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Margate Legend Passes
The club is saddened to learning of the passing of Margate FC legend Derek Grace who sadly passed away at the beginning of January.
We'd like to pass on our sincerest condolences to Derek's family and look back at his playing career with Margate between 1967 and 1969.
Born on the 29th December 1944, Derek started his career in QPR’s academy. Without making a first team appearance, he later moved to Exeter in 1962 making 45 appearances before moving to Gillingham in 1965.
In March 1967, with a little persuasion from close friend Phil Amato, Derek joined Margate and went on to make 154 appearances scoring 38 goals for the club.
Mostly deployed as an attacking midfielder, Derek could also play as a striker and managed 24 goals in all competitions during his first full season with the club, making him a firm favourite of then manager Almer Hall.
The highlight of Derek’s Margate career came in April 1968 as he started in both legs, and the replay, of the Southern League Cup Final where Margate ran out (eventual) winners 3-1 against local rivals Ramsgate Athletic.
Derek was released in 1969 and went on to play for Dartford, Maidstone and Herne Bay before retiring in 1977.
Derek Grace 29.12.1944 – 8.1.2019
Thursday, 10 January 2019
By Charlotte Richardson
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