*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.
Mike Azzopardi
Appearances: 5+9 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 15th August 1981
Position: Midfielder / Utility
Season of first appearance: 2000/01
Season of last appearance: 2001/02
Also played for: Tooting & Mitcham United, Dulwich Hamlet, Folkestone Invicta, Tonbridge Angels, Molesey, Maidstone United, Croydon, Ashford Town, Banstead Athletic, Redhill, Holmesdale, East Grinstead Town, Chatham Town, Erith & Belvedere and Lingfield
Pacy, versatile player born in Bromley who started his career in Tooting & Mitcham's youth team before joining Dulwich for the 1999/00 campaign. Mike made 12 Isthmian League appearances for Dulwich during the season and two more at the start of 2000/01 before being released.
In December 2000 he joined Margate on trial and scored on his debut for the reserves. Mike was then an unused substitute for the first team on four occasions before finally making his senior debut in a 1-0 defeat at Baldock in a Southern League Cup tie on 23.1.01. He played in midfield and in February 2001 Margate signed Mike on a permanent deal. After a spell in the reserves he made his next first team appearance when he wore the number 11 shirt in a 2-1 defeat at Dover in the Kent Senior Cup on 13.2.01. Mike kept his place for Margate's next game - a 3-0 win at Ilkeston on 20.2.01 - and that turned out to be his only Southern League Premier Division start of the season. He made three more substitute appearances before the end of the campaign as Margate closed in on promotion to the Conference and the last of them came in a 2-0 defeat at Burton on 5.5.01 - the closing day of the season. In all Mike made six appearances (three as sub) and later in May he scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out as the reserves beat Folkestone to win the Kent League Division 1 Cup.
He scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at Wisbech in a friendly ahead of the 2001/02 campaign and Mike made his first appearance in the Conference as a substitute in a 2-1 home defeat against Leigh on 25.8.01. He made three further sporadic sub appearances over the next couple of months and the last of them came in a 2-1 defeat against Northwich at Hartsdown Park on 20.10.01.
In November 2001 Mike joined Folkestone on loan and made his debut as a substitute in a 1-0 home win over Moor Green on 10.11.01. He then marked his first start with a goal after just two minutes as Folkestone won 2-0 at King's Lynn on 17.11.01. After making a total of ten appearances (three as sub) without adding to his goal tally Mike picked up an injury and at the start of January 2002 he returned to Margate.
He played in some reserve team games before the end of the month but didn't feature in the senior side again until 19.3.02 when he played at right-back as Margate won 2-1 at Folkestone in a Kent Senior Cup tie. It had been almost five months since Mike's last first team outing and he didn't play in any of the next five senior matches. He marked time by scoring twice for the reserves in a 6-3 win over Folkestone's second string in March 2002 and on 8.4.02 Mike came on as Margate lost 2-0 at Telford. On 27.4.02 he made only his second first team start of the season when he lined up in the number nine shirt as Margate entertained Stalybridge in their last Conference game of the campaign. Mike was pressed into service as Leon Braithwaite's car broke down en route to the game but he was replaced by Braithwaite at half-time and Margate ran out 8-0 winners. On 6.5.02 Mike featured as a sub as Margate lost 5-0 at home to Gravesend & Northfleet in the Kent Senior Cup Final and it turned out to be his last appearance for the club. Having played eight times (six as sub) he was released at the end of the season.
In July 2002 Mike signed for Tonbridge and made 18 appearances (eight as sub) without scoring for the Angels before joining Folkestone in November 2002.
He scored once for Folkestone in 12 appearances (four as sub) but towards the end of 2002 Mike moved on to Molesey.
He made ten Isthmian League appearances (five as sub) for the Surrey club and scored once before returning to Kent in February 2003 to join Maidstone.
Mike spent the remainder of the 2002/03 campaign with the Stones but rarely played for the first team and he left the club at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2003 he featured in several of Bromley's pre-season matches but Mike linked up with Croydon for the start of the 2003/04 campaign proper.
He scored four goals in 17 appearances (three as sub) for Croydon and then moved on to Ashford in November 2003.
Mike spent the rest of the 2003/04 season with Ashford and stayed with the club until September 2004 when he joined Banstead.
Mike's time with Banstead was blighted by injuries and he made less than 20 appearances in over a year with the club before leaving to go to New Zealand towards end of 2005.
He played some football in New Zealand before returning to England and in December 2006 Mike signed for Redhill.
His next move took him to Croydon for the start of 2006/07 but during the 2007/08 campaign Mike went back to Redhill.
He left Redhill during the 2008/09 season and Mike later had a spell with Holmesdale before joining Sussex County League outfit East Grinstead at the start of March 2010.
He made nine appearances for East Grinstead before the end of the 2009/10 campaign but left the club in the summer of 2010.
Mike resurfaced in February 2011 when he linked up with Chatham but he only made two substitute appearances for the Medway club before being released.
In the summer of 2011 Mike featured in Erith & Belvedere's pre-season friendlies and played at right-back as they beat Margate 1-0 on 30.7.11. He was then signed by the Deres for the 2011/12 campaign but left the club towards the end of 2011.
In January 2012 Mike signed for Sussex County League club Lingfield where one of his team-mates was his former Margate colleague Gareth Graham. Mike made 15 appearances before the end of the 2011/12 season and stayed with the club for the start of the 2012/13 campaign too.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
2000/01 (MFC) |
3 (50) |
3 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (1ST OF 22) |
2QR |
4R |
2R |
2R |
|
Margate promoted to
Conference. | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
|
KSC |
SLCH | |
|
2001/02 (MFC) |
2 (53) |
6 |
0 |
CONFERENCE (8TH OF 22) |
4QR |
QF |
RU |
W | |
Played (as sub) in Kent
Senior Cup Final (06.05.02 - lost 5-0 at home to Gravesend &
Northfleet). | |||||||||