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 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 played youth football for West Ham United. He started his professional career 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. He helped QPR 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, but his time at Manchester City was not as successful. The next year, he moved to the American club Tampa Bay Rowdies. He had a great career 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, Rodney started working as a broadcaster for Sky Sports. He left Sky Sports in January 2005. Since then, he has appeared on many reality television 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. His co-host is Tommy Smyth.

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 parents stayed in Hertfordshire for a short time to avoid the the Blitz during his birth. Rodney described his family as "very poor." Until he was 11, he slept in his parents' bedroom. His family shared a three-story house with two other families.

Rodney played football for Hackney Schools. He scored all three goals when Hackney won the national schools championship. His father helped him get a trial for the West Ham United under-16s team. He joined their academy but left after ten months. Soon after, a scout named Bill Brown saw him play. Bill offered him a spot in Fulham's youth program.

Playing Football

Starting at Fulham

Rodney Marsh started 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 match. His manager, Bedford Jezzard, said he had a "perfect 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 the game for ten months. It also caused him to lose some hearing in his left ear permanently. Doctors even 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. 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.

Time at Queens Park Rangers (QPR)

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. QPR finished third in the 1965–66 season.

His first full season with QPR was very successful. He scored 44 goals in 53 games. He scored 30 league goals, making him the top scorer in the Third Division. QPR won the Third Division championship. They also won the League Cup that season. Rodney scored four goals in a 5–0 win against Colchester United in the League Cup.

In the League Cup final at Wembley, QPR played West Bromwich Albion. West Brom was leading 2–0 at half-time. But QPR fought back in the second half. Rodney scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards out. QPR went on to win the game 3–2. This goal was very special to him.

The next season, QPR got promoted again. They reached the First Division by finishing second in the Second Division. Rodney was again the top scorer with 14 goals.

However, QPR struggled in the top league. Rodney also had injuries. The club was relegated with only 18 points. He broke his foot before the 1968–69 season. This made him miss the first few months.

In the 1969–70 season, Rodney and Barry Bridges scored 46 goals together. QPR finished ninth. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Rodney scored 23 goals in the 1970–71 season. He was the club's top scorer again.

He scored 20 goals in the 1971–72 season. This was his second season as the club's top scorer. He had agreed to leave QPR if they didn't get promoted that season. Manchester City offered a lot of money for him, and QPR accepted.

Playing for Manchester City

In March 1972, Rodney Marsh joined Manchester City. He was bought for a club record £200,000. When he joined, City was at the top of the league. But by the end of the season, they finished fourth. Some people thought Rodney's playing style didn't fit the team.

Rodney became City's top scorer in 1972–73, with 19 goals. However, the club's performance declined after their manager, Malcolm Allison, left. City finished 11th in 1972–73 and 14th in 1973–74. They did reach the League Cup final in 1974. They lost 2–1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Rodney was very upset about the loss.

Later Football Career

In 1975, Rodney played a few games for Cork Hibernians in Ireland. In January 1976, he joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies in America. He was sold for £40,000. He made some famous comments when he moved. He said English football was "a grey game, played on grey days by grey people." When he arrived in America, he joked that "Pelé is known as the black Rodney Marsh."

He played for the Rowdies from 1976 to 1979. He helped them reach the Soccer Bowl in his last two seasons. He was chosen as a NASL All-Star every year. In 1977, the head coach, Eddie Firmani, left the club. Rodney left the Rowdies in 1979.

During the winter of the 1976–77 season, he played on loan for Fulham. Fulham was in the Second Division. He joined because George Best was also playing there. Fulham was a popular club at the time. Rodney and George Best returned to the US early in 1976.

Playing for England

Rodney Marsh played his first game for England 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 against Wales.

There is a famous story about him and England manager Alf Ramsey. Ramsey reportedly told him, "I'll be watching you for the first 45 minutes and if you don't work harder I'll pull you off at half time." Rodney supposedly replied, "Crikey, Alf, at QPR all we get is an orange and a cup of tea."

How He Played

Rodney Marsh was a very talented striker. He had great technical skills. He was an excellent dribbler. He could do amazing tricks and take exciting shots. This made some people call him a "show-boater." His skills were sometimes compared to George Best. He often reacted to players who fouled him. He received many fines for fighting back against them.

Becoming a Coach

After retiring as a player in 1979, Rodney coached New York United. He left after three months because of disagreements with the general manager. In 1981, he became head coach and CEO of the new team Carolina Lightnin'. He built a strong team. He coached them 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 later hired Bobby Moore as a coach. The league folded after the 1983 season. Rodney 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 ended after the 1984 season. Rodney then became CEO of the Rowdies. He appointed other coaches like Mark Lawrenson and Malcolm Allison.

Life in Media

After his coaching career, Rodney Marsh went on a three-year tour with George Best. They presented football videos together. 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 joked that Bradford City would be relegated from the Premier League. He promised to shave his head if they stayed up. Bradford City did stay up, and Rodney 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 Sky Sports in January 2005. After that, Marsh joined Talksport as a presenter. He co-hosted a daily show. He left Talksport in October 2006.

Since then, Rodney 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 2009. Other shows include Celebrity Coach Trip, Sing If You Can, and Cash in the Attic. He is currently a co-host for the radio show Grumpy Pundits on Sirius XM.

Off the Pitch

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

In 1996, he and his son Jonathan started the Marsh Group. This is a property development company in Tampa, Florida. Rodney continues to support QPR and Manchester City.

Awards 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

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