Mark Anthony Peter Dempsey (born 10 December 1972) is an Irish former

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player during the 1990s and 2000s. He was a defender or midfielder who appeared for Gillingham,

Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...

Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1886, the club were inaugur ...

, Barry Town, Bohemians (2 spells), Shelbourne and

Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club is a professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches at Sullivan & Lambe Park. The current club is the ...

during his career.

Career

He played his schoolboy football at Cherry Orchard and his promise was noted by then-

Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...

holders

Oxford United Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...

, who brought him over for a trial. He impressed them enough to be taken on as a trainee for 18 months. He was a regular for the

reserve team In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players who are under contract to a club but who do not regularly play in matches for the club's primary team. Reserve teams usually include players who are part of the larger first-team squad but ...

but never made the breakthrough to the first team so when his contract expired, he moved to Gillingham under the management of Damien Richardson. He spent close to five years at Gillingham before moving on to

. He then spent three seasons at

under the management of Fred Davis and then Jake King. He had a falling out with King and moved on to Barry Town, where he won the domestic treble. He returned to Ireland in the summer of 1999 and was made captain of Bohemians. He got injured during the second half of that season but returned in time to play in the

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as D ...

Final as Bohs lost to Shelbourne in a replay. In just the third league game of the following season, he broke his ankle and was to miss the rest of the season as Bohs went on to win both the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...

and FAI Cup. His contract was up so he left to join Shelbourne, however he struggled to get regular first team football and within months had returned to Bohemians where he stayed until the end of the season when he moved north to

. He was capped five times for the Irish under-21 team, scoring one goal. He was assistant manager at

Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club is an Irish professional Association football, football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is List of football clubs by competit ...

during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

References

External links

Newcastle Fans profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dempsey, Mark 1972 births Living people Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Association footballers from Dublin (city) Men's association football defenders Men's association football midfielders Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers English Football League players League of Ireland players Bohemian F.C. players Shelbourne F.C. players Drogheda United F.C. players Barry Town United F.C. players Gillingham F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players Shrewsbury Town F.C. players Cherry Orchard F.C. players