Mark Sunley

Mark Sunley (born 13 October 1971) is a former footballer who made 37 appearances in the Football League playing as a centre back for Darlington and Hartlepool United. He was on the books of Middlesbrough and Millwall, without playing for either in the League, and played non-league football for clubs including Halifax Town, Stalybridge Celtic, Spennymoor United,[1] Gateshead, Guisborough Town and Billingham Synthonia.

Mark Sunley
Personal information
Date of birth (1971-10-13) 13 October 1971[1]
Place of birth Guisborough,[1] England
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1988–1989 Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1991 Middlesbrough 0 (0)
1991 Millwall 0 (0)
1991–1994 Darlington 35 (0)
1994 Halifax Town 8 (0)
– Stalybridge Celtic 2 (0)
1995 Hartlepool United 2 (0)
– Spennymoor United
2000–2002 Gateshead 28 (0)
2002–2003 Guisborough Town
2003 Gateshead 1 (0)
2003–2005 Guisborough Town
2005–200? Billingham Synthonia 22 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Sunley was born in Guisborough, Yorkshire,[1] where he attended Laurence Jackson School.[2] As a youngster, he played for Hartburn Juniors in Stockton, from where he joined Middlesbrough's youth system.[3] On leaving school he was taken on the club's YTS scheme and then given a professional contract by manager Bruce Rioch. He played for the club in the 1990 FA Youth Cup final, a 3–2 defeat over two legs to Tottenham Hotspur, but never broke through to the first team. When Colin Todd took over as Middlesbrough manager, Sunley followed Rioch to Millwall in 1991, but again never played first-team football.[4][5]

He finally made his Football League debut with Third Division club Darlington in the 1991–92 season, and went on to make 35 league appearances over three seasons.[1] In the 1994–95 season, he played eight times for Halifax Town in the Conference,[6] twice for Stalybridge Celtic also in the Conference,[7] and twice in the Third Division (fourth tier) for Hartlepool United, and then joined Northern Premier League club Spennymoor United.[1]

Sunley made five substitute appearances for Gateshead in the Northern Premier League in 2000–01, and played rather more frequently in the following season.[8] In August 2002, he was told he was free to leave,[9] and signed for hometown club Guisborough of the Northern League. He spent most of that season playing regularly for Guisborough,[10] returning to Gateshead for three matches at the end – the second leg of the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup against Marine,[11] one league match, and the play-off semi-final defeat to Chorley[12] – and resumed his Guisborough career in 2003–04.[13] He spent the 2005–06 season with another Northern League club, Billingham Synthonia.[14]

Outside football, Sunley worked as sports development officer at his former school, Laurence Jackson in Guisborough.[15] Among his duties was coaching girls' football. In 2013, the school's team reached the final of the English Schools' Football Association under-16 competition, losing 3–2 to the holders.[2][16]

References
  1. "Mark Sunley". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. Clark, Steph (16 March 2013). "Local Heroes – Laurence Jackson girls fly the flag at national final". The Northern Echo. Darlington. Retrieved 23 January 2015 – via Newsbank.
  3. "Club History". Stockton Town F.C. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  4. "The future's bright". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. 8 April 2003. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. Fraser, Paul (14 April 2003). "No cakewalk for Boro's young guns". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 23 January 2015 – via Newsbank.
  6. Harman, John, ed. (2005). Alliance to Conference 1979–2004: The first 25 years. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 316, 318. ISBN 978-1-869833-52-7.
  7. Harman, John (ed.). Alliance to Conference. pp. 631, 636.
  8. "Gateshead F.C. 2000/01". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015 and "Gateshead F.C. 2001/02". Gateshead FC Stats 1977–2014. Alan Percival. Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  9. Moreland, Bob (13 August 2000). "Gateshead on the Mark". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  10. "The Albany Northern League Today". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 7 March 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  11. "Sunley hopes to shine in cup". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  12. "Gateshead F.C. 2002/03". Gateshead FC Stats 1977–2014. Alan Percival. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  13. "The Albany Northern League Today". The Northern Echo. Middlesbrough. 22 August 2003. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  14. "Player Stats – 2005/06". Billingham Symthonia F.C. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  15. "Ex-stars key to sporting ambitions". Evening Gazette. Middlesbrough. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  16. "Maiden Erlegh retain U16 Girls Cup at Burton Albion". English Schools' Football Association. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
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