Paul Mariner is pictured above during the thrilling 4-3 win against Watford on 1/9/1984.
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| Plymouth Argyle: |
1973-1974 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
14 |
goals |
(Division 3) |
| |
1974-1975 |
Played |
46 |
Scored |
20 |
goals |
(Division 3) |
| |
1975-1976 |
Played |
38 |
Scored |
15 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
1976-1977 |
Played |
10 |
Scored |
7 |
goals |
(Division 2) |
| |
| Transferred in September 1976 |
| |
| Ipswich Town: |
1976-1977 |
Played |
28 |
Scored |
10 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1977-1978 |
Played |
37 |
Scored |
11 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1978-1979 |
Played |
33 |
Scored |
13 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1979-1980 |
Played |
41 |
Scored |
17 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1980-1981 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
13 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1981-1982 |
Played |
25 |
Scored |
8 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1982-1983 |
Played |
37 |
Scored |
13 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1983-1984 |
Played |
23 |
Scored |
12 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
| Transferred in February 1984 for £150, 000 |
| |
| Arsenal: |
1983-1984 |
Played |
15 |
Scored |
7 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1984-1985 |
Played |
36 |
Scored |
7 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
1985-1986 |
Played |
9 |
Scored |
0 |
goals |
(Division 1) |
| |
| Free transfer to Portsmouth in July 1986 |
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Paul Mariner in his Arsenal colours circa 1984. Photo George Herringshaw. ©
| A fleet-footed, larger-than-life Lancastrian, Paul Mariner is best
remembered for scoring the goals that sealed England's place in the 1982
World Cup Finals. Mariner's fine record with England and Ipswich Town -
he scored 97 goals in 260 league games for the East Anglian club -
persuaded the new Arsenal manager Don Howe that he was the ideal strike
partner for Tony Woodcock. Mariner had already scored 12 times for
Ipswich that season when he signed for Arsenal for £150, 000 in February
1984. By then Paul was 30 years of age, but he made a fine start to his
Arsenal career, scoring seven times in his first 15 games for the
Gunners. Mariner's first Arsenal goal came in only his second game for
the club - the only goal in an away win at Nottingham Forest - and in
the next but one game he bagged a brace as former club Ipswich were
swept aside 4-1 at Highbury. Of the six games that he found the net that
season, five resulted in victories, as the Gunners recovered from a
poor start to the campaign to finish sixth. Arsenal fans had high hopes
that Mariner would form a prolific forward line with Woodcock and
Charlie Nicholas in 1984-85 and, initially, things looked promising as
Arsenal topped the First Division in mid-October with eight wins from
their opening eleven matches. Paul played almost every game, but he
could only manage seven league goals as Arsenal dropped to a
disappointing seventh and Howard Kendall's Everton romped to the title.
The Gunners also suffered the ignominy of a shock 1-0 defeat in the
Fourth Round of the FA Cup at the hands of Third Division York City. For
Mariner, a former FA Cup winner with Ipswich in 1978, this must have
been a bitter pill to swallow. Paul had a nightmare season in 1985-86,
playing just nine league games and going goalless all season. He even
made an emergency appearance at centre-back. Mariner's problems were
compounded when an under-fire Howe resigned in March 1986 amid rumours
that Terry Venables was poised to take his job. Venables' arrival at
Highbury never materialised, but Mariner nonetheless fell out of favour
with Howe's disciplinarian replacement, George Graham. It came as little
surprise when he was culled in the summer of 1986, along with Woodcock
and the promising centre-back Martin Keown, as Graham sought to reduce
the club's wage bill. Suitably, Mariner was shipped out to Portsmouth on
a free transfer. In retirement, Paul was a popular pundit for BBC Radio
Lancashire, before making the plunge into American soccer. (James
Coyne). |