*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.
Liam Harwood
Appearances: 16 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 30th March 1988
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 2008/09
Season of last appearance: 2009/10
Also played for: Chipstead, Carshalton Athletic, Bristol Rovers (0), Tonbridge Angels, Bromley, Dulwich Hamlet, Thurrock and Merstham
Croydon-born defender who played for Surrey as a youth and started his senior career with Chipstead of the Combined Counties League. Liam played for their youth and reserve sides during the 2004/05 season and then made his first team debut during 2005/06.
In the summer of 2006 he joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Carshalton and scored twice from 43 outings in all competitions during the 2006/07 campaign. Liam won the 'Supporters' Player of the Year' award and went on to make another 49 appearances during 2007/08, scoring two more goals. Towards the end of the season he played in a reserve team game for Bristol Rovers.
In July 2008 Liam seemed set to join Conference South club Bromley but the move fell through after Carshalton asked for £10,000 compensation and at the end of August 2008 Bristol Rovers signed him.
Liam couldn't break into the League One outfit's first team and in December 2008 he joined Margate on loan.
He made his debut at centre-back in a 3-0 win over Harlow in the Isthmian League Premier Division at Hartsdown Park on 20.12.08 and after starting the next two games as well Liam was sent off in the third minute of injury time as Margate lost 2-0 at Sutton on 13.1.09. He picked up a second yellow card for a seemingly innocuous challenge and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said his dismissal was "debatable".
Liam played twice more before serving a one-match ban and in its report on a 3-0 defeat at AFC Hornchurch on 17.1.09 the Thanet Times said he "was head and shoulders the best player on the park". The paper then praised Liam's display in a 2-0 home win over Ashford (Middlesex) on 24.1.09 and wrote "tackles, headers, organization - it was all there again in a terrific performance" whilst adding he was "superb at the back". Manager Terry Yorath told the Your Thanet paper "Liam has done great for us, he has probably been the most outstanding player for us all season. He is consistent, and he's unusual in that he wants to defend and likes to stick his foot in. Most defenders just want to play but he is a decent defender."
Liam was a fixture in the number four shirt again following his suspension and after returning in a 2-0 win over Tooting & Mitcham at Hartsdown Park on 7.2.09 he started the next six games up to and including a 1-0 home defeat against Horsham on 14.3.09. The day before that match the Isle of Thanet Gazette had reported that Margate were hopeful of completing a permanent deal for Liam and Terry Yorath told the paper "There's a couple of matters between Bristol Rovers and us and Liam and us. I just hope it all goes through."
On 23.3.09 the Gazette reported that the proposed transfer had fallen through and Terry Yorath said he expected Liam to sign for another Isthmian Premier League club. He told the paper "As far as I know, Liam won't be joining us. The chairman really pushed the boat out and made him a great offer but it seems it wasn't enough. I'm 95 per cent certain we've lost him."
As predicted by Terry Yorath, Liam rejoined his old club Carshalton on loan from Bristol Rovers for the remainder of the 2008/09 season after 13 outings for Margate and in the summer of 2009 his move was made permanent. Liam had never played for Bristol Rovers' first team. Carshalton released him by mutual consent in September 2009 and by then Liam had made a career total of 111 appearances for the Robins.
At the start of October 2009 he rejoined Margate and caretaker manager Neville Southall told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Liam approached me about coming back. I've got an arrangement with him where I've got to try to push him on as much as I can. He can definitely get back in the league - I've seen worse players than him in the league."
Liam made his first appearance of his second spell with Margate in a 2-1 win over Kingstonian at Hartsdown Park in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 3.10.09 and the Thanet Times said he "slotted in effortlessly at the back". After missing a match at Canvey Island on 10.10.09 Liam returned to the number five shirt for a 3-1 defeat at Wealdstone in the FA Trophy on 17.10.09 and then played in Margate's next game - a 2-1 defeat at Hastings on 7.11.09. It turned out to be his final outing for the club and a few days later Liam signed for Tonbridge.
Margate's new manager Mark Butler spoke to the Isle of Thanet Gazette about Liam's departure and said "Liam wasn't one we wanted to leave. He was told how much we rated him and we put an offer on the table. Tonbridge put in a seven days and in the meantime we were speaking to him and he constantly said he was staying with us. Unfortunately they made him an offer he couldn't refuse. I was disappointed for about 30 minutes but when I thought about it, the club have been good to Liam and did all they could to keep him. Once you've done that, you should be proud of your efforts. He didn't want to stay and once he'd made up his mind he was no good to me. And if he ever came back, I couldn't be sure he wouldn't do the same again. It's a setback and one we didn't foresee but we'll deal with it."
Liam scored three minutes into his debut for Tonbridge as they won 3-2 at Kingstonian in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 14.11.09 and he went on to make a total of 29 league appearances (one as sub) for the Angels before the end of the 2009/10 season, scoring once more. At the start of the 2010/11 campaign Liam's outings for Tonbridge were limited by work commitments and he only made seven league appearances before moving on to Conference South club Bromley at the start of November 2010.
His spell at Bromley only lasted a couple of weeks and before the end of November 2010 Liam joined Dulwich of the Isthmian League Division 1 South.
He didn't play for Dulwich's first team and in January 2011 Liam was on the move again, this time linking up with Conference South outfit Thurrock.
In February 2011 he was resigned by Bromley and Liam spent the remainder of 2010/11 there.
In the summer of 2011 he scored for Eastbourne Borough in a friendly against Hayes & Yeading but Liam ended up staying with Bromley for the 2011/12 season and he was still on the club's books during 2012/13 too. He was released by Bromley at the end of that campaign.
In June 2013 Liam signed for Isthmian League Division 1 South outfit Merstham.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2008/09 (MFC) |
13 (46) |
0 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
||
|
2009/10 (MFC) |
3 (51) |
0 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
3R |
QF |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||