Mark Lee - Durham lad playing in the A-League

[Guest Robin]

Greetings from Oz.  Just thought I would pass on details of a lad from Durham (Toon supporter) playing for Perth Glory in the A-League.  Mark Lee

 

It has been a hectic few days for new Perth Glory signing Mark Lee, perhaps ‘whirlwind’ is a more apt description of his elevation from training player to Hyundai A-League debutant.

 

Signed by the club last Friday, as a replacement for the injured Bobby Despotovski, Lee found himself jetting to the east coast a day later and on Sunday suited up in his first game for Perth.

 

“It was amazing to tell you the truth,” an elated Lee said after the match.

 

“I have never played in front of a crowd that big before.”

 

New Glory signing Mark Lee

Slotted in at left back the 2005 WA State League player of the year looked comfortable in his role but admitted the time spent on the pitch at Bluetongue Stadium was a bit of a blur.

 

“I wasn’t that nervous but the 45 minutes that I did play went really quickly,” he said.

 

Born England, he spent time as a youngster in development squads at Premier League heavyweights Middlesbrough and Chelsea and began his professional career as an apprentice at English side Scarborough before heading north to play with Hibernian in Scotland.

 

The 27 year old has called Australia home for more than three years and his love of the game extends off the pitch where he works as Football West’s Youth Development Officer. It’s with their blessing he is pursuing his latest playing opportunity.

 

“Football West have been terrific,” he said.

 

“I wouldn’t have been able to experience playing in the Hyundai A-League without their support.

 

“School holidays are a really busy time and this week we have about 200 kids attending football clinics and the guys there have pitched in to cover for me which I really appreciate.”

 

His impact on the football community in WA was evident when he checked his mobile phone after the game against the Mariners to find it filled with messages of support and congratulations from families who have attended football clinics he has co-ordinated.

 

While it has been an amazing ride Lee isn’t looking too far ahead and is simply focused on helping the team to the best of his ability in the next few weeks.

 

“I’d love to be a part of it next season but we’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime I’m really enjoying the experience and I’m intent on giving 100% to the team,” he said.

 

He is a really nice lad, that some on here may know and he is certainly not out of his depth at this level.  I have seen him play in the last few games and he certainly seems to know how to play better and with more commitment than the left backs we have on the books!  I am suggesting that we sign him - the standard here is not that great - but it is good to see another Geordie lad doing well.

 

[Tooj]

If he's from Durham he's not technically a Geordie.  bluewink.gif

[Clay]

Madness  ... Aye i know him like, lived next door to me for years in Leadgate. Sound lad. I just thought he was just training youngens like. There's another lad lived round the corner called Ben Clark.. Think the plays for Darlo now.

[Benwell Lad]

He's from Consett and played for them a bit in the NL.

Anyway Consett always seems more "Geordie" than Durham and most of the population are black and white.

A bit parochial anyway saying that "technically" Durham aint Geordie when he is playing 12,000 miles away.

 

BTW Claypool Ben Clark is at Hartlepool - used to play for the mackems.

[Clay]

Aye Hartlepool, that's the one, don't know why i said Darlo, he started off for Man U school of excellence aswell if i'm not mistaken. And living in Consett i would class us more Geordies than anything, hardly any Mackems around here.

[Guest Robin]

He is training young'uns as well.  He is the youth development officer for Football West, which is the football authority for Western Australia.  They are currently running Perth Glory for the FFA, so I suppose he was easily available for them.  bluecool.gif

[Guest howmanwomanman]

Just to be pedantic, he's from Leadgate not Consett, and he's my little cuz.  We always knew he was good but I think the Hibs experience ruined footy for him a little bit.  Alex McLeish came straight in and let him go despite never having seen him play due to his being injured when McLeish was hired.  Seems to be doing well over in Perth though, playing with Stan Lazaridis if I'm not mistaken.

 

Ben Clark used to be brilliant until those dirty m*ckems turned him into a defender.  This was despite his breaking all sorts of goal scoring records at school.  He lived just down the road from Mark and me and was always only about 4 foot tall at best.  Sprouted since then though

[Clay]

Where abouts in Leadgate do you live like?

Leadgate's virtually Part of Consett anyway.

[Tooj]

Thing about Ben Clark is he likes a drink just a tad too much.

[Guest Robin]

Seems to be doing well over in Perth though, playing with Stan Lazaridis if I'm not mistaken.

 

Laza has been injured most of this season, so I am not sure he ever played more than once or twice with him.  I think it would have been even better for him if he had played with him in front of him on the left.  Having said that, he has played well and I would like to see him have his contract renewed.  However, the season is now over (probably the worst in Perth's history) so there could be (and frankly should be) a lot of blood spilled.