*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Andy Sawyer
Appearances: 39+16 Goals: 14
Date / Year of birth: 1964
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1989/90
Season of last appearance: 1990/91
Also played for: Welling United, Charlton Athletic (0), Dartford, Darenth Heathside, Bromley and Rainham Town
Clever Dartford-born striker who played for both the Kent and South East schools sides before starting his senior career with Welling. Andy spent six years with the Wings and then had a spell with Charlton where he played in the Youth team.
After leaving Charlton Andy joined Dartford in the summer of 1982 and top scored for the Darts reserves during the 1982/83 season, bagging 12 goals in 20 appearances for them. He also made three appearances as a sub for the first team. He was the reserves top scorer again during 1983/84 and Andy's 19 goals came from just 23 appearances (one as sub). Surprisingly he didn't feature in the first team.
Andy left Dartford to join Darenth Heathside in the summer of 1986 and went on to spend several seasons there. He was the club's top scorer for the 1988/89 campaign but towards the end of the season Andy joined Bromley. He scored six goals in his first nine games and was selected for the Isthmian League representative side during his spell at Hayes Lane.
In the summer of 1989 Andy signed for Margate, along with many of his Bromley team-mates including his younger brother Paul, and made his debut on 15.8.89 as Margate beat Ramsgate 3-1 at Hartsdown Park in the annual Gazette Cup game. He was a regular in the side for the first few weeks of 1989/90 and scored his first goal in a 3-1 defeat at Buckingham on 26.8.89 but in mid-September work commitments took Andy to Hong Kong for several weeks and he missed five matches as a result. After returning to the UK Andy was in and out of the side but on 31.10.89 he scored what the Isle of Thanet Gazette said was "a magnificent goal" in a 2-1 win over Sheppey at Hartsdown. Andy raced down the right wing, jinked past a defender and then squeezed home a shot from a very tight angle. It took until the end of November for Andy to get a run in the side again, from 28.11.89 he played in five consecutive games and scored twice. The Gazette described his effort in a 2-2 home draw with Dover on 6.12.89 as being "superb". It was a low angled drive into the corner of the net.
Unluckily for Andy he suffered a major setback just as he seemed to be hitting top form when he broke his collar bone during a 6-1 defeat at Dartford in a Southern League Cup tie on 12.12.89. The injury kept him out of action until March 1990 but after his reappearance in a 0-0 draw at Dunstable on 10.3.90 Andy played regularly for the rest of the season, featuring in 12 of Margate's last 15 matches and adding four goals to his tally. One report in the Thanet Times described Andy as being "elegant" and he ended a disrupted campaign with a respectable record of eight goals from 33 appearances (eight as sub). He also played twice for the reserves without scoring.
Andy struggled to gain a regular place in the Margate side during the opening weeks of the 1990/91 season and often found himself having to play in midfield or on the right wing when he was selected. By mid-September 1990 he was playing more regularly, but still not up front, and on 15.9.90 Andy scored with a diving header as Margate won 4-1 in an FA Cup replay at Gravesend & Northfleet. He marked his first start as a striker by scoring twice in a 3-0 win at Sudbury on 6.10.90 and writing in his Thanet Extra column Margate chairman Gordon Wallis described the goals as "exquisite" adding that Andy was in "glorious form." He enjoyed a good run in the side in his favoured striking role after that although he had to come off the subs bench before scoring twice in extra time in a 4-3 win over Erith & Belvedere in a Southern League Cup tie at Hartsdown on 30.10.90. In the weeks that followed Andy featured mainly as a substitute although he did start a home game against Witney on 24.11.90. He scored in a 3-1 win and the Thanet Times described the goal as "magnificent" as Andy blasted home from distance. The report also described him as being "dashing" and "a constant threat". The match turned out to be Andy's last start for Margate and after making two further appearances as a sub, the second of them in a 4-2 defeat at Corinthian on 15.12.90, he left the club. He'd made 22 appearances (eight as sub) and scored six goals before his departure.
Later in December 1990 Andy rejoined Darenth and he became the Kent League outfit's player-manager for the 1991/92 campaign before leaving the club in January 1992.
During 1992/93 Andy played for Isthmian League side Rainham Town.
He worked as a stock broker in London during his time with Margate.
During the 2012/13 season Andy's nephew Ryan Sawyer was on the books of his old club Dartford who were in the Conference at that time.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1989/90 (MFC) |
25 (59) |
8 |
8 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (16TH OF 22) |
2QR |
2QR |
3R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1990/91 (MFC) |
14 (54) |
8 |
6 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 21) |
3QR |
3QR |
2R |
1R |