 DarkcaptainingHeybridge Swifts in 2017. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lewis Kenneth Dark[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-04-11)11 April 1989 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | Harlow, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder,defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | |||
| 2005–2007 | Brentford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Brentford | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | →Farnborough (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2008 | →Ramsgate (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2008 | Wivenhoe Town | 1 | (0) |
| 2008 | Crawley Town | 1 | (0) |
| 2008 | Fisher Athletic (London) | 5 | (0) |
| 2009 | Grays Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Stansted | ||
| 2011–2012 | Redbridge | 34 | (4) |
| 2012–2014 | Maldon & Tiptree | 32 | (1) |
| 2014–2015 | Grays Athletic | 4 | (0) |
| 2015 | Witham Town | 22 | (0) |
| 2015 | VCD Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | Thamesmead Town | ||
| 2016–2018 | Heybridge Swifts | 62 | (0) |
| 2018 | Bishop's Stortford | 10 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Maldon & Tiptree | 20 | (0) |
| 2019–2023 | Grays Athletic | 49 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Grays Athletic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Lewis Kenneth Dark (born 10 April 1989) is an English semi-professionalfootballer who was recently manager ofIsthmian League North Division clubGrays Athletic.
Acentral midfielder ordefender as a player, Dark began his career atBrentford, for whom he made appearances in theFootball League, before dropping intonon-League football upon his release in 2008. He entered management with Grays Athletic in 2022.
Dark began his career in theacademy atPremier League clubTottenham Hotspur, before joining theCentre of Excellence atLeague One clubBrentford during the 2005 off-season.[3] Towards the end of a disastrous2006–07 season in League One, managerScott Fitzgerald left the club after a 3–0 defeat toCrewe Alexandra on 9 April 2007 confirmed the club's relegation toLeague Two.[4] Head of YouthBarry Quin took over ascaretaker manager until the end of the season and named Dark in his first squad for a match versusDoncaster Rovers on 21 April.[5][6] Dark made his professional debut when he came on forCharlie Ide after 80 minutes of the 3–0 defeat.[6] He made three appearances during the 2006–07 season.[6]
In June 2007, Dark signed a one-year professional contract, with the option for a further year.[7] Under new managerTerry Butcher for the2007–08 season, Dark found himself out of favour and failed to receive a call into the first team squad during the first half of the campaign.[8] He joinedSouthern League First Division South & West clubFarnborough on a one-month loan on 26 October 2007.[citation needed] Brentford manager Butcher was replaced by hisassistantAndy Scott in December 2007,[9] who called Dark into the matchday squad for a league match versusDagenham & Redbridge on 1 January 2008.[8] He remained an unused substitute during the 2–1 victory.[8] It was Dark's only involvement in the first team during the 2007–08 season and he moved toIsthmian League Premier Division clubRamsgate on a one-month loan on 1 February 2008.[citation needed] He made two appearances before returning to Brentford when his loan expired.[10] Dark was released by Brentford at the end of the 2007–08 season.[11]
Dark signed forEastern Counties League Premier Division clubWivenhoe Town in September 2008.[12] He only made a single appearance for the club, which came in a 2–1 defeat toMildenhall Town on 27 September.[13] His stay with the Dragons was brief and he departed the club on 3 October.[citation needed]
Dark joinedConference Premier clubCrawley Town on 3 October 2008.[citation needed] He made his debut as an injury time substitute for goalscorerGlenn Wilson in a 4–0 win overBarrow eight days later.[14] It proved to be his only appearance for the Red Devils.[2]
Dark dropped to theConference South to club forFisher Athletic London in November 2008 and made five appearances for the club.[15]
Dark joined Conference Premier clubGrays Athletic on non-contract terms in February 2009.[16] He failed to make an appearance for the club and spent a period out injured.[17][18]
Dark moved toEssex Senior League clubStansted in August 2009.[18] He won the firstsilverware of his career during the 2009–10 season, with the Blues winning the division title.[19] Dark signed a new deal with the club during the 2010 off-season.[20] Though Stansted finished runners up toEnfield 1893 in the league (after having three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player),[21][22] the Blues won the Essex Senior League Challenge Cup by defeating the new champions 3–0 in the final.[22] Dark left the club at the end of the 2010–11 season.[23]
Dark joined Isthmian League First Division North clubRedbridge on 27 May 2011.[23] He made his competitive debut for the club againstAFC Sudbury on 20 August 2011 and scored the Motormen's first goal in a 2–2 draw.[24] Dark made 34 appearances and four goals before departing at the end of the2011–12 season.[25]
Dark signed for Isthmian League First Division North clubMaldon & Tiptree during the 2012 off-season.[26] He was a virtual ever-present during the2012–13 season,[27] a campaign which saw the Blues finish second in the league and lose toThamesmead Town in the playoff final.[28][29] Dark made 28 appearances during the2013–14 season,[30] a campaign in which the Jammers finished out of the playoffs.[29] In June 2014, Dark signed for athird season at the Wallace Binder Ground,[31] but after making five early-season appearances,[32] he departed the club in mid-September 2014.[33]
Dark re-signed for Isthmian League Premier Division club Grays Athletic in mid-September 2014.[33] He made eight appearances before departing in January 2015.[17]
Dark signed for Isthmian League Premier Division strugglersWitham Town in January 2015.[34] He made 22 appearances in Town's unsuccessful attempt at retaining their Premier Division status and left at the end of the 2014–15 season.[35]
In May 2015, Dark joined Isthmian League Premier Division clubVCD Athletic.[36] He left the club before the beginning of the2015–16 season and instead began the campaign with Isthmian League First Division North club Thamesmead Town.[37] He remained at Bayliss Avenue until February 2016.[38]
In late February 2016, Dark signed for Isthmian League First Division North clubHeybridge Swifts.[38] During the remainder of the 2015–16 season, he made eight appearances and was a part of the team which lost 1–0 toConcord Rangers in the 2016 Essex Senior Cup Final.[39][40] During the 2017 off-season, Dark was announced as the new clubcaptain and remained a regular in the team until he lost his place in February 2018, due to a foot injury.[41][42][43][44] After making 101 appearances for the club,[44][45] Dark's contract was terminated by mutual consent in April 2018.[42]
On 8 June 2018, it was announced that Dark had joined Isthmian League Premier Division clubBishop's Stortford.[46] He made 10 appearances and scored one goal before departing Woodside Park on 12 October 2018.[47][48]
In mid-October 2018, Dark returned to Isthmian League North Division club Maldon & Tiptree on a contract until the end of the2018–19 season.[49] He made 24 appearances and helped the club to the 2019 Isthmian League North Division play-off Final, in which the Jammers were defeated onpenalties by Heybridge Swifts.[49][50] Dark left the club at the end of the season.[51]
On 4 June 2019, Dark returned to Isthmian League North Division club Grays Athletic for the third time and was announced as club captain.[51] He made 41 appearances during theCOVID-19-affected2019–20 and2020–21 seasons and 18 during2021–22.[52][53][54][55][56] Following his appointment as manager in April 2022,[57] Dark stepped back from his playing role.[58] A shortage of numbers saw him name himself as a substitute for a league match versusLowestoft Town on 18 March 2023 and he remained unused during the 2–1 victory.[58]
On 25 April 2022, Dark was appointed manager of Isthmian League North Division club Grays Athletic.[57] He presided over a2022–23 season which ended with defeat in the North Division play-off semi-finals.[59] He also guided the team to the final of the Essex Thame-Side Trophy, which was lost 3–2 toBowers & Pitsea.[60] Dark's resignation from the role was announced on 1 May 2023.[61]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 2006–07[6] | League One | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2007–08[62] | League Two | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Ramsgate (loan) | 2007–08[10] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Wivenhoe Town | 2008–09[13] | Eastern Counties League Premier Division | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Crawley Town | 2008–09[63] | Conference Premier | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Fisher Athletic London | 2008–09[15] | Conference South | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Redbridge | 2011–12[25] | Isthmian League First Division North | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | |
| Maldon & Tiptree | 2013–14[30] | Isthmian League First Division North | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |
| 2014–15[32] | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |||
| Grays Athletic | 2014–15[17] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4[a] | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Witham Town | 2014–15[35] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 22 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| Heybridge Swifts | 2015–16[39] | Isthmian League First Division North | 7 | 0 | — | — | 1[b] | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[43] | 33 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 38 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18[44] | Isthmian League North Division | 22 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 13[d] | 0 | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 62 | 1 | 10 | 1 | — | 16 | 0 | 88 | 2 | |||
| Bishop's Stortford | 2018–19[47] | Isthmian League Premier Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Maldon & Tiptree | 2018–19[49] | Isthmian League North Division | 20 | 0 | — | — | 4[e] | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Total | 52 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 57 | 0 | |||
| Grays Athletic | 2019–20[52] | Isthmian League North Division | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8[f] | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 2020–21[53] | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[g] | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22[56] | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[h] | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23[58] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 49 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | 67 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 225 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 272 | 7 | ||
Stansted
