*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.
James Donovan
Appearances: 52+7 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 11th September 1984
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 2005/06
Season of last appearance: 2006/07
Also played for: Millwall (0), Farnborough Town, Shrewsbury Town (0), Crawley Town, Tonbridge Angels, East Thurrock United and Thamesmead Town
6' 4" tall defender born in Sidcup who started his career with Millwall. James progressed through the Lions' youth ranks to the fringes of the senior side and in March 2004 he was loaned to Farnborough.
James made seven appearances for the Conference club before the end of the 2003/04 campaign and he was also sent off in a 2-0 defeat at Gravesend & Northfleet.
He played regularly for Millwall's reserves during the 2004/05 season and on 8.1.05 James was an unused substitute for an FA Cup tie at Wolves. Later in January he joined Shrewsbury on trial and played for their reserves before briefly returning to The Den.
In March 2005 James signed for Crawley as a non-contract player and made his debut in a 2-1 home win over Margate in the Conference Cup on 15.3.05. He went on to make a total of six appearances before the end of the 2004/05 campaign.
In July 2005 James was sent off in a friendly at Hastings and on 5.9.05 he was dismissed again as Crawley lost 3-2 at Aldershot in the Conference. It was his first appearance of the season and James didn't feature again before being released at the end of September 2005.
In October 2005 he signed for Margate and made his debut in the number five shirt in a 3-0 win at Bashley in the FA Trophy on 15.10.05. A Bashley player was sent off just three minutes into the game for stamping on James' head and Margate manager Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Times "It hurt James a bit." He kept his place for a 1-0 home win over Wealdstone in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 22.10.05 but James then only featured once as a substitute in Margate's next two matches. On 5.11.05 he was back in the side for a 1-0 defeat against Chelmsford at Hartsdown Park and James then started the next 14 games.
In its report on a 1-0 win at Windsor & Eton on 19.11.05 the Thanet Times said he "had a good game at the back and is improving every week" whilst the Isle of Thanet Gazette said James "was the pick of the Margate defenders" and "head and shoulders above his team-mates" in a 2-0 defeat at Heybridge on 6.12.05.
His long run in the side ended after a 2-2 draw with Slough at Windsor & Eton on 21.1.06 and having missed one game James returned as a substitute in a 2-1 win over East Thurrock at Hartsdown Park on 4.2.06. He then wore the number six shirt in a 2-1 home win over Folkestone in the Kent Senior Cup on 7.2.06 and started all but two of Margate's remaining fixtures. By the end of the season James had made 34 appearances (three as sub) without scoring.
In July 2006 Margate's new player-manager Robin Trott spoke to the Thanet Times about James and said "I was told last year he was no good but he's a good player. He can be the main man. If he keeps progressing the way he is he won't be at Margate. He'll be going up himself."
In its report on a 5-2 friendly win over Fisher at Hartsdown Park on 22.7.06 the Thanet Times said James had "lost a stone" and looked "miles more mobile" and a few days before the start of the 2006/07 campaign Robin Trott told the Isle of Thanet Gazette that James was "decent in the air" and added "we've not seen the best of him yet. He's a diamond in the rough."
James started the first eight matches of the new season in the number six shirt and the Thanet Times described him as "coming on a bundle" in its report on a 2-1 home win over Slough in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 26.8.06. The paper said he "won all his headers, made a crucial goalline clearance in the first half and pulled off a terrific late tackle at the end" and added "the other area he's improved by miles is his distribution, one pin-point sweeping pass was almost Gerrard-esque, to highlight the point". The Times' critique continued "he'll never be the quickest, but then neither will Trott and he'll tell you all day that reading the game is far more important". James' early run in the side ended after a 2-0 defeat at Ramsgate in the Isthmian League Cup on 12.9.06 and he then sat out five matches.
He returned to action as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Heybridge on 7.10.06 and James then started six of Margate's next seven games but after a 2-0 home win over Hampton & Richmond on 11.11.06 he lost his place to newcomer Pat Sappleton and didn't feature at all in the next five matches.
After more than a month on the sidelines James came on as a sub in a 4-1 win over Hendon at Hartsdown Park on 16.12.06 and over the course of the next nine games he was in and out of the side, starting twice and making two further sub appearances. After coming on in a 2-1 defeat at Carshalton on 17.2.07 James missed five matches altogether before being recalled for a home game against Heybridge on 24.3.07. He deputised for the absent Sappleton as Margate lost 1-0 and Robin Trott told the Thanet Times "James came in for Pat and did really well."
He kept his place for a 1-1 draw with Horsham at Hartsdown Park on 27.3.07 but James then only featured in one of the next five matches before wearing the number five shirt in a home game against Ashford on 21.4.07 that Margate drew 1-1. On 28.4.07 he played in a 1-0 defeat at Hendon and that was James' final outing for the club. Having made 25 appearances (four as sub) without scoring during 2006/07 he was released in May 2007 and Robin Trott told the Thanet Times "I've let him go but I still think he can do a job, if he can get his head right he has the potential to be a great player. It's just not worked out for him here but I'm sure it will happen somewhere."
In the summer of 2007 James turned down a move to Folkestone and joined Tonbridge for the 2007/08 campaign. He made 34 Isthmian League Premier Division appearances (seven as sub) for the Angels during the season and stayed on for the start of the 2008/09 campaign. James made seven league appearances before being loaned to East Thurrock in October 2008 and in December 2008 his move became permanent.
James scored twice from 31 Isthmian League Division 1 North outings (two as sub) for East Thurrock before the end of the 2008/09 season and continued to be a fixture in the Rocks' side during 2009/10, making 41 league appearances and scoring six goals. Unfortunately he struggled with injuries during the 2010/11 campaign and James only made seven league appearances (five as sub) before leaving East Thurrock at the end of the season.
In July 2011 he signed for Isthmian League Division 1 North club Thamesmead and their manager Keith McMahon said James was "very strong...can play and has good experience at this level". He was a regular throughout 2011/12 and scored three times in 30 league outings. James stayed with the Mead for the 2012/13 campaign too and made 38 league appearances without scoring as they won promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division. He was still with the club at the start of the 2013/14 season.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2005/06 (MFC) |
31 (51) |
3 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (14TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2QR |
3R |
SF |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
||
|
2006/07 (MFC) |
21 (50) |
4 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (6TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2QR |
2R |
1R |