Mark Fish

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Mark Fish
Mark Fish.jpg
Fish playing for Charlton Athletic in 2004
Personal information
Full name Mark Anthony Fish [1]
Date of birth (1974-03-14) 14 March 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth Cape Town, South Africa
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) [2]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Arcadia Shepherds
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1991–1993 Jomo Cosmos 55 (3)
1993–1996 Orlando Pirates 110 (11)
1996–1997 Lazio 15 (1)
1997–2000 Bolton Wanderers 103 (3)
2000–2005 Charlton Athletic 102 (3)
2005 → Ipswich Town (loan) 1 (0)
2007–2011 Jomo Cosmos 0 (0)
Total386(21)
International career
1993–2004 South Africa 62 (2)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 1996 South Africa
Runner-up 1998 Burkina Faso
Bronze medal icon.svg 2000 Ghana–Nigeria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Anthony Fish (born 14 March 1974) is a South African former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Contents

Club career

Born in Cape Town, [1] Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria. He was spotted by then Jomo Cosmos coach Roy Matthews and turned professional as a striker. It was at Cosmos that he was converted into a left-back and went on to become one of the most promising defenders in South Africa at the time.

In 1994, Fish was signed by Orlando Pirates after Cosmos were relegated. At Pirates he arguably played the best football of his career under the tutelage of Mike Makaab. He also won the league championship at Pirates, as well as the BP Top 8 cup in 1994, the 1995 1995 African Champions League and the 1995 Bob Save Super Bowl (then the premier cup in South Africa). He captained The Buccaneers when they beat JS Kabylie in the 1996 CAF Super Cup. [3]

Soon foreign scouts came knocking and he was signed by Lazio of Italy, after he turned down an opportunity to play for his boyhood club, Manchester United. However, he did move to England after just one season at Lazio to become the highest paid player at Bolton Wanderers. Fish was a mainstay in Bolton's back four for much of their first season back in the Premiership, he received praise from both teammates and those whom he played against, most notably Manchester United forward Andy Cole. Despite Fish's efforts Bolton were relegated on the last day of the season despite having accumulated 40 points, normally enough to stave off the drop. Once playing back in the lower leagues Fish applied himself well, quickly gaining a cult status amongst the Bolton faithful, backed up by his nickname "Feesh", and a particularly eyecatching headgear in the shape of a giant Blue fish being made available in club stores. However, new suitors soon came calling, and only after the appointment of Sam Allardyce did Fish's star begin to fall in Lancashire. Fish soon followed his Danish teammate Claus Jensen and at Alan Curbishley's second time of asking moved to Charlton Athletic in a £700,000 move in November 2000. "The Big Fish" as he was affectionately known throughout his playing career went on to make 102 Premiership appearances for the Addicks, scoring three times.

In 2005, he began to fall out of favour at Charlton. He went on to have a short loan spell at Ipswich Town in the 2005–06 season but a severe cruciate ligament injury led to Fish announcing his retirement.

Fish returned to football when he signed a six-month contract with his first club Jomo Cosmos in early 2007 but did not play an official game due to his low level of fitness.

International career

Internationally, Fish is best remembered as being a crucial part of South Africa's victorious national soccer squad when they won the 1996 African Cup of Nations. He scored one of the goals in the quarter final against Algeria. He was named to the Team of the Tournament in both the 1996 and 1998 African Cup of Nations. In total he won 62 caps for the South African national team, scoring twice.

He made his international debut in a friendly game against Mexico on 6 October 1993 and received his last cap in a World Cup qualifier against Ghana on 20 June 2004.

Personal life

In August 2008, Fish's wife and his son were at their Pretoria home with friends when five armed men robbed their house. [4]

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year [2]
National teamYearAppsGoals
South Africa 199310
199460
199540
1996102
1997100
1998140
199980
200070
200420
Total622
Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fish goal.
List of international goals scored by Mark Fish [2]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
127 January 1996 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South AfricaFlag of Algeria.svg  Algeria 1–02–1 1996 African Cup of Nations [5]
215 June 1996FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South AfricaFlag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 2–03–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification [6]

Honours

Orlando Pirates

South Africa

Further reading

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References

  1. 1 2 "Mark Fish". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Mark Fish". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Orlando Pirates 1995 CAF Champions League
  4. ↑ "Soccer star robbed, son threatened". Archived from the original on 9 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "South Africa v Algeria, 27 January 1996". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "South Africa v Malawi, 15 June 1996". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
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