*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.
Roy Hales
Appearances: 45+8 Goals: 7
Date / Year of birth: 10th June 1970
Position: Striker
Season of first appearance: 1990/91
Season of last appearance: 1991/92
Also played for: Brighton & Hove Albion (0) and Welling United
Tall centre-forward born in Rainham, Kent who came from a footballing family. Roy's father Bill and uncle Dick both played for Gillingham in the 1940's whilst his cousin Derek Hales (Dick's son) was a well-known Football League striker in the 1970's. He scored 168 goals in 368 games for Charlton and also played for West Ham and Derby as well as several other clubs.
Roy started his senior career with Brighton, joining the club in 1986. He progressed through Brighton's youth ranks and scored five goals in 20 appearances for the Seagulls' youth team during the 1987/88 campaign. Roy also made three appearances (one as sub) in the reserves before a knee injury finished his season in February 1988. He recovered sufficiently to play for Brighton's reserves throughout 1988/89.
Roy left Brighton to join Conference club Welling for the 1989/90 season and went on to score 11 goals in 40 appearances (13 as sub) for the Wings during the campaign. The club won the London Senior Cup by beating Boreham Wood 2-0 at Wimbledon.
In the summer of 1990 Roy moved on to Margate for a substantial fee at the same time as his Welling team-mate Martin Buglione and Margate also signed Gareth Gore around the same time, a defender who Roy had played alongside in Brighton's youth team. Roy made his debut on 18.8.90, the opening day of the 1990/91 campaign, as Margate drew 2-2 at Witney. He was a regular in the side for the opening months of the season and scored his first goal in a 2-2 draw with Burnham at Hartsdown Park on 25.8.90. On 13.10.90 Roy came on as a substitute during a 1-0 defeat at Peacehaven & Telscombe and the Adscene reported that he "immediately started to pose problems for the home defence". On 3.11.90 Roy again made an impact after coming off the bench, scoring the only goal of the game against Salisbury at Hartsdown with virtually his first touch. It was his third goal of the season and turned out to be his last. A week later Roy picked up a knee injury in a 3-0 defeat at Trowbridge and he didn't play again until coming on as a sub in a 2-2 at Burnham on 2.2.91. He made one more sub appearance during February 1991 but didn't start a game again until 29.3.91. After that match at Newport IOW Roy featured regularly again for the remainder of the campaign and ended the season having scored three times in 30 appearances (eight as sub).
In the summer of 1991 Roy underwent a cartilage operation and missed the first eight games of the 1991/92 campaign as a result. He returned to the Margate side for an FA Trophy tie against Abingdon at Hartsdown on 21.9.91. Manager Tommy Taylor told the Thanet Extra that Roy "did ever so well in his first match back after injury". The game finished 1-1 and during the second half Roy's wayward shot knocked out a Margate supporter on the terrace at the Hartsdown Road end. Roy scored the only goal of the game with a fine header in the replay at Abingdon on 24.9.91 but on 19.10.91 he was controversially sent off in another FA Trophy tie at Whyteleafe. Midfielder Ian Young threw a punch at an opponent and in the confusion that followed Roy was mistakenly identified as being the culprit and received his marching orders. The decision caused uproar on and off the pitch and Roy was outraged. When he eventually left the field and got back to the changing rooms, which were in full view of spectators, Roy found the doors locked and launched a furious assault on them.
In 2006 he recalled "Ian Young smacked one of their players and everyone started going in and I was just pulling a couple of people away and after it all quietened down the ref told me to go. I was gobsmacked and so was one of their players who I had played with at Brighton so to then get to the dressing room and find it locked - I was fuming. I'd just got sent off for nothing and then couldn't get in the dressing room. It's bad enough getting sent off but getting sent off for something you didn't do is even worse. I had to apologise to their directors and pay for the door and they were alright then. At least we got a result that day and I got my ban overturned by the league and Youngy got the suspension."
Roy was a fixture in the side after the Whyteleafe debacle and in Margate's next game on 26.10.91 he scored with two headers in a 4-4 draw with Witney at Hartsdown. On 2.11.91 he was on target once more in a 3-1 win at Erith & Belvedere and on 11.1.92 Roy was sent off again in a 0-0 draw at Witney, this time for dissent to a linesman. On 14.1.92 he played as Margate went down 2-0 at home to Sudbury and it turned out to be Roy's last game for the club. After serving his suspension he decided to retire due to constant problems with his knee and left Hartsdown Park in March 1992. Roy was only 21 at the time and had scored four goals in 23 appearances during 1991/92.
He never played again after his time at Margate and Roy eventually had nine operations on his knee.
He later emigrated to the USA and then in 2003 he moved to South Africa where he spent a year coaching. In 2006 Roy was living in Colorado where he worked in a casino and coached 11 to 15 year-olds in his spare time. He was also working towards his full coaching badge and played a lot of golf.
At that time Roy recalled his spell at Hartsdown Park Roy said "I enjoyed my time at Margate but I was gutted that I had to give up so early and not let the supporters see the fully-fit me." He added "I was playing with a knee injury for nearly a year and couldn't give a real account of what I was all about."
On a brighter note Roy said "I enjoyed playing with Paul Underwood, I think we complimented each other quite well with him getting on the end of my flick-ons." Roy also recalled some unorthodox training "Tommy Taylor had us in on a Saturday and Sunday and took us down to the beach on a cold Sunday morning and made us swim in the freezing sea which certainly woke us up."
On the subject of Mike Flanagan joining Margate having famously been sent off for fighting with Roy's cousin Derek whilst they were team-mates at Charlton Roy said "I thought it was going to be a bit awkward when he signed after what happened with Derek and him but it was fine."
Roy concluded by saying "it's good to see the 'Gate marching forward, I always look for the football teams I played for on the computer. I have to call it soccer over here which does my head in !"
By 2012 Roy was back in the UK and initially worked in a Brighton casino before becoming a plasterer. At that time he was helping out with coaching youngsters at Charlton.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1990/91 (MFC) |
22 (54) |
8 |
3 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 21) |
3QR |
3QR |
2R |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
| |
|
1991/92 (MFC) |
23 (52) |
0 |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (14TH OF 22) |
1QR |
3QR |
1R |
1R |