Simon Marples

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Personal information
Simon Marples
Full name	Simon Marples
Date of birth	July 30, 1975 (1975-07-30) (age 32)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Unattached
Youth clubs
	Sheffield Wednesday Rotherham United
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1994-1999 1999-2006 2006-2008	Stocksbridge Doncaster Rovers Chester City	- (-) 151 (0) 46 0 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10/5/2008. * Appearances (Goals)

Simon Marples (born 30 July 1975 in Sheffield) is an English professional football defender currently without a club after being released by Chester City.

Marples was on the books of Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United as as a youngster. ^[1] He then joined non-league side Stocksbridge in 1994, working his way into the first team after impressive performances in the reserves. ^[2]

In 1999 Marples moved to Doncaster Rovers for £12,000, which remains a club record fee received for a Stocksbridge player. Marples impressed so much in his early weeks at the club that he attracted interest from Premier League clubs, with Rovers valuing him at more than £200,000. ^[3]

However, Maples stayed with Rovers and he was part of Doncaster's glory days when they won the Conference National playoffs and the Division 3 championship in successive seasons from 2003 to 2004.

A notable fact is that Maples never scored in a League or Cup match for Doncaster in 170 appearances.

He signed for Chester in the summer of 2006 on a free transfer and over the next two years would again fail to find the net in more than 50 first–team appearances. In March 2008 he was placed on 'gardening leave' at Chester, believed to be following a dispute over his non-selection in the team. ^[4] He did not play for the club again and was released at the end of the season. ^[5]