View source for Rodney Marsh

{{Short description|English former professional footballer}}
{{For|the Australian cricketer|Rod Marsh}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Rodney Marsh
| image               = 
| image_size          = 
| caption             = 
| fullname            = Rodney William Marsh
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1944|10|11|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]], England
| height              = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}<ref name=Englandfootballonline.com/>
| position            = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| youthyears1         = 1959–1960| youthclubs1 = [[West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy|West Ham United]]
| youthyears2         = 1960–1962| youthclubs2 = [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham]]
| years1 = 1962–1966| clubs1 = [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]                                      | caps1 = 63 | goals1 = 22
| years2 = 1966–1972| clubs2 = [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]            | caps2 = 211| goals2 = 106
| years3 = 1972–1976| clubs3 = [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]                    | caps3 = 118| goals3 = 36
| years4 = 1975     | clubs4 = [[Cork Hibernians F.C.|Cork Hibernians]]                    | caps4 = 3  | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 1976–1979| clubs5 = [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]]           | caps5 = 94| goals5 = 48
| years6 = 1976–1977| clubs6 = → [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] (loan)                             | caps6 = 16 | goals6 = 5
| years7 = 1986–1987| clubs7 = [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]] (indoor)  | caps7 =  | goals7 =  
| totalcaps           = 505| totalgoals = 218
| nationalyears1 = 1968| nationalteam1 = [[England national under-21 football team|England U23]]|nationalcaps1 = 3| nationalgoals1 = 4
| nationalyears2 = 1971–1973| nationalteam2 = [[England national football team|England]]|nationalcaps2 = 9| nationalgoals2 = 1
| manageryears1       = 1980     | managerclubs1 = [[New York Apollo|New York United]] 
| manageryears2       = 1980–1983| managerclubs2 = [[Carolina Lightnin']] 
| manageryears3       = 1984–1986| managerclubs3 = [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]]
}}

'''Rodney William Marsh''' (born 11 October 1944) is an English former [[association football|footballer]] and football coach; he later worked as a broadcaster. A [[Forward (association football)|forward]], he won nine caps for [[England national football team|England]] between 1971 and 1973, scoring one international goal.

Brought up in the [[East End of London]], he played youth football for [[West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy|West Ham United]] before he made his professional debut with [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] in March 1963. He scored 22 goals in 63 [[Football League First Division|First Division]] games before falling out with the management and taking a £15,000 transfer to [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] in March 1966. He helped the club to the [[1967 Football League Cup Final|1967]] [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] and to consecutive promotions through the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] and [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]. In March 1972 he was sold to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] for £200,000. He featured in the [[1974 Football League Cup Final|1974]] League Cup final defeat but his time in Manchester was largely disappointing and he left the UK the following year to play for American club [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–93)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]].

He had a successful career with the Rowdies and went on to coach the club from 1984 to 1986 after previously having brief spells coaching [[New York Apollo|New York United]] and the [[Carolina Lightnin']]. In the 1990s he began work as a broadcaster on [[Sky Sports]], before he was sacked in January 2005. Since that time he has appeared on numerous reality television shows, and helped to run an American-based property development company with his son. In 2015, Marsh started co-hosting a radio show about football on [[SiriusXM]], titled ''Grumpy Pundits''. His co-host is Irish broadcaster Tommy Smyth.

==Early life==
Marsh was born in [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]], [[Hertfordshire]] to Lilian Dredge, a [[housewife]], and William Marsh, a [[Stevedore|docker]].<ref name="page 1">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=1}}</ref> He grew up in Palatine Road, [[Stoke Newington]], and his parents only spent a few days in Hertfordshire so his mother could avoid going into labour during [[the Blitz]].<ref name="page 1"/> Marsh had a rough upbringing as a child, particularly from his father, and in his autobiography said that this tough upbringing left him emotionally traumatised.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=3}}</ref> His father came from an even more violent family, and was partially crippled at the age of 19 after being attacked by his father with a hammer.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=9}}</ref> An only child, Marsh described his family as "incredibly poor" and until the age of 11 he slept in the corner of his parents' bedroom – the family shared a three-storey house with two other families and the only other room they had was a living room.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=7}}</ref> He attended [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] matches at [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]] with his father, and also went along to see [[Arsenal F.C. Reserves|reserve team]] matches.<ref name="page 13">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=13}}</ref> The family's poverty came to an end just as Marsh was beginning his professional football career – his father helped the landlord to fill out his weekly pool coupon, and the landlord had a massive win shortly before his death and left the house to Marsh's father in his will.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=20}}</ref>

Marsh played alongside [[Ron Harris (English footballer)|Ron "Chopper" Harris]] for [[Metropolitan Borough of Hackney|Hackney]] Schools, scoring all three goals as Hackney won the schools national championship.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=4}}</ref> His father secured him a trial for the [[West Ham United F.C. Reserves and Academy|West Ham United]] under-16s, and he impressed enough to land himself a place in the academy.<ref name="page 13"/> However, he was released after ten months by [[Wally St Pier]], who let Marsh go to open up a place on the youth team for [[Geoff Hurst]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=17}}</ref> Soon before his sixteenth birthday, Marsh was spotted by scout Bill Brown, who offered him a place in [[Fulham F.C. Academy|Fulham]]'s  youth programme.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=18}}</ref>

==Playing career==

===Fulham===
Marsh began his career with [[Football League First Division|First Division]] side [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]], and made his debut against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] at [[Craven Cottage]] on 23 March 1963 after [[Johnny Haynes]] picked up an injury.<ref name="Forward thinking">{{cite news|last=Hackett|first=Robin|title=Rodney Marsh: Forward thinking|url=http://espnfc.com/columns/story/_/id/1128599/the-mavericks:-rodney-marsh?cc=5901|access-date=3 November 2013|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=9 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="page 29">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=29}}</ref> He scored the winning goal on his debut with a volley from a [[George Cohen]] cross, prompting manager [[Bedford Jezzard]] to state that "No boy could have had a better first game".<ref name="Forward thinking"/><ref name="page 29"/> Haynes returned to the starting line-up the next week, but Marsh was accommodated with the number eight shirt.<ref name="page 29"/>

In September 1963, he collided with [[John Sjoberg]] whilst scoring a winning goal against [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]] and was ruled out of action for ten months with a broken jaw and skull.<ref name="page 30">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=30}}</ref> The incident left him with a permanent loss of hearing in his left ear.<ref name="Forward thinking"/> For weeks he was unable to keep his balance whilst standing, and he was told by one specialist that he would never play football again.<ref name="page 30"/>

He returned to fitness in the [[1964–65 Football League|1964–65]] season and was utilized at centre forward, and formed an effective partnership with Haynes to secure 17 goals to become the [[List of Fulham F.C. seasons|club's top-scorer]].<ref name="page 32"/> However manager [[Bedford Jezzard]] left the club and Marsh did not get along with new boss [[Vic Buckingham]].<ref name="page 32"/> He ridiculed Buckingham, who in turn froze Marsh out of the first team.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=33}}</ref>

===Queens Park Rangers===
Marsh moved [[West London derby|across West London]] to join [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]], then in the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]], after manager [[Alec Stock]] paid out a £15,000 fee in March 1966.<ref name="Rodney Marsh">{{cite web|title=Rodney Marsh|url=http://www.football-england.com/rodney_marsh.html|work=football-england.com|access-date=3 November 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104133823/http://www.football-england.com/rodney_marsh.html|archive-date=4 November 2013}}</ref> QPR finished third at the end of the [[1965–66 Football League|1965–66]] campaign, eight points outside promoted [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]].

His [[1966–67 Football League|first full season with Rangers]] was his most successful, as he formed an effective strike partnership with [[Les Allen]], whilst [[Roger Morgan (footballer)|Roger Morgan]] and [[Mark Lazarus]] delivered reliable service from the wings.<ref name="page 46">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=46}}</ref> Marsh scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 4–0 win over [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]].<ref name="page 40">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=40}}</ref> He scored 44 goals in 53 games as the club became Third Division champions; his 30 league goals made him the division's [[List of Queens Park Rangers F.C. seasons|top-scorer]]. QPR also won the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]], with Marsh setting Rangers on their way with four goals during a 5–0 victory over [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]] at [[Layer Road]].<ref name="page 40"/> They needed a replay to overcome [[Aldershot F.C.|Aldershot]], before they beat [[Swansea City A.F.C.|Swansea Town]], top-flight [[Leicester City F.C.|Leicester City]], [[Carlisle United F.C.|Carlisle United]] and [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]. Their opponents in the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] [[1967 Football League Cup Final|final]] were [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], who had won the cup the previous year. The "Baggies" took a two-goal lead before half-time, but Rangers fought back in the second half and on the 75th minute Marsh scored what he described as "the defining goal of my career" when he made a mazy run past numerous defenders before finding the net with a 25-yard shot that went in off the post.<ref name="Forward thinking"/><ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=43}}</ref> Lazarus scored QPR's third goal six minutes later to win the game 3–2.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=44}}</ref> A week after the final [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] manager witnessed Marsh put in a strong performance against [[Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic F.C.|Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic]] and he offered to pay QPR £180,000 for Marsh and Morgan, but his offer was rejected by chairman [[Jim Gregory (football chairman)|Jim Gregory]].<ref name="page 46"/>

The [[1967–68 Football League|1967–68]] season saw a second successive promotion as QPR reached the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] as runners-up in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], ahead of [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] on goal average. Marsh was again top-scorer with 14 goals despite missing the start of the season with a broken foot.<ref name="Forward thinking"/> He signed a new four-year contract in the summer.<ref name="Forward thinking"/>

Rangers were unable to compete in the top-flight, and Marsh himself struggled with injury as the club suffered relegation with only 18 points to their name.<ref name="Rodney Marsh"/> He broke his foot in pre-season training for the [[1968–69 Football League|1968–69]] campaign and missed the opening months; during this time the club struggled as Stock resigned before the season started, and he was replaced by [[Bill Dodgin, Jr.|Bill Dodgin]] in a caretaker capacity.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=49}}</ref> By the time Marsh recovered from his injury manager [[Tommy Docherty]]'s first 28-day spell in charge at [[Loftus Road]] had come and gone.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=51}}</ref>

In summer 1969, Marsh was sent off in a friendly against [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] after punching [[Kai Johansen]] in retaliation for a kick Johansen gave Marsh.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=12}}</ref> In the [[1969–70 Football League|1969–70]] season he and [[Barry Bridges]] shared 46 goals equally between them, as QPR finished in ninth position. They also reached the quarter-finals of the [[FA Cup]], which was then the club's joint-best achievement in the competition.

Marsh again hit 23 goals in the [[1970–71 Football League|1970–71]] campaign, as Rangers again finished in mid-table obscurity under the stewardship of [[Gordon Jago]]. However Marsh lost his captaincy to new signing [[Terry Venables]].<ref name="page 55">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=55}}</ref>

He hit 20 goals in the [[1971–72 Football League|1971–72]] season to finish as the club's top-scorer for the second successive season. Before the season began he signed a new contract on the understanding that he would leave the club if they could not achieve promotion by the end of the season.<ref name="page 55"/> QPR were still in the hunt for promotion by the time that Marsh was sold – they eventually finished a few points short, however the sum offered by [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] was too much for the club to refuse.<ref name="page 56"/>

===Manchester City===
In March 1972, he was signed for [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] by [[Malcolm Allison]] for a [[List of Manchester City F.C. records and statistics|then-club record]] £200,000.<ref name="page 56"/> City were four points clear at the top of the table when Marsh was signed, but by the end of [[1971–72 Football League|the season]] they had slipped to fourth.<ref name="Rodney Marsh"/> Many pundits criticised the signing, pointing out that Marsh was a maverick player ill-suited to Allison's well-drilled set-up.<ref name="Rodney Marsh"/> He initially replaced [[Wyn Davies]] up front in a 4-4-2 formation, before playing alongside Davies, [[Mike Summerbee]] and [[Francis Lee (footballer)|Francis Lee]] in a 4-2-4 set-up.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=61}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Right, no beating about the bush, I have to hold my hands up – I cost Manchester City the 1972 league championship.|Marsh agreed with the critics in his 2001 autobiography, saying that he regretted the move to Manchester City and he felt he let the supporters down.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=59}}</ref>}}

Marsh became [[List of Manchester City F.C. seasons|City's top-scorer]], scoring 19 goals in [[1972–73 Football League|1972–73]]. However the club entered into a decline when Allison resigned in March 1973; over the next year [[Johnny Hart (English footballer)|Johnny Hart]], [[Tony Book]] and [[Ron Saunders]] all had spells as City manager. The "Sky Blues" finished 11th in 1972–73 and 14th in [[1973–74 Football League|1973–74]]. They did though reach [[1974 Football League Cup Final|the final]] of the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] in 1974, losing 2–1 to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]]. Marsh was so disappointed by the defeat he threw away his runners-up medal.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=72}}</ref>

Tony Book started his second spell as City's manager in April 1974, and despite being club captain Marsh showed no respect for Book.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=74}}</ref> City finished eighth in [[1974–75 Football League|1974–75]] and [[1975–76 Football League|1975–76]]. Marsh was transfer-listed and sent to train with the reserves after chairman [[Peter Swales]] told Book the details of a private conversation the pair had held:<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=78}}</ref>

<blockquote>If you think I'm effing useless it's not going to work. Do you want to take it back? (Book)</blockquote>

<blockquote>No chance. In fact, thinking about it more, you're not that good. (Marsh)</blockquote>

===Later career===
In the middle of 1975 Marsh played a handful of matches for [[Cork Hibernians F.C.|Cork Hibernians]] for a fee of £600 a game.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=79}}</ref> He later was flown to [[Los Angeles]] as a guest of [[Elton John]], who was then chairman of the [[Los Angeles Aztecs]] in the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|NASL]], but before he agreed to join the club he was approached in January 1976 by the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=80}}</ref> He was sold to the Rowdies in April 1976 for a £40,000 fee.<ref name="Forward thinking"/> He made two oft-quoted remarks during his transfer, stating that "football in England had become a grey game, played on grey days by grey people" and upon arriving in America he announced that "[[Pelé]] is known as the black Rodney Marsh" after the Rowdies owner said that "Rodney Marsh is known as the white Pelé".<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=85}}</ref>

He played from 1976 to 1979 in the States, leading the Rowdies to the [[Soccer Bowl]] in his final two seasons. Both times they would come up short. Marsh was a NASL All-Star every year, making the first-team in 1976 and 1978, the second team in 1977 and as an Honorable Mention in his final season. Despite this success he suffered from depression and was drinking heavily for much of his time there.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=95}}</ref> Head coach [[Eddie Firmani]] resigned from the club in 1977 after becoming frustrated with Marsh's ill-discipline; he was replaced by [[John Boyle (footballer born 1946)|John Boyle]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=113}}</ref> Marsh stopped his drinking after his doctor told him that alcohol was destroying his liver and seriously shortening his life expectancy.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=119}}</ref> Marsh left the club after being forced out in 1979.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=123}}</ref> He went off in another tantrum after being substituted with ten minutes to go of his competitive career by head coach [[Gordon Jago]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=124}}</ref> While serving as Rowdies manager for the 1986–87 [[American Indoor Soccer Association|AISA]] season, the long-retired Marsh was pressed into service once again as a player, due to a rash of injuries on the squad.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mytampabayrowdies.blogspot.com/2008/09/198687-rowdies_20.html|title=TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG|author=TB Rowdie|date=20 September 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THg3iUR8Atc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/THg3iUR8Atc |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Canton Invaders vs Tampa Bay Rowdies 3.15.1987|date=5 January 2012|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

He spent the winter of the [[1976–77 Football League|1976–77]] season on loan at [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]], now in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]], after learning that [[George Best]] would also be playing at [[Craven Cottage]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=96}}</ref> The "Cottagers" were then a fashionable club where celebrities would often be in attendance and players like Marsh and Best would spend much of their free time in London nightclubs; manager [[Alec Stock]] ensured that the partying off the pitch did not hamper progress on the pitch.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=99}}</ref> Stock resigned and new boss [[Bobby Campbell (English footballer)|Bobby Campbell]] took the club as high as fourth place before a run of nine defeats in 12 games saw Fulham slide down the table.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=106}}</ref> The bleak wintery conditions eventually took their toll on Best and Marsh, who both returned to the US early in 1976.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=109}}</ref>

==International career==
Marsh made his [[England national football team|England]] debut in a 1–1 draw with [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley]] in November 1971, coming on as a substitute for [[Francis Lee (footballer)|Francis Lee]].<ref name="page 56">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=56}}</ref> He won a total of nine [[Cap (sport)|caps]], scoring one goal, which came in a 3–0 victory over [[Wales national football team|Wales]].

It has been reported that the England manager [[Alf Ramsey]] told him "I'll be watching you for the first 45 minutes and if you don't work harder I'll pull you off at half time," to which Marsh replied: "Crikey, Alf, at QPR all we get is an orange and a cup of tea."<ref name=hero/>

==Style of play==
Often cited as a player who did not make the most of his talents, Marsh was a strong [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]] with great technical ability.<ref name="Rodney Marsh"/> An excellent [[Dribbling#Association football|dribbler]] of the ball,<ref name="Forward thinking"/> he was capable of producing moments of rare skill and extravagant attempts on goal, which earned him a reputation as a show-boater.<ref name="Rodney Marsh"/> His ability and the rarity which he played to his full potential earned him comparisons to [[George Best]].<ref name=hero>{{cite news|last=Hattenstone|first=Simon|title=The day I met my hero, Rodney Marsh|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/mar/24/rodney-marsh-manchester-city|access-date=3 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=24 March 2010}}</ref> He would regularly retaliate against players who used foul play to stop his runs, and picked up numerous fines from the FA for fighting back against his aggressors.<ref name="Forward thinking"/>

{{blockquote|I would feel more elation if we lost 4–3 in a match which really touched the heights than us sneaking through 1–0 in one of those grey matches. If we cannot remind people what a great game it is then we will have missed a tremendous opportunity."|Marsh speaking before the [[1974 Football League Cup Final]].<ref name="Forward thinking"/>}}

==Coaching career==
He retired after 1979, and coached [[New York Apollo|New York United]] in the [[American Soccer League (1933-1983)|ASL]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=128}}</ref> He resigned three months into his contract when the general manager insisted that he sign five [[Uruguay]]an refugees to the club against his wishes.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=129}}</ref> In 1981, he was appointed head coach and CEO of the newly created [[Carolina Lightnin']], and quickly assembled a team around star midfielder [[Don Tobin]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=131}}</ref> He coached the team to the Freedom Conference title in [[1981 American Soccer League|1981]], and they went on to beat his former club New York United 2–1 in the championship final.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=133}}</ref> In [[1982 American Soccer League|1982]] they lost at the semi-final stage to the [[Oklahoma City Slickers]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=136}}</ref> He then hired [[Bobby Moore]] as a coach.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=137}}</ref> At the end of a disappointing [[1983 American Soccer League|1983]] campaign the league folded and Marsh returned to the [[Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993)|Tampa Bay Rowdies]] as head coach in October 1983.<ref name="page 140">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=140}}</ref> There he gave [[Roy Wegerle]] his debut as a professional player.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=141}}</ref> After the [[1984 North American Soccer League season|1984]] season the [[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] also disbanded.<ref name="page 140"/> The club remained however, and later joined the [[National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001)|National Professional Soccer League]]. Marsh relinquished his coaching duties and remained on as CEO, and appointed [[Mark Lawrenson]] and later [[Malcolm Allison]], [[Ricky Hill]], [[David Hay]] and [[Ken Fogarty]] as head coaches.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=143}}</ref>

==Media career==
After ending his coaching career, Marsh undertook a three-year roadshow tour with [[George Best]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=153}}</ref> He began his career in the media with Best, presenting football related videos, before he became a regular feature on television.<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=157}}</ref> In 1994, he spent a brief period as CEO of [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]].<ref>{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=164}}</ref>

Marsh worked as a pundit for [[Sky Sports]] for many years. Whilst there he was involved in long-running banter with [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]] and its supporters in the [[1999–2000 Bradford City A.F.C. season|1999–2000]] season, in which he flippantly dismissed their chances of survival in the [[Premier League]].<ref name="hair today">{{cite web |author=Ben Bailey and Patrick Whyte |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-premier-league-casualties---clubs-that-have-struggled-since-relegation.do |title=Premier League casualties – clubs that have struggled since relegation |work=Evening Standard|location=London |date=19 March 2009 |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818124710/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23664566-premier-league-casualties---clubs-that-have-struggled-since-relegation.do |archive-date=18 August 2011 }}</ref> He offered to shave all of his hair off if the club stayed up, and honoured his bet and had his hair removed in the centre circle of [[Valley Parade]].<ref name="hair today"/>

He appeared on ''[[Soccer Saturday]]'' for a total of 11 years until he was sacked in January 2005.<ref name="tasteless remark">{{cite news|last=Gibson|first=Owen|title=Marsh sacked by Sky for tasteless remark|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2005/jan/26/newsstory.sport5|access-date=4 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=26 January 2005}}</ref> He was fired after he joked about the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|2004 Asian tsunami]] during a live broadcast of ''[[You're On Sky Sports]]''.<ref name="stupidity stakes">{{cite news|last=Cohen|first=Victoria|title=Sky ups the ante in the stupidity stakes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2005/jan/30/features.review7|access-date=4 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=30 January 2005}}</ref> He had said: "[[David Beckham]] has turned down a move to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] because of trouble with the '[[Newcastle United F.C.#Supporters and rivalries|Toon Army]] in Asia'."<ref name="tasteless remark"/> Whilst Marsh subsequently apologised on air, this was not enough to save his job.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4208135.stm |title=TV pundit sacked for tsunami joke |publisher=BBC News |date=26 January 2005 |access-date=7 September 2012}}</ref> Subsequently, Marsh joined [[Talksport]] as a presenter, co-hosting the daily Drivetime show with Paul Breen-Turner.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/aug/03/broadcasting.radio|work=The Guardian|date=3 August 2005|title=Marsh joins TalkSport}}</ref> In 2006, Talksport received a number of complaints and the programme director issued an apology after Marsh made a newsreader laugh uncontrollably whilst she was reporting the death of a British soldier in [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/rodney-rapped-1624919|work=Daily Mirror|date=10 September 2006|title=Rodney Rapped}}</ref> Marsh left the station in October 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/marsh-decides-its-game-over-1627165|work=Daily Mirror|date=22 October 2006|title=Marsh decides it's game over}}</ref>

Since then Marsh attempted to rebuild his career with appearances on reality television. He appeared in the [[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (UK series 7)|2007 series]] of [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s ''[[I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!]]'' where he was the fifth person to be voted off the show; Celebrity ''[[Come Dine with Me]]'' on Channel 4 in January 2009, in which he came in joint second place tied with [[Abi Titmuss]]; the [[Celebrity Coach Trip (series 1)|first series]] of Celebrity [[Coach Trip]] on Channel 4 in November 2010, where he was partnered with [[Cheryl Baker]]; other notable appearances include ''[[Sing If You Can]]'' and ''[[Cash in the Attic]]''. He is currently cohost of Grumpy Pundits on Sirius Radio.

==Personal life==
He married Jean Barry in March 1967.<ref name=Englandfootballonline.com>{{cite web|title=Profile|url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersM/BioMarshRW.html|work=englandfootballonline.com|access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref> The pair met a few years earlier at a [[jazz club]] in [[Manor Park, London|Manor Park]].<ref name="page 32">{{harvnb|Marsh|2001|p=32}}</ref>

He and his son Jonathan founded the Marsh Group, a property development company in [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]], [[Florida]], in 1996.<ref name="Where R they">{{cite web|title=Rangers legend now working in property and media|url=http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/230513-where-r-they-now-rodney-marsh-833039.aspx|work=qpr.co.uk|date=23 May 2013 |access-date=3 November 2013}}</ref> After retiring as a player Marsh continued to support QPR and Manchester City. Today he is now a co-host for a radio show called ''Grumpy Pundits'' on [[Sirius XM]].

==Honours==
'''Queens Park Rangers'''
* [[Football League Cup|League Cup]]: [[1967 Football League Cup Final|1967]]
* [[Football League Third Division]]: [[1966–67 Football League|1966–67]]
* [[Football League Second Division]] runner-up: [[1967–68 Football League|1967–68]]

'''Manchester City'''
* [[FA Community Shield|FA Charity Shield]]: [[1972 FA Charity Shield|1972]]
* [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] runner-up: [[1974 Football League Cup Final|1974]]

'''Tampa Bay Rowdies'''
* [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|NASL]] regular season premiership: [[1976 North American Soccer League season#Regular season|1976]]
* NASL Atlantic Conference Eastern Division: [[1976 North American Soccer League season|1976]]
* NASL Indoor: [[1976 NASL Indoor tournament|1976]]
* NASL American Conference: [[1978 North American Soccer League season|1978]], [[1979 North American Soccer League season|1979]]
* [[Soccer Bowl]] runner-up: [[Soccer Bowl '78|1978]], [[Soccer Bowl '79|1979]]

'''Carolina Lightnin''''
* [[American Soccer League (1933-1983)|American Soccer League]]: [[1981 American Soccer League|1981]]

'''England'''
* [[British Home Championship]]: [[1971–72 British Home Championship|1971–72]] (shared)

'''Individual'''
* NASL All-Star Selections: [[1976 North American Soccer League season#NASL All-Stars|1976 First Team]] ''(Best XI)'', [[1977 North American Soccer League season#NASL All-Stars|1977 Second Team]], [[1978 North American Soccer League season#NASL All-Stars|1978 First Team]] ''(Best XI)'', [[1979 North American Soccer League season#NASL All-Stars|1979 Honorable Mention]]

==References==
'''Specific'''
{{reflist}}

'''General'''
*{{Citation|last=Marsh|first=Rodney |author2=Alex Henderson|title=Priceless|publisher=[[Headline Publishing Group|Headline]]|year=2001|isbn=0-7553-1000-4 |ref=CITEREFMarsh2001}}

{{1976 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1977 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1978 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1979 NASL All-Stars}}
{{English Third Division top scorers}}
{{Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993) managers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Rodney}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Hatfield, Hertfordshire]]
[[Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Hackney]]
[[Category:People from Hackney, London]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:England men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Fulham F.C. players]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Manchester City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Cork Hibernians F.C. players]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975–1993) players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]]
[[Category:National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate soccer coaches in the United States]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) head coaches]]
[[Category:United Soccer League (1984–85) coaches]]
[[Category:National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) coaches]]
[[Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) coaches]]
[[Category:English television presenters]]
[[Category:English association football commentators]]
[[Category:Sky Sports presenters and reporters]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Rowdies coaches]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Rowdies executives]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Player-coaches]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:English expatriate men's footballers]]