*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.
Peter Gaze
Appearances: 4 Goals: 1
Date / Year of birth: 27th June 1951
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1968/69
Season of last appearance: 1969/70
Also played for: Maidenhead United and Edgware
Local centre-forward who grew up in Westgate and initially joined Margate as a 15 year-old in the summer of 1966 after impressing in trials held to find local talent. Almost immediately Peter went on tour to Southern Germany with Margate's first team and scored twice during the trip.
He then played for the reserves during the 1966/67 season, scoring regularly.
Peter wasn't with Margate during the 1967/68 campaign but he toured Germany again with the club as a guest player in the summer of 1968 and then played regularly for the reserves once more during the 1968/69 season. Peter also made his first team debut during the campaign. He wore the number nine shirt in a 3-3 draw at Canterbury in a Kent Floodlight Cup tie on 17.4.69 and was only 17 at the time.
He continued to play for the reserves during the 1969/70 season and made three further first team appearances. He was referred to as a "talented teenager" by the local press and scored in the 2nd Leg of the Kent Floodlight Cup Final at Gravesend & Northfleet on 5.5.70.
However early in the 1970/71 season Peter left the club to go to university in Reading. Whilst there he trained with Reading FC and played for Maidenhead United in the Isthmian League as well as the university team.
In 1973 Peter moved to London and joined Edgware. He played for them in the Athenian League for three years up to 1976 before dropping back into Sunday football.
Peter played his last football in England in 1980, turning out for Margate Athletic in the Thanet Premier Sunday League. He'd first played for the club when it was known as Margate 'A' in the mid-1960's and had close links to Margate FC. In total Peter played for Margate 'A' / Margate Athletic for 15 years.
Curiously Peter's name cropped up again at Hartsdown on 22.9.87 when 'he' was named in Thanet United's side for a Southern League Cup match at home to Hastings. His name appeared in the programme, match report, etc but 'he' was actually a player called Andrew Pearce who went on to make numerous appearances during the season. Why Pearce's name wasn't used is not known but possibly he was initially unregistered. All his future appearances were made under his real name but why Peter's name was used as his temporary alias is hard to fathom as he'd played for the first team almost 20 years before. Peter's name was used again during the 1988/89 season, this time the Thanet player using his name as an 'alias' was Russ McVitie.
In 2003 Peter was living in Florida in the USA but maintained a home in Margate, two doors away from Phil Gilbert. He was still playing competitively twice a week in an over-35 league with Americans, South Americans and some Europeans.
By 2010 Peter was 59 but still played weekly competitive football in a Florida over-35 league. He also fitted in some games in Belize and the Turks and Caicos Islands when his work took him to those exotic locations. At that time Peter said of Margate "I still follow the progress of the club and would love to see it resurrected with improved facilities etc" and with regard to his ongoing over-35's football career he said "I wonder how long the legs will last ?"
In June 2011 Peter celebrated his 60th birthday and was spending an increasing amount of time in Belize where he was playing football three times a week with players whose average age was around 30.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC |
SLCH |
|
1968/69 (MFC) |
1 (75) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (18TH OF 22) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
W |
W |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
KFC | |
|
1969/70 (MFC) |
3 (72) |
0 |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (13TH OF 22) |
1R |
3QR |
3R |
RU |
RU |
| Played in Kent
Senior Cup Final 2nd Leg (09.05.70 - lost 4-1 at
Dartford). Played and scored in Kent Floodlight Cup Final 2nd Leg (05.05.70 - drew 2-2 at Gravesend & Northfleet). | |||||||||