*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.
Carl Gilbert
Appearances: 128+4 Goals: 39
Date / Year of birth: 20th March 1948
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1974/75
Season of last appearance: 1976/77
Also played for: Gillingham (28+2,11), Bristol Rovers (47+6,18), Rotherham United (91+17,44), Folkestone & Shepway, Folkestone Town, Canterbury City, Herne Bay and Folkestone
Stylish 6' 2" tall left-footed striker who was born in Folkestone. Carl began his career with Gillingham in 1965, joining the club from the army in October 1965, and was top scorer for the reserves in each of his first two seasons - 1965/66 and 1966/67.
During the 1967/68 campaign he broke into the Gills' first team and marked his full debut with a goal in a 2-1 win over Mansfield at Priestfield on 27.4.68. Carl also finished as the reserves leading scorer for the third consecutive season, finding the target seven times in 25 appearances (two as sub).
He went on to make a total of 30 first team appearances for the Gills spanning the 1967/68-1969/70 seasons. He scored 11 times during that period.
In December 1969 Carl was transferred to Bristol Rovers and scored 18 times in 53 senior appearances there during the 1969/70 and 1970/71 campaigns.
In March 1971 Rotherham paid Rovers £17,000 for Carl and he went on to make 108 first team appearances for the Yorkshire club. Carl scored 44 goals, including all four in a 4-0 home win over Swansea in September 1971, before joining Margate in July 1974 for a fee of £2,500 - a club record at the time. Margate manager Les Riggs said it was "the best deal of the season" and that Carl was "strong" and had "tremendous potential".
He made his debut in a 2-1 win at Guildford & Dorking on 17.8.74, the opening day of the 1974/75 season. Carl's aerial ability was immediately apparent and he was soon being referred to as Margate's "star striker" and a "veritable blonde bombshell" by the local press. He scored his first goals for the club when he struck twice in a 3-0 win at Wealdstone on 31.8.74 and on 5.10.74 Carl netted with a spectacular diving header to secure a 1-0 win over Kettering at Hartsdown. He went on to score 23 times in 65 appearances and finished the campaign as Margate's leading scorer. Carl's goals included a long range effort in a 2-2 draw at Stourbridge on 14.12.74 and another diving header in a 3-2 win at Nuneaton on 25.1.75. He also struck with a shot described by the Thanet Times as a "cannonball" to give Margate a 1-0 win over Cambridge City on 1.3.75. In February 1975 Torquay asked Margate to name their price for Carl but nothing further came of the enquiry.
He was made captain for the 1975/76 season but was hampered by injuries during the campaign. A slipped disc kept Carl out for over a month and various other niggling problems restricted him to 39 appearances (two as sub). He scored nine goals during the season. On 22.4.76 Carl featured as a substitute as Margate won 2-0 at Canterbury in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Trophy Final and he then started in the 2nd Leg at Hartsdown Park on 24.4.76 which the visitors won 2-1 after extra time. The result meant Margate took the trophy with a 3-2 aggregate win.
During the early months of the 1976/77 campaign Carl played regularly but struggled for goals. The local press felt that this was principally down to poor service from his team-mates and especially due to a lack crosses. He'd scored seven goals from 28 appearances (one as sub) when Folkestone & Shepway made a bid for him in January 1977 and after a fee in the region of £300 was agreed Carl left the club.
In the summer of 1978 he became Folkestone's player-coach and Carl went on to spend over five years at Cheriton Road before joining Canterbury early in 1982.
During the remainder of the 1981/82 season Carl scored six goals in 16 Southern League appearances (one as sub) for City but in the summer of 1982 he moved on to Herne Bay.
After a short spell as Herne Bay's player-manager Carl returned to Canterbury for the 1983/84 campaign and he scored six goals in 32 Southern League appearances (three as sub). His tally included one of the City goals in a 3-1 win over Thanet on 2.1.84. Carl only made two substitute appearances for Canterbury in the Southern League during the 1984/85 season and they were his last for the club.
In the summer of 1985 Carl took over from Alf Bentley as City's manager but he resigned during the 1986/87 season and returned to Folkestone as assistant manager / coach.
Carl later went on to manage Folkestone and he was in charge there during the 1988/89 season when he also made three substitute appearances aged 40. He was also in charge during the first half of the 1989/90 campaign but in February 1990 he resigned. However Carl then took over again early in the 1990/91 campaign, replacing Alf Bentley. He resigned once more in December 1990.
In August 2013 Carl managed a Folkestone Legends team for a charity match to celebrate former Thanet player John Lineham's 50th birthday and a host of other former Margate / Thanet players were also involved in the game.
During his time in the army at Canterbury's Chaucer Barracks Carl was a successful cross-country runner, coming first in the England Junior Army Under-18 section and finishing third in Kent.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1974/75 (MFC) |
64 (66) |
1 |
23 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
RU |
2R |
GR |
| Played in Southern
League Cup Final 1st Leg (05.04.75 - lost 2-0 at home to Kettering
Town). Played in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (12.04.75 - drew 1-1 at Kettering Town). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFT | |
|
1975/76 (MFC) |
37 (65) |
2 |
9 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (11TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2R |
1R |
SF |
W |
| Played (as sub) in
Kent Floodlight Trophy Final 1st Leg (22.04.76 - won 2-0 at Canterbury
City). Played in Kent Floodlight Trophy Final 2nd Leg (24.04.76 - lost 2-1 to Canterbury City at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1976/77 (MFC) |
27 (55) |
1 |
7 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (22ND OF 22) |
3QR |
1R |
2R |
1R |
|
| Margate relegated to Southern League First Division (South). | |||||||||