On Tottenham Hotspur’s books as a schoolboy, Mark signed for Maidstone United in 1989-90. In that season he would captain their youth team, make his first team debut and then pick up a winners medal in the ‘Stones 1-0 Kent Senior Cup final victory over Gillingham.
He moved to Margate in the summer of 1991, still aged only 18, and would make 44 appearances and score 3 goals before leaving at the end of the 1991-92 season to play in Hong Kong. He returned a few months later, playing the remainder of the 1992-93 campaign with Heybridge Swifts. The following season he started with Enfield, moving to Braintree in January 1994 and then onto Billericay in early 1995. He would make 53 appearances for the Essex side over the next four seasons before joining Harlow Town late in 1998.
It was from Harlow that Ambers Boss Tom Loizou signed Brewer, giving him his debut in the opening game of the 1999-2000 season at Ware in the Herts Charity Cup, with Cheshunt winning 1-0. A month later he scored the first of his two goals for Cheshunt, the opener in a 3-0 win over Brimsdown Rovers in the first qualifying round of the FA Vase. He would make 47 appearances in his first season, switching from left back to right back with ease and impressing all with his battling, hard-working displays, rounding it off with another winners medal, this time in the Roy Bailey Memorial Trophy final against Hoddesdon Town.
In the 2000-01 season he made 22 appearances, remaining at Theobalds Lane when Tom Loizou departed for Enfield and continuing under his replacement, Troy Townsend. By the 2001-02 campaign, he had worn the captains armband on several occasions, covered in the centre of defence as well as midfield and ended a difficult season for the Club with another Roy Bailey Trophy winners medal, this time in a 3-1 win over St Margaretsbury.
Andy Leese took over as Manager in the summer of 2002. This caused a near-exodus of Townsend’s squad but Mark Brewer stayed and persuaded many of his team-mates to do the same, an act Leese never forgot and was quick to remind people of, in the years that followed.
However, a succession of ankle injuries prevented Leese from being able to repay his loyalty, he was only ever able to start a handful of games over the following three seasons. His final appearance for Cheshunt came in September 2004 at Barton Rovers in an FA Cup 1st qualifying round replay, making his final tally 115 appearances and two goals over six seasons.
He left to rejoin Enfield, making 12 more appearances before retiring from football at the end of the 2004-05 season, carrying on with his other career as a painter & decorator.
Mark had returned to Theobalds Lane in recent years, to watch his son Callum play in Cheshunt’s Youth sides.
Mark’s funeral will be at The Enfield Crematorium, Great Cambridge Road EN1 4DS at 2.15pm on Friday 22nd November, with a wake held at The Hyde Arms PH , 137 Victoria Rd Edmonton N9 9BB.
Our Thoughts and Prayers are with Mark’s family at this very sad time.
