Ben Thatcher

Football player infobox
playername = Ben Thatcher


fullname = Benjamin David Thatcher
height = height|ft=5|in=10
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|11|30
cityofbirth = Swindon
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Ipswich Town
clubnumber = 33
position = Left-Back
youthyears =
youthclubs = Millwall
years = 1992–96
1996–2000
2000–03
2003–04
2004–07
2007–08
2008–
clubs = Millwall
Wimbledon
Tottenham Hotspur
Leicester City
Manchester City
Charlton Athletic
Ipswich Town
caps(goals) = 90 (1)
86 (0)
36 (0)
29 (1)
47 (0)
22 (0)
02 (0)
nationalyears = 1995–97
2004–05
nationalteam = England U21
Wales
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 (0)
07 (0)
pcupdate = 16:59, 16 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 16:09, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Benjamin David "Ben" Thatcher (born November 30, 1975 in Swindon, Wiltshire) is an English-born Welsh professional footballer, who currently plays for Ipswich Town. He has played for a number of English clubs, and has featured in more than 300 English league games from his position as a left-sided defender.

He represented England's under-21 national team, but has chosen to represent the Wales national team in his senior years, for whom he has earned seven caps.

Career

As a youth, Thatcher played Sunday League football for various amateur teams in London, before attending the Football Association (FA)'s School of Excellence at Lilleshall. [cite news | title=Profile:Ben Thatcher | work=Match programme, Manchester City v Birmingham City | publisher=Manchester City FC | page=29 |date=17 December, 2005]

Before joining the professional ranks of top flight football, Thatcher studied unsuccessfully for two years at Canterbury Christ Church University. He was a distinguished player for their University 1st team and represented England University XI. Thatcher was the first member of Canterbury Christ Church University to represent his nation.Fact|date=August 2008

Millwall

. [cite web | title=Ben Thatcher | url=http://www.millwall-history.co.uk/BenThatcher.htm | work=The Millwall History Files | accessdate=October 3|accessyear=2006]

Wimbledon

In the 1996 close season, he was transferred to Wimbledon F.C. for a fee of £1,840,000. In his first season at Wimbledon, Thatcher made only nine appearances, but played more regularly in subsequent seasons. After Wimbledon's relegation from the Premiership in the 1999-2000 season Thatcher moved to Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Thatcher cost Tottenham Hotspur a fee of around £5 million in the Summer of 2000. A few months after the transfer, Spurs manager George Graham was sacked, and Thatcher featured less frequently under successor Glenn Hoddle, though he was a member of the Spurs team for the 2002 League Cup final.

Leicester City

He subsequently moved to Leicester City in a £300,000 transfer deal in the summer 2003,cite web | title=Player Profile : Ben Thatcher | url=http://www.4thegame.com/club/manchester-city-fc/player-profile/1028/benthatcher.html | work=4thegame | publisher=Fast Web Media Ltd | accessdate=September 1|accessyear=2006] immediately proceeding to attack Glenn Hoddle's style of management. [cite web | title=Thatcher snipes at Hoddle | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/3085895.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2003-07-22 | accessdate=October 1 | accessyear=2006] After a single season at Leicester, Thatcher once again found himself in the arms of a relegated club, and moved to Manchester City

Manchester City

His move to Manchester City cost around £100,000. His Manchester City debut came on the opening day of the 2004-05 season against Fulham. He was initially the first choice left-back at Manchester City, but a combination of injuries and the emergence of Stephen Jordan limited him to 21 appearances in his first season for the club. In January 2005 Thatcher nearly joined Fulham for a fee of £500,000 after a series of burglaries unsettled his family, but the move fell through. His second Manchester City season followed a similar pattern to the first, with most of his 19 starts coming in the first half of the season.

Charlton Athletic

He signed for Charlton Athletic on 11 January, 2007 for a reported fee of £500,000, which could rise to £750,000 depending on appearances. [cite web | title=Thatcher completes Charlton move | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/charlton_athletic/6251225.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2007-01-11 | accessdate=January 11 | accessyear=2007] He played his first match for Charlton Athletic on 23 January 2007 against Middlesbrough [cite web|title=Tactical Formation|work=Football-Lineups.com
url=http://www.football-lineups.com/wiki/_match3154.php | accessdate=January 20 | accessyear=2007]

Ipswich Town

He joined Ipswich on 14 August, 2008 on a one-year contract with an option to extend it for a further year. [Cite web | url = http://www.greenun24.co.uk/content/greenun/sport/football/championship/ipswich-town/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=IpswichTownFC&tBrand=GreenUnOnline&tCategory=xDefault&itemid=IPED14%20Aug%202008%2011%3A44%3A23%3A390 | title = Thatcher deal finally done | accessdate = 2008-08-14 | date = 2008-08-14 | publisher = Green 'Un]

International career

During his time at Wimbledon, Thatcher played for the England under-21 team four times. [cite web | title=Ben Thatcher | work=ESPN Soccernet | publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures | url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/profile?id=8150& | accessdate=August 24 | accessyear=2006] However, in 2004 he opted to play for Wales, for whom he qualifies due to his Welsh grandmother. [cite web | title=Margetson earns Wales call | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/wales/3519734.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2004-03-17 | accessdate=August 24 | accessyear=2006] His debut international performance came against Hungary, in a 2-1 victory in March 2004, and by October 2004 he had earned seven caps for Wales.

In October 2004, John Toshack was appointed new Welsh national team coach, but Thatcher did not play any games under Toshack, due to suspensions and injuries. Thatcher did not play Wales' 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against England and Poland in early September 2005 on grounds of injury, while playing full time three days later when Manchester City met inter-city rivals Manchester United. This angered John Toshack, and Thatcher was categorically left out of the Welsh national team in September 2005. [cite web | title=Toshack slates Thatcher's desire | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4295500.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2005-09-29 | accessdate=September 23 | accessyear=2006] Since then, he has not been selected for Wales.

Controversies

On August 23, 2006 Thatcher was involved in a controversial elbowing incident during a match between Portsmouth and Manchester City. As he and Pedro Mendes ran to get a loose ball, Thatcher viciously and intentionally led with his elbow, knocking Mendes into the advertising hoardings rendering him unconscious. Mendes required oxygen at pitchside and suffered a seizure while being transferred to hospital, where he spent the night. Mendes was discharged from hospital the next day, but remained under medical supervision. [cite web | author=James Ducker | title=Thatcher could face police investigation | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6751-2326867,00.html | work=Times Online | publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd |date=2006-08-24 | accessdate=August 24 | accessyear=2006] Thatcher, who issued a written apology to Mendes, was investigated by the FA as a result of the challenge. Greater Manchester Police noted receipt of many "statements of complaint" and also chose to investigate the matter. [cite web | title=Police, FA investigate Thatcher 'tackle' | url=http://www.setanta.com/portal/article/football::england?open&articleid=3851efc889b34dc9802571d40040b7e9 | work=Setanta Sports | publisher=Setanta |date=2006-08-24 | accessdate=August 24 | accessyear=2006] On August 30, Manchester City announced that Thatcher would be banned for six matches, two of which would be suspended, and fined six weeks' wages for the challenge. [cite web | title=Man City hand Thatcher ban & fine | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/5300184.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2006-08-30 | accessdate=August 30 | accessyear=2006] This punishment is separate from the sanctions made by the FA, who suspended Thatcher for eight matches, with a further fifteen game suspended ban for two years. [cite web | title=Thatcher banned for eight matches | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/5339964.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2006-09-12 | accessdate=August 12 | accessyear=2006]

The incident was the second time in less than three weeks that a Thatcher elbow had hospitalised an opponent, following an incident on August 4 in a pre-season tour of China, when his challenge caused a career-threatening collapsed lung in Yang Chungang, a 20-year-old midfielder from Shanghai Shenhua. Thatcher isn't new to controversy, as he has produced similar challenges against Nicky Summerbee (playing for Wimbledon against Sunderland) and Allan Nielsen of Tottenham Hotspur. He is also facing possible action from Lancashire Police over a clash with ex-Blackburn Rovers player Ralph Welch during a reserve game at Ewood Park in February 2006. [cite web | title=Thatcher faces second elbow probe | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/5323024.stm | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC |date=2006-09-07 | accessdate=October 2 | accessyear=2006]

Statistics

Honours

*League Cup
**2001-02 runners-up, with Tottenham Hotspur

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=7860|name=Ben Thatcher
* [http://www.charlton-athletic.co.uk/playerdisplay.ink?skip=29&season=2006/2007 Official Charlton Athletic F.C. profile]
* [http://www.mcfc.co.uk/default.sps?syndicatorguid=&rmasiteinstanceguid=&pagegid={439A001B-9F18-408E-BD8E-8466AB3C97FD}&bioid=12672&siteid=502 Official Manchester City F.C. profile]
* [http://www.lcfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10274~6037,00.html Official Leicester City F.C. profile]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/t/thatcher_28195.stm BBC profile]