Source: FOOTYMAD
R.I.P Mark Ovendale
Goal-keeper loses battle with cancer. Former Luton, Bournemouth and York goal-keeper Mark Ovendale has tragically lost his battle with cancer at the age of 37.Ovendale who had his greatest success with Welsh champions Barry Town between 1995-1998 before spending making 311 appearances with Bournemouth, Luton, York and Tiverton and Newport County where he retired in 2007 due to a long stand hip injury. He joined Wimborne Town as a coach in August 2008 but was terribly diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 2010.Ovendale made four appearances against Barnsley - a League Cup tie with Bournemouth in October 1998 which the Reds won 2-1 courtesy of goals from Ashley Ward and Jan Aage Fjortoft and then in the FA Cup just three months later when Barnsley again triumphed, this time 3-1 with strikes from Darren Sheridan, Craig Hignett and Martin Bullock. Incidentally whilst at Bournemouth his understudy was a 24 year old Nick Colgan who left the Cherries without managing to dislodge Ovendale and joined Hibernian where he was a great success before being signed by Barnsley’s then manager Paul Hart in 2004.Ovendale’s other two games against The Reds came with Luton in January 2003 when Luton’s goal-keeper Carl Emberson was sent off after just 36 minutes and Ovendale came on and was only beaten by a Bruce Dyer penalty as Luton won 3-2, and then with York in an FA Cup tie in November 2003. This time Isaiah Rankin and Kevin Betsy beat him in a 2-1 Barnsley win.All of us at TykesMad send their sincere condolences to Mark’s family and friends.
