Date / Year of birth: 8th September 1972

Position: Midfielder / Centre-back

Season of first appearance: 2001/02

Season of last appearance: 2003/04

Also played for: West Ham United (0), Peterborough United (0), Sittingbourne, Hastings Town, Dover Athletic and Welling United

Bromley-born player who started his career as a trainee at West Ham where he played as a striker. In May 1991 Simon had a trial with Peterborough and turned out for their reserves in a game against Bury before being released by West Ham at the end of the 1990/91 season.

He joined Sittingbourne in the summer of 1991 aged 18 and initially played for the Brickies' reserve side. Simon made his first team debut in December 1991 and scored both goals in a 2-0 home win over Canterbury. Unfortunately there was a problem with his registration and as a result Sittingbourne were docked the three points Simon's brace had earned them. He spent almost four years with the Brickies, scored 12 goals during 1993/94 and won their 'Player of the Year' award twice before moving on in August 1995.

Simon was initially set to join Dover after a tribunal had agreed a fee for him but when Dover's manager John Ryan was sacked the deal was scrapped. As a result Simon signed for Hastings instead and became the club's captain. He stayed with Hastings until January 1999 when he finally linked up with Dover.

Simon made over 100 appearances for Dover and won the club's 'Player's Player of the Year' award for the 2000/01 campaign before signing for Margate in May 2001 when his contract expired. Margate manager Chris Kinnear had originally tried to sign him a few months earlier.

Shortly after Simon's capture was announced Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "Simon is a talented, experienced Conference player and is just the type we need to strengthen the squad." He made his debut in midfield on 11.8.01 as Margate took on Worcester at Hartsdown Park in the Southern League Championship Match. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and went to penalties. Simon slotted home the winning kick and his wild celebrations including kissing the badge on his shirt quickly endeared him to Margate supporters. On 18.8.01 Simon was part of the Margate side that famously won 1-0 at Boston in the club's first ever Conference match and he wore the number eight shirt in the next 12 games too. He got his first goal for the club in a 2-2 draw against visitors Hereford on 1.9.01 and on 11.9.01 Simon struck to earn Margate a 1-0 at Woking.

He was made captain in the absence of Graham Porter as Margate entertained Hayes on 2.10.01 but it turned out to be a bad evening for Simon. He was sent off in the second half after picking up two yellow cards and also suffered a facial injury that required stitches after the game which Margate won 1-0. Having served a one match suspension Simon struggled to regain his midfield place and only featured as a substitute in the next two games he was available for. He returned to the side on 27.10.01 as Margate lost 2-0 at Grays in an FA Cup tie and then played regularly again after that. On 10.11.01 Simon headed a dramatic equaliser seven minutes into stoppage time to earn Margate a 1-1 draw with Nuneaton at Hartsdown Park and in December he scored in consecutive matches. After being on target in a 2-2 draw at Leigh on 8.12.01 Simon cracked home a stunning 35-yard effort in a 4-1 defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge on 15.12.01 and that game saw him play as a centre-back for the first time. The Thanet Times said Simon "acquitted himself well".

He continued to be an automatic choice at the start of 2002, usually in midfield, and on 19.1.02 Simon was sent off again in a 3-0 defeat at Hereford after picking up two bookings. After a two game ban he returned to the side for a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster on 16.2.02 but Simon picked up a foot injury during the match that ruled him out for over two months. The problem mystified doctors and Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "We just can't get to the bottom of Beardy's injury." After a 3-1 defeat at Stevenage on 2.3.02 that Simon missed the home club's doctor looked at his foot and couldn't help. An x-ray also showed nothing and Chris Kinnear told the Thanet Times "No one knows what's wrong. It's weird. I've been in football a long time and I've never seen an injury like it. It's right on the bottom of the foot. Maybe it'll just heal up."

Simon eventually returned to action in a game at Barnet on 20.4.02. He came on as a substitute and scored with a brilliant 30-yard effort as Margate went down 4-1. The Thanet Times described it as a "first-time wonder strike" and a "worthy contender for any Margate goal of the season competition" as Simon fired a poor goal-kick straight back and into the net. He then started Margate's next game - a Kent Senior Cup tie against Ashford at Hartsdown Park on 23.4.02 - but Simon had to go off in the first half after his foot injury flared up again. Margate ran out 5-0 winners. He missed the last two matches of the season and ended the campaign having scored six goals in 32 appearances (three as sub).

Simon featured in Margate's friendlies ahead of the 2002/03 season but then suffered a recurrence of his foot injury which put him out of action for around two months. On 8.10.02 he made his first appearance of the campaign when he came on as a substitute in a 4-1 defeat at Farnborough and Simon then started Margate's next match - a 2-2 draw at Halifax on 12.10.02. On 26.10.02 he had an outing at centre-back in a 2-1 win at Gravesend & Northfleet in the FA Cup and the Thanet Times said Simon was "especially impressive" but his foot problem then flared up again and ruled him out of Margate's next six matches. He returned to the side as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat against Cardiff in the FA Cup at Margate's adopted home at Dover and Simon then enjoyed a good run in the team, starting nine of the next ten games. The Thanet Times described him as a "key player" in a 3-1 win at Stevenage on 14.12.02 and said Simon's "strength in midfield proved crucial". A week later he got his first goal of the season in a 1-1 draw with Nuneaton at Dover.

At the start of 2003 Simon embarked on a scoring spree that started with a goal in a 4-2 win over Gravesend & Northfleet at Hartsdown Park on New Year's Day. He was on target once more as Margate drew 4-4 with Northwich at Hartsdown on 18.1.03 and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "produced one of his best performances in Gate colours as he controlled the midfield" during a 2-1 win at Gravesend & Northfleet on 21.1.03. Simon found the net again in a 4-1 defeat at Forest Green on 25.1.03 and a 2-0 win at Worcester in the FA Trophy on 1.2.03 to take his run to five goals in eight matches but his season was drawing to a close. After playing in a 2-0 defeat against Hereford at Dover on 11.2.03 Simon missed Margate's next game and when he came on as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat against Tamworth at Hartsdown on 22.2.03 it was his final outing of the campaign. Soon afterwards Simon discovered that he had a chipped bone in his ankle and he missed Margate's last 14 games. He'd made 16 appearances (three as sub) and scored five goals before injury intervened.

Simon was fit enough to take part in some of Margate's friendlies in the summer of 2003 but he was transfer-listed before the start of the 2003/04 season proper. Chris Kinnear said "Unfortunately because of wage budgeting, which is now strictly enforced by the Conference, we are going to have to let Simon go."

On 9.8.03 he made his first appearance for almost six months when he came on as a substitute as Margate drew 1-1 at Shrewsbury on the opening day of the new Conference campaign but Simon didn't feature in any of the next five matches. He returned to the side on 6.9.03 and went straight into the starting line-up as Margate took on Chester at Dover. Simon played in the heart of the defence and the Thanet Times said he gave a "fine performance at the back" as the visitors won 2-1. It turned out to be his last appearance for Margate and later in September Simon joined Welling on a free transfer. Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette "His injuries were the main consideration - it's a lot of money to pay someone if they're not playing."

Simon's spell with Welling was blighted by injury and the Wings released him at the end of the 2003/04 season.

In the summer of 2004 he retired aged 31 after undergoing two foot operations.

During his time with Margate Simon worked for the HSBC bank at their branch in the Hempstead Valley shopping centre near Gillingham.