Mark Hill (footballer)

Mark Hill
Personal information
Full nameMark Stephen Hill[1]
Date of birth21 January 1961
Place of birthPerivale, England
Playing positionLeft back
Youth career
1977–1979Queens Park Rangers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1979–1980Queens Park Rangers0(0)
1980–1982Brentford56(3)
1982–1984Wycombe Wanderers68(3)
1984–1989Maidstone United184(9)
1989–1992Slough Town71(1)
1992–1994Hendon47(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mark Hill is a retired English football left back, best remembered for his five years with Maidstone United, winning promotion to the Football League in 1989.[1] Hill's only experience of league football came early in his career with Brentford.[1]

Club career

Queens Park Rangers

A left back, Hill began his career with Division Two side Queens Park Rangers. He failed to make a first team appearance and departed Loftus Road at the end of the 1979/80 season.[1]

Brentford

Hill joined Division Three side Brentford in the summer of 1980, as one of new manager Fred Callaghan's first signings.[1] Aged only 19, Hill held a regular place in the first team during the 1980/81 season, making 38 league appearances and scoring three goals. 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.[1] Hill fell out of favour in the following season, making just 18 appearances in the league and being released in May 1982. Hill made 62 appearances and scored three goals during his two seasons at Griffin Park.[1]

Wycombe Wanderers

After his release from Brentford, Hill dropped into non-league football and signed for Isthmian League Premier Division side Wycombe Wanderers in the summer of 1983.[2] He had an excellent start to life at Loakes Park, making 42 league appearances, 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 Wycombe cruised to the Premier Division title.[2] The club declined a place in the Alliance Premier League and Hill remained with the Chairboys for the 1983/84 season,[2] leaving in May 1984. He made 68 league appearances and scored three goals for Wycombe.

Maidstone United

Hill signed for Alliance Premier League champions Maidstone United in the summer of 1984. He was a regular pick in 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, securing promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club's history.[3] With the club going full-time for the 1989/90 season in the Football League, Hill left the club in order to remain part time. He made over 200 appearances during his five years with Maidstone.

Slough Town

Hill dropped back down to the Isthmian League Premier Division to sign for Slough Town in the summer of 1989.[3] Given the captain's armband, he had an excellent first season, leading the side to the league title and the final of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup. Hill remained with the Rebels until the end of the 1991/92 season, having made 93 appearances and scored three goals for the club.[3]

Hendon

Hill returned to the Isthmian League Premier Division to join Hendon in the summer of 1992.[4] He made 64 appearances and scored one goal in two mid-table seasons for the club and retired at the end of the 1993/94 season.[4]

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.[5]

Honours

Wycombe Wanderers

Maidstone United

Slough Town

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 77. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.wycombewanderers.co.uk/news/article/blues-miss-out-on-wembley-831984.aspx
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://www.sloughtownfc.net/profile/1188
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.hendonfc.net/Squad?method=view&id=511
  5. ↑ http://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/features/where-are-they-now/474/maidstone-united-double-winning-side-1988-89/