Interview ~ Mark Rogers

After the home game against Burnley, Emma Ross and myself interviewed Lawrie Sanchez’s first signing, Mark Rogers.

WWISC: You've just earned yourself a contract until the end of next season. How does it make you feel?

Mark: Fabulous its beyond my dreams, I don't really know what to say, its incredible.

WWISC: We know that you’re a Canadian, but it's a very big place. So can you give us more details on you actually come from?

Mark: I'm from Vancouver, which is on the west coast, the Pacific coast right near the border with Washington State.

WWISC: Who did you play, for back home?

Mark: A little team called the ‘Burnaby Canadians’ that was my club team. I also played at university on a scholarship so I played for two teams at once really. My little brother plays for them as well, we both played Centre half,

WWISC: Family? Mum / Dad / Brothers / Sisters?

Mark: I'm the eldest of five kids, the next down is my brother John, he plays quite a bit of football as well. He might be coming over, I don't know if he’ll be coming here but he's planning on coming to England. My five other brothers play American Football and Basketball so they don't really play 'Soccer' at all. My sister is at University, and she also plays 'sports', so my whole family are involved in sport.

WWISC: Is there a lady in your life?

Mark: Yes, my girlfriend Lynn, she's staying with me over here and she's fabulous

WWISC: Is she sports minded at all?

Mark: Oh yes! She actually plays for Wycombe Wanderers Ladies and she’s a pretty good footballer in her own right. She knows if I play badly or do something wrong she lets me know about it, so there’s no escape for me when I go home.

WWISC: How did you first come to Wycombe Wanderers?

Mark: Well it was mostly coincidence, when I first came over I had trial with' St Johnston Portsmouth, Exeter and Preston. What happened was I was due to go to St Johnston in Scotland 'which was the first place I going to go and I needed to train for a week as I'd been here for a while touring around Europe. Wycombe Wanderers invited to train with them, that week we played Chesham and the ‘Gaffer’ Neil Smillie asked me to play. He thought I played alright and asked me to stay and it's just progressed from there. It’s turned out to be where I wanted to be so I'm happy.

WWISC: How come if your mum’s British you had so many work permit problems?

Mark: Well since my mums English and not my dad there's a lot of bureaucracy involved. All the rest of my brothers and sister qualify as British citizens but as I was over the age of eighteen when they changed the ruling. Your mum can be British, I couldn’t apply for that, and all I could get was a certificate of entitlement to let me work here. That's what I had to go home to get. So I'm just a Canadian.

WWISC: Just a Canadian is OK! We don't have a problem with that.

Mark: No what I mean is I do not have dual nationality, I'm a Canadian Citizen.

WWISC: Have you called home to tell them about the contract and what was the reaction?

Mark: They very happy for me. I phoned my mum and my dad right away, it was six in the morning their time but I just had to talk to them and they’re excited and they called my grandmother and my mates. I phoned one of my mates, a fellow named ‘Woody’ and he's passed the news onto all they lads I used to play with. Yes their pretty happy for me right now, they can't believe it. It's really rare for a Canadian to do well over here.

WWISC: What is your favourite playing position?

Mark: I think centre-half but you get more opportunities to score when you play centre-midfield. Over here I think centre-half. I’m better in that position but I enjoy getting forward.

WWISC: How did it feel to score your first goal for the Wanderers?

Mark: Unbelievable really! If I’d missed it I think I’d still be having nightmares about it.

WWISC: Which is your favourite ground so far?

Mark: Adams Park I’d have to say, but remember I’ve only played seven times in England. So between Chesham and Marlow’s ground, and Adams Park there is no comparison. This is the best ground I've played at.

WWISC: Are there any players you are particularly friendly with?

Mark: I get on well with Beets and Westy but I like all of them, they’re all good lads.

WWISC: You recently travelled with the first team, what was the experience like?

Mark: I was surprised. I thought I played quite well against Southampton that week in the reserves and when Terry asked me, I knew that we had a lot of suspension problems but when Terry told me I was travelling, boy was I excited. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get on, but that's just the way things go but it was just so good to be involved.

WWISC: What did you think of Chesterfield’s ground?

Mark: It’s not Adams Park, but they had a good atmosphere for their team up there. I thought our travelling support were really very good. They were loud for they whole game and got behind the team, but it’s not the pettiest place I’ve seen.

WWISC: In a recent game at Barnet, did you notice the slope?

Mark: Yes! Running uphill in the second half was agony and in the first half any ball that was put over my head and then trying to chase the fellow uphill. Yes there’s a definite slope on that pitch. Its not a good surface plus it was freezing cold that day to boot but we won three-nil with Readie getting all three goals.

WWISC: What’s the state of Readie’s injury?

Mark: I’m not sure, you’d have to ask Tel but I believe it’s a hamstring, so I don’t know how long he’ll be out.

WWISC: Now that you're a full-time professional footballer, all be it at an English Second division club, how would you like you play for your country?

Mark: That would be the biggest honour, I'd be so proud to play for my country. I know that Canada isn't up there with the England's the Italy’s or the Germany's of the world but it’s still my country and I'd be proud to tears to play for them.

WWISC: What are your hopes for the future immediate and long term?

Mark: When you play for a club your immediate hope is to get into the first team if you're not already in it. Long term hopes, my first goal is to play for the first team here at Wycombe and my Country. Even longer term, is to keep improving to the best of my ability. I've only just signed but I'll keep going until I can't improve anymore.

WWISC: Mark, thank you very much for talking to us and we wish you all the very best for the future. We're right behind you all the way.

Ted The Ed's Notes: I've known Mark since he arrived last summer and he really is a great lad. What he didn't say was that all the travelling that he had to do going backward and forwards between Canada and England he had to pay out of his own pocket. With all the disappointments involved with the mix-ups over his permit requirements and lack of knowledge on both sides as regards official procedures, it would have been very easy for him to pack it in and stay in Canada and just coach at university. On top of that he has been on a week-to-week contract at Wycombe so his future at the time had little security. But this young man is very determined to do well and he wanted to play for Wycombe Wanderers FC so we wish him all the best for the future and hope that Wycombe get their first 'current' full international.