*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.
Sam Cliff
Appearances: 10+16 Goals: 3
Date / Year of birth: 21st March 1992
Position: Winger
Season of first appearance: 2008/09
Season of last appearance: 2009/10
Also played for: Dover Athletic and Ramsgate
Manchester-born wide player who moved to Kent as a youngster and played for Dover's Under-14's side during the 2005/06 season whilst attending The Charles Dickens School in Broadstairs. During the 2006/07 campaign Sam was part of the Charles Dickens team that reached the Kent Schools Under-15 Cup Final.
He later joined Margate and progressed through the club's youth ranks to the reserves by the start of the 2008/09 season. On 17.1.09 Sam made his first team debut as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat at AFC Hornchurch in the Isthmian League Premier Division and the Thanet Times said he "sent in two or three good crosses". Sam was only 16 at the time and he didn't feature in the senior side again during the remainder of the campaign.
He featured in most of Margate's friendlies in the summer of 2009, usually as a substitute, and on 21.7.09 Sam came off the bench to score what the Isle of Thanet Gazette said was a "cracker" into the top corner from 22 yards in a 5-0 win over visitors Canterbury. He also struck in a 3-0 home win over Ashford on 4.8.09 having come on as a sub. Shortly before the start of the 2009/10 season proper Margate's manager Terry Yorath told the Isle of Thanet Gazette that Sam was "a grafter and wants to get better and better."
He had his first competitive outing of the new campaign as a substitute in a 1-1 draw at Ramsgate on 1.8.09 - the second leg of a tie played for the Isle of Thanet Gazette Cup - and on 15.8.09 Sam made his full debut when he wore the number 11 shirt in a 4-0 defeat at Sutton in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The Thanet Times described his performance as being "about the only positive" for Margate and said Sam "kept running and running and showed off that decent left foot of his with some excellent crosses". He kept his place for a 4-0 defeat against Dartford at Hartsdown Park on 18.8.09 and Sam then featured as a substitute in three of Margate's next six games. On 12.9.09 he came on after 20 minutes of an FA Cup tie against Sutton at Hartsdown Park and scored his first goal as the match finished in a 2-2 draw.
Sam made his first start for over a month when he played in a 2-1 win over Hendon at Wembley FC on 22.9.09 and then wore the number 11 shirt in a 0-0 draw with visitors AFC Hornchurch on 26.9.09 before returning to the subs bench. He came on in four of Margate's next five games and in the last of those matches Sam scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at VCD in the Kent Senior Cup, heading home a Curtis Robinson cross. He played from the start in the following game at Waltham Abbey on 17.11.09 and Sam made it back-to-back goals with another header in a 4-3 win. In Margate's next 16 matches he made four starts and featured as a sub five times.
The Thanet Times said Sam "did well before tiring in the second half" of a 3-2 home defeat against Hendon on 6.2.10 but in its report on a 2-1 defeat against Canvey Island at Hartsdown Park on 20.2.10 the paper said he had "a tough time as a makeshift left wing-back". Sam was back on the bench as Margate hosted Tonbridge on 2.3.10 and he came on in a 3-0 defeat for what turned out to be his last appearance for almost a month. He didn't feature again until wearing the number nine shirt in a 2-0 defeat at Welling in the Kent Senior Cup on 30.3.10 and that was Sam's final outing for Margate. He sat out the last six matches of the season to finish the campaign having scored three times in 25 appearances (15 as sub).
In April 2010 Sam captained Kent's Under-18's side as they won the FA County Youth Cup Final by beating Sheffield and Hallamshire 1-0 at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium and it was the first time Kent had ever won the competition.
On 30.7.10 Margate announced that Sam had been released due to not attending pre-season training and on the same day he came on as a substitute for Ramsgate as they beat Billericay 2-1 in a friendly at Southwood. He went on to make seven Isthmian League Division 1 South appearances (six as sub) for the Rams and scored once during the early part of the 2010/11 campaign before leaving the club towards the end of 2010.
After a spell playing in the Thanet Sunday Football League Sam returned to Margate in the summer of 2012 and featured in a few reserve team games before going back to Ramsgate in November 2012.
He went on to play twice as a substitute for the Rams in Division 1 South during the remainder of the 2012/13 season.
Sam was back in the Thanet Sunday Football League during the 2013/14 campaign.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2008/09 (MFC) |
0 (46) |
1 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
2R |
1R |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
||
|
2009/10 (MFC) |
10 (51) |
15 |
3 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (19TH OF 22) |
1QR |
1QR |
3R |
QF |
|
Margate finished in
relegation position but were reprieved and remained in the Isthmian League
Premier Division. | |||||||||