One particular club from the ninth tier of English football have chosen to appoint an ex-Chelsea player as their new first team manager.
43-year-old, Mark Nicholls, who made 36 Premier League appearances for the Blues between 1995 and 2001, has taken over from Tom Austin, who left the Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division outfit to take charge at Brightlingsea Regent earlier this month.
Nicholls played alongside the likes of Ruud Gullit, Roberto di Matteo, Gianluca Vialli and Gianfranco Zola during his time at Stamford Bridge, rising through the Chelsea academy and into the first team.
On this day: 1998 – #Chelsea 3 – 1 Coventry
Mark Nicholls scored his last @ChelseaFC goal. #CFC #Chelsea pic.twitter.com/a7lVdrnueZ
— Chad (@ChelseaChadder) January 10, 2020
He was in the senior squad with the West London club for a total of six seasons and had plenty of loan spells within that period, playing for the likes of Reading and Grimsby Town.
Nicholls also had a month at Colchester in the 2000-01 season, making three league starts and one substitute appearance during his brief spell at Layer Road under then manager Steve Whitton.
Nicholls went on to play for the likes of Partick Thistle, Torquay, Hamilton, Clydebank, Maidenhead, Northwood, Hendon and many other non league sides before hanging up his boots.
Now he’s managing FC Clacton, who currently sit in 8th place within the Eastern Counties League Premier Division table, taking 15 points from 10 games played in what has been a stop start season due to the pandemic.
He was appointed as player-assistant manager of Hendon in December 2004.
However, Nicholls has a reputation in non-league circles for a poor disciplinary record. On the 13th of January 2009 he was one of three Uxbridge players sent off in the first half of their FA Trophy tie against Swindon Supermarine, the West London side eventually going down to a 6–1 defeat.
Nicholls left the club by mutual consent soon after this game, to sign for divisional rivals Beaconsfield where he was rumoured to play an instrumental part in an end of season brawl at AFC Totton.
He was also dismissed after being accused of spitting at a referee during his six-month spell at Hendon and collected a series of yellow cards for dissent at the club.
CHELSEA REWIND: On this day in 1997 Chelsea won 6-1 against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the Premier League. Goals from Roberto Di Matteo, Mark Nicholls, Dan Petrescu & a hat trick from Tore Andre Flo secured the win! “We won 6-1, we won 6-1, we won 6-1, at The Lane….” 😁👇 pic.twitter.com/v7sZp4xUw2
— Chris Wright 🏴 (@chriswrightzz) December 6, 2019
NICHOLLS’ CAREER:
Senior career
1994–2001 – Chelsea – 36 games (3 goals)
1994–1995 → Chertsey Town (loan)
1999–2000 → Reading (loan) – 5 games (1 goal)
2000 → Grimsby Town (loan) – 6 games (0 goals)
2000 → Colchester United (loan) – 4 games (0 goals)
2001 – Aldershot Town
2001 – Partick Thistle
2001 – Torquay United – 9 games (1 goal)
2001 – Hamilton Academical – 2 games (2 goals)
2001–2002 – Clydebank – 11 games (0 goals)
2002 – Chesham United
2002–2003 – Maidenhead United – 18 games (2 goals)
2003–2004 – Northwood – 27 games (12 goals)
2004–2005 – Hendon – 22 games (11 goals)
2005–2006 – Uxbridge
2006 – Hayes
2006–2007 – Northwood – 13 games (6 goals)
2007–2009 – Uxbridge
2009–2010 – Beaconsfield SYCOB
2010–2011 – Walton Casuals – 49 games (7 goals)
2011–2013 – North Greenford United – 27 games (3 goals)
2015–2016 – Southall
2019 – North Greenford United
Total – 234+ games (48+ goals)
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
FC CLACTON STATEMENT:
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Nicholls as 1st Team Manager.
We spoke to many outstanding candidates for the role but Mark stood out as the right appointment for us to work with and further develop a great bunch of players individually & collectively.
The Club are very lucky to have great people involved like 1st team coach Glenn and the Reserve management team of Lionel and Ollie who we knew we could rely on to look after things while we took the time needed to make the right appointment.
Mark has not long moved to the area so does not know the Club, players or League but has an extensive knowledge of the game following a career that saw him play at the highest level, as well as being an experienced coach.
He was introduced to the squad last night & has one training session on Thursday before an important game away at Ilford on Saturday in the FA Vase.
We are all excited by the appointment while Mark can’t wait to get on the training pitch with the boys & is looking forward to meeting everyone involved the Club, including of course our great supporters who he has heard all about.
Come on you Seasiders!
– STATEMENT ENDS –
Fans have taken to social media to react at the ninth tier club choosing to appoint the ex-Chelsea player…
@fullerflavour: Good luck Mark and welcome to @FC_Clacton
@followtrawler: Interesting appointment. Be interesting to see how the former Chelsea striker does here. Last I heard he was an assistant at North Greenford but that was a while back. Wish him luck at The Seasiders.
@Sillett_tractor: Welcome to the club
@DarrenH64794721: Ain’t That Neil Shipperley’s Old Assistant @ North Greenford
Welcome to the club. Look forward to getting the old stats machine going for the new manager. Here’s hoping for a win very first game. Only 2 previous managers have won their first game.
— FC Clacton Statto (@FccStatto) October 28, 2020
yeah -think he played in the Uxbridge side that kicked us out of the Play-Off semi-final in 2005. Kicked, literally!!
— Wivenhoe Town F.C. – Stats, Facts & Trivia. (@town_stats) October 28, 2020
Couldn’t have made a better signing, great man! Top coach too, with mass of experience at the highest level! Look forward to seeing him do great things https://t.co/wHVMyYLGBz
— Paul Colclough (@PaulColclough4) October 28, 2020
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