Rodney Marsh facts for kids

Rodney William Marsh (born 11 October 1944) is a famous English former footballer and coach. He later became a well-known broadcaster. Rodney Marsh played as a forward. He played nine games for the England national team between 1971 and 1973, scoring one goal.

Rodney grew up in the East End of London. He started playing youth football for West Ham United. He then made his professional debut with Fulham in March 1963. He scored 22 goals in 63 games for Fulham. In March 1966, he moved to Queens Park Rangers for £15,000.

At QPR, he helped the team win the League Cup in 1967. He also helped them get promoted twice in a row. In March 1972, he was sold to Manchester City for £200,000. He played in the 1974 League Cup final, which Manchester City lost. The next year, he moved to play for the American club Tampa Bay Rowdies.

He had a very successful time with the Rowdies. He later coached the club from 1984 to 1986. Before that, he coached New York United and the Carolina Lightnin'. In the 1990s, he started working as a football expert on Sky Sports. He left Sky Sports in 2005. Since then, he has appeared on many TV shows. He also helped run a property company in America with his son. In 2015, Marsh began co-hosting a football radio show called Grumpy Pundits on SiriusXM.

Early Life and Youth Football

Rodney Marsh was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. His mother, Lilian Dredge, was a housewife, and his father, William Marsh, was a docker. He grew up in Stoke Newington, London. His family was very poor when he was a child. Until he was 11, he slept in his parents' bedroom. His family shared a three-story house with two other families.

Rodney went to Arsenal matches with his father. He also watched their reserve team play. His family's money problems ended when his father inherited their house.

Playing for School Teams

Marsh played football for Hackney Schools. He played alongside Ron "Chopper" Harris. Rodney scored all three goals when Hackney won the national schools championship.

Joining Youth Academies

His father helped him get a trial for the West Ham United under-16 team. He did well enough to join their academy. However, he left after ten months. Soon before his 16th birthday, a scout named Bill Brown saw him play. Bill Brown offered him a spot in Fulham's youth program.

Professional Playing Career

Starting at Fulham

Marsh began his professional career with First Division team Fulham. He played his first game on 23 March 1963 against Aston Villa. He scored the winning goal in his first game. His manager, Bedford Jezzard, said he had a great first game.

In September 1963, he got a serious injury. He broke his jaw and skull while scoring a goal against Leicester City. This injury kept him out of action for ten months. It also caused him to lose some hearing in his left ear permanently. Doctors told him he might never play football again.

He returned to play in the 1964–65 season. He played as a centre forward and scored 17 goals. This made him the club's top scorer that season. However, the manager, Bedford Jezzard, left the club. Rodney did not get along with the new manager, Vic Buckingham. This led to him being left out of the first team.

Success at Queens Park Rangers

In March 1966, Marsh moved to Queens Park Rangers (QPR). QPR was in the Third Division at the time. The manager, Alec Stock, paid £15,000 for him.

Winning the League and League Cup

His first full season with QPR, 1966–67, was very successful. He scored 44 goals in 53 games. His 30 league goals made him the top scorer in the Third Division. QPR became the Third Division champions that season.

QPR also won the League Cup in 1967. Marsh scored four goals in a 5–0 win against Colchester United early in the competition. In the final at Wembley, QPR played West Bromwich Albion. West Brom led 2–0 at half-time. But QPR fought back in the second half. Marsh scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards out. Six minutes later, Mark Lazarus scored QPR's third goal, winning the game 3–2.

Promotions and Injuries

In the 1967–68 season, QPR earned a second promotion in a row. They finished second in the Second Division, reaching the First Division. Marsh was again the top scorer with 14 goals, even though he missed the start of the season with a broken foot.

However, QPR struggled in the top division. Marsh also had injuries. The club was relegated with only 18 points. He broke his foot again in pre-season training for the 1968–69 season.

In the 1969–70 season, Marsh and Barry Bridges each scored 23 goals. QPR finished ninth in the league. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Marsh scored 23 goals again in the 1970–71 season. He was the club's top scorer for the second year in a row in the 1971–72 season, scoring 20 goals.

Time at Manchester City

In March 1972, Manchester City bought Rodney Marsh for £200,000. This was a club record fee at the time. When Marsh joined, City was at the top of the league. But by the end of the season, they had dropped to fourth place. Many people thought Marsh's style of play did not fit well with the team.

Marsh became City's top scorer in 1972–73, with 19 goals. Manchester City finished 11th in 1972–73 and 14th in 1973–74. They reached the League Cup final in 1974. They lost 2–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Marsh was very disappointed by the loss.

Later Career and American Football

In 1975, Marsh played a few games for Cork Hibernians in Ireland. In January 1976, he joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies in America. He was sold to the Rowdies for £40,000. He famously said that "football in England had become a grey game, played on grey days by grey people."

He played for the Rowdies from 1976 to 1979. He helped them reach the Soccer Bowl in his last two seasons. He was named a NASL All-Star every year. In 1977, the head coach, Eddie Firmani, left because he was frustrated with Marsh. Marsh stopped drinking after a doctor told him it was harming his health. He left the club in 1979.

Marsh also spent the winter of the 1976–77 season on loan at Fulham. He joined because George Best was also playing there. Fulham was a popular club at the time. Marsh and Best returned to the US early in 1976.

International Career

Rodney Marsh made his England debut in November 1971. It was a 1–1 draw against Switzerland at Wembley. He came on as a substitute. He played a total of nine games for England. He scored one goal in a 3–0 win over Wales.

Playing Style

Marsh was known as a strong striker with great technical skills. He was an excellent dribbler. He could create amazing moments of skill and try exciting shots on goal. This made him known as a show-boater. He was sometimes compared to George Best because of his talent.

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player in 1979, Marsh became a coach. He coached New York United in the ASL. He left after three months because of disagreements.

In 1981, he became head coach and CEO of the new team Carolina Lightnin'. He quickly built a strong team. He led the team to win the Freedom Conference title in 1981. They then beat his old club, New York United, 2–1 in the championship final. In 1982, they lost in the semi-finals. He then hired Bobby Moore as a coach.

After the 1983 season, the league closed. Marsh returned to the Tampa Bay Rowdies as head coach in October 1983. He gave Roy Wegerle his first professional game there. The North American Soccer League also closed after the 1984 season. Marsh stopped coaching but stayed on as CEO.

Media Career and TV Appearances

After his coaching career, Marsh went on a three-year tour with George Best. He started his media career with Best, making football videos. He then became a regular on television. In 1994, he briefly worked as CEO of Queens Park Rangers.

Marsh worked as a football expert for Sky Sports for many years. In the 1999–2000 season, he made a bet about Bradford City. He said he would shave his head if they stayed in the Premier League. Bradford City did stay up, and he kept his promise. He had his hair shaved off in the middle of their stadium, Valley Parade.

He appeared on Soccer Saturday for 11 years. He left in January 2005. After that, Marsh joined Talksport as a presenter. He co-hosted a daily show. He left the station in October 2006.

Since then, Marsh has appeared on reality television shows. He was on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2007. He also appeared on Come Dine with Me in January 2009. In November 2010, he was on the first series of Celebrity Coach Trip. Other shows he appeared on include Sing If You Can and Cash in the Attic. He is currently a co-host for Grumpy Pundits on Sirius Radio.

Personal Life

Rodney Marsh married Jean Barry in March 1967. They met a few years earlier at a jazz club in Manor Park.

In 1996, he and his son Jonathan started the Marsh Group. This is a property development company in Tampa, Florida. Rodney Marsh continues to support QPR and Manchester City. Today, he is a co-host for the radio show Grumpy Pundits on Sirius XM.

Honours and Achievements

Queens Park Rangers

• League Cup: 1967
• Football League Third Division: 1966–67
• Football League Second Division runner-up: 1967–68

Manchester City

• FA Charity Shield: 1972
• League Cup runner-up: 1974

Tampa Bay Rowdies

• NASL regular season premiership: 1976
• NASL Atlantic Conference Eastern Division: 1976
• NASL Indoor: 1976
• NASL American Conference: 1978, 1979
• Soccer Bowl runner-up: 1978, 1979

Carolina Lightnin'

• American Soccer League: 1981

England

• British Home Championship: 1971–72 (shared)

Individual Awards

• NASL All-Star Selections: 1976 First Team, 1977 Second Team, 1978 First Team, 1979 Honorable Mention