*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.
Dave Gear
Appearances: 106+3 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 19th March 1965
Position: Right-back / Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 1986/87
Season of last appearance: 1992/93
Also played for: Dover, Dover Athletic, Snowdown Colliery Welfare, Canterbury City, Ashford Town, Whitstable Town, Deal Town, Folkestone Invicta, Hythe United and Hythe Town
Tough tackling, fiercely competitive Canterbury-born player who started his career with Dover. Dave made a one-off appearance for their first team in the opening match of the 1982/83 season and he also made a few appearances during the 1983/84 campaign. He then had spell at Snowdown before linking up with Thanet United early in the 1986/87 season.
Dave made his debut on 4.10.86 when Thanet drew 1-1 with Dover in an FA Trophy tie at Hartsdown Park. He replaced the suspended Bobby Wilson in midfield and the Thanet Times said that Dave proved to be "an able deputy". Despite his impressive performance Dave only played twice more during 1986 and when he was picked for Thanet's home game with Ashford on 1.1.87 it was his first start in the senior team since 22.10.86. Dave grabbed his opportunity with both hands in the Ashford game and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he was "outstanding" in midfield as Thanet ran out 3-1 winners. From then on Dave didn't miss a game and he finished the season having made a total of 27 appearances (two as sub) with one goal to show for his efforts - a superb 30 yard strike in a 3-2 defeat at Trowbridge on 21.2.87.
Dave began the 1987/88 campaign as United's regular right-back and turned in good performances in the first three games of the season. However on 5.9.87 things briefly turned sour for him when he scored a spectacular own goal in a Southern League match against Hastings at Hartsdown. The Thanet Times' match report was headlined "United have Gear fault in victory" and Thanet were 3-1 up when Dave lobbed a 30 yard pass back to keeper Joe Radford, beating him all ends up. United held on for a 3-2 win but afterwards Dave felt the wrath of player-manager Norman Fusco who told the paper "the lad's feet didn't touch the ground when we got back to the dressing room. You don't give 30-yard back passes when you are 3-1 up with two minutes to go." It was only a temporary set back for Dave and he went on to make the number two shirt his own during the remainder of the campaign. The Thanet Times said he was "outstanding" in a 1-0 win over Staines in an FA Trophy at Hartsdown on 3.10.87 and praised his "many timely interceptions" as United drew 1-1 at home to Woking in an FA Cup tie on 10.10.87. The paper later described him as "dogged" and Dave made 52 appearances without scoring during the season before leaving the club.
He joined Canterbury for the start of the 1988/89 campaign and went on to spend four years with City. Dave made well over 100 appearances for the club despite suffering a fractured skull in a friendly against Tottenham during the summer of 1991.
Dave joined Ashford for the start of the 1992/93 season and became club captain, scoring on his debut in a 1-0 win over Baldock. He played 15 times for Ashford before returning to Hartsdown Park to join Margate in October 1992.
Dave made his first appearance in a 5-2 home defeat against Braintree on 24.10.92 and became a fixture in Margate's midfield for the next few months. On 31.10.92 he scored his first goal in a 2-1 defeat at Newport IOW. Dave found the net with a low shot from just outside the penalty area after a free-kick was rolled to him and he was also on target in a 4-1 win at his old club Ashford on 17.11.92. Dave was switched to right-back for a 1-0 win over Buckingham at Hartsdown on 23.2.93 and he continued in the number two shirt for the majority of Margate's matches up to a 3-0 defeat at Sittingbourne on 12.4.93. That turned out to be Dave's last game for the club and he was released at the end of the season having scored twice in 30 appearances (one as sub). He'd also played seven times in the Kent Midweek League for what was effectively Margate's reserves.
Dave linked up with Kent League club Whitstable for the start of the 1993/94 campaign and then joined Deal in the summer of 1994.
He spent two seasons at Deal and then signed for Folkestone where he spent 1996/97 before going back to Canterbury in the summer of 1997.
Dave returned to Whitstable for the 1998/99 season and took his total appearances for the club past 50 games before moving to Hythe in the summer of 1999.
He was still playing for Hythe (by then known as Hythe Town) in the Kent League during 2001/02 and in November 2001 Dave was sent off in a game at Herne Bay. At the start of the 2002/03 campaign Dave became Hythe's player-assistant manager, working alongside his former Thanet United team-mate Gary Miller. After a few months in that role Dave rejoined Snowdown in the Kent County League as a player and by the end of the 2002/03 season he was back at Deal.
Dave went on to spend several years at Deal and played almost exclusively for their reserves from 2003/04 onwards. He celebrated his 40th birthday during 2004/05 and started the 2005/06 campaign as the reserves' player-coach. By 2006/07 Dave had reverted to a purely playing role and made a handful of appearances before retiring at the end of the season aged 42.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
EFC | |
|
1986/87 (TUFC) |
25 (53) |
2 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 20) |
PR |
1QR |
GR |
1R |
GR |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1987/88 (TUFC) |
52 (56) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (5TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2QR |
GR |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1992/93 (MFC) |
29 (53) |
1 |
2 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 22) |
2QR |
2QR |
1R |
1R |