Marieanne Spacey

Marieanne Spacey

Marieanne Spacey in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Marieanne Spacey
Date of birth	(1966-02-13) 13 February 1966 (age 51)
Place of birth	Sutton, London, England
Playing position	Second striker Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	British Oxygen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Friends of Fulham
1989	HJK Helsinki
1989–1993	Friends of Fulham
1993–2002	Arsenal Ladies
2002–2005	Fulham Ladies
National team
1984–2001	England	91	(28)
Teams managed
2003–2006	Fulham Ladies
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Marieanne Spacey MBE (born 13 February 1966) is an English former international women's footballer. Having played 91 times for England, Spacey is considered one of the greatest English footballers of all time.

Spacey was prevented from participating in boys' football at school but joined British Oxygen's women's team at the age of 13 in 1979. She played for Friends of Fulham under the tutelage of Fred Brockwell and was reported to have signed for Italian club Roi Lazio as a 19-year–old in 1985. Spacey also played for HJK Helsinki in Finland. The Finnish move came about through Spacey's England teammate Louise Waller, who had played for HJK the previous summer. After playing in Friends of Fulham's 3–2 WFA Cup final defeat to Leasowe Pacific at Old Trafford in April 1989, Spacey flew out to Helsinki with Waller and remained until September. Spacey then returned to England and scored 12 goals in the first five games of the 1991–92 season for her old club, who became known as Wimbledon Ladies in 1991.

Spacey then spent eight seasons with Arsenal from 1993, before moving to Fulham on a professional contract in the 2002 close season. She had missed the second part of 1995–96 due to pregnancy. In her final season with Arsenal she was the leading goalscorer and FA Players' Player of the Year, also winning a Sport Relief special achievement award. Throughout her Arsenal career Spacey had enjoyed great success as a deep–lying forward player, helping The Gunners win numerous trophies.

Vic Akers said of Spacey's career in 2009:

In 2002–03 Spacey won a domestic treble with Fulham. She became manager of the team when they reverted to semi–pro status in 2003, but left in 2006 after Fulham scrapped their women's team altogether. Later that year she became a senior coach for AFC Wimbledon Ladies. Spacey later coached the England Under–16, Under–17 and Under–19 teams as well as working in the coaching departments of Arsenal and Charlton Athletic.