Date / Year of birth: 18th January 1958

Position: Centre-back

Season of first appearance: 1990/91

Season of last appearance: 1995/96

Also played for: Coventry City (0), Canterbury City, Gillingham (483+58,56) and Hythe Town

5' 11" tall commanding Ramsgate-born player who signed schoolboy forms for Coventry in December 1972 having scored over 50 goals as a striker for Birchington Athletic in the East Kent Junior League by that stage of 1972/73. Mark's tally included 15 in a 40-0 win.

He was also on Canterbury's books and on 17.4.73 Mark made his first team debut for City just three months after his 15th birthday as they lost 4-1 at home to Margate in a Kent Floodlight Cup tie. Mark stayed with Canterbury for 1973/74 and made his Southern League debut during the season. An article in The Isle of Thanet Gazette mentioned him and said that he showed "exceptional promise". Mark played six times (twice as sub) in the Southern League for City and scored once in a 3-1 win over Andover at Kingsmead on 5.5.74. It was one of his last games for the club as in July 1974 Gillingham signed Mark as an apprentice.

He progressed rapidly with the Gills and on 24.8.74 Mark made his first team debut aged 16 when he came on as a substitute in a match against Bournemouth. He was the youngest ever Gillingham player at the time although his record was later broken by Billy Hughes. Mark was still a striker at that point and scored 21 goals for the Gills' youth team during 1974/75.

In December 1975 Mark became a full-time professional and spent the next few seasons on the fringes of the Gills' first team. He only became an automatic choice from 1978/79 onwards when he switched to playing as a centre-back. Having settled in defence Mark established himself as a legendary player at Priestfield. He won Gillingham's 'Player of the Year' award for both 1978/79 and 1982/83 and went on to make a total of 541 appearances, scoring 56 goals, before being released at the end of the 1988/89 season having been with the club for 15 years.

In the summer of 1989 Margate tried to sign Mark but he opted to join big-spending Hythe as captain instead. Margate chairman Gordon Wallis told the local press "we simply could not match the money they offered him." During the 1990/91 season Mark helped Hythe to reach the Quarter Finals of the FA Vase but 48 hours before their tie against Trowbridge in March 1991 he signed for Margate in what the Gazette called "a shock switch".

He made his first appearance at centre-back in a 0-0 draw at Dunstable on 23.3.91 and the Thanet Times said that Mark had "an encouraging debut". Margate didn't concede a goal in the first four games he played in and the Gazette said that Mark was "outstanding" in the last of them - a 1-0 win at Hastings Town on 1.4.91. He was a fixture in the Margate side through to the end of 1990/91 and scored his first goal for the club in a 3-2 win over Sudbury at Hartsdown Park on 27.4.91. He was also on target in a 2-1 win at Fareham on 4.5.91. By the end of the campaign Mark had made 12 appearances, scoring twice.

In June 1991 he took over the management of the clubhouse at Hartsdown Park with his wife Pam and Mark went on to enjoy an excellent season. He was Margate's only ever-present player during 1991/92 and all but one of his appearances were as a centre-back, the exception being an early season run-out at left-back. The Thanet Times said that Mark was "immaculate" in a 1-1 home draw with Abingdon in an FA Trophy tie on 21.9.91 and often referred to him as being "resolute".

When Margate manager Tommy Taylor resigned in October 1991 Mark took over as caretaker and his first game in charge was an FA Trophy tie at Whyteleafe on 19.10.91. Margate won 2-1 and Mark's spell at the helm lasted for another six games. One of them was a 1-1 draw with Hastings at Hartsdown on 29.10.91 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette reported that he was "outstanding" in the match. After a 2-0 win at Buckingham on 16.11.91 Lee Smelt became Margate's new permanent manager but Mark was rewarded for his efforts when he won the Southern League's 'Manager of the Month' award for November 1991.

He became Smelt's assistant having known him from their time together at Hythe and carried on his good form on the field. On 1.1.92 Mark scored his first goal of the season to secure a 1-0 win at his old club Hythe. The Gazette said it was "as fine a strike as he has ever made" as Mark brought down a cross with his left foot and then crashed the ball into the net with his right from just inside the penalty area. The Thanet Times reported that Mark "gave nothing away in the middle" during a 1-0 win at Newport IOW on 28.3.92 and by the end of what the Gazette said was an "outstandingly consistent season" Mark had made 52 appearances, scoring once. He was a worthy winner of the 'Supporters Player of the Year' award.

In the summer of 1992 Mark was promoted to joint manager alongside Lee Smelt and scored on the opening day of the 1992/93 campaign - a 4-1 win over Wealdstone at Watford on 22.8.92. Mark was on target again in Margate's next match - a 2-0 home win over Erith & Belvedere on 25.8.92 - but after playing in the first six games of the season up to 12.9.92 he spent two months on the sidelines, troubled by sciatica and a knee injury. At the start of his lay-off Mark became Margate's manager in his own right after Smelt's departure and he returned to action on 17.11.92 when he came on as a substitute in a 4-1 win at Ashford. Mark didn't miss a match after that, starting the next 30 games at centre-back. The Thanet Times said he "gave a good account of himself" in a 3-0 win at Baldock on 21.11.92 and "put in many a timely tackle" during a 2-0 home win over Havant on 12.12.92. In February 1993 Mark brought in former Margate and Thanet United player Andy Woolford as joint manager and when Margate faced Gravesend & Northfleet at Hartsdown on 13.3.93 Mark had the tough task of shackling the Fleet's 50 goal striker Steve Portway. The Thanet Times said that Mark "drew on all his considerable expertise" to nullify Portway as Margate won 2-0. He finished the season having scored twice in 37 appearances (one as sub) to take his overall tally for the club past 100 games.

Mark was a regular in the side during the first half of the 1993/94 campaign and on 7.9.93 he scored his first goal of the season in a 3-2 win at Erith & Belvedere. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said his late winner was a "sweetly placed chip into the top corner" and the paper's report was headlined "Erith Edged Aside By Majestic Mark". The paper said Mark's "years of experience in the professional game proved to be the difference". The Thanet Times described him as "outstanding" in a 3-0 win at Bromley in the FA Cup on 25.9.93 but on 9.10.93 Mark had cash and valuables worth around £500 stolen from the dressing rooms as Margate crashed 5-2 at Metropolitan Police in the next round of the FA Cup. The Gazette said he "cleverly generalled" the defence in a 2-1 home win over Sudbury on 26.10.93 but after a 3-2 defeat at Poole on 27.11.93 Mark had a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury. After missing eight games he made a brief comeback as a substitute in a 2-1 win over Buckingham at Hartsdown on 15.1.94 but then missed another eight matches and when he finally returned to the starting line-up for a 1-0 home win over Charlton in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final on 17.3.94 it was his first full appearance for almost four months. Mark then played in all but two of the remaining 13 games of the season and scored in a 6-0 win over Braintree at Hartsdown on 24.4.94.

On 2.5.94 he enjoyed his greatest day as Margate's player-manager when a 2-1 win over Dover at his old club Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium brought the Kent Senior Cup back to Hartsdown Park for the first time since 1974. The Gazette reported that Mark "clearly revelled in the occasion and precious little went past him". He finished the campaign having scored twice in 34 appearances (one as sub) but stepped down as joint manager, as did co-manager Andy Woolford. Mark decided he wanted to concentrate on coaching Margate's youth players and running the clubhouse and chairman Gordon Wallis said "we are fortunate to have the services of such a loyal and efficient professional. He is a Margate man through and through".

Mark started the 1994/95 season in good form at centre-back and played in 15 of Margate's first 20 games. On 7.9.94 he scored his first goal in a 4-1 win at Tonbridge and Mark was on target again in a 2-0 home win over Merstham in the FA Cup on 10.9.94. The Thanet Times said he was "in fine fettle" during a 2-1 win over Weston-Super-Mare at Hartsdown on 1.10.94 and described Mark as being "razor-sharp" in a 1-0 defeat against visitors Kingstonian in the FA Cup on 8.10.94. Towards the end of 1994 he was tried out as a makeshift striker and after a 2-0 home win over Poole on 17.12.94 the Times said "the move did have a certain merit as a temporary stop-gap". The report continued "his aerial dominance and ability to shield a ball stood him in good stead but his lack of pace would prove a handicap in the long term". The paper concluded by saying "few more lion-hearted and willing players have worn the Margate colours in recent years". Mark continued plugging away up front for the next few weeks and on 18.2.95 he scored in a 2-0 win at Fareham. In March 1995 he became Margate's first-ever 'Football In The Community Officer', a role that the Gazette said he was "admirably suited" to. After playing in a 3-1 defeat at Tonbridge on 15.4.95 Mark became joint caretaker manager alongside midfielder Karl Elsey following Bill Roffey's resignation and he missed five matches before returning to the side for a 2-0 win at Weston-Super-Mare on 2.5.95. Mark finished the season having scored three times in 41 appearances (one as sub).

Karl Elsey became Margate's new player-manager for the 1995/96 campaign and Mark assisted him whilst also managing the Under-16's, running the clubhouse and continuing as 'Football In The Community Officer'. On 5.9.95 Mark made his first appearance of the season when he came on as a sub in a 1-0 home defeat against Ashford and on 9.9.95 he played as a striker in an FA Cup tie at Corinthian Casuals. Mark scored in a 5-2 win and the Thanet Times said he'd "lost none of his touch" at the age of 37. He then started each of Margate's next five games but after playing at right-back in a 3-1 home win over Forest Green on 30.9.95 Mark dropped out of the side. Apart from a substitute appearance in a 1-1 draw at Bashley on 14.10.95 he didn't feature at all until 9.12.95 when he played at centre-back in a 3-1 win over Fleet at Hartsdown. Mark wore the number five shirt in each of Margate's next four matches and on 16.12.95 he scored in a 4-1 win at Clevedon. After another spell on the sidelines Mark returned for a game at Fleet on 10.2.96 and scored in a 4-0 win when playing as a striker . He also played up front in a 1-0 win over Weston-Super-Mare at Hartsdown on 17.2.96 and in March 1996 Mark became Margate's manager once more, taking over as caretaker following Karl Elsey's dismissal. On 27.4.96 he appeared for the first time in ten games as Margate beat Havant 3-2 at home and the Thanet Times said Mark was "a pillar of reliability" at centre-back. On 30.4.96 he played in a 1-0 defeat at Newport IOW to take his total appearances for the season to 17 (two as sub) and it turned out to be Mark's last first team game.

In the summer of 1996 Chris Kinnear became Margate's new manager and although Mark stayed with the club he played exclusively for the reserves during the 1996/97 season, he also managed Margate's Under-16's. In the summer of 1999 he became Margate's 'Youth Section Co-ordinator' but at the end of the 1999/00 campaign Mark left the club.

In the summer of 2001 he was appointed as Ramsgate's manager but Mark stood down in June 2002 and became the Rams' club coach.

During the 2004/05 season he was still playing local amateur football and in June 2006 Mark returned to Hartsdown Park to become manager of Margate's newly reformed reserve team. His son Andrew played for the reserves during the 2006/07 campaign.

In the summer of 2008 Mark became Margate's 'Football Community Officer' and combined the role with managing the reserve team.

He left Hartsdown Park in May 2009 and returned to Ramsgate, becoming their Head of Youth Coaching. At the end of September 2009 Mark also became the Rams' first team coach.

By the 2010/11 season Mark was concentrating purely on Ramsgate's youth set-up.

In February 2014 he became assistant to Ramsgate's caretaker player-manager Dean Hill following the departure of Tim Dixon.

His full name was Colin Mark Weatherly but he was always known as Mark.