891 Mark Yeates

Biography

Pacy Irish winger Mark Yeates joined City in September 2007 on a season long loan, a signing designed to add pep to the Tigers’ attack under new manager Phil Parkinson. After two low octane starts in the Championship Yeates was consigned to bench and when Parkinson was dismissed three months later Yeates was quickly moved on by new manager Phil Brown – his loan move was terminated early in January 2007 and he returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur.

Mark Stephen Anthony Yeates was born in Tallaght in the Dublin suburbs and played schoolboy football for Dublin-based junior sides Greenhills Boys and Cherry Orchard. He joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on apprentice professional terms in July 2001 and signed his first professional contract a year later in July 2002. he quickly found his way into the Tottenham Reserves side during the 2002/03 season and in May 2003 he was unused substitute for a Premier League match against Middlesbrough. In November 2003 Yeates moved to League Division 2 side Brighton & Hove Albion on a two month loan, making his senior debut that month against Bristol City and making 10 appearances in total. Returning to Spurs in February 2004, Yeates was an unused substitute on two further occasions before making his Tottenham, and Premier League, debut in May 2004 against Manchester City.

In July 2004 he joined League One side Swindon Town on loan as part of a deal that saw 16 year old starlet Leigh Mills make the reverse journey from Wiltshire to North London. Yeates’ tenure at Swindon was short lived, after just 4 appearances he fell out with the Robins’ management team and returned to White Hart Lane in September 2004. He made three further appearances for Spurs during January 2005, taking his tally to 4 appearances.

In August 2005 Yeates joined League One side Colchester United, a move that was more to the youngster’s taste as he carved out a reputation for goals and assists as Colchester, under the guidance of young rookie manager Phil Parkinson, finished second in the league and won promotion to the Championship. Mark scored six goals in 52 appearances during the 2005/06 season and when Parkinson was lured to become manager of Hull City in the 2006 season, Yeates soon followed him on loan.

In February 2007 Yeates, having been jettisoned by Hull City, joining Championship rival Leicester City on loan for the rest of the 2006/07 season. He scored on his February 2007 Foxes debut against Luton Town and ended the season with one goal in 9 appearances.

In July 2007 Yeates ended his time at Tottenham Hotspur and signed a permanent deal at Championship side Colchester United, hoping to reprise his success of two seasons earlier. He was a first team regular and goalscorer during the first half of the season as the U’s struggled at the foot of the table, before a February 2008 injury ended his season early. Colchester were relegated to League One for the 2008/09 season and Yeates thrived, scoring goals aplenty from the wing and once again proving himself to be a talented player. By May 2009 Yeates had added a further 21 goals in 81 appearances for Colchester United.

In June 2009 newly relegated Championship side Middlesbrough paid £500,000 for Yeates services and he made his Boro debut in August 2009 against Sheffield United. He quickly struggled to maintain a place in the first eleven at the Riverside Stadium and a December 2009 goal against Queens Park Rangers proved a false dawn – he left Middlesbrough in January 2010 having scored one goal in 21 appearances. In January 2010 Mark joined Championship rivals Sheffield United and for a year and a half he was a regular first team squad member, often being used from the bench. When Sheffield United were relegated to League One at the end of the 2010/11 season Yeates decided to move on having scored seven goals for the Blades in 56 appearances.

In July 2011 Mark joined Championship side Watford and scored on his August 2011 debut against Burnley. he dropped out of the first eleven in the last two months of the 2011/12 season and was a squad member often used from the bench in the subsequent 2012/13 season as Watford reached the end of season play-offs, though Mark was absent from the side that beat Leicester City in a thrilling semi-final (“Here’s Hogg… Deeney!!!… do not scratch your eyes”) and lost the final to Crystal Palace. By the 2013 close season Yeates had scored seven goals for Watford in 66 appearances.

In July 2013 Yeates joined League One side Bradford City on a free transfer. He spent two seasons at Valley Parade as the Bantams hovered just below the play-off place and in March 2015 he was part of the squad that reached the FA Cup Sixth Round only to lose to Championship side Reading. Mark scored seven goals in 82 appearances for Bradford City before joining League One side Oldham Athletic in August 2015, on a short term deal that yielded one goal in 20 appearances.

In January 2016 Yeates joined League One side Blackpool and was part of the Tangerines’ squad that was relegated to League Two in May 2016 and bounced back via the play-offs the following season – though Yeates’ game time was restricted to just 27 appearances in twelve months before he moved on to League Two side Notts County, where he made 14 appearances during the remainder of the 2016/17 season.

In June 2017 Yeates dropped down the National League and signed for Eastleigh – a regular starter throughout his two seasons in Hampshire, Mark scored nine goals in 95 appearances before returning to the North West in June 2019, spending the 2019/20 season at National League side AFC Fylde, where he scored one goal in 36 appearances, then closing out his playing days with two seasons at Northern Premier League side Bamber Bridge, where he scored four goals in 42 appearances after signing for Brig in September 2020.

While at Bamber Bridge Yeates started working in the academy coaching setup at Fleetwood Town, becoming the assistant coach of the Under-18s side in July 2022 then rising to Under-18s head coach in January 2023. In June 2025 he was further promoted to become Fleetwood Town’s Under-21 head coach.

Between September and November 2025 Yeates was appointed interim assistant manager at Fleetwood’s sister club, League of Ireland side Waterford. After completing the 2025 season he returned to Fleetwood to lead the Under-21s side again before being appointed assistant head coach to the first team in March 2026, when new head coach Matt lwalor was appointed.

Yeates made three appearances for Ireland’s Under-21 side between February 2004 and February 2005, while making his way up the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur. In November 2007 he made his only appearance for Ireland’s B team, against Scotland.

Details

Nationality: Ireland
Date/Place of Birth: 11 January 1985, Tallaght
Hull City First Game: 19 September 2006, Hartlepool United H (League Cup Second Round), 21 years, 251 days old
Hull City Final Game: 23 December 2006, Leeds United A (Championship), 21 years, 346 days old

Clubs

Tottenham Hotspur (2002-2007), Brighton & Hove Albion (2003-2004, loan), Swindon Town (2004, loan), Colchester United (2005-2006, loan), Hull City (2006-2007, loan), Leicester City (2007, loan), Colchester United (2007-2009), Middlesbrough (2009-2010), Sheffield United (2010-2011), Watford (2011-2013), Bradford City (2013-2015), Oldham Athletic (2015-2016), Blackpool (2016-2017), Notts County (2017), Eastleigh (2017-2019), AFC Fylde (2019-2020), Bamber Bridge (2020-2022)

Hull City Record

Career: 7 apps, 0 goals