Date / Year of birth: 4th March 1965

Position: Goalkeeper

Season of first appearance: 1996/97

Season of last appearance: 2001/02

Also played for: Leyton Orient (0), Greenways, Corinthian, Sittingbourne, Bury Town, Welling United, Gravesend & Northfleet and Southend United (0)

Agile, chirpy keeper born in Northfleet, Kent who started his career in Leyton Orient's youth ranks before dropping into non-league football.

Lee played for Greenways in the Kent County League until Corinthian signed him in the summer of 1988. He spent the whole of 1988/89 with the Fawkham-based outfit and started the 1989/90 season with Corinthian too. In September 1989 Lee scored from a goal kick during an FA Cup tie at Collier Row and a few months later he joined Sittingbourne.

Lee mainly played for the Brickies' reserves and he was in their squad for a game against Margate Reserves at Hartsdown Park in March 1990. Later in the month Lee was sent off for swearing in a match against Whitstable Reserves.

Shortly before the end of the 1989/90 campaign Lee rejoined Corinthian and he stayed with the club until the end of the 1990/91 season.

In the summer of 1991 Lee signed for Bury Town and made over 40 appearances there during 1991/92. He stayed with the Suffolk club for the start of 1992/93 too and was in goal as Margate won 5-0 at Bury on 5.9.92. Lee's future team-mate Martin Buglione scored a hat-trick for Margate.

In October 1992 Lee left Bury and played one game in the Conference for Welling (at Kidderminster on 3.10.92) before signing for Gravesend & Northfleet a few days later.

He went on to spend over four years with the Fleet and won the club's 'Player of the Year' award for the 1994/95 season. On 2.12.95 Lee played in Gravesend's famous 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the FA Cup 3rd Round and he'd made well over 200 appearances for the club when he joined Margate for a small fee in January 1997.

Lee made his debut in 2-0 defeat at Weymouth on 11.1.97 and was ever-present after that. He kept 11 clean sheets in a total of 21 appearances.

Shortly before the start of the 1997/98 campaign Lee suffered a hairline fracture of the foot in a friendly at Tunbridge Wells but he recovered in time for the opening Southern League fixture of the new season. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "displayed a safe pair of hands whenever he was tested" during a 3-0 win at Baldock on 20.8.97 and that was the first of an all-time club record of 26 clean sheets for Lee during 1997/98. He was a fixture in the side throughout the campaign and the Thanet Times said he made a "fantastic point blank save" in a 3-0 win over Staines in an FA Cup tie played at Chertsey on 24.10.97. Lee somehow blocked a well-hit shot that looked certain to find the net.

On 16.11.97 he played as Margate lost 2-1 to Fulham in an FA Cup 1st Round tie at Hartsdown Park that was shown live on Sky Sports. The Thanet Times said Lee "covered himself with mud and glory as he handled impeccably" and the Daily Mail chose him in their 'Team of the Week' saying he "kept his side level with Fulham until late on with some marvelous diving saves". Other members of the Mail's select X1 included Sol Campbell, Paul Merson and Fulham's Paul Peschisolido.

Lee continued to turn in consistently excellent performances as the season progressed and on 10.3.98 he became the first, and as of 2011 only, goalkeeper ever to score from open play in a senior match at Hartsdown Park. The historic moment came after 52 minutes of a 2-1 defeat against Bashley in the second leg of the Southern League Cup semi-final. Lee's wind-assisted kick down the Hartsdown Park slope headed towards goal "like a missile" according to the Isle of Thanet Gazette and as it hit the net the paper said he "stood with his arms aloft" at the other end of the ground.

On 7.4.98 Lee was in the side that beat Redditch 2-0 in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Hartsdown Park and the Thanet Times then said he "had probably his best game of the season" in a 2-1 win at Fisher on 11.4.98. Lee's impressive display included an 18th minute penalty save. On 21.4.98 he played in the 2nd Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Redditch which the home side won 1-0 and the result meant that Margate claimed the trophy with a 2-1 aggregate victory. Lee also featured as Margate beat Gravesend & Northfleet 1-0 at Stonebridge Road on 4.5.98 to win the Kent Senior Cup. He only missed two of Margate's 67 matches and won the Players' 'Player of the Year' award to cap an outstanding campaign.

Lee was almost ever-present during the 1998/99 season and only missed one match - a 2-1 home win over St.Leonards on 27.3.99. The local press often referred to him as having little or nothing do in games due to the quality of the defence in front of him but the Isle of Thanet Gazette did praise his performance in a 1-0 win at Newport IOW on 30.3.99. The paper said Lee "achieved several superlative saves". Lee kept 20 clean sheets in his 49 appearances and in April 1999 Margate manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Lee has been marvelous all season and there have been games where he has saved us from going down". His quality displays helped Margate to win promotion to the Premier Division of the Southern League.

Lee was in good form at the start of the 1999/00 campaign and the Thanet Times said he "kept Margate in the game when he clawed a goal-bound effort off the goal-line" in a 2-1 home win over Clevedon on 11.9.99. On 2.11.99 he turned in a fine display as Margate beat Tonbridge 3-2 at Hartsdown Park and made one particularly athletic stop to deny his future team-mate Mark Greatorex a goal. The Thanet Times said Lee made a "superb first half save from close range" in a 2-1 win at Grantham on 11.12.99 and on 27.12.99 he missed his only game of the season when a bout of 'flu stopped him playing in a 2-0 defeat at Salisbury.

Lee continued to enhance his reputation at the start of 2000 and the Thanet Times said he made a "string of fine saves" in a 1-0 win over King's Lynn at Hartsdown Park on 22.1.00. He made two brilliant stops in the last 15 minutes to help Margate beat visitors Burton 1-0 on 22.2.00 and then had an eventful afternoon at Merthyr on 11.3.00. Lee made what the Thanet Times said was a "terrific save" from a penalty but then "undid his good work by twice spilling to gift Merthyr goals" according to the paper. The report put that in context by saying Lee's "consistency this season has been outstanding to the point it's almost taken for granted". He made a total of 54 appearances and kept 23 clean sheets. In its review of the campaign the Thanet Times said Lee had been "almost faultless". The paper also felt he "showed occasional weakness under crosses" but was "a great shot-stopper".

Lee warmed up for the 2000/01 season by saving a penalty in a 4-2 friendly win over Kingstonian at Hartsdown Park on 29.7.00 and he started the new campaign well. On 2.9.00 he made two great saves in the last fifteen minutes of a 2-0 win at Stafford Rangers and Lee was ever-present up to the end of 2000.

As 2001 began he enjoyed an amazing run of clean sheets in Southern League Premier Division matches. From 6.1.01 through to 10.3.01 inclusive Lee went seven league games without conceding a goal as Margate battled it out with Burton at the top of the table. In the midst of the run the Thanet Times said he "had to be at his best" to stop a point-blank effort in a 2-0 win at Merthyr on 27.1.01 and the paper said Lee was "twice called upon in the final minutes to make great saves" in a 1-0 home win over Tamworth on 24.2.01. A week before the clean sheet sequence ended Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Times "it's an amazing record. Lee really makes a difference because he hardly misses a game and he's a fitness fanatic. He's got the clean sheets record at Gravesend & Northfleet and he's done well here". In the final match of the clean sheet run - a game at Dorchester on 10.3.01 - Lee was controversially sent off after sliding out to collect the ball. He was adjudged to have handled outside the penalty area but some reports said that he was actually two feet inside it. Despite Lee's dismissal Margate won the match 1-0. He was banned for one game - a 2-0 win over Bath at Hartsdown Park on 24.3.01 - and that was the only match Lee missed all season. He took his clean sheets total for the campaign to 24 as Margate clinched the league title and promotion to the Conference. Lee made 49 appearances to past 200 for the club.

In the summer of 2001 Margate signed a new goalkeeper in Charlie Mitten and after four seasons as a virtual ever-present Lee faced real competition for his place. Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "We want Lee Turner to stay because we want two quality goalkeepers to choose from. I've got no preconceptions about who will be first-choice and they've both got something to fight for." On 24.7.01 Lee saved a penalty as Margate lost 2-0 to Millwall in a friendly but when the 2001/02 campaign started he found himself on the subs bench.

The new season was 13 games old when Lee finally made an appearance on 29.9.01. He came on as a sub when Mitten injured his knee after 50 minutes of a 1-0 home defeat against Barnet in the Conference and then made his first start in a 1-0 win over Hayes at Hartsdown Park on 2.10.01. Two days later Lee picked up the non-league 'Goalkeeper of the Year' award at the TeamTalk awards in London and in its report on a 3-0 win at Chester on 6.10.01 the Thanet Times said he made "an excellent save from point-blank range" to deny Chester's Brett Baxter a goal. Lee's run in the side continued and on 3.11.01 he dived to his left to save a penalty in a 3-3 draw at Forest Green.

After starting eight consecutive games Lee sat out Margate's 3-1 win over visitors Bromley in the Kent Senior Cup on 13.11.01 but he returned for a 1-0 home defeat against Yeovil on 17.11.01 and then played for an FA X1 against a Southern League X1 at Crawley on 20.11.01 in what was effectively a trial for the England semi-professional team. Lee continued to keep Mitten out of the side for the remainder of 2001 and the Thanet Times said he made an "excellent block" to prevent a goal in a 2-1 defeat at Morecambe on 24.11.01. The paper then praised Lee's display in a 1-1 draw with Boston at Hartsdown Park on 1.12.01 and said his "performance was easily his best since taking the place of the injured Charlie Mitten". Lee made three more starts after that but having played in a 1-0 home defeat against Dover on 26.12.01 he lost his place to Mitten once more.

Lee didn't feature in any of Margate's next nine matches but on 5.3.02 he made a brief appearance as a substitute after Mitten was sent off in injury time of a 2-1 win at Braintree in the FA Trophy. He then replaced the suspended Mitten for a 4-3 win over Woking at Hartsdown Park on 9.3.02 and a 4-2 win at Hayes on 12.3.02 before dropping back to the bench as Margate entertained Morecambe in the quarter final of the FA Trophy on 16.3.02. Lee came on as a substitute at half-time with Mitten struggling with an injury and The Non-League Paper described him as "athletic" although he couldn't prevent Morecambe from winning 2-1.

Mitten's injury proved to be an ongoing problem so Lee found himself back in goal for the remainder of the season and after a 2-0 home win over Southport on 23.3.02 assistant manager Kevin Raine told the Thanet Times "Lee Turner's made two good saves...and that was good for him because he's got some stick lately." In its report on a 0-0 draw at Dover on 25.3.02 the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Lee "made a superb save to deny Keith Scott early in the second half" and the Thanet Times described him as a "veteran stopper" after a 1-1 draw at Northwich on 30.3.02. Lee had his last outing of the campaign as Margate were thrashed 5-0 by his old club Gravesend & Northfleet in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Hartsdown Park on 6.5.02 and it was his 31st appearance (three as sub). In its end of season round-up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he'd been a "decent stand-in" (for Charlie Mitten) and added "it looks as if he may have an increased role to play in coaching at Hartsdown in the future".

Lee stayed with Margate for the 2002/03 campaign and did indeed take up a coaching role although he was still registered as a player. He featured in some pre-season friendlies in the summer of 2002 but with Phil Smith and Charlie Mitten at the club when the season proper started Lee was effectively Margate's third choice keeper. He was often named as a substitute, sometimes as well as either Mitten or Smith, but he didn't make any first team appearances during the 2002/03 campaign.

After over six years with Margate Lee went back to Gravesend & Northfleet in June 2003 but he left the club early in August 2003 after playing in a few friendlies and joined Southend as their goalkeeping coach.

During the 2004/05 season Lee combined his role at Roots Hall with some games for Sunday League side Gravesend United and on 1.3.05 he played for Southend's reserves as they lost 1-0 to Thurrock in the semi-finals of the Essex Senior Cup. The match took place three days before Lee's 40th birthday and in April 2005 he had a trip to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff as Southend lost 2-0 to Wrexham in the Football League Trophy Final.

In 2006 Lee ran the London Marathon and he continued to work with Southend's keepers until January 2011 when he became goalkeeping coach at Crystal Palace. Lee had previously worked with Palace manager Dougie Freedman at Southend.

Early in December 2012 Lee became goalkeeping coach at Bolton, once again linking up with Dougie Freedman who'd taken charge of Wanderers in October 2012.