Mark Fish

This article is about the South African footballer. For the television writer, see Mark Fish (writer). For the American composer, see Mark Fish (composer).

Mark Fish

Fish playing for Charlton Athletic in 2004
Personal information
Full name	Mark Anthony Fish
Date of birth	(1974-03-14) 14 March 1974
Place of birth	Cape Town, South Africa
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Arcadia Shepherds
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1993	Jomo Cosmos	55	(3)
1993–1996	Orlando Pirates	110	(11)
1996–1997	Lazio	15	(1)
1997–2000	Bolton Wanderers	103	(3)
2000–2005	Charlton Athletic	102	(3)
2005	→ Ipswich Town (loan)	1	(0)
2007–2011	Jomo Cosmos	0	(0)
Total		386	(21)
International career
1993–2004	South Africa	62	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing South Africa Africa Cup of Nations Winner 1996 South Africa Runner-up 1998 Burkina Faso 2000 Ghana–Nigeria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Anthony Fish (born 14 March 1974) is a South African former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Born in Cape Town, Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria. He was spotted by then Jomo Cosmos coach Roy Matthews and turned professional as a striker. It was at Cosmos that he was converted into a left-back and went on to become one of the most promising defenders in South Africa at the time.

In 1994, Fish was signed by Orlando Pirates after Cosmos were relegated. At Pirates he arguably played the best football of his career under the tutelage of Mike Makaab. He also won the league championship at Pirates, as well as the BP Top 8 cup in 1994, the 1995 1995 African Champions League and the 1995 Bob Save Super Bowl (then the premier cup in South Africa). He captained The Buccaneers when they beat JS Kabylie in the 1996 CAF Super Cup.

Soon foreign scouts came knocking and he was signed by Lazio of Italy, after he turned down an opportunity to play for his boyhood club, Manchester United. However, he did move to England after just one season at Lazio to become the highest paid player at Bolton Wanderers. Fish was a mainstay in Bolton's back four for much of their first season back in the Premiership, he received praise from both teammates and those whom he played against, most notably Manchester United forward Andy Cole. Despite Fish's efforts Bolton were relegated on the last day of the season despite having accumulated 40 points, normally enough to stave off the drop. Once playing back in the lower leagues Fish applied himself well, quickly gaining a cult status amongst the Bolton faithful, backed up by his nickname "Feesh", and a particularly eyecatching headgear in the shape of a giant Blue fish being made available in club stores. However, new suitors soon came calling, and only after the appointment of Sam Allardyce did Fish's star begin to fall in Lancashire. Fish soon followed his Danish teammate Claus Jensen and at Alan Curbishley's second time of asking moved to Charlton Athletic in a £700,000 move in November 2000. "The Big Fish" as he was affectionately known throughout his playing career went on to make 102 Premiership appearances for the Addicks, scoring three times.

In 2005, he began to fall out of favour at Charlton. He went on to have a short loan spell at Ipswich Town in the 2005–06 season but a severe cruciate ligament injury led to Fish announcing his retirement.

Fish returned to football when he signed a six-month contract with his first club Jomo Cosmos in early 2007 but did not play an official game due to his low level of fitness.

International career

Internationally, Fish is best remembered as being a crucial part of South Africa's victorious national soccer squad when they won the 1996 African Cup of Nations. He scored one of the goals in the quarter final against Algeria. He was named to the Team of the Tournament in both the 1996 and 1998 African Cup of Nations. In total he won 62 caps for the South African national team, scoring twice.

He made his international debut in a friendly game against Mexico on 6 October 1993 and received his last cap in a World Cup qualifier against Ghana on 20 June 2004.

Personal life

In August 2008, Fish's wife and his son were at their Pretoria home with friends when five armed men robbed their house.

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
South Africa	1993	1	0
	1994	6	0
	1995	4	0
	1996	10	2
	1997	10	0
	1998	14	0
	1999	8	0
	2000	7	0
	2004	2	0
Total		62	2

Scores and results list South Africa's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fish goal.

List of international goals scored by Mark Fish

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	27 January 1996	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Algeria	1–0	2–1	1996 African Cup of Nations
2	15 June 1996	FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa	Malawi	2–0	3–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Orlando Pirates

• National Soccer League: 1994
• Bob Save Super Bowl: 1996
• BP Top Eight Cup: 1996
• African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1995
• CAF Super Cup: 1996

South Africa

• African Cup of Nations: 1996; runner-up: 1998; third place: 2000

Further reading

• Graeme Friedman Madiba's Boys The Stories of Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish Comerford & Miller, United Kingdom ISBN 9781919888088 Features a foreword by Nelson Mandela

External links

• Mark Fish at Soccerbase