Mark Rutherford (footballer)

Mark Rutherford
Personal information
Full name	Mark Robin Rutherford
Date of birth	25 March 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1989–1991	Birmingham City
1991–1993	Shelbourne
1993–1994	Shrewsbury Town
1994–1998	Shelbourne
1998–1999	Shrewsbury Town
1999–2001	Newry Town
2001–2003	Bohemians
2004–2005	Shamrock Rovers
2006	St. Patrick's Athletic
2007	Longford Town
2008	Shelbourne
Total
International career
	England U18
2000	Irish League representative team
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Rutherford (born 25 March 1972) is an English former footballer.

Career

Rutherford was once on the England under-18 squad alongside Chris Sutton, Steve McManaman and Andy Cole.

Rutherford scored the winning goal on his League of Ireland debut for Shels on 4 October 1991 at Tolka Park.

He is one of the select group of players to have played for all of Dublin's Big 4 clubs – Shelbourne, Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, St. Patrick's Athletic. His previous clubs include Shrewsbury Town, Birmingham City F.C., Newry Town and Longford Town.

Rutherford's successful career includes 3 League of Ireland championships, 4 FAI Cups and 1 English Third Division championship. He was also an FAI Cup runner up on 5 occasions.

Rutherford scored three goals for Shelbourne in European competition. He netted against SK Brann in a 1996-97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup tie,^[3] before scoring against Kilmarnock in the following season's competition and then against Glasgow Rangers in the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.^[4]

With Shamrock Rovers, Rutherford made a total of 69 appearances scoring 3 goals in the 2004 and 2005 seasons before moving on to his fourth Dublin club in 2006 by joining St Patrick's Athletic.^[5] Rutherford spent the 2007 season with Longford Town^[6] in a season where the midlands club suffered relegation from the Premier Division and lost 1–0 in that season's FAI Cup final to Cork City at the RDS Arena.^[7]

Rutherford departed Longford at the end of the 2007 season to rejoin former club Shelbourne on 31 January 2008 marking his third spell with the Tolka Park club.^[8] In the 2008 First Division season Rutherford made 29 league and cup appearances for Shels and scored 4 goals. His last goal in the League of Ireland was the winner at Athlone on 11 October. He finished a First Division runner-up that season as Shelbourne narrowly missed out on the title in the dying seconds of the season and Rutherford was voted the Shelbourne Supporters Development Group's (SSDG) Player of the Year for the 2008 season at the age of 36. Despite his impressive return to Shelbourne, Rutherford left the club at the end of the season and joined Leinster Senior League side Dublin Bus in 2009.

Honours

League of Ireland Premier Division: 3

Shelbourne: 1991–92
Bohemians: 2000–01, 2002–03

FAI Cup: 4

Shelbourne: 1993, 1996, 1997
Bohemians: 2001

Football League Third Division: 1

Shrewsbury Town: 1993–94

References

^ "Mark Rutherford". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Player profiles: Mark Rutherford". Shelbourne F.C. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.
^ Thornley, Gerry (23 August 1996). "Shelbourne bow out as Brann hold their ground". The Irish Times. Dublin. p. 17. ISSN 0791-5144.
^ Anderson, David (23 July 1998). "Ecstasy and agony for Shels". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
^ "Trio sign for Saints". St Patrick's Athletic F.C. 23 December 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
^ "Further signings". Longford Town F.C. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
^ "Cork City 1–0 Longford Town". RTÉ Sport. 2 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007.
^ "Mark Rutherford returns". Shelbourne F.C. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.

External links

Player profile at St Patrick's Athletic F.C.

[1] "Mark Rutherford". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 September 2023.

[Shels_profile-2] "Player profiles: Mark Rutherford". Shelbourne F.C. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.

[3] Thornley, Gerry (23 August 1996). "Shelbourne bow out as Brann hold their ground". The Irish Times. Dublin. p. 17. ISSN 0791-5144.

[4] Anderson, David (23 July 1998). "Ecstasy and agony for Shels". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2014.

[5] "Trio sign for Saints". St Patrick's Athletic F.C. 23 December 2005. Retrieved 30 September 2023.

[6] "Further signings". Longford Town F.C. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.

[7] "Cork City 1–0 Longford Town". RTÉ Sport. 2 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007.

[8] "Mark Rutherford returns". Shelbourne F.C. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.

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