*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.
Luke Wheatley
Appearances: 28+9 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 25th April 1991
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 2008/09
Season of last appearance: 2009/10
Also played for: Ramsgate
Locally born defender whose father Steve played as a goalkeeper for Gillingham and later for Ramsgate. Luke attended Hartsdown Technology College and progressed through Margate's youth ranks. Having started out in the Under-12's during the 2002/03 season he graduated to the reserves for the start of 2007/08 whilst also playing for his school side, sometimes as a goalkeeper.
On 28.10.08 Luke made his first team debut at centre-back in a 2-0 defeat against Maidstone in the Isthmian League Premier Division at Hartsdown Park and he was only 17 at the time. He also started Margate's next five games and on 11.11.08 Luke scored in a 2-1 win at Boreham Wood, heading home a Wayne Wilson free-kick to level the scores at 1-1. His run in the side ended after a 2-1 win at Hendon on 22.11.08 and Luke then returned to the reserves for the next two months.
He made his comeback in the senior side on 31.1.09 when he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Tonbridge and Luke started Margate's next match - a game against Tooting & Mitcham at Hartsdown Park on 7.2.09. The Thanet Times said he was "impressive" in a 2-0 win and Luke was a regular again after that.
On 14.2.09 he scored his second goal, again with a header from a Wayne Wilson free-kick, in a 1-1 draw at Hastings and Luke was also on target in a 3-2 defeat at Harrow on 4.4.09. A few days later he was given a contract for the 2009/10 season and manager Terry Yorath told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "I could have given Luke a contract before now but he's a young lad and you don't know how they're going to react after getting in the team. He's done well and is the kind of player I want to keep at the club." Luke finished the season having scored three times in 19 outings (two as sub) as Margate ended up in the relegation zone of the Isthmian League Premier Division.
He only featured in one friendly ahead of the 2009/10 campaign and on the eve of the season Terry Yorath told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He's a young boy and he'll have to grow up if he wants to be a big-league player."
On 28.7.09 Luke made his first appearance of the new campaign as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Ramsgate in the first leg of a tie played for the Isle of Thanet Gazette Cup and he then started the second leg at Southwood on 1.8.09 which finished in a 1-1 draw. In the weeks that followed Luke played at centre-back in three of Margate's next six games but after he'd worn the number five shirt in a 1-0 defeat against visitors Cray in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 31.8.09 he fell out of favour. Luke made two more sub appearances and then joined Division 1 South club Ramsgate on loan in October 2009.
The Rams' manager Jimmy Ward told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He wants to play football, we've got him in for a month, so let's see what happens. He's one of the best local players around."
Luke returned to Hartsdown Park in November 2009 and on 10.11.09 he made his first start for over two months in a 1-0 win at VCD in the Isthmian League Cup. Luke then kept his place at centre-back for Margate's next two matches but after a 3-2 defeat against Cray at Bromley on 29.11.09 he only made two starts and three sub appearances in the next ten games.
On 9.2.10 Luke played as Margate drew 1-1 with Wealdstone at Hartsdown Park and it turned out to be his last outing for the club. He'd made a total of 18 appearances (seven as sub) without scoring during 2009/10 when he rejoined Ramsgate for an undisclosed fee early in March 2010.
By the end of the season Luke had made 12 appearances (two as sub) without scoring for the Rams during his two spells at Southwood. He was a regular in the Ramsgate side during 2010/11 and Luke made another 34 Division 1 South appearances but didn't open his goalscoring account for the club.
He stayed with the Rams for the 2011/12 campaign too and on 13.8.11 Luke played in goal for the last half hour of a Division 1 South match against Corinthian Casuals at Southwood after keeper Daren Hawkes went off injured. Ramsgate lost the game 1-0 and Luke went on to score twice from a total of 37 Division 1 South outings during 2011/12.
He started the 2012/13 season as a fixture in the Rams' defence but on 3.11.12 Luke broke his leg in a 4-1 home win over Crawley Down Gatwick and wasn't fit again until the closing weeks of the campaign. In all he made 14 appearances without scoring during the season.
Luke stayed with the Rams for 2013/14 too but on 14.9.13 disaster struck when he suffered another leg break in a match at Tooting & Mitcham. He told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "I can't believe I didn't even make it to November this time. It is gutting, to be honest. I went to make the tackle, my leg got caught in the turf and their attacker came a split-second later and bang, game over. It was only my ninth or tenth game back after my last break and I had forced my way back into the team." Luke also spoke about his future and said "It's a bit early to say but I really have to think about my future and my career in football. If the recovery goes well then we'll see but I have to think of my future in general life and could that mean giving up the game ? I don't know, it might."
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2008/09 (MFC) |
17 (46) |
2 |
3 |
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) |
11 (51) |
7 |
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. | |||||||||