Mark Birch (footballer)

March Birch (born 5 January 1977) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Carlisle United.[2][4]

Mark Birch
Personal information
Full name Mark Birch[1][2]
Date of birth (1977-01-05) 5 January 1977[2]
Place of birth Stoke-on-Trent, England[2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1994–1995 Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Stoke City 0 (0)
1996–1998Leek Town (loan)
1998–2000 Northwich Victoria 73 (1)
2000–2003 Carlisle United 112 (1)
2003–2008 Gretna 85 (11)
2007Southport (loan) 19 (1)
2007Northwich Victoria (loan) 9 (0)
2008Newcastle Blue Star (loan)
2008 Northwich Victoria 1 (0)
Total 299 (14)
Teams managed
2016 Penrith[3]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Birch was born in Stoke-on-Trent and began his career with Stoke City.[2] He failed to break into the first team at Stoke and joined Football Conference side Northwich Victoria in 1998 where he spent two seasons.[2] He joined Third Division side Carlisle United in June 2000 for a fee of £10,000. Birch played 129 times for Carlisle scoring once in a 1–0 win against Macclesfield Town in March 2003.[5] He left Carlisle in August 2003 to join ambitious Scottish Third Division side Gretna. At Gretna he helped them win promotion to the Scottish First Division and reach the 2006 Scottish Cup Final where they lost on penalties to Heart of Midlothian.[6] He returned to England in 2007 playing for Southport and a return to Northwich Victoria.

Coaching career

Birch was appointed Professional Development Phase coach at Carlisle United in June 2019.[7]

Career statistics

Source:[2]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City 1995–96 Second Division 0000000000
Northwich Victoria 1999–2000 Football Conference 350000010360
Carlisle United 2000–01 Third Division 440302010500
2001–02 Third Division 420301010470
2002–03 Third Division 241201030301
2003–04 Third Division 2000000020
Total 11218040501291
Gretna 2003–04 Scottish Third Division 233301000273
2004–05 Scottish Third Division 307211030368
2005–06 Scottish Second Division 271700000341
2006–07 Scottish First Division 5000101070
Total 8511121304010412
Southport (loan) 2006–07 Football Conference 191000000191
Northwich Victoria (loan) 2007–08 Football Conference 110000000110
Northwich Victoria 2008–09 Football Conference 1000000010
Career total 263132017010030014

References

  1. "Mark Birch". Barry Hugman's Footballers.
  2. Mark Birch at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  3. "Birch steps down as Penrith boss". nonleaguedaily.com.
  4. Mark Birch at Soccerbase
  5. "Carlisle 1–0 Macclesfield". BBC. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  6. "Hearts 1-1 Gretna (4-2 on pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  7. "INTERVIEW: I do feel ready for the step up". Carlisle United. Retrieved 10 June 2020.


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