

Roy Keane was playing in Ireland, which must be the equivalent of our non-league. Pretty certain Brian Clough signed him after a recommendation from his green grocer. Brian Clough was ace.

Cobh Ramblers

not sure if they count, but shane long and co at reading came from the irish leagues. a step up from non-league, though, perhaps.

Sir Les Ferdinand, Stuart Pearce, Stan Collywobble, Kevin Phillips, Kerry Dixon all were non league players to play for England.

And don't forget John Barnes who signed for Watford from Sudbury Court for the transfer fee of 1 full set of kit!

Anyone remember Juan 'best friends with Xabi Alonso' Ugarte? Wrexham signed him from Dorchester and he went on to score 5 goals in one game, 4 in another after already getting two hat tricks or something ridiculous. He completely disappeared after that. I think he had a trial with Liverpool after he was at Wrexham! Hope our Charlie doesn't go down that route.

 Good shout on Ugarte...think he was working in a hotel somewhere, when Wrexham gave him a run out....he scored  a 4, a 3 in a Skoda Hubcap game, and then a 5, all in away games. Went to Crewe and got injured, then back to Wrexham before disappearing. Think he came on at the CG as a sub for Wrexham when Parkin scored a hat-trick.

 I suppose there are two names which readily spring to mind on this subject....daddy of the lot is Ray Barlow.

 Barlow is a West Brom legend, recently voted in their top 16 all time...won the FA Cup and played for England...Barlow was spotted playing for Garrards in the Wilts League, in 44, by Jimmy Cookson, who played for the Baggies, finished at STFC just prior to the War and was running a pub in Swindon.

 I've always suspected the chaos at the time was the reason we missed such a class player.

 Dudley Tyler, was playing for Pinehurst and then non league Hereford, and ended up,at West Ham. 

Bryan Wade, Peter Coyne, Colin Gordon.

Another good example (though not a current player) is Tottenham signing Graham Roberts from Weymouth. What a signing that was. Became a full England international, although I don't think he got many games, maybe only 1?

Ugarte got injury problems I think

In my opinion Graham Roberts was trash, how the hell that guy ever played for England is beyond me. Great heart I'd give him that, but no skill whatsoever.

Tony Gough, Chris Porter, Rod Thomas, Jimmy Quinn,..................

Gough and Porter played like non league players though.  There's loads of the buggers, Weymouth mentioned with Roberts, also had Tommy Jones and Tony Agana, although probably not at the same time.

David Moss used to play for Witney Town...

He was of his time though, and he blended in nicely with Hoddle/Ardiles etc. Players like him who charged about and kicked the shit out of people could go a long way in the 80's. Fenwick was another. These sort of players wouldn't get half as far these days.

Roberts stayed at Tottnum for years and lifted trophies, so he had to have had something about him.

they also used to have andy townsend

I remember Tony Gough's home debut. The game was a late finish as the goal frame broke and had to be repaired.