49 Facts About Rodney Marsh

Rodney William Marsh was born on 11 October 1944 and is an English former footballer and football coach; he later worked as a broadcaster.

Rodney Marsh helped the club to the 1967 League Cup and to consecutive promotions through the Third Division and Second Division.

Rodney Marsh featured in the 1974 League Cup final defeat but his time in Manchester was largely disappointing and he left the UK the following year to play for American club Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Rodney Marsh had a successful career with the Rowdies and went on to coach the club from 1984 to 1986 after previously having brief spells coaching New York United and the Carolina Lightnin'.

In 2015, Marsh started co-hosting a radio show about football on SiriusXM, titled Grumpy Pundits.

Rodney Marsh was born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire to Lilian Dredge, a housewife, and William Rodney Marsh, a docker.

Rodney Marsh grew up in Palatine Road, Stoke Newington, and his parents only spent a few days in Hertfordshire so his mother could avoid going into labour during the Blitz.

Rodney Marsh had a rough upbringing as a child, particularly from his father, and in his autobiography said that this tough upbringing left him emotionally traumatised.

Rodney Marsh's father came from an even more violent family, and was partially crippled at the age of 19 after being attacked by his father with a hammer.

Rodney Marsh attended Arsenal matches at Highbury with his father, and went along to see reserve team matches.

Rodney Marsh played alongside Ron "Chopper" Harris for Hackney Schools, scoring all three goals as Hackney won the schools national championship.

Rodney Marsh's father secured him a trial for the West Ham United under-16s, and he impressed enough to land himself a place in the academy.

However, he was released after ten months by Wally St Pier, who let Rodney Marsh go to open up a place on the youth team for Geoff Hurst.

Soon before his sixteenth birthday, Rodney Marsh was spotted by scout Bill Brown, who offered him a place in Fulham's youth programme.

Rodney Marsh began his career with First Division side Fulham, and made his debut against Aston Villa at Craven Cottage on 23 March 1963 after Johnny Haynes picked up an injury.

Rodney Marsh scored the winning goal on his debut with a volley from a George Cohen cross, prompting manager Bedford Jezzard to state that "No boy could have had a better first game".

Haynes returned to the starting line-up the next week, but Rodney Marsh was accommodated with the number eight shirt.

However manager Bedford Jezzard left the club and Rodney Marsh did not get along with new boss Vic Buckingham.

Rodney Marsh ridiculed Buckingham, who in turn froze Marsh out of the first team.

Rodney Marsh scored 44 goals in 53 games as the club became Third Division champions; his 30 league goals made him the division's top-scorer.

The "Baggies" took a two-goal lead before half-time, but Rangers fought back in the second half and on the 75th minute Rodney Marsh scored what he described as "the defining goal of my career" when he made a mazy run past numerous defenders before finding the net with a 25-yard shot that went in off the post.

Rodney Marsh was again top-scorer with 14 goals despite missing the start of the season with a broken foot.

Rodney Marsh signed a new four-year contract in the summer.

In summer 1969, Rodney Marsh was sent off in a friendly against Rangers after punching Kai Johansen in retaliation for a kick Johansen gave Rodney Marsh.

However Rodney Marsh lost his captaincy to new signing Terry Venables.

City were four points clear at the top of the table when Rodney Marsh was signed, but by the end of the season they had slipped to fourth.

Many pundits criticised the signing, pointing out that Rodney Marsh was a maverick player ill-suited to Allison's well-drilled set-up.

Rodney Marsh was so disappointed by the defeat he threw away his runners-up medal.

Tony Book started his second spell as City's manager in April 1974, and despite being club captain Rodney Marsh showed no respect for Book.

Rodney Marsh was transfer-listed and sent to train with the reserves after chairman Peter Swales told Book the details of a private conversation the pair had held:.

Rodney Marsh later was flown to Los Angeles as a guest of Elton John, who was then chairman of the Los Angeles Aztecs in the NASL, but before he agreed to join the club he was approached in January 1976 by the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Rodney Marsh played from 1976 to 1979 in the States, leading the Rowdies to the Soccer Bowl in his final two seasons.

Rodney Marsh was a NASL All-Star every year, making the first-team in 1976 and 1978, the second team in 1977 and as an Honorable Mention in his final season.

Rodney Marsh stopped his drinking after his doctor told him that alcohol was destroying his liver and seriously shortening his life expectancy.

Rodney Marsh left the club after being forced out in 1979.

Rodney Marsh went off in another tantrum after being substituted with ten minutes to go of his competitive career by head coach Gordon Jago.

Rodney Marsh retired after 1979, and coached New York United in the ASL.

Rodney Marsh resigned three months into his contract when the general manager insisted that he sign five Uruguayan refugees to the club against his wishes.

Rodney Marsh relinquished his coaching duties and remained on as CEO, and appointed Mark Lawrenson and later Malcolm Allison, Ricky Hill, David Hay and Ken Fogarty as head coaches.

Rodney Marsh began his career in the media with Best, presenting football related videos, before he became a regular feature on television.

Rodney Marsh worked as a pundit for Sky Sports for many years.

Rodney Marsh offered to shave all of his hair off if the club stayed up, and honoured his bet and had his hair removed in the centre circle of Valley Parade.

Rodney Marsh appeared on Soccer Saturday for a total of 11 years until he was sacked in January 2005.

Rodney Marsh was fired after he joked about the 2004 Asian tsunami during a live broadcast of You're On Sky Sports.

Subsequently, Rodney Marsh joined Talksport as a presenter, co-hosting the daily Drivetime show with Paul Breen-Turner.

In 2006, Talksport received a number of complaints and the programme director issued an apology after Rodney Marsh made a newsreader laugh uncontrollably whilst she was reporting the death of a British soldier in Afghanistan.

Since then Rodney Marsh attempted to rebuild his career with appearances on reality television.

Rodney Marsh appeared in the 2007 series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity.

Rodney Marsh is currently cohost of Grumpy Pundits on Sirius Radio.