*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.
Colin Clewlow
Appearances: 313+10 Goals: 12
Date / Year of birth: 21st November 1948
Position: Centre-back / Utility
Season of first appearance: 1971/72
Season of last appearance: 1977/78
Also played for: Dover
5' 11" tall hard-working utility player who began his career with his hometown club Dover and went on to spend seven seasons at Crabble. Colin played in Dover's 1966/67 Southern League Division 1 Championship winning side.
In November 1971 he joined Margate and made his debut in a 1-0 defeat at Gravesend & Northfleet on 27.11.71. Colin then established himself as a regular in the side during the second half of the 1971/72 campaign. He mostly played at right-back but also featured as a centre-back, midfielder and centre-forward on occasions. When playing at full-back Colin was known for his over-lapping. On 1.1.72 he was pushed up front late in Margate's home game with Dartford and headed a goal to level the scores at 2-2. It was Colin's only goal in 30 appearances (one as sub) during the season. On 26.2.72 he kept goal for 65 minutes in a game at Romford following an injury to Chic Brodie and kept a clean sheet to help Margate to a 1-0 win.
Colin continued to play regularly, mostly at right-back, during the 1972/73 season and made a total of 52 appearances (one as sub). He scored once, in a 2-2 draw at home to Barnet on 16.9.72, and again that was after Colin been moved up front as a tactical change. On 18.11.72 he featured as a substitute as Margate beat Swansea 1-0 in an FA Cup 1st Round tie at Hartsdown Park. Colin had an outstanding campaign and that was summed up by the Isle of Thanet Gazette commenting that he was "seemingly going from strength to strength this season".
Colin spent most of the 1973/74 campaign playing as a centre-back although he also appeared in both full-back positions, in midfield and as a striker. He made 56 appearances (five as sub) and scored four goals. They included an unlikely hat-trick in an 8-0 win over Tunbridge Wells at Hartsdown Park on 19.1.74. Colin's feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that he came on as a substitute towards the end of the first half. He was the first Margate player ever to score a hat-trick after coming on as a sub and it would be almost 30 years before anybody matched Colin's feat - Darren Watson getting all three goals in a 3-3 draw at Morecambe on 1.11.03. Colin also scored with a clever lob in a 1-1 draw with Yeovil on 6.4.74 when playing as a striker and during the season he was described as being "a pillar of determination" by the Isle of Thanet Gazette. On 13.4.74 Colin was in the side that won the Kent Senior Cup with a 2-0 win at Maidstone but he was transfer-listed in May 1974.
He ended up staying with the club for the 1974/75 campaign and made a further 63 appearances (one as sub) to take his overall tally past 200. Colin spent almost the whole season at centre-back, making just the odd appearance as a left-back. He scored twice and the first of his goals was a 20 yard effort in a 3-0 win over Burton on 24.8.74 that the Thanet Times described as "a tremendous thunderbolt". In March 1975 the local press said that Colin was in "devastating form".
During the 1975/76 season Colin played almost exclusively as a centre-back and the local press described him as being "hard as nails" and "an effective destroyer". He made 64 appearances (one as sub), taking his overall tally past 250, and scored twice. In a game at Burton on 11.10.75 Colin took over in goal after Steve Bowtell went off injured and he did well, helping Margate to a 1-0 win. On 22.4.76 Colin played as Margate won 2-0 at Canterbury in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Trophy Final and he also featured 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. Colin's performances during the season won him the club's 'Player of the Year' award.
He again featured almost exclusively in central defence during the 1976/77 campaign and Margate manager Les Riggs said of Colin "There is no more 100% player in the club." On 27.12.76 he again took over in goal when Steve Bowtell was injured during the second half of a 3-1 defeat at Dover and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Colin was "always a reliable deputy". He scored twice from 53 appearances (one as sub) as Margate were relegated from the Southern League Premier Division.
At the start of the 1977/78 season Colin struggled to gain a regular place in the team but on 13.8.77 he again had a second half stint in goal during a Kent Senior Shield tie at Folkestone & Shepway after Steve Bowtell was carried off. However within a few weeks Colin left the club having made only five first team appearances. He had become disillusioned with the semi-professional game and dropped into amateur football aged just 28.
During the early 1990's Colin's son Adrian played in goal for Margate and his daughter Mel (born in 1976) became a very successful hockey player, playing for Canterbury and winning over 100 international caps for England / Great Britain.
In November 1997 Colin returned to Hartsdown Park as a guest when Margate played Fulham in the FA Cup.
He worked as a car salesman during his early years at Margate and in 2004 Colin was working in the shop at the Broome Park Golf Club near Canterbury which he also part owned.
He sadly died whilst on the golf course on 29.11.06, shortly after his 58th birthday.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1971/72 (MFC) |
29 (69) |
1 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (9TH OF 22) |
1R |
1R |
SF |
2R |
GR |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1972/73 (MFC) |
51 (64) |
1 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (7TH OF 22) |
3R |
3QR |
1R |
2R |
GR |
| Played (as sub) in FA Cup 1st Round (18.11.72 - beat Swansea City 1-0 at home). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1973/74 (MFC) |
51 (65) |
5 |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (17TH OF 22) |
4QR |
2R |
SF |
W |
GR |
| Played in Kent Senior Cup Final (13.04.74 - beat Maidstone United 2-0). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KMT | |
|
1974/75 (MFC) |
62 (66) |
1 |
2 |
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) |
63 (65) |
1 |
2 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (11TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2R |
1R |
SF |
W |
| Played 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) |
52 (55) |
1 |
3 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (22ND OF 22) |
3QR |
1R |
2R |
1R |
|
| Margate relegated to Southern League First Division (South). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS | |
|
1977/78 (MFC) |
5 (47) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION (S) (1ST OF 20) |
1QR |
1R |
1R |
1R |
GR |
| Margate promoted to Southern League Premier Division. | |||||||||