Here is the 26th in our weekly series profiling players across the region. Each week a different player will reveal their best (and worst) moments. This week it is the turn of record-breaking Mark Simpson, who recently broke a Garforth Town club record by scoring in nine consecutive matches. He could extend that to ten if he scores against Retford United on Saturday.
Record-breaking Garforth Town striker Mark Simpson won the Crawford HR January player of the month vote
Name: Mark Simpson
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Current Club: Garforth Town (second spell)
Previous Clubs: Pontefract Collieries, Nostell Miners Welfare, Ossett Town.
Day Job: I’m still a student so like most students I spend a lot of time in bed during the day.
Based: Gildersome
Favourite Team: Leeds United
All-time favourite player and why?: Fat Ronaldo because of how good he was as an out and out striker.
Best mate in football: Most of the lads who have played for Garforth in the past couple of seasons.
Description of Career Highlight: Scoring in the West Riding County Cup semi-final win over Harrogate Town in 2015. We were massive underdogs that night.
Lowest Moment in Football: Being on the losing side in the 2015 West Riding County Cup final against Bradford (Park Avenue) at Valley Parade.
Description of Most Memorable Match: I’d have to say when I scored a hat-trick against Maltby last month. I haven’t had many hat-tricks and to score the first goal of the day after just 14 seconds was unbelievable.
Former Leeds United captain Brendan Ormsby gave Mark Simpson his Non League bow at Pontefract Collieries
Leeds United supporter Mark Simpson in a Pontefract Collieries shirt
Mark Simpson briefly turned out for Nostell in 2014
He moved to Ossett Town in November 2015. A move that back-fired. Picture: Mark Gledhill
Menacing faces: Garforth striker Mark Simpson and Hemsworth defender Cameron Clark battle for the header
Mark Simpson has scored 25 league games for Rob Hunter’s (left) Garforth this season
First semi-professional manager: Brendan Ormsby (Pontefract Collieries). I was in the under 19s, amazingly under Paul Heckingbottom who is now the manager of Barnsley. Brendan took us for one game and he put me in the first team after that. My first game in the NCEL under him was at Louth Town (in September 2012).
Description of First Red Card (at semi-professional level): I’ve never been sent off, but I’ve somehow collected a few yellow cards this season, I’m up to four. I haven’t had one for a while though. I thought all four were harsh – especially the one against Clipstone. The video clears me. The ball was smashed against me and I got booked for kicking the ball away. I couldn’t believe it.
Description of First Goal (at semi-professional level): I came on a substitute for Pontefract under Brendan against Rossington (16/10/12) when we were winning 3-0. I went past one player and went through one-on-one with the goalkeeper and scored.
Description of Favourite Goal (at semi-professional level): It has to be when I scored against Pontefract last season for Garforth in the 6-1 win (Editor’s Note: a goal similar to Eric Cantona’s chipped goal against Sunderland in 1997). I really can’t remember what was going through my head when the ball came to me and why I chose to shoot like I did. I should have done the Cantona celebration after it though. I know I didn’t celebrate, but we were 3-0 up and didn’t think there was a need to, especially with it being an old club. Watch the video above to see the spectacular goal.
What do you want to achieve in football in the future: I want to play as high as I can. I am not interested in leaving Garforth at the moment though. I’m happy here. I said at the start of the season that I wanted to do a full season at Garforth and it is paying off.
Favourite Non League Ground I’ve played at (barring your own club): Worksop Town
Garforth Town striker Mark Simpson won Non League Yorkshire’s charity poker night in October 2015 and took home a new television. Picture: White Rose Photos
Eventual winner Simpson faced current Garforth coaches Andy Sunley and Mark Greaves at the poker tournament. Picture: whiterosephotos.co.uk
Simpson had the ‘misfortunate’ of sitting next to his current Garforth first team coach Mark Greaves (left), then the manager of Eccleshill, at Non League Yorkshire’s 2015 poker tournament. Picture: whiterosephotos.co.uk
So you’re a poker shark?: I have played a bit of poker in the past and it was good to win the top prize at the (Non League Yorkshire poker) tournament (14 months ago).
It is funny that I went to head with Andy Sunley in the final two. I didn’t know him at the time and now he’s Garforth’s assistant manager. Our first team coach Mark Greaves (then the manager of Eccleshill) was also there and I had to sit next to him for a lot of the night. All night Greavsie kept saying: ‘are you going to sign for me at Eccleshill’? I didn’t have any idea who he was at the time. When we came back for pre-season and Greavsie had joined us as first team coach, it was only then when I realised that he was the lunatic from the Poker Night.
Watch Mark Simpson scoring in his ninth successive game for Garforth below.
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