Non-League and Academy football writer

As a player, Mark Stimson would play for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Portsmouth. A former schoolboy youth player at QPR, Mark Stimson is from east London, and he would represent the Essex County side, during his youth. However, Stimson would join Spurs, and sign YTS forms with the club in 1984. Signing his first professional contract with the club during the following year, Mark was part of a very talented Spurs youth/reserve team, of which included the likes of Vinny Samways and Brian Statham. A talented full-back, Mark would go onto feature on a couple of occasions for the Spurs first team in competitive games in the following years (he made his debut against Everton, in a First Division game in 1987), although he would also feature on additional occasions for the first team in friendly matches. It was under Osvaldo Ardiles, at Newcastle United, that Mark Stimson really got his first opportunity of playing competitive senior football, on a much more regular basis. Making over 80 competitive matches for Newcastle United, from 1989 to 1993. Before playing for the likes of Portsmouth, Southend United and Leyton Orient, in what was a long and impressive playing career in the game.

The former Spurs man would finish his playing career in non-League, playing for Canvey Island and Grays Athletic (Mark was player-coach at Grays Athletic), as well as going into coaching. And his coaching journey started at Spurs’s Academy set-up, where he coached for five years, from 2000 until 2005. At first becoming player-manager of Grays Athletic, before, after leaving Spurs’ Academy, becoming manager of then non-League side Stevenage. It was in Hertfordshire that Mark continued his already impressive coaching career, by helping Stevenage to win the FA Trophy in 2007 (Mark had already won two FA Trophies during his time at Grays Athletic). Stimson would later get the opportunity to manage in the Football League, with Gillingham, from 2007 until 2010 (he helped Gillingham to win promotion to League One, during his time in charge). Spells with Barnet and Kettering Town would follow, before he joined Thurrock, and then Waltham Abbey. It was at Hornchurch, however, that Mark Stimson continued his remarkable record in the FA Trophy. He took the step three non-League side to the final of the FA Trophy in 2022, where they faced Hereford. Hornchurch won the final 3-1!

After returning to step four side Grays Athletic, for a short while during the early stages of this season, Mark Stimson is currently the head-coach of Isthmian League Premier Division side Margate. Margate have had some difficult results of late, but with Mark’s great experience in the game (Margate assistant manager Colin Reid is also a former Spurs Academy coach) as well as his vast knowledge of non-League football, I’m sure that he will be able to turn around Margate’s fortunes during the remainder of this season. There is a lot for Mark to be proud of in his career as a player and as a coach, however, looking ahead to Margate’s big home league fixture against Dulwich Hamlet tomorrow afternoon, the club from Kent have made a number of new signings of late. These include experienced former Spurs academy player and Swindon Town player Yaser Kasim, midfielder Dominic Vose and most recently left-back Toby Stevenson, who joins from Braintree Town. With mainstays of the side such as Margate’s top scorer Steve Cawley and the experienced Ben Greenhalgh already with Margate this season, they have a real chance of getting a good run of results together.

I was recently at Margate’s 2-0 home league loss to Bognor Regis Town, last month, and I got to meet Mark Stimson after that game. I will definitely get to another Margate game later on in the season, and I wish Mark and Margate all the very best for the remainder of this season.