*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.
Samuel Okikiolu
Appearances: 14+2 Goals: 0
Date / Year of birth: 15th January 1982
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 2005/06
Season of last appearance: 2005/06
Also played for: Wimbledon (0), Tottenham Hotspur (0), Clyde (Scotland) (5+2,0), Leyton Orient, Oxford United, AFC Bournemouth (0), Northampton Town (0), Aylesbury Town, Southend United, DPMM (Brunei), Wingate & Finchley, Staines Town, Bristol Rovers (0), Broxbourne Borough V&E, Harrow Borough, Folkestone Invicta, East Thurrock United and Enfield Town
Burly London-born defender whose first name was Samuel but who was always known as 'Kola' during his football career. He went to Raine's Foundation School in London where future Margate player Pat Gradley was a fellow pupil.
Kola started his senior career at Wimbledon and during the 1999/00 season he became a regular in the reserves. In August 2001 the Wombles loaned Kola to Scottish 1st Division club Clyde and he made his debut for them in a 1-0 home win over Partick in the Scottish League Cup on 21.8.01. Kola went on to make a total of seven senior appearances for Clyde (two as sub) before going back to Wimbledon in October 2001.
At the start of 2001 he had a trial at West Ham and in February 2001 Kola played in a reserve team match for Tottenham but he ended up staying at Wimbledon.
In December 2001 Kola had a trial with Leyton Orient where he played in the reserves along with future Margate goalkeeper Billy McMahon and in March 2002 Kola spent some time with Oxford United as he sought to find a new club to join when his Wimbledon contract expired at the end of the 2001/02 campaign.
Having been released by Wimbledon Kola went back to Oxford for another trial spell in the summer of 2002 but he wasn't offered a contract and a few weeks into the 2002/03 season he joined Aylesbury.
Kola made one Isthmian League Premier Division appearance for the Ducks - in a 3-2 defeat at Sutton on 21.9.02 - and then had spells with AFC Bournemouth and Northampton, playing in the reserves during extended trials with both clubs.
In January 2003 Kola played once for Southend's reserves as they lost 4-1 at home to Swindon Reserves and he then had a spell playing for DPMM in Brunei.
In the summer of 2003 he had a trial at Lewes but Kola ended up joining Wingate & Finchley in September 2003. He went on to make 29 appearances (eight as sub) in the Isthmian League Division 1 North during the 2003/04 season before signing for Staines ahead of the 2004/05 campaign.
In November 2004 Kola had a trial at Bristol Rovers where he played in the reserves and he featured 17 times for Staines (twice as sub) before the Isthmian League Premier Division outfit released him towards the end of the season. Kola had been plagued by injuries during his time at the club.
He finished the 2004/05 campaign with Broxbourne Borough of the Spartan League.
In August 2005 Kola signed for Margate and manager Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "He's a good talker and a decent defender." Kola made his debut in a 2-0 defeat at Ramsgate in a match played for the Kent Messenger Cup on 13.8.05 and the Thanet Times then said he "made Gate's defence rock solid" in a 1-0 win over Maldon in the Isthmian League Premier Division at Hartsdown Park on 20.8.05. In its report on a 0-0 home draw with Redbridge on 29.8.05 the paper said "Gate don't look like conceding with him in the side" but after starting each of Margate's first six games Kola picked up a thigh injury in the second half of a 1-1 draw at Worthing on 3.9.05 and had to go off.
After missing three matches he returned to the side for a game at Bromley on 20.9.05 but Kola had to go off after only 13 minutes as his thigh problem flared up again. He then missed another three matches before wearing the number five shirt as Margate entertained Cray in an FA Cup on 8.10.05. Kola had to be substituted at half-time, once again due to his thigh injury, and in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "We've taken a couple of chances on Kola because when you've got a new player you don't know how they will react to injuries. But we won't play him again till he's 100 per cent fit."
After almost a month on the sidelines Kola made his latest comeback as a substitute in a 1-0 home defeat against Chelmsford on 5.11.05 and he then started as Margate lost 3-2 to Bromley in an Isthmian League Cup tie at Hartsdown Park on 8.11.05. Kola kept his place in the heart of the defence for the next five matches too and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "looked unbeatable" in a 1-1 draw with visitors Bromley on 22.11.05. However after featuring in a 3-1 defeat at East Thurrock on 3.12.05 Kola was struck down by injury once more and he didn't play again for over four months.
He finally returned to action on 17.4.06 when he came on as a substitute in the last minute of normal time of a match at Folkestone. Kola replaced injured goalkeeper Charlie Mitten with Margate winning 1-0 and donned the gloves for what turned out to be 11 minutes of injury time. Folkestone equalised during Kola's stint in goal and it turned out to be his final outing for Margate. He missed the last two games of the season to finish the campaign having made 16 appearances (two as sub) without scoring and Kola was then released.
He joined Harrow for the start of the 2006/07 season but Kola only played once for them in the Isthmian League Premier Division before returning to Kent to link up with Folkestone Invicta, also of the Premier Division, in September 2006.
Kola teamed up with his former Margate colleague Ellis Remy at Folkestone and made 11 appearances before being released along with Remy early in November 2006 as Invicta sought to cut costs.
Kola then joined East Thurrock, as did Remy, and he made his debut for the Rocks in a 4-1 home win over Staines in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 18.11.06. Kola played twice more before both he and Remy returned to Folkestone in December 2006, barely a month after leaving the club.
By the end of the 2006/07 campaign Kola had played 26 times without scoring for Invicta and he then made 31 league appearances (two as sub) without scoring during 2007/08 before being released in May 2008. Folkestone's manager Neil Cugley said "He's been a great servant, has played for me for a couple of years and to be fair once he crossed that line he had a right go for you."
In the summer of 2008 Kola signed for Isthmian League Division 1 North outfit Enfield Town but he only made one sub appearances there before leaving the club and dropping out of senior football aged just 26.
In the mid-2000's Kola featured in Sky One's 'Dream Team' programme as one of fictional club Harchester United's squad.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
ILC |
KSC |
| |
|
2005/06 (MFC) |
14 (51) |
2 |
0 |
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (14TH OF 22) |
3QR |
2QR |
3R |
SF |