Mason Springthorpe

Mason Thomas Springthorpe (born 1 November 1994) is an English footballer who currently plays for Shropshire County League Premier Division club Wem Town as a goalkeeper.

Mason Springthorpe
Personal information
Full name Mason Thomas Springthorpe
Date of birth (1994-11-01) 1 November 1994
Place of birth Shrewsbury, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Wem Town
Youth career
−2011 Shrewsbury Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Everton 0 (0)
2014 → Woking (loan) 2 (0)
2014 Ellesmere Rangers 27 (0)
2015 Fleetwood Town 0 (0)
2015 A.F.C. Telford United 4 (0)
2015–2016 → Northwich Victoria (loan)
2015–2016 Northwich Victoria
2016–2017 Southport 1 (0)
2017 Alfreton Town 7 (0)
2017 → Sutton Coldfield Town (loan) 15 (0)
2018 A.F.C. Wulfrunians
2018–2019 Market Drayton Town
2019–2020 F.C. Oswestry Town
2020–2021 Shrewsbury Up & Comers
2021 Whitchurch Alport
2021– Wem Town
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 August 2023 (UTC)

He joined Everton for £125,000 from Shrewsbury Town in February 2011 but never played a competitive match, spending a month on loan at Woking in January 2014. After being released that May, he had a brief stint at Ellesmere Rangers before returning to the professional game by signing for Fleetwood Town in January 2015, being released at the end of the season. He went on to play for a series of non-league clubs.

Early life

Born in Shrewsbury, Springthorpe played as a forward as a child, but at the age of nine his father converted him to be a goalkeeper.[1] He attended Meole Brace School.[2]

As a youth, Springthorpe studied the style of play of Joe Hart, another goalkeeper from Shrewsbury who left his local team when he was signed by a top-flight club, in Hart's case Manchester City.[1]

Career

Everton

On 14 February 2011, when still in Shrewsbury Town's youth team, he was signed by Premier League club Everton for £125,000. He told BBC Radio Shropshire "The price tag means nothing to me. The regime at Everton will be something else, but if that's what it takes to get to the next level then I'll grab it with both hands". He believed that Everton would progress his career, due to the contracts they had given to young players Jose Baxter and Jack Rodwell.[1]

He was first included in an Everton matchday squad on 2 March 2013, remaining an unused substitute as they defeated reigning Reading 2–1 at Goodison Park. Tim Howard was injured,[3] so Springthorpe deputised for Ján Mucha.[4] A week later he was again on the bench as they lost 0–3 at home to Wigan Athletic in the sixth round of the FA Cup.[5] On 16 March, his last call-up of the season, he was an unused substitute in a 2–0 home win over reigning league champions Manchester City.[6]

After his first season, Springthorpe toured the United States with Everton.[3] He was only in one matchday squad in the following season, a 2–1 home win over Southampton on 29 December.[7]

On 20 January 2014, he was loaned to Conference National team Woking for a month.[3] He made his competitive debut the following day, in a 0–1 defeat to Chester.[8] On 25 January he played the only other game of his loan, a 2–2 draw with Lincoln City at Sincil Bank.[9] In May 2014, Springthorpe, who had been a regular for Everton's Under-21 team, was released by manager Roberto Martínez.

Ellesmere and Fleetwood

On 6 August, Springthorpe returned to his native Shropshire, signing for West Midlands League club Ellesmere Rangers on the day before the start of their season.[10]

He returned to the professional game on 3 January 2015, when he was signed for League One club Fleetwood Town by manager Graham Alexander. On the same day, he was an unused substitute for their 2–2 draw against Swindon Town at Highbury Stadium.[11] On 7 May, having not made an appearance, Springthorpe was one of 14 players released by the Lancashire club.[12]

Return to non-league

Springthorpe then returned again to his home county, signing a one-year deal at Conference North club A.F.C. Telford United on.[13] He moved to Northwich Victoria of the Northern Premier League Division One North on loan in September 2015, having not yet featured for his parent club that season.[14] He transferred to them on a permanent basis the following month.[15] On 5 December, he featured for them in the second round of the FA Cup away to League Two Northampton Town, conceding three goals in the final seven minutes of a 3–2 loss.[16]

In November 2016 he joined Southport on dual registration terms,[17] and having made two first-team appearances he was released by the club in March 2017.[18]

In June 2017 he joined Alfreton Town on a one-year contract.[19] In August, he signed for Sutton Coldfield Town on loan, which was extended for a second month in September.[20] He was released by mutual consent by Alfreton in October 2017.[21]

After spells at A.F.C. Wulfrunians and Market Drayton Town, on 27 February 2019, Springthorpe joined North West Counties League Division One South club F.C. Oswestry Town.[22]

After the club went out of business, Springthorpe signed for Shropshire County League side Shrewsbury Up & Comers, whom Springthorpe spent his youth career as a child with.[23]

References
  1. "Everton sign young Shrewsbury keeper Mason Springthorpe". BBC Sport. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  2. "Shrews' Springthorpe in 'dream' Everton move". Shropshire Star. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  3. "Transfer window: Woking sign Everton's Mason Springthorpe". BBC Sport. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  4. Johnston, Neil (2 March 2013). "Everton 2–1 Reading". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  5. McNulty, Phil (9 March 2013). "Everton 0–3 Wigan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  6. Phillips, Owen (16 March 2015). "Everton 2–0 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  7. Hassan, Nabil (29 December 2013). "Everton 2–1 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  8. "Woking 0–1 Chester". BBC Sport. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  9. "Lincoln City 2–2 Woking". BBC Sport. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  10. "Ex-Everton keeper Mason Springthorpe signs for Ellesmere Rangers". Shropshire Star. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  11. "Fleetwood 2–2 Swindon". BBC Sport. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  12. "Fleetwood Town release 14 and offer six players new deals". BBC Sport. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  13. "Bucks make three new signings". A.F.C. Telford United. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
  14. "Player movements at the Bucks Head". AFC Telford United. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  15. "Confirmed player movements registered with the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League from Sunday 4 October to 11am on Saturday 10 October 2015". Evo-Stik League. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  16. "Northampton 3–2 Northwich Victoria". BBC Sport. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  17. "THE NATIONAL LEAGUE Southport Sign Keeper Cover". Non-League Pitchero. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  18. "THE NATIONAL LEAGUE Southport Sign Keeper Cover". Non-League Pitchero. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  19. "Three More Reds Signings". Non-League Pitchero. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  20. "Preece Borrows Young Goalkeeper". Non-League Pitchero. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  21. "Alfreton Release Keeper Springthorpe". 24 October 2017.
  22. Elwell, Nick (4 March 2019). "Oswestry can draw comfort". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  23. "Welcome Mason Springthorpe!". Shrewsbury Up & Comers FC via Facebook. 24 August 2020.
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