Mark Hill (English footballer)

Mark Hill
Hill while with Wycombe Wanderers in 1983.
Personal information
Full name Mark Stephen Hill[1]
Date of birth (1961-01-21) 21 January 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Perivale, England
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
1977–1979 Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1980 Queens Park Rangers 0 (0)
1980–1982 Brentford 56 (3)
1982–1984 Wycombe Wanderers 68 (3)
1984–1989 Maidstone United 184 (9)
1989–1992 Slough Town 71 (1)
1992–1994 Hendon 47 (0)
Wealdstone
Walton & Hersham
Managerial career
1999 Walton & Hersham (joint-caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Stephen Hill (born 21 January 1961) is an English retired professional footballer, best remembered for his five years as a left back in non-League football with Maidstone United. Earlier in his career, he played in the Football League for Brentford.

Playing career

Queens Park Rangers

A left back, Hill began his youth career with Queens Park Rangers and signed a professional contract at the end of the 1978–79 season.[1] Despite Rangers' relegation to the Second Division,[2] he failed to make a first team appearance during the 1979–80 season and departed Loftus Road at the end of the campaign.[3]

Brentford

Hill joined Third Division club Brentford in July 1980,[1] as one of new manager Fred Callaghan's first signings.[3] Aged only 19, Hill held a regular place in the first team during the 1980–81 season and made 42 appearances, scoring three goals.[4] He scored on his debut versus Charlton Athletic and scored one goal for and against the Bees in front of the ATV cameras during a 3–2 win at Walsall a fortnight later.[3] Hill fell out of favour in the following season and made just 20 appearances before his release in June 1982.[3][4] He made 62 appearances and scored three goals during his two seasons at Griffin Park.[3]

Wycombe Wanderers

Hill dropped into non-League football to join Isthmian League Premier Division club Wycombe Wanderers during the 1983 off-season.[5] He had an excellent start to life at Loakes Park, reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup, the final of the Isthmian League Cup and winning the first silverware of his career as the Chairboys cruised to the 1982–83 Premier Division title.[5] The club declined a place in the Alliance Premier League and Hill remained with the Chairboys until the end of the 1983–84 season.[5]

Maidstone United

Hill transferred to Alliance Premier League champions Maidstone United in 1984.[6] He was a regular pick during a five-year spell with the club and in the 1988–89 season was part of the team which won the Kent Senior Cup and finished top of the renamed Football Conference, which secured promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history.[6][7]

Slough Town

Hill dropped to the Isthmian League Premier Division to transfer to Slough Town during the 1989 off-season.[8] Given the captain's armband,[8] he had an excellent first season, leading the team to the league title and promotion to the Conference.[9] Hill remained with the Rebels until the end of the 1991–92 season and made 93 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.[8]

Hendon

Hill returned to the Isthmian League Premier Division to join Hendon during the 1992 off-season.[10] He made 64 appearances and scored one goal during two mid-table seasons for the club.[10][11]

Later years

Hill ended his career with spells at Isthmian League clubs Wealdstone and Walton & Hersham.[12] He served Walton & Hersham in, at different times, the roles of player, assistant manager and joint-caretaker manager.[12][13]

Personal life

Hill spent 12 years working for Akai and as of 2012, had spent the previous 17 years working for LG Electronics in Slough, Berkshire.[7] As of 2014, his son Lucas was a member of Wycombe Wanderers' development centre.[14]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1980–81[4] Third Division 38 3 2 0 2 0 — 42 3
1981–82[4] Third Division 18 0 0 0 2 0 — 20 0
Total 56 3 2 0 4 0 — 62 3
Slough Town 1989–90[8] Isthmian League Premier Division 11 0 4 1 — 6[a] 0 21 1
1990–91[8] Conference 28 1 0 0 — 2[b] 0 30 1
1991–92[8] Conference 32 0 4 0 — 6[c] 1 42 1
Total 71 1 8 1 — 14 1 93 3
Hendon 1992–93[10] Isthmian League Premier Division 22 0 2 0 — 7[d] 0 30 1
1993–94[10] Isthmian League Premier Division 25 0 4 0 — 4[e] 1 34 0
Total 47 0 6 0 — 11 1 64 1
Career total 174 4 16 1 4 0 25 2 219 7
  1. ^ 2 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances in Isthmian League Cup, 1 appearances in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup, 1 appearance in ClubCall Cup
  2. ^ 1 appearance in Conference League Cup, 1 appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  3. ^ 3 appearances in FA Trophy, 2 appearances and 1 goal in Conference League Cup, 1 appearance in Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
  4. ^ 5 appearances in Isthmian League Cup, 2 appearances in FA Trophy
  5. ^ 3 appearances and 1 goal in Isthmian League Full Members Cup, 1 appearance in Isthmian League Cup

Honours

Slough Town

  • Isthmian League Premier Division: 1989–90[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Mark Hill". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  2. ^ Queens Park Rangers F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  3. ^ a b c d e Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 77. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  4. ^ a b c d White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 396. ISBN 0951526200.
  5. ^ a b c Hurman, Dale. "Blues miss out on Wembley". wycombewanderers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b Owen, Callum (16 November 2021). "Stones Gold: Mark Hill". Maidstone United FC. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Maidstone United – Double Winning Side 1988–89". The Non League Football Paper – Daily football news. 19 August 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Mark Hill". SloughTownFC.net – The Official Website of Slough Town FC. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b Slough Town F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  10. ^ a b c d "Former Staff – Mark Hill". Greensnet – Official Hendon FC. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  11. ^ Hendon F.C. at the Football Club History Database
  12. ^ a b Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. pp. 324–325. ISBN 978-1906796716.
  13. ^ "Brave Swans miss chances to topple St Albans". News Shopper. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  14. ^ "From the Parent's Point of View: Mark Hill". Parents4Sport. Retrieved 31 March 2019.