*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.
Keith Pointer
Appearances: 43+3 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 16th February 1951
Position: Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 1978/79
Season of last appearance: 1978/79
Also played for: Gothic, Norwich City (0), West Ham United (0), Montreal Olympic (Canada), Cambridge United (8,2), Folkestone, Ashford Town and Cambridge City
5' 11" tall creative midfielder born in Old Catton, Norwich who played for Norwich & Norfolk Boys and Norfolk as a youth and started his senior career with Eastern Counties League outfit Gothic, a Norwich-based club.
During the 1967/68 season Keith was signed by Norwich but left the Canaries to join West Ham in May 1968. During 1967/68 he'd made one appearance for the Hammers' reserves during a trial spell with the club.
Keith played in the Hammers' youth and reserve teams for the next three seasons and then temporarily left the club to play in Canada towards the end of the 1970/71 campaign. He'd made a total of 52 appearances (two as sub) for West Ham's reserves by then, scoring three goals.
He joined Montreal Olympic of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and gained an 'honourable mention' when the NASL 'All-Star' team selections for the 1971 season were made.
Keith returned to West Ham for 1971/72 and scored once in a further 14 reserve team appearances before leaving the club early in 1972 to rejoin Montreal Olympic for a short spell. He'd made a career total of 28 appearances for them by the time he returned to England in March 1972.
Keith then linked up with 4th Division club Cambridge United and scored twice in eight first team appearances for the U's before dropping into non-league football to join Folkestone during the 1972/73 season.
Keith moved on to Ashford for the 1976/77 campaign and spent two seasons there, scoring five goals in 66 Southern League appearances.
In the summer of 1978 Keith joined Margate and made his debut in a 0-0 draw at Dartford on 19.8.78. He went on to become a fixture in the Margate side during the 1978/79 season, making 46 appearances (three as a substitute) and scoring three goals. They included one direct from a corner in a 2-0 win over Three Bridges on 16.9.78 and a solo effort in a 3-2 defeat against Weymouth on 30.10.78. Keith beat two players before firing home from the edge of the penalty area. He was described as being a "midfield dynamo" by the Thanet Times during the season and accurate passing was a feature of Keith's game. However he left the club at the end of the campaign and moved to the Cambridge area.
Keith joined Cambridge City in the summer of 1979 and went on to spend eight seasons there up to and including 1986/87. During the 1985/86 campaign the Isle of Thanet Gazette said of him "although some of the pace may have gone from his legs his reading of a situation and distribution are as astute as ever".
In a 1978/79 programme article Keith said that his favourite player was Trevor Brooking.
In November 2008 Keith played for a combined Cambridge City / United veterans team in a charity match at Royston Town and in 2011 he was living in the Newmarket area. He was working as a Mortgage and Protection adviser and had been in the financial services industry for well over 20 years by then.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1978/79 (MFC) |
43 (58) |
3 |
3 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
4QR |
3R |
1R |
2R |
|
| Margate moved to new Southern League Southern Division following reorganisation of Southern League. | |||||||||