Mel Pejic

Melvyn Pejic (born 27 April 1959) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Hereford United, Stoke City and Wrexham.[1] His brother Mike was also a professional footballer as well as his son Shaun.

Mel Pejic
Personal information
Full name Melvyn Pejic[1]
Date of birth (1959-04-27) 27 April 1959[1]
Place of birth Chesterton, England[1]
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1980 Stoke City 1 (0)
1980–1992 Hereford United 412 (14)
1992–1995 Wrexham 106 (3)
Total 518 (17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Pejic was born in Chesterton and joined the youth teams of Stoke City in 1977 where his older brother Mike had just spent ten years. He made just one first team appearance for Stoke which came against Ipswich Town on 12 January 1980, he played at right back as Stoke lost 1–0.[1]

He signed for Hereford United where he spent the majority of his footballing career. A serious knee ligament injury hampered his first two seasons at Edgar Street. However, in the next four seasons he missed only five matches and was voted Player of the Year for three successive seasons in 1983, 1984 and 1985. He later became the only Hereford United Captain to lifted the Welsh Cup in 1990 when Hereford defeated Wrexham at Cardiff Arms Park.

In a 12-season stint, he made 523 competitive appearances, scoring 24 goals. Of these, 412 were in league matches, for which he holds the clubs Football League appearances record, where he also scored 14 goals, and puts him second in the all-time appearance list for the "Bulls", behind John Layton who played a total 549 times for the club during their non-league days. He moved to Wrexham midway through the 1991–92 season, and went on to make over 100 league appearances for the "Red Dragons" helping the Welsh side to gain promotion in 1992–93.

Post-retirement

Towards the end of his playing days he firstly completed his FA Diploma in the Treatment and Management of Injuries, before studying and gaining a Physiotherapy Degree from Salford University, later taking over first physio duties at Wrexham and then under the managership of John Toshack the Wales national football team senior physiotherapists position, being promoted from a similar position with the Under 21 team.

In August 2012, after three years as physiotherapist with Bolton Wanderers, Pejic joined Macclesfield Town. In November 2013 Pejic returned to Stoke City to work in the medical department at the club's academy.[3]

Personal life

One of Mel's sons, Shaun also played for Wrexham, and his elder brother Mike was also a footballer.

Career statistics

Source:[4]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City 1979–80 First Division 1000000010
Total 1000000010
Hereford United 1980–81 Fourth Division 130002000150
1981–82 Fourth Division 270000000270
1982–83 Fourth Division 451102100482
1983–84 Fourth Division 440102110481
1984–85 Fourth Division 461512020552
1985–86 Fourth Division 451204060561
1986–87 Fourth Division 310202030380
1987–88 Fourth Division 441204040541
1988–89 Fourth Division 183000030213
1989–90 Fourth Division 385214130477
1990–91 Fourth Division 461212040542
1991–92 Fourth Division 161201010201
Total 4121419325327048320
Wrexham 1991–92 Fourth Division 7000000070
1992–93 Third Division 392002130443
1993–94 Second Division 400203120463
1994–95 Second Division 201102010241
Total 10633072601217
Career Total 5181822332533060526
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Football League Trophy.

Honours

Wrexham

References

  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. "Mel Pejic rejoins the club as medical chief". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  4. Mel Pejic at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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