Tamworth
Gavin Mahon played for which team between Jul 2013 and Sep 2013?
Gavin Mahon Gavin Andrew Mahon ( born 2 January 1977 ) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder . Mahon started his career as a trainee at Wolverhampton Wanderers , although he did not make any first-team appearances for the club . In July 1996 , he joined Hereford United on a free transfer , and went on to play two-and-a-half years of regular first-team football . Mahon signed for Brentford in November 1998 , for a fee that rose to £130,000 . He helped the club earn promotion from Division Three during the 1998–99 campaign , and went on to make over 150 appearances for the west London side . He joined Watford for £150,000 in March 2002 , and would later captain the club to promotion into the Premier League . Mahon then signed for Queens Park Rangers ahead of the 2008–09 season , following a successful loan spell the previous season . Injuries hampered the latter stages of his QPR career , and he was briefly loaned out to Crystal Palace in March 2011 , although he did not make any appearances for the club . Mahon signed for Notts County on a free transfer in August 2011 . He was loaned to Stevenage in February 2013 , for the remainder of the 2012–13 campaign . Mahon left Notts County at the end of the season , and briefly joined Portsmouth in October 2013 for a one-month spell . He signed for Tamworth in December 2013 , playing for the club for the rest of the 2013–14 season in what was the final playing role of his football career . Playing career . Early career . Mahon began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers , progressing through the youth ranks with the club and playing regularly for the youth team . He was released by Wolves at the end of the 1995–96 campaign , having made no first-team appearances . In July 1996 , he signed for Hereford United of Division Three on a free transfer , making his first professional appearance in the clubs 1–0 victory over Doncaster Rovers on 24 August 1996.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 1996/1997></ref> Mahon scored the first goal of his career during the same season , in a 3–0 win against Rochdale . Despite featuring seven times during the early stages of the season , he did not make any further first-team appearances from November onwards , with Hereford suffering relegation to the Conference National at the end of the campaign . Mahon remained at Hereford for the 1997–98 season , playing in all 42 league matches as Hereford finished the season in sixth place . Brentford . In November 1998 , Mahon signed for Division Three side Brentford , joining for a nominal fee of £50,000 , which eventually increased to £130,000 under the terms of the deal . Mahon made his Brentford debut in the clubs 2–1 defeat to Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on 21 November 1998 , and instantly became a permanent fixture in the sides midfield.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 1997/1998></ref> He opened his goalscoring account for Brentford in the clubs first match of 1999 , scoring the third goal in a 3–1 win over Barnet at Griffin Park . His first season with the club proved to be a successful one , with Brentford earning promotion to Division Two as champions , winning the league by four points . Mahon made 32 appearances during the campaign , contributing with four goals . The 1999–00 season was Mahons first full season with the west London club , making 44 appearances in all competitions and scoring three times,<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 1999/2000></ref> as Brentford consolidated their place in Division Two with a mid-table finish . Mahon was almost ever-present during the 2000–01 season , making 51 appearances in league and cup competitions,<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2000/2001></ref> as Brentford once again finished in mid-table . He scored once that season , restoring parity in an away game against Bristol City in December 2000 , a match that Brentford went on to win 2–1 . He was also named in the starting line-up for the first competitive final of his career , as Brentford lost 2–1 to Port Vale in the Football League Trophy Final . The campaign also witnessed the first red card of Mahons career , receiving the dismissal in the 83rd minute in a 1–0 home defeat to Swindon Town towards the latter stages of the season . His fourth straight season at Brentford started well , with the club going on an eight-match unbeaten start to the season.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2001/2002></ref> He made 39 appearances during the season , and was named Brentfords Player of the Year for the campaign despite leaving the west London club three months before the end of the season . During his three-and-a-half years at Brentford , Mahon made 166 appearances in all competitions , scoring eight goals . Watford . In March 2002 , Mahon signed for Division One side Watford for an initial fee of £150,000 . The move came about as a result of Watford reserve team manager Ray Lewington , who had previously signed Mahon at Brentford , recommending the player to new manager Gianluca Vialli . Vialli subsequently went to watch him play , and opted to make Mahon his first signing for the club . On signing for Watford , Mahon stated — As soon as I knew Watford were interested I was ready to jump at the chance . He made his Watford debut on 9 March 2002 , playing the whole match in a 2–0 away win over Crystal Palace . Mahon went on to make a further five appearances for the club during the remainder of the 2001–02 season . Ahead of the 2002–03 season , under the management of Lewington once again following Viallis sacking , Mahon was one of several players who took a voluntary pay cut as a result Watfords financial troubles . Shortly before the start of pre-season , it was announced that Mahon was going to miss the opening months of the new campaign after sustaining a knee injury in May 2002 . He returned to first-team action in the clubs 2–1 win over Burnley at Vicarage Road on 30 November 2002 , and went on to make a total of 22 appearances during the campaign.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2002/2003></ref> Five of those appearances were in Watfords FA Cup run , as they narrowly lost 2–1 in the semi-final to Southampton at Villa Park . Mahon played in the clubs opening game of the 2003–04 season , a 1–0 home win over Bournemouth in the League Cup , and remained ever-present during the first two months of the campaign.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2003/2004></ref> An injury in the clubs 1–0 away victory against Crewe Alexandra on 4 October 2003 ultimately ruled Mahon out for two months . In January 2004 , Mahon scored his first goal for Watford , scoring with a header to give the club a brief lead over Premier League side Chelsea in the Third Round of the FA Cup , in an eventual 2–2 draw . He added to his goal tally twice during the second half of the season , in home matches against Sunderland and Derby County respectively . The goals meant Mahon had scored three times during a season that produced another mid-table finish , making 36 appearances in all competitions . Shortly after the season had finished , he was voted as the clubs Player of the Season . Two months into the 2004–05 season , in October 2004 , it was announced that Mahon had signed a new three-year contract extension with the club , keeping him at Watford until 2007 . On Mahon signing the new deal , Lewington stated — Ive known Gavin a long time and it doesnt surprise me that hes become a very important part of our squad . He made 51 appearances during the season,<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2004/2005></ref> although did not get on the scoresheet , in what was a difficult year for the club . Watford narrowly staved off relegation by two points under the new management of Aidy Boothroyd , after picking up seven points from their final three matches . Following the departure of previous captain Sean Dyche , Mahon was appointed club captain ahead of the 2005–06 season . Watford began the season in positive fashion , with Mahon scoring his first goal of the new campaign in a 3–1 home win over Burnley on 20 August 2005 . He added to his tally in November that year when he scored Watfords first goal in a 2–1 away victory against Hull City , before also giving Watford an early lead in a comfortable 3–1 win against Southampton at St Marys in March 2006 . Watford exceeded all expectations during the season , with Mahons leadership and combative nature playing a key role in guiding Watfords young squad to a third-place finish . Mahon played in all three play-off matches as Watford firstly disposed of Crystal Palace 3–0 on aggregate , before defeating Leeds United by a 3–0 scoreline in the final at the Millennium Stadium in May 2006 . The victory meant Watford had earned promotion to the Premier League , in what was a memorable first season as captain for Mahon , making 43 appearances.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2005/2006></ref> Shortly after gaining promotion , in July 2006 , Mahon signed a two-year contract extension with the club . He subsequently started in the clubs first game since their return to the top flight , playing the whole match as Watford lost 2–1 to Everton at Goodison Park . Mahon made 38 appearances during the season,<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2006/2007></ref> scoring once with a fierce volley in a 4–2 win against Portsmouth , a goal that was nominated for Aprils Goal of the Month award . Watford were relegated back to the Championship after finishing in 20th position . The club made the FA Cup semi-final that campaign , losing 4–1 to Manchester United at Villa Park , with Mahon playing in three of Watfords five FA Cup ties that campaign . With the club back in the Championship for the 2007–08 season , Mahon continued to feature regularly during the first half of the season , making 19 appearances.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2007/2008></ref> However , in December 2007 , manager Aidy Boothroyd told Mahon that he wanted to build a squad that was ready for the Premier League , and that Mahon did not feature in his future plans . Mahon stated — I said to Aidy that I wanted to stay , at least until the end of the season . I wanted to get a second promotion in three years on my CV . Aidy explained his reasons why , and I have no grudges with him for that . Mahon left Watford when the club were in first place in the Championship , although they would ultimately finish in sixth position . Boothroyd later stated that he regretted letting Mahon leave too early . During his five-and-a-half-year spell with Watford , Mahon made 215 appearances and scored seven goals . Queens Park Rangers . Mahon subsequently joined Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers on an emergency loan basis on 31 December 2007 , with a view to a permanent transfer at the end of the season . QPR beat four or five other Championship sides to his signature . Watford received an initial payment of £200,000 for Mahon , with an additional £50,000 due on further clauses . Although disappointed by his sudden exit at Watford , Mahon stated it was a very exciting time to be joining QPR , and that the ambition and drive of the board and the new investors really impressed me and Im delighted to be here . He made his debut a day after signing , coming on as a 67th-minute substitute in the clubs 3–1 win over Leicester City at Loftus Road . Mahon went on to score his first goal for the club on 12 February 2008 , netting the opening goal of the match as QPR squandered a two-goal lead to lose 4–2 at home to Burnley . He made 17 appearances during the second half of the season , with QPR finishing the season in 14th place . Mahon signed for the club on a permanent basis at the end of the season . Under the new management of Iain Dowie , Mahon and QPR began the 2008–09 campaign with five victories in their first six matches.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2008/2009></ref> Mahon scored his first goal of the season in a 1–0 home victory over Cardiff City in November 2008 , coming on as a 67th-minute substitute , before scoring a headed goal against a nine-man Cardiff side with just 10 minutes remaining . The goal was highlighted in the BBC documentary The Four Year Plan , as joint-owner Flavio Briatore ordered sporting director Gianni Paladini into going down to the touchline to order caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth to bring Gavin Mahon off the bench . Mahon promptly scores a last gasp winner and Briatore , his football genius now proven , erupts in a mixture of self-righteous anger and joy in the directors box . His second goal of the season came in April 2009 , scoring with a diving header to equalise proceedings after QPR had trailed by two goals to Sheffield Wednesday — with Mahon atoning for his earlier own goal . QPR went on to win the match 3–2 , all of their goals coming in the last half-hour of the match . He played under three different managers during the season , making 40 appearances as the club finished in mid-table . Mahon started in QPRs opening game of the 2009–10 season on 8 August 2009 , playing the whole match as the club drew 1–1 at home to Blackpool . He played regularly in the opening months of the campaign , making nine appearances in all competitions , scoring once , with QPR winning seven of the games.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2009/2010></ref> However , he suffered a knee injury in November 2009 , which would ultimately rule him out for the remainder of the season . With Mahons contract expiring at the end of the season , manager Neil Warnock stated — Hell probably come back and do a pre-season with us and try and show me what he can do . Ive always liked Gavin , weve just got to wait and see whos available . Despite being released at the 2009–10 campaign , he re-joined the club in October 2010 on a one-month deal , describing the move as being like a trial . Although he did not make any further first-team appearances for QPR , the monthly deal was extended on four separate occasions . He joined Championship side Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season on 24 March 2011 . On the loan deal , Mahon stated — Im very much pleased to have joined . Its been stop-start for me this season and I need to be playing in and amongst the first team . If I can give some input off the pitch as well as on it that will be great . However , he did not make any appearances during the loan spell and returned to his parent club in May 2011 . A month after his return , it was announced that Mahon was one of eight players to be released by QPR . During his time at the club , he scored four goals in 66 appearances . Notts County . Ahead of the 2011–12 season , Mahon joined up with former club Watford for pre-season training in order to regain fitness ahead of the new campaign . Although no move materialised , he featured for Watford against Brentford in a friendly at the end of July 2011 , and stated he really appreciated the opportunity Watford gave him to train with the club . Two weeks into the new season , on 25 August 2011 , Mahon signed for League One side Notts County on an initial pay-as-you-play deal . He made his debut for the club two days later as Notts County lost 2–0 away to Preston North End . Mahon impressed during his first month with the club , and stated manager Martin Allen wished to secure a longer deal for the player — The manager called me a few weeks ago and said hed like to try to extend the deal to the end of the season . In October 2011 , Mahon signed an 18-month contract , keeping him contracted to the club until the summer of 2013 . He was described as a pivotal player in Notts Countys season , and went on to make 34 appearances as County narrowly missed out on a play-off place on goal difference.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2011/2012></ref> At the end of the season , Notts County announced that they wished to retain Mahons services , and the player was offered a new one-year contract , which he signed in June 2012 . Mahon began his second season at Notts County featuring predominantly as a substitute , making six starting appearances and a further nine as a substitute during the first half of the season . In November 2012 , it was revealed that Mahon was the subject of loan bids from two League Two sides in the form of Bristol Rovers and Port Vale . He rejected the opportunity of going out on loan after County manager Keith Curle told him there was still of chance of him regaining his first-team place . However , two weeks later , Mahon stated he was prepared to leave Meadow Lane if he did not play more games — You do think like that sometimes , when you travel halfway across the country to get splinters in your backside , but thats football , you have to wait for your chance to come . I told him the last thing I want to do is leave a club like Notts , but when you get to my age you have got to play , especially if you want to go on and play next season . In February 2013 , Mahon joined fellow League One club Stevenage on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2012–13 season . He made his Stevenage debut in the clubs 2–1 away defeat to Shrewsbury Town on 23 February , playing the whole match . Mahon went on to make nine appearances for the club during the two-month loan spell.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2012/2013></ref> Mahon was released by Notts County at the end of the 2012–13 campaign . Portsmouth . Mahon was without a club for the first two months of the 2013–14 campaign , eventually signing for League Two side Portsmouth on a one-month deal on 4 October 2013 . He made his Portsmouth debut four days after signing , playing the whole match in a 2–1 Football League Trophy away win at Oxford United . Mahon was sent-off in a 2–1 loss to former club Stevenage in an FA Cup tie on 9 November 2013 , receiving a straight red card for an elbow on Filipe Morais . He made three appearances in total during his brief spell at Portsmouth , leaving upon the expiry of his contract on 28 November 2013.<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 2013/2014></ref> Tamworth . In December 2013 , Mahon joined Conference Premier side Tamworth on a short-term deal until the end of the 2013–14 season . He made his debut for Tamworth in the clubs 2–0 home win over Halifax Town on 4 January 2014 , playing the whole match . Mahon featured regularly for Tamworth during the second half of the campaign , starting in all of the 23 games he played in . He left Tamworth upon the expiry of his contract in May 2014 . Ahead of the 2014–15 season , Mahon was invited to spend time on trial at Barnet , and he featured in a pre-season friendly fixture against Peterborough United in July 2014 . No move materialised and Mahon subsequently retired from playing , opting to work for a sports consultancy company . Style of play . Mahon was predominantly deployed as a defensive midfielder throughout his career . He was described by his former teammate at Notts County , Alan Judge , as being a pivotal point in the centre of midfield due to his desire to play the ball on the floor , as well as being calm on the ball . Personal life . Mahon has two children called Mia and Alfie . He supports Birmingham City . After his retirement from playing , Mahon joined the Stellar Group , a sports consultancy company . He undertakes the role of Football Intermediary , a position to help pass on his knowledge and understanding to younger players that have been signed by Stellar . Honours . Brentford - Division Three : 1998–99<ref played by Gavin Mahon in 1998/1999></ref> Watford - Championship play-offs : 2005–06 Individual - Brentford Player of the Month : March 2001 - Watford Player of the Year : 2003–04