*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.
Karl Elsey
Appearances: 57+3 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 20th November 1958
Position: Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 1994/95
Season of last appearance: 1995/96
Also played for: Pembroke Borough (Wales), Queens Park Rangers (6+1,0), Newport County (Wales) (140+15,17), Cardiff City (Wales) (65,5), Gillingham (193+4,19), Reading (55+3,5), Maidstone United (89+2,7), Sittingbourne, Braintree Town, Ashford Town, Hastings Town, Faversham Town, Ramsgate, Chatham Town and Lordswood
5' 10" tall attacking midfielder born in Swansea who started his senior career with Pembroke Borough, joining them from local amateur football, before linking up with Swansea City for a brief spell during the early part of the 1978/79 season. His father had played for Swansea Town in the 1950's. Karl soon returned to Pembroke and in January 1979 he was signed by Queens Park Rangers.
He made seven first team appearances (one as sub) for QPR during 1978/79 and 1979/80 before moving on to Newport County in July 1980.
Karl enjoyed a successful spell with County and during the 1980/81 campaign he made five appearances (two as sub) during the club's European Cup Winners Cup run. He scored 17 goals in a total of 155 senior appearances (15 as sub) for Newport before signing for Cardiff in September 1983.
Karl was a regular in the Bluebirds' side for the next two seasons and scored five goals in 65 first team appearances up to the end of the 1984/85 campaign. In May 1985 he joined Gillingham on a free transfer.
Karl became a hugely popular figure for the Gills and made over 150 senior appearances spanning the 1985/86 to 1987/88 seasons before leaving the club to link up with Reading in August 1988.
He was virtually ever-present for the Royals during 1988/89, scoring five goals in 58 appearances (three as sub), and then returned to Kent to join Maidstone in July 1989.
Karl played 91 times for the Stones (two as sub) and scored seven goals during the 1989/90 and 1990/91 campaigns before rejoining Gillingham in August 1991.
He took his total appearances for the Gills up to 197 (four as sub) during the 1991/92 season and then dropped into non-league football in March 1992, joining Sittingbourne. By then Karl had played well over 500 games as a professional.
He became Sittingbourne's captain for the 1992/93 campaign and stayed with the Brickies until December 1993 when he moved on to Braintree.
In February 1994 Karl joined Ashford but had only made ten appearances there when he signed for Hastings at the end of March 1994.
In September 1994 he linked up with Faversham and after a few weeks there Karl signed for Margate in October 1994.
He made his debut in midfield in a 2-2 draw with Fisher at Hartsdown Park on 18.10.94 and scored with what the Isle of Thanet Gazette described as a "first-time drive (that) zoomed into the roof of the net". The paper said Karl had "made a most impressive start" and was "a player of undoubted class". He was a fixture in the Margate side from then on and the Thanet Times said Karl "put in a methodical performance" during a 1-0 home defeat against Bury on 29.10.94. The Gazette said he "often impressed" in a 1-1 draw with Braintree at Hartsdown on 15.11.94 but on 25.2.95 Karl was sent off for two bookable offences as Margate lost 4-1 to visitors Havant. He had to serve a three match ban in March 1995 and in April 1995 Karl became Margate's joint caretaker manager, working with Mark Weatherly, after Bill Roffey resigned. Immediately after the last game of the season - a 4-0 home defeat against Baldock on 6.5.95 - Karl was confirmed as the club's permanent player-manager. He'd scored three times in 37 appearances during 1994/95.
In the days leading up to the start of the 1995/96 campaign the Isle of Thanet Gazette's Dave Cooper described Karl as "a professional footballer down to his finger-tips" and "the best kicker of a dead ball I have seen since Peter Sillet". Asked about his new role as manager Karl told the paper "perhaps the chance came a shade quicker than I anticipated but I am relishing the challenge at Margate".
He started the season as a regular in the side, featuring in 11 of Margate's first 13 matches, and showed his versatility by turning out in both full-back positions as well as in his preferred midfield role. The Gazette said Karl made "many a shrewd pass" in a 1-0 win over Erith & Belvedere at Hartsdown on 22.8.95 but on 26.9.95 he was sent off as Margate lost 1-0 at home to Walton & Hersham in the FA Cup. Karl became the club's first player-manager to be dismissed since Norman Fusco in October 1988 when he picked up a second booking for what the Gazette called a "horrendous" tackle. The paper said it was "a moment of madness". After serving a suspension in October 1995 Karl returned to play at left-back in a 2-0 defeat at Havant on 28.10.95 and then featured in 11 of Margate's next 13 games, again playing in midfield or at full-back. In November 1995 he celebrated his 37th birthday. On 26.12.95 he made his last start when he wore the number four shirt in a 2-1 defeat against Sittingbourne at Hartsdown and after coming on as a substitute in Margate's next match - a 1-1 home draw with Witney - Karl didn't play again. After a 1-0 defeat against Braintree at Hartsdown on 16.3.96 he was sacked as manager and left Margate having made 23 appearances (three as sub) without scoring during 1995/96.
Immediately after his departure from Hartsdown Park Karl joined Ramsgate as a player but after only a few weeks there he signed for Chatham in April 1996.
In October 1996 Karl became Chatham's caretaker player-manager for a few weeks before John Roseman took over in November. In March 1997 Karl left Chatham and joined Lordswood as a player.
Karl started the 1997/98 campaign at Lordswood too but only made a handful of appearances before dropping out of senior football.
In the summer of 1998 Maidstone, then in the Kent County League, persuaded Karl to sign for them and he made two appearances early in the 1998/99 season before finally retiring in September 1998, shortly before his 40th birthday.
Karl played for Wales at Under-23 level and also played cricket in the Medway area for Newington.
In 2001 he was living in Rainham, Kent and working for the Post Office.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1994/95 (MFC) |
37 (55) |
0 |
3 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (13TH OF 22) |
3QR |
1QR |
3R |
2R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1995/96 (MFC) |
20 (51) |
3 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (11TH OF 22) |
2QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |