MARK  BIRCH 

Height 5' 10"

Weight  12lbs 5

Defender (right side)

League appearances 86

Cup appearances 11

Mark was born in Stoke on the 5th of January 1977. He signed as a trainee for Stoke on the 1st of August  1994 and stayed there until moving to Northwich Victoria on 1st of August 1998. He made 73  appearances for them, scoring once. Mark signed for Carlisle United  on the 7th of August, 2000. 

Birch made his debut on the first game of the 00/01 season, at home to Halifax, giving a solid performance in the 2-2 draw. He collected his first booking four matches later at Kidderminster away on the 2nd of September for a rather dubious case of time wasting while taking a throw in, courtesy of ref Mr P Armstrong.  Consistent performances followed,  occasionally the rawness of  his step up from non league football showed but Mark was guaranteed to give 100% for 90 minutes.  He played in the third round FA Cup clash against Arsenal and doggedly stuck to his task, even keeping his temper and not retaliating when clearly punched by Vivas, he came out of the game with great credit.  More steady performances followed, Birch was often to be sacrificed late in a game when the team reverted to a 442 formation which he took in good spirit. However Birch  was becoming an indispensable member of the team and his battling performance against Leyton Orient at home on the 13th of March gained him his first Man of the Match credit. The match at home against Blackpool on the 14th of April  was one of Marks best performances of the season, man marking Blackpool's danger man Simpson out of the game to such an extent that he was substituted. The next match saw  the amazing display of refereeing by Mr Paul Alcock that saw 3 United players sent off, Mark receiving his marching orders after  a  late tackle on Hodges,  meaning he was to miss the last  two games of the season. Even with the suspension Mark was still the United player who made the most appearances in the 00/01 season. 

Mark missed the first game of  the 01/02  as he was serving the last of a three game suspension from the year before. His first game of the season was away at Leyton Orient on the 18th of August, a 0-0 draw. The first  half of the season required all Mark's  grit and determination, United found it nearly impossible to score, putting enormous pressure on the defence to keep a clean sheet. The team formation was changed from the previous seasons 3 at the back to 442 and the team changed  personnel and position  with every game. Mark proved to be Mr reliable through this period starting every game from Orient until the game at home against Halifax on the 27th of October. Against Cheltenham and Southend he was subbed in the second half when John Hore was brought on in an attempt to rescue the game with another attacking option but both games resulted in defeats.  Mark's  100% effort came at a price and  by the Halifax game he served a mandatory suspension having  reached 5 yellow cards. This ended a memorable week, Tuesday the 23rd had seen Carlisle  gain a 1-1 draw at Oxford. Mark had played a full part in that game despite being at the hospital the night before for the birth of his son.  Mark was back in the starting line up for the next game but  there was no break in the yellow cards and by  the Swansea game on the 15th of December  he had reached the mandatory  2 game suspension for ten yellows. Roddy Collins was quick to  defend Mark commenting  "He's a great tackler and just needs to stand up longer and we're working on that with him. He's a great player and his style of tackling is part of his game just now, and if you take that out of his game then it will weaken him as he's in an area of the park where you can take no prisoners. The players know the yellow cards are a problem, but they are competitive, and when we get the composure side of football in to them and combine it with that competitive streak then it will be ok."  The managers faith  was more than justified, after coming back from suspension Mark only picked up one more yellow card in the following 23 games to the end of season. 

02/03 saw competition for the right back slot between Mark and new signing Brian Shelley. Mark was used in a variety of positions on the park; as well as  his orthodox right back role he was also an emergency left back and played a few games in central midfield. His debut as a central defender came in the home game against Macclesfield on the 18th of March. United were struggling in defence with a series of injuries and suspensions and Mark was drafted in to play along side Paul Raven in a crucial relegation game.  The 1-0 win was sealed as early as the 8th minute.  A corner taken by Stuart Green was only half cleared by the Macclesfield defence and  Birchy was waiting to slot the ball into the net. A debut league goal for United and a clean sheet, certainly a game to remember.  After the high spot of the Macclesfield game Mark was brought down to earth with a bump in the game at home to Cambridge on the 22nd of March. A tackle on Cambridge's Omar Riza earned Mark a straight red card from referee Mr C Boyeson. A decision that was was doubly harsh as the suspension  covered the LDV final at the Millennium stadium as well as two crucial league games. Coming back into the side for the home game against Rushden and Diamonds a niggling hamstring injury was to bother him for the rest of the season but he still managed to contribute in the vital games away at Torquay and Shrewsbury where United  ensured they retained league statues. 

Voted by the fans as United's most improved player of the season Mark has agreed a two year contract which will see him at the club until the end of the 2005 season. One of the best crossers of a ball at the club and a player that will never give less than 100% for the cause. 

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