*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.
Paul Murray
Appearances: 13+10 Goals: 2
Date / Year of birth: 28th December 1969
Position: Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 1993/94
Season of last appearance: 1993/94
Also played for: Charlton Athletic (0), Dover Athletic, Deal Town, Dorking, Erith & Belvedere, Gravesend & Northfleet, Croydon, Sing Tao (Hong Kong), Whitstable Town, Dartford, Betteshanger Colliery Welfare and Canterbury City
Belfast-born midfielder whose family moved to England when he was two years old. Paul represented Kent as a cross-country runner whilst at school and was spotted playing football in the Dover area by Charlton scout Joe Fibbins. The Addicks signed Paul as an associated schoolboy on 12.1.84 when he was 14 years old.
He played for Charlton's Colts and reserves during 1985/86 and signed apprentice forms on 16.4.86 before progressing to trainee status on 12.8.86. At the end of the 1986/87 season Paul played in both legs of the FA Youth Cup Final against Coventry which the Midlands side won in the deciding match at Highfield Road on 13.5.87 in front of a 12,142 crowd. He continued playing for the reserves and Colts during 1987/88 and on 12.1.88 he was signed as a professional on a two-year contract. In January 1988 Paul was called up for the full Northern Ireland squad having previously played for his country at both youth and Under-21 level but he didn't win a cap and in October 1988 he was released by Charlton.
After leaving the Addicks Paul initially joined Dover before quickly moving on to Deal and in January 1989 he linked up with Dorking - his fourth club of the 1988/89 season.
In the summer of 1989 Paul signed for Erith & Belvedere but in September 1989 he returned to Deal and played for Kent before the end of the year.
Towards the end of the 1989/90 campaign Paul joined Gravesend & Northfleet where he made eight appearances without scoring before the end of the season.
His next move took him to Croydon for the start of 1990/91 but in October 1990 Paul went back to Deal again, his third spell with the club.
In the summer of 1991 he played in some of Margate's friendlies and also had a trial with Maidstone but Paul ended up starting the 1991/92 campaign back at Croydon.
A few weeks into the season he left England to play for Sing Tao in Hong Kong and Paul helped them to win the Challenge Shield for 1991/92. He was also selected for a Hong Kong squad that played in a Chinese New Year tournament. Paul also spent 1992/93 with Sing Tao but returned to England in the summer of 1993 and signed for Margate.
His debut was delayed as Margate had to wait for international clearance to play him but Paul finally made his first appearance when he came on as a substitute in a 2-0 home defeat against Worthing in the FA Trophy on 18.9.93. In the weeks that followed Paul made two further sub appearances before making his first start in midfield in a 1-1 draw at Havant on 16.10.93. He played in six of Margate's next seven games and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "influential" in a 1-0 win at Fisher on 30.10.93 whilst the Thanet Times said he "beavered diligently in midfield" in a 2-0 defeat against Baldock at Hartsdown Park on 6.11.93. Shortly after that match Paul fell out of favour and he only featured in seven of Margate's next 17 games. Four of those appearances were as a substitute. After playing in a 1-1 draw at Dunstable on 5.2.94 Paul was loaned to Deal and his fourth spell there lasted until March 1994 when Margate recalled him.
After returning to Hartsdown Park Paul wore the number eight shirt in a 4-1 home defeat against Salisbury on 26.3.94 and he then had a very short spell on loan at Whitstable where only made one appearance before being recalled once more. As the 1993/94 season drew to a close Paul featured more regularly and on 24.4.94 he scored his first goal for Margate in a 6-0 win over Braintree at Hartsdown. He scored again in the club's next game - a 2-0 win at Buckingham on 30.4.94 - but wasn't selected for the following match which was the Kent Senior Cup Final against Dover at Gillingham on 2.5.94. He returned to the side for the last two games of the campaign when he came on as a sub in both a 1-0 home defeat against Newport IOW on 4.5.94 and a 5-0 win over Poole on 7.5.94. Paul left Margate at the end of the season having scored twice in 23 appearances (ten as sub).
He rejoined Deal yet again for the start of the 1994/95 campaign and stayed there until midway through 1996/97 when he dropped out of senior football for a while.
In the summer of 1997 Paul started his sixth spell with Deal and by the end of the 1997/98 season he'd made over 200 appearances for the club and scored more than 30 goals. Paul joined Dartford for the start of 1998/99 and played in their first six games before resuming his Deal career and in the summer of 1999 he became player-manager of Kent County League club Betteshanger Colliery Welfare.
Despite his other commitments Paul still managed to make a few appearances for Deal's reserves during 1999/00 but from 2000/01 onwards he played exclusively for Betteshanger.
Paul eventually rejoined Deal in the summer of 2003 but left the club again after a home defeat against Thamesmead in December 2003 and dropped into local Sunday League football where he turned out for Deal Town Cosmos.
Paul still hadn't finished with Deal and he was back at the club during the 2004/05 campaign but only played occasionally for the first team. He played a few reserve team games during 2005/06 before leaving Deal at the end of the season.
In the summer of 2007 Paul was appointed as the newly reformed Canterbury City's player-coach but he left the Kent County League outfit a few weeks into the 2007/08 season and returned to Sunday League football.
In the summer of 2008 Paul rejoined Deal as club coach.
In June 2010 he was named as Canterbury's new manager and told www.kentishfootball.co.uk "Canterbury City has the potential to be one of the biggest clubs in Kent." His son Macauley played for City during the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons.
In March 2012 Paul stepped down as Canterbury's manager but stayed on at the club to assist with coaching youngsters.
He returned to Deal once again in December 2013 as assistant manager to Albie Barker and at that time Paul was also running an academy and disability side based at the Castle Community School in Deal.
In January 2014 Paul became Deal's manager after Albie Barker resigned but he left the club in May 2014 to become Ramsgate's coach, working alongside the new Rams player-manager Dean Hill.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1993/94 (MFC) |
13 (54) |
10 |
2 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (9TH OF 22) |
3QR |
1QR |
3R |
W |