An Interview with…Mark Tinkler
You were part of their Youth Team at Leeds United that beat Manchester United over two legs to win the 1993 FA Youth Cup. Both teams had several players that featured in the Premiership and David Beckham was part of the Manchester United team. Over 30,000 fans packed in to Elland Road for the second leg. It must have been amazing to play in front of a big crowd. What are your memories of the game?
The first game Old Trafford was fantastic. To go there in front of 30.000 and win 2 – 0 against a quality team was a great experience.
We performed very well on the night but knew that we had to do the same back at Elland Road.
The second leg was live on Sky which put a bit more pressure on us to perform as young players. Fans packed into Elland Road and the atmosphere was fantastic. We scored to make make it 3 – 0 over two legs but then I gave a penalty away with a rash tackle on Keith Gillespie.
The lads held their composure and performed very well to win the game 4-1 on aggregate. It was an amazing feeling walking round Elland road at the end with the trophy after beating a talented well-fancied Manchester United. The biggest memories of the night were the fans and a packed Elland Road.
The chance finally came against Sheffield United the following season to make your first team debut. What can you remember of your debut?
The manager got me in on the morning before we went out to do set-pieces and told me I was playing so that I could tell my parents to come to the game and watch my debut.
We went to the hotel on the afternoon before the game to rest, I was very nervous before the game but once it started the nerves settled. It was a tough game, Sheffield were a very physical, aggressive side but I really enjoyed the occasion but disappointed with the result (Sheffield United won 2-1).
Leeds had some great players at the time such as Gary McAllister, Gordon Strachan and the late Gary Speed. How helpful were they in your progression as a player?
We had some top class players at the club at the time who all helped me. Being a central midfield player, I got help from Speedo (Gary Speed), Batts (David Batty) and Gary Mac (Gary McAllister) but Gordon Strachan and Chris Fairclough were also a good help with their advice they gave me.
After four years at Elland Road, first team opportunities were hard to come by and you only managed 26 appearances. Was it your decision to leave?
I was at the club for 7 seasons and enjoyed most of my time there. As footballers we all have our ups and downs but I had some amazing times and met some fantastic people who became friends for life.
I had a bad injury and was out for nearly a season and struggled to recover quickly. George Graham took over as manager and I never got much of an opportunity under him so I needed to go and play first team football. That was when I decided to join York City on loan then made it permanent.
Your next club was York City where had previously played on loan. Was it hard to drop down a few divisions in order to get first team action?
It was tough leaving Leeds. I’d left school and went to play for Leeds United at 16. I met some fantastic people and loved my time living in Leeds, it’s a fantastic city with great people.
I needed to play first team football and restart my career and York was a good opportunity for me to do that.
You were a first-team regular at York and played regularly at Bootham Crescent. What was it like playing in the Second Division?
Alan Little showed a lot of belief in me and helped me with my progression. It was a tough division but I adapted pretty well and had couple of good seasons there with my performances and learned a lot.
You followed manager Alan Little when he left York for Southend United where you became a bit of a fans-favourite. Tell me about your time at Roots Hall?
Alan took me to Southend, I enjoyed my time there and the fans were pretty good to me.
Southend fans were very upset when you moved to Hartlepool. In your first three seasons there, Hartlepool reached the play-offs every time. The third season Hartlepool United were finally promoted. What was it like play at Hartlepool around one of the most successful times in their history?
Southend had to make wage cuts and so they sold me to Hartlepool United.
I think it was our first home game for Hartlepool and we played Southend and I got brought down for a penalty. The Southend fans didn’t like me after that!
Chris Turner brought together a good bunch of players with good quality and we had a fantastic team spirit which helped a lot with our success.
I read somewhere that you had a bit of a strange injury when you were at Hartlepool. I heard that you fell off a ladder, what happened there?!
Yes! I fell of the ladder when I was Hartlepool and strained my medial ligament and missed the play-off game against Cheltenham.
You scored the first hat-trick of your career in a game against Wrexham. What was it like to score a hat-trick in a professional game? Do you still have the match ball?
It was fantastic feeling and one that I’d never forget. Yeah I still have the match ball which all the lads signed.
Injury started to force you to play fewer games and Hartlepool released you in 2007. Did you feel that your career was going to end at any point in that time?
I struggled on with my achilles for a couple of years and had injections. I played through injuries which probably didn’t help my body to recover but I still felt fit enough to carry on.
When injuries persist you always worry if it could be the end but I kept going.
Livingston came in for you and you moved north of the border to play a season in the Scottish First Division. How did that compare to other levels of the game that you have played in?
It was a good standard and we had some talented young players in the team (Robert Snodgrass, Leigh Griffiths, Graham Dorrans).
Unfortunately I broke my ribs a few games in. I also kept tearing my calf which was related to my achilles problem.
Playing in Scotland was another good experience for my career.
Your playing career ended in non-league at Whitby Town and you are now the Under 18 coach at Middlesbrough. Did you always want to be a coach when your playing days were over?
Dave Parnaby who was Academy Manager for 20 years was my school teacher and I always spoke to Dave about my football. He invited me down to watch the coaching and then an opportunity came up to work with the under 14’s.
I’ve been here now for 12 years working with the Under 14’s – 16’s and for the last 8 years working with the Under 18s’.
I always thought that I had a lot to offer with my experiences throughout football. I’ve enjoyed my time at the club and had some good success with the production of players from the Academy playing in the First Team.
About Author
