*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.
Brian Moffatt
Appearances: 188 Goals: 1
Date / Year of birth: 8th September 1928
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 1949/50
Season of last appearance: 1958/59
Also played for: Enfield, Leytonstone, Wycombe Wanderers, Epsom, Ramsgate Athletic, Ashford Town, Folkestone Town and Walthamstow Avenue
Tall, commanding England Amateur international who won nine caps at the start of his career during spells at Enfield (two) and Leytonstone (seven) before joining Wycombe.
Brian never played for Wycombe's first team and moved on to Epsom before joining Margate in November 1949 for the first of two spells with the club.
After a lengthy spell in the reserves Brian made his first team debut on 18.3.50 in a 2-0 home win over Chatham in the Kent League. He put in an impressive performance and kept his place for the remaining matches of the 1949/50 season, making a total of seven appearances before the end of the campaign.
In the summer of 1950 Brian moved across Thanet to join Ramsgate. He spent the 1950/51 season at Southwood and then joined Ashford, appearing for them during the 1951/52 & 1952/53 campaigns.
Next Brian had a brief spell with Folkestone and he then joined Walthamstow Avenue before returning to Margate in September 1953.
Brian initially rejoined the club to replace broken ankle victim Len Revell and he established himself in the side during the 1953/54 season. He made a total of 33 appearances and his performances were said to have attracted the attention of Football League scouts. Brian scored one goal during the campaign - a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Deal at Hartsdown on 24.4.54. The rest of the team joked about him 'finally' scoring and Brian's response was "You forwards were in the goalmouth for 80 minutes, I went up there for half a minute and scored." He finished the campaign by playing as Margate beat Canterbury 5-0 at Hartsdown Park to win the Kent League Cup on 6.5.54.
Brian was then a fixture in the side during the 1954/55 campaign until injuries (thigh and then knee ligaments) curtailed his season. He made a total of 34 appearances but didn't add to his goal tally.
He then went on to be ever-present during the 1955/56 season, making 45 appearances and once again playing a pivotal role. On 19.11.55 Brian was in the Margate side that drew 2-2 with Walsall at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round and he also played in the replay at Walsall on 24.11.55 that the home side won 6-1.
The 1956/57 campaign was another good one for Brian. Although he suffered several bouts of blood poisoning during the season he still managed 37 appearances and his aggressive display in a 4-2 FA Cup win at Wycombe on 3.11.56 was described as "magnificent" and "brilliant" by the local press. On 17.11.56 Brian played as Margate beat Dunstable 3-1 at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round and he also featured in a 4-0 defeat at Millwall in the 2nd Round on 8.12.56.
Brian missed the first two games of the 1957/58 season due to being on holiday and when he returned he was unable to regain his first team place as Jimmy Bonds had played well whilst deputising in the heart of the Margate defence. So Brian found himself in the reserves but cracked a bone in his foot in his first match for them and was out of action until November 1957. On 7.12.57 he finally returned to first team action for a match against Gillingham Reserves at Priestfield. Margate won 2-1 and Brian was outstanding - it was "a magnificent return" according to the local press report. The same article also described him as "an iron man" and said that he "covered himself in mud and glory". Brian kept his place for the remainder of the season and his 25 appearances took him past 150 for the club, still with just one goal to his credit.
He started the 1958/59 season in the first team and made six appearances during the first two months of the campaign before sustaining a knee injury. Brian then had a spell in the reserves but returned to the first team on 27.12.58. Margate went down 5-1 in a Kent League game at Bexleyheath & Welling and the match turned out to be Brian's last for the club. He left Hartsdown early in 1959.
In November 1963 Brian was living in Brentford and paid a visit to Margate's dressing room prior to their FA Cup game against Brentford. He also did some scouting for Margate at that time.
In 2011 Brian was living just outside Falmouth, Cornwall and he was the godfather of his former Margate team-mate Jimmy Briscoe's son Lloyd.
Brian died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on 22.2.15 aged 86.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1949/50 (MFC) |
7 (40) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (6TH OF 17) |
EPR |
1R |
2R |
SF |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1953/54 (MFC) |
33 (40) |
N/A |
1 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 16) |
2QR |
1R |
W |
1R |
|
Played in Kent
League Cup Final (01.05.54 - drew 3-3 with Canterbury
City). Played in Kent League Cup Final replay (06.05.54 - beat Canterbury City 5-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1954/55 (MFC) |
34 (46) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 17) |
2QR |
2R |
RU |
RU |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1955/56 (MFC) |
45 (45) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 17) |
1R |
1R |
RU |
1R |
|
Played in FA Cup
1st Round (19.11.55 - drew 2-2 with Walsall at
home). Played in FA Cup 1st Round replay (24.11.55 - lost 6-1 at Walsall). Played in Kent League Cup Final (10.05.56 - lost 2-1 to Gillingham Reserves). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1956/57 (MFC) |
37 (47) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17) |
2R |
1R |
SF |
SF |
|
Played in FA Cup
1st Round (17.11.56 - beat Dunstable 3-1 at
home). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (08.12.56 - lost 4-0 at Millwall). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
TMC |
|
1958/59 (MFC) |
7 (51) |
N/A |
0 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
1R |
GR |