Born in Crewe, Mark Rivers was one of the first players to come all the way through the schoolboy ranks which Dario Gradi established upon his appointment in 1983, to become a first team footballer.
After making his debut in 1994, Rivers was part of the side which first saw the Alex promoted to the second tier of English football via the play-offs back in 1997 and was always a consistent goalscorer for the club, whether be from a position wide on the right of midfield, or centrally through the middle.
He score seven goals during that promotion campaign, including one in the play-off Semi Final win over Luton Town and went one better with eight the following season as the Railwaymen achieved their best ever finish in the clubs history.
28 goals in the next three seasons saw interest from other clubs, but Rivers then shocked the Alex when he became the first player in the Dario Gradiera to ask for a transfer. He did so at the end of the 2000/2001 season and a subsequent £600,000 move to Norwich City soon occurred.
In his first season at Carrow Road, Rivers was used sparingly by boss Nigel Worthington but was recalled to the side for the decisive run-in. But Mark did score in the play-off defeat of Wolves in the semi-final and he also appeared in the final against Birmingham but was withdrawn before the Canaries lost out on penalties.
Unfortunately injuries proved to be a disruptive force for Rivers during his time at Carrow Road and despite starting the 2003/04 season with four goals in as many games, another injury hampered his appearances that term and he was released in the summer.
After a short spell on trial with Ipswich Town, Rivo made a surprise appearance in the pre-season victory over Everton in 2004 and signed a two year contract a few days later. Eight goals in his first season back in South Cheshire showed Rivo has not lost that goalscoring touch, and although his opportunities were a bit more limited in the 2005/06 campaign, he proved to be a loyal servant for his hometown club.
In January 2006 however, Rivers decided it was time to pursue first team opportunities elsewhere and signed on a free transfer for Carlisle United before drifting into retirement and concentrating on his property development business.
Career Stats
| Club |
Apps |
Goals |
| Carlisle United |
- |
- |
| Crewe Alexandra |
38 (18) |
11 |
| Norwich City |
60 (22) |
11 |
| Crewe Alexandra |
209 (30) |
58 |
|
|
|
| Total |
507 (70) |
80 |
