Tributes paid to former Margate FC ‘legend’ Brian Hughes

Tributes have been paid to former Margate FC goalkeeper Brian Hughes who had died at the age of 83.

Brian played for the Blues between 1961 and 1968 with his final match being the Southern League Cup Final Replay v Ramsgate in May 1968.

In total Brian made 403 appearances for the team and has been described as a “hero” and “legend” by current MFC fans.

The Gillingham-born keeper started his career as a junior at Arsenal, playing in two South Eastern Counties League matches for the Gunners’ youth team as a 16 year-old but turned down the offer of a further season as an amateur with the club.

He opted to sign for his hometown club Gillingham instead as they were able to offer him terms as a semi-professional.

Arriving in Margate

The Gills loaned Brian to Sittingbourne for the 1960/61 season and then in the summer of 1961 he signed for Margate when he was aged just 19.

Brian was thought to be something of an unknown quantity when he moved to Hartsdown Park but after making his debut in a 1-0 home defeat against Wisbech in the Southern League on 19.8.61 he quickly established himself as the club’s first-choice, impressing with his handling and positioning.

Brian made 63 appearances during 1961/62 and kept 20 clean sheets. He would have been ever-present but for a thigh injury that forced him to miss three games.

On November 4, 1961, he was part of the Margate side that pulled off a famous 3-0 win at Bournemouth & Boscombe in the 1st Round of the FA Cup and he also featured in the 2nd Round tie against Notts County at Hartsdown Park which ended in a 1-1 draw.

He then played in the replay at Notts County on 30.11.61 which the home side won 3-1. On 12.5.62 he played as Margate beat visitors Folkestone 4-0 to win the Kent Senior Shield and Brian was praised for his “cat-like agility” by the local press during the season.

Brian was virtually ever-present again during the 1962/63 season, making 64 appearances and only missing two games as Margate won the Southern League Division One title. He celebrated his 21st birthday early in the season and amongst his presents were no less than seven travel clocks.

When asked about Brian in July 1965 manager Almer Hall said “I have great faith in him” and during the 1965/66 season Brian was virtually ever-present, making 65 appearances as Margate were relegated from the Southern League Premier Division. He continued to display great agility coupled with sound handling and played consistently well during the campaign. In February 1966 Brian made what the press called “scorching saves” in a 4-0 defeat at Wimbledon.

Brian continued to be Margate’s first-choice keeper during the 1967/68 campaign and made 75 appearances to take his overall tally for the club past 400.

On April 6, 1968 Brian featured in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final – a 1-1 draw with Ramsgate at Hartsdown Park. He then took part in the 2nd Leg at Southwood on April 13, 1968 which finished 0-0.

On May 16, 1968 he took his place in the Margate team that secured the Southern League Cup by beating Ramsgate 3-1 in a replay at Hartsdown Park. He suffered concussion during the game and it turned out to be Brian’s final outing for the club as at the end of May 1968 he was surprisingly released.

After MFC

When Brian left Hartsdown Park he had enough money in his bank account to set himself up in a welding business. That was because in 1961 he’d lost most of his first Margate wage packet playing cards with senior players so club secretary Alan Kay then only paid Brian his expenses and had banked his wages for him for the next seven years!

After leaving Margate Brian spent a few months out of football before joining Kent League club Chatham and then went on to play for Gravesend & Northfleet .

He also played for Gillingham, Sittingbourne, Chatham Town, Folkestone, Dover, Tonbridge and Canterbury City.

Brian played the piano as a hobby and also played basketball for Kent as a youngster.

Brian’s son Scott (born 1973) was a talented ice hockey player and played over 300 games in total for Gillingham-based teams Medway Bears, Invicta Dynamos and Invicta Mustangs between 1989 and 2003.

In 2014 Brian was living in Walderslade near Chatham in Kent and had retired a few years earlier having spent 15 years as a fitness instructor.

He never knew why he was released by Margate – he was told by Almer Hall shortly after the final whistle of his last game for the club against Ramsgate in the Southern League Cup Final – and Brian said he believed he would have been “a one club man” if Margate hadn’t opted to let him go.