Mark Sale

English footballer

Mark SalePersonal information

Full name|  Mark David Sale
Date of birth|  (1972-02-27) 27 February 1972 (age 53)
Place of birth|  Burton upon Trent, England
Height|  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[1]
Position(s)|  Forward
Youth career
1988–1990|  Stoke City
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
1990–1991|  Stoke City|  2|  (0)
1991–1992|  Cambridge United|  0|  (0)
1992|  Rocester|  |
1992–1993|  Birmingham City|  21|  (0)
1993–1994|  Torquay United|  44|  (8)
1994–1995|  Preston North End|  13|  (7)
1995–1997|  Mansfield Town|  45|  (12)
1997–1999|  Colchester United|  80|  (12)
1999|  → Plymouth Argyle (loan)|  8|  (1)
1999–2001|  Rushden & Diamonds|  10|  (0)
2001–2002|  Doncaster Rovers|  14|  (3)
2002–2003|  Tamworth|  13|  (2)
2003|  → Hucknall Town (loan)|  5|  (0)
2003–2005|  Alfreton Town|  45|  (10)
2005–2007|  Northwich Victoria|  21|  (3)
2007|  Hednesford Town|  0|  (0)
Total|  |  321|  (58)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark David Sale (born 27 February 1972) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. He made more than 200 appearances in the Football League and many more in non-league football. He was first-team coach of Birmingham City from October 2014 to December 2016. In March 2017 he was appointed first-team coach at Derby County. He was appointed first-team at Stoke City in June 2018. On 26th December 2024 Sale was appointed Assistant Head Coach of Oxford United.

## Playing career

[edit]

Sale was born in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and began his career as a trainee with Stoke City. He made his league debut away to Brighton & Hove Albion in May 1990 and played the following week in the home game against Swindon Town.

He was released by Stoke without playing any further first team games and joined non-league Rocester from where he joined Birmingham City in March 1992. He moved to Torquay United for a fee of £10,000 and had a successful forward partnership with Duane Darby. His form at Torquay led to a £20,000 move to Preston North End where he had limited success.

In July 1995 he joined Mansfield Town for a fee of £50,000 and immediately joined his new teammates in a pre-season tour of Cyprus. He was in and out of the side and in March 1997 was sold to Colchester United for a fee of £23,500. His first game for Colchester came in a 2–1 win against Mansfield. Later in the season he played at Wembley in the final of the Football League Trophy.

He left Colchester in July 1999, joining Rushden & Diamonds for a fee of £30,000.[2] He began the season as a regular in the side, but was soon diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and underwent chemotherapy. He made a full recovery[3] and returned to Rushden's side in December 2000, though was to play only twice as Rushden won the Conference and with it promotion to the Football League.

Sale joined Doncaster Rovers in May 2001, played 15 times in the Conference, and was released at the end of the 2001–02 season.[4] He initially agreed terms with Conference side Forest Green Rovers, but that fell through and he joined Tamworth in August 2002. He had a loan spell with Hucknall Town in September 2003[5] before moving to Alfreton Town in October 2003.[6] In June 2005 he moved on to join Northwich Victoria, rejoining his former Hucknall manager Steve Burr,[7] and helped Northwich to promotion back to the Conference National.[8] Sale left Northwich in January 2007 to join Hednesford Town,[9] but did not appear for the first team.[10]

In January 2008 he was appointed youth-team manager at Burton Albion, a role which he combined with working as football development officer for East Staffordshire Borough Council.[11] When Burton manager Gary Rowett was appointed manager of Birmingham City in October 2014, Sale accompanied him as first-team coach.[12] Rowett and his staff, Sale included, were sacked in December 2016.[13] On 14 March 2017, he once again linked up with Rowett, this time as first-team coach of Derby County.[14]

Sale followed Rowett to Stoke City in June 2018.[15] He left Stoke on 8 January 2019.[16]

On 26th December 2024 Sale was appointed Assistant Head Coach of Oxford United linking up once again with Gary Rowett.

## Career statistics

[edit]

Source:[17]

Club  | Season  | League  | FA Cup  | League Cup  | Other[a] | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Stoke City | 1989–90 | Second Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0
1990–91 | Third Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Cambridge United | 1991–92 | Second Division  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Birmingham City | 1991–92 | Third Division  | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0
1992–93 | First Division | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 3
Torquay United | 1992–93 | Third Division  | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2
1993–94 | Third Division  | 33 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 7
Preston North End | 1994–95 | Third Division  | 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 7
Mansfield Town | 1995–96 | Third Division  | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8
1996–97 | Third Division  | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5
Colchester United | 1996–97 | Third Division  | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 3
1997–98 | Third Division  | 39 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 7
1998–99 | Second Division  | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2
Plymouth Argyle (loan)  | 1998–99 | Third Division  | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1
Rushden & Diamonds | 1999–2000 | Conference National | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0
2000–01 | Conference National  | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0
Doncaster Rovers | 2001–02 | Conference National  | 14 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3
Northwich Victoria | 2006–07 | Conference National  | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3
Career total  | 258 | 46 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 21 | 2 | 303 | 52

1. ^ The "Other" column includes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Italian Cup, Football League Trophy and Football League play-offs

## Honours

[edit]

Colchester United

* Football League Third Division play-offs: 1998[18]
* Football League Trophy runner-up: 1996–97[19]

Northwich Victoria

* Conference North: 2005–06[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mark Sale". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
2. ^ "Colchester set to profit from Sale". Thurrock Gazette. 22 July 1999. Archived from the original on 1 December 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
3. ^ "Footballer's gratitutde to team who helped him to defeat cancer". Burton Mail. 2 February 2012. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
4. ^ "Doncaster release four". BBC Sport. 1 May 2002. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
5. ^ "Preston striker joins Tamworth". BBC Sport. 12 September 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
6. ^ Miles, Kev (17 October 2003). "Reds swoop for Sale". Ripley & Heanor News. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
7. ^ "Northwich swoop for striker Sale". BBC Sport. 28 June 2005. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
8. ^ a b "Vics clinch title with joyous win over rivals". Liverpool Daily Post. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 1 December 2014 - via Newsbank.
9. ^ "Hednesford boost strike force". Unibond League. 27 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007.
10. ^ "The Hednesford Town statistics site". hednesfordtown.com. Retrieved 1 December 2014. Select season(s) required via dropdown menu.
11. ^ "New youth team manager appointed". Burton Albion F.C. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008.
12. ^ "Gary Rowett: Birmingham City appoint Burton boss as manager". BBC Sport. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
13. ^ "Gary Rowett: Birmingham City manager sacked by Championship club". BBC Sport. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
14. ^ "Gary Rowett: Derby County appoint ex-Birmingham City boss as manager". BBC Sport. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
15. ^ "Gary on his backroom team". Stoke City F.C. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
16. ^ "Gary Rowett sacked by Stoke City". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
17. ^ Mark Sale at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
18. ^ Riley, Catherine (23 May 1998). "Gregory's goal lifts Colchester". The Independent. London. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
19. ^ Haylett, Trevor (21 April 1997). "Happy ending for Carlisle". The Independent. London. Retrieved 1 December 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Mark Sale at Soccerbase

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals