Date / Year of birth: 22nd November 1968

Position: Left-back

Season of first appearance: 1986/87

Season of last appearance: 1991/92

Also played for: Herne Bay, Ramsgate, Canterbury City, Folkestone Invicta, Tonbridge Angels, Maidstone United, Tunbridge Wells, Cray Wanderers, Thamesmead Town, Hythe Town and Slade Green

Athletic left-sided local player who began his career in Ramsgate's youth setup as part of the Westgate Sports club that played at Southwood. He then played for Thanet United's Under-14 side during the 1982/83 season.

John progressed to United's reserves and made his debut for them in a 2-2 draw with Folkestone on 23.11.85. He became a regular in the side for the remainder of the 1985/86 campaign. John stayed at Thanet for the 1986/87 season and on 21.2.87 he made his first team debut in a 3-2 defeat at Trowbridge. He played on the left wing and after one further appearance in midfield John was switched to left-back for the home game against Erith & Belvedere on 14.3.87. The Thanet Times reported that he "gave a thoroughly promising account of himself". The paper went on to describe John as "a strong lad with genuine bite in the tackle" and added "he also demonstrated his prowess with the long throw-in - a rare asset which gives him an extra string to his bow". John kept his place in the number three shirt for the remainder of the season and turned in what the Isle of Thanet Gazette said were "some exceptional displays", particularly impressing with his willingness to get forward.

In March 1987 the Gazette ran a story about him under the headline "Young Mayall looks a lad with promise" and said that John was "an outstanding prospect", describing him as "well-built and clearly extremely fit". New player-manager Norman Fusco told the paper "I have been very impressed with him in training and believed he merited his chance...he took it well and I feel he is a player of considerable potential." In April 1987 John and goalkeeper Joe Radford were given contracts, making them the club's only contracted players. Norman Fusco explained the move, saying "Joe and John are our most outstanding players and we expect league sides to show a great interest in them in the coming months." He went on to say "the club and I felt it was in Thanet United's best interests to have them under contract. This way the club will at least get some financial return if they move on to another team." This was a huge compliment to John as at the end of the season he had made just 11 appearances for United's first team.

In the summer of 1987 John had trials at Colchester and Brentford but nothing came of them and he stayed with Thanet for the 1987/88 campaign. He was a fixture in the side, making 54 appearances without scoring, and played at left-back throughout the season, apart from four games where he was used in a midfield role. John only missed two matches. It took him a while to find his best form but towards the end of 1987 John's performances began to match his impressive displays of the previous campaign. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he was "outstanding" in a 2-1 win at Sheppey on 26.12.87 and John consistently won praise from the local press during the second half of the season. The Thanet Times reported that he "took the eye with some decisive work plus a magnificent 40-yard diagonal pass" in a 1-0 home win over Ruislip on 20.2.88 and said that John was "often prominent...with his powerful over-lapping runs down the left flank" in a 1-1 draw at Chatham on 9.4.88.

The 1988/89 season wasn't such a good one for John and although he was mostly used at left-back he sometimes found himself playing out of position at right-back during the early months of the campaign. He made four appearances in the number two shirt and also played a couple of games on the left wing before losing his first team place altogether after playing in a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Hastings on 6.12.88. John had made 21 appearances without scoring before being demoted to the reserves and he went on to play eight games for them, scoring twice, before leaving the club towards the end of the season.

John joined Herne Bay for the 1989/90 campaign and then returned to Thanet to play for Ramsgate at the start of 1991.

At the start of the 1991/92 season John concentrated on playing rugby for Thanet Wanderers and at that time he was in the marines. In December 1991 he returned to Hartsdown Park when he signed for Margate.

John made his first appearance as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Burnham on 21.12.91 and the Thanet Times said he "gave a good account of himself". The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he had "slotted into the left-back position as if he had never been away" and was "clearly a talented all-round sportsman". John became a fixture in the number three shirt from then on, featuring in Margate's next ten matches as a replacement for the injured Bill Roffey. His energetic display in a 0-0 home draw with Havant prompted the Thanet Times to say that he was "the fittest of the fit". The same paper said that John was "outstanding" in a 3-1 defeat against Braintree at Hartsdown on 4.1.92 but the Gazette reported that he "had a match he will wish to forget" as Margate lost 5-1 at Salisbury on 15.2.92. A few days later the paper said John was "lion-hearted, strong in the tackle, equally effective with either foot" and added "Margate need more men of his calibre" but he lost his place when Roffey returned. After coming on as a sub in 5-0 win over Erith & Belvedere at Hartsdown on 29.2.92 John left Margate having made 12 appearances (two as sub) without scoring during 1991/92.

He started the 1992/93 season with Canterbury and played regularly there before rejoining Ramsgate at the end of 1992.

John left Ramsgate in the summer of 1993 but went back to the club again in December 1993 and became a fixture in the Rams' side for the next 18 months. In April 1995 the Thanet Times described John as being a "man-mountain" and reported that he turned in an "inspirational display" as the Rams beat Dartford 3-0 to win the Kent League Cup. John had a hand in all three goals.

In the summer of 1995 he moved on to Folkestone and John spent two seasons there before returning to Ramsgate for the 1996/97 season. His fourth spell at Southwood lasted until the end of the 1998/99 campaign and John then linked up with Tonbridge.

He made a total of 86 appearances (15 as sub) without scoring for the Angels during 1999/00 and 2000/01 before signing for Maidstone in the summer of 2001.

After a season with the Stones John joined Tunbridge Wells where he played regularly during the 2002/03 campaign before leaving the club to join Cray early in 2003/04.

A few weeks into the 2004/05 campaign John left Cray and linked up with Thamesmead. On 5.3.05 he scored from the penalty spot in a 5-4 win over his old club Ramsgate and John was then sent off in Thamesmead's last Kent League game of the season at Beckenham.

John's next move took him to Hythe early in the 2005/06 campaign but he was released in March 2006.

In the summer of 2006 he signed for Slade Green and became the club's captain for the 2006/07 term before retiring at the end of the season.

John worked as a fireman during the latter part of his football career and in 2011 he was living and working in Iraq.