*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 Emerick
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Appearances: 114+12 Goals: 2
Date / Year of birth: 18th August 1976
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 1995/96
Season of last appearance: 1998/99
Also played for: Gillingham (0), Erith & Belvedere, Dartford and Hampton & Richmond Borough
Burly Chatham-born defender who started his career with Gillingham. Karl made his first appearances for the Gills' youth team during the 1992/93 season and on 18.8.93 he played in a friendly at Margate that ended 0-0. After playing for Gillingham's youth and reserve teams during the 1993/94 and 1994/95 campaigns Karl was released and in the summer of 1995 he joined Margate along with his former Gills team-mates Richard Corbyn and Danny Francis.
Karl made his debut at centre-back in a 3-1 defeat at Trowbridge on 19.8.95, it was the opening day of the 1995/96 season and a day after his 19th birthday. He played regularly from then on and the Thanet Times said that Karl was "impressive" in a 1-0 defeat against Waterlooville at Hartsdown Park on 26.8.95. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "never put a foot wrong" during a 2-0 win at Erith & Belvedere on 19.9.95 whilst the Times reported Karl "starred" in a 2-0 win at Fisher on 4.11.95. After a 1-0 home win over Weston-Super-Mare on 17.2.96 the paper described Karl as "a model of consistency" and the Gazette said he was "outstanding" in a 1-0 defeat at Newport IOW on 30.4.96. Karl finished the season having made 46 appearances without scoring.
He started the 1996/97 campaign in impressive form at the heart of Margate's defence and the Thanet Times said Karl "seldom put a foot wrong and made many timely interceptions" during a 2-0 defeat at Weston-Super-Mare on 24.8.96. He was a fixture in the number five shirt but on 3.9.96 Karl was sent off for two bookable offences as Margate lost 3-2 at home to Tonbridge and had to serve a one match suspension as a result. On 23.11.96 Karl scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 win at Yate and he'd only missed one of Margate's first 37 matches when he picked up a knee injury in March 1997 that ended his season prematurely.
In the summer of 1997 Karl underwent a knee operation but recovered sufficiently to feature in a couple of friendlies ahead of the 1997/98 campaign. He made his first appearance of the season on 23.9.97 when he replaced the suspended Tony Dixon for a 2-0 home win over Baldock and Karl then started eight of Margate's next nine games, playing as a makeshift striker in a 0-0 draw at Tonbridge on 7.10.97. For the remainder of the campaign he was in and out of the side, usually filling in when injuries and suspensions required it. Karl mostly played as a centre-back but also featured in midfield when required. On 10.2.98 he scored his second goal for Margate to earn a 1-0 win at Trowbridge and on 21.4.98 Karl came on as a substitute in the 2nd Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Redditch which the home side won 1-0. That result meant that Margate claimed the trophy with a 2-1 aggregate victory. In total he made 37 appearances during the season (ten as sub) without adding to his goal tally.
Karl started the 1998/99 campaign with a substitute appearance as Margate lost on penalties at Forest Green in the Southern League Championship Match on 9.8.98. After that he didn't feature at all for almost a month before making another sub appearance in a 2-1 home defeat against Ashford in an FA Cup tie on 8.9.98. Karl then spent some time in the reserves before being loaned to Erith & Belvedere in November 1998.
On 9.1.99 he scored a hat-trick for the Deres in a 3-1 win at Corby, a remarkable feat as he'd only found the net twice in three seasons at Margate. Karl made a total of 16 appearances during his loan spell before returning to Hartsdown Park in February 1999.
On 27.2.99 he made his first appearance for Margate in almost five months when he wore the number five shirt in a 2-0 home win over Brackley but it was a one-off and in March Karl was loaned out again, this time to Dartford.
He returned to Margate in April 1999 and lined-up in midfield for a game at Baldock on 20.4.99. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Karl "played well" in a 1-0 win and he then started each of Margate's last three matches of the 1998/99 campaign at centre- back. The final game in the sequence was a 4-0 win at Brackley on 1.5.99 that sealed promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. It turned out to be Karl's last match for Margate and he left the club at the end of the season having made seven appearances (two as sub) during 1998/99.
Karl started the 1999/00 campaign with Hampton & Richmond where he scored once in eight league appearances (five as sub) before joining Erith & Belvedere on a permanent basis in September 1999.
Karl went on to make 159 appearances (15 as sub) for the Deres, scoring eight goals, before leaving the club and retiring from senior football at the end of the 2003/04 season due to work commitments.
After his departure from Erith Karl played Sunday League football in the Medway area and in 2008 he said "I still get offers to go back and play (semi-professional) now but although I'd love to I just haven't got the time with work." At that time Karl was living in Maidstone and working as a Hotel General Manager for the Holiday Inn chain. He was still close friends with former Margate players Martin Buglione and Lee Williams and was playing 5-a-side football four times a week.
By 2011 Karl was managing the Holiday Inn in London's Mayfair and on 12.5.12 he returned to Hartsdown Park to take part in Bill Edwards' testimonial.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1995/96 (MFC) |
46 (51) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (11TH OF 22) |
2QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1996/97 (MFC) |
36 (48) |
0 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (5TH OF 22) |
PR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1997/98 (MFC) |
27 (67) |
10 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (6TH OF 22) |
1R |
2R |
W |
W |
|
| Played (as sub) in Southern League Cup Final 2nd Leg (21.04.98 - lost 1-0 at Redditch United). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
SLCH | |
|
1998/99 (MFC) |
5 (50) |
2 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (2ND OF 22) |
PR |
2R |
1R |
SF |
RU |
|
Margate promoted to Southern League Premier
Division. | |||||||||