Aizlewood: Mark

1987-1989 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

Midfield

Born: Newport: 01-10-1959

Debut: v Sheffield United (a): 07-02-1987

6’0” 12st 8lb (1987)

Aizlewood started with Cromwell F.C. before joining Newport County as an apprentice in 1975-76. He became a full-time professional in October 1977, where he followed his elder brother, Steve, debuting as a sixteen year-old schoolboy. He gained Welsh honours at Schoolboy, Youth, where he was Captain, and Under-Twenty-Three and turned down Arsenal to join his local club. With an ability to play in either defence or midfield and already a Welsh Under-Twenty-Three International he was only eighteen when Luton Town paid £50,000 for him in April 1978, after appearing in thirty eight League games, three of which were as a substitute, and scoring three goals, while at Somerton Park. He continued to develop at Kenilworth Road and was part of their promotion team before leaving for Charlton Athletic, again for £50,000, in November 1982. He scored three times in ninety-eight League appearances of which eight were from the bench at Kenilworth Road. He made his debut for the Addicks on 6th November 1982 against Leeds at Elland Road, where thanks to a goal from ex-Leeds winger and fellow Welsh International, Carl Harris, Charlton won 2-1. He became club "Player of the Year" at the Valley in both 1985 and 1986 and captained their Second Division promotion team in 1985-86. He made one hundred and fifty-two League starts and scored nine times while at the Valley. He also gained his first Welsh cap against Saudi Arabia on 15th February 1986. He almost achieved a double with Leeds after being transferred for £200,000 on 5th February 1987. Ironically they fell to Charlton Athletic in the final play-off game of 1986-87 and were beaten in the F.A. Cup Semi-Final by Coventry City in extra time. Aizlewood was unable to play in the F.A. Cup as he was "Cup-tied", having already played for Charlton before joining Leeds. He was bought by Billy Bremner to give organisation and strength to his midfield and his difference and authority was acknowledged as he was handed the captaincy. The defensive Midfielder had accumulated ten full Welsh Caps by the end of 1987-88 but there were sections of the crowd who did not agree with the Manager’s assessment and after Bremner was replaced by Howard Wilkinson it all went sour and in 1988-89 he ended his association with Leeds after being stripped of the captaincy and getting a fourteen day ban for a rude gesture to the crowd after they had barracked him. It happened in a home game against Walsall on 1st May 1989 in front of a sparse 13,280 crowd when after being barracked incessently by a section of the crowd, he scored the only goal of the game and in celebration gestured to the section who had been booing him. It came as no surprise when he joined Bradford City for £200,000 in August 1989. He stayed there for a year, scoring once in thirty-nine League starts, before £125,000 took him to Bristol City. He made ninety-nine starts in the League with two more from the bench and scored three times while at Ashton Gate. In October 1993 he joined Cardiff City and became player-coach under Terry Yorath in 1994-95. It was there that he won the last of his thirty-nine full Welsh Caps. He scored three times from thirty-nine League starts for the Bluebirds. Subsequent to leaving Cardiff he remained in Wales and played for Non-League teams, Merthyr Tydfil, Barry Town and back to where it all started with Newport AFC. He then moved to Aberystwyth Town in 1996, where he scored once in thirty games, and as player/coach at Carmarthen Town the following year. Then he joined Cwmbran Town as Assistant Manager in 2003, where he made sixty-nine appearances, and followed that by becoming Ian Rush’s assistant at Chester City in 2004, but was sacked in April 2005. He became technical director of the Welsh Under-Sixteen side in 2003 and also assisted Ian Rush in developing the Under-Seventees. Aizlewood was a fine athlete, a highly qualified Coach, and he also excelled at Baseball, Cricket and Golf. In November 2009 in his Welsh-lanuage biography Amddiffyn fy Hun (Defending Myself) he admitted to a twenty-seven year battle with alcohol. He had been sober for five years when the book was written and lived in Chepstow. He was working as an education consultant, running courses with the government.