Kevin Penry Rogers (born 23 September 1963) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Birmingham City[1] and Wrexham.[2] He played in the European Cup Winners' Cup for both Wrexham and Merthyr Tydfil.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Penry Rogers | ||
| Date of birth | (1963-09-23) 23 September 1963 (age 58) | ||
| Place of birth | Merthyr Tydfil, Wales | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1981 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1983 | Aston Villa | 0 | (0) |
| 1983–1984 | Birmingham City | 9 | (1) |
| 1984–1985 | Wrexham | 35 | (3) |
| 1985–1986 | Rhyl | ||
| 1986–199? | Merthyr Tydfil | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 2009–2010 | Troedyrhiw | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rogers was born in Merthyr Tydfil. When he left school in 1979, he joined Aston Villa as an apprentice, and turned professional two years later.[3] He remained with the club for two years as a professional, without playing for the first team, then joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in April 1983.[4] Rogers made his debut in the First Division on 5 November 1983, coming on as substitute for Mick Harford in a 2–1 home defeat to Coventry City. He started eight league games, including the last five games of the 1983–84 season,[5] but failed to impress, and was allowed to join Fourth Division Wrexham in July 1984.[3]
Wrexham had won the Welsh Cup in 1984, so qualified for the European Cup-Winners' Cup. Drawn against Porto in the first round, Rogers contributed to a 1–0 win in the home leg[6] and then a 4–3 defeat in the away leg – in which he missed a good chance to make the score 4–4 – to go through to the next round on away goals.[7] He played in both legs as Wrexham went out 3–0 on aggregate to Roma in the second round.[8][9] After 35 league games, in which he scored three goals,[2] Rogers moved into non-league football in Wales, first with Rhyl and then with Merthyr Tydfil.[3]
Merthyr, then a Southern League Midland Division club, won the Welsh Cup in 1987, defeating Newport County, then a Football League club, after a replay.[10] Rogers played in both legs of the final, alongside former England international Bob Latchford, who won his only piece of silverware with this victory.[11] The Welsh Cup winners qualified for the European Cup-Winners' Cup. Drawn against Italian representatives Atalanta in the first round, Rogers, described as "gifted with considerable accuracy with his left foot", scored one of the goals which gave the Welsh club a 2–1 victory in the home leg,[12] though they lost the away leg 2–0 and so were eliminated.[13] Rogers played for Merthyr well into the 1990s, by which time they had risen to the Conference, and captained the club.[14]
In 2006, he was appointed assistant to Brian Sparks as manager of Troedyrhiw, then playing in the Second Division of the Welsh League,[15] and remained in post when Cohen Griffith took over as manager and the club were relegated to the Third Division.[16] When Griffith stepped down in May 2009, Rogers took over as manager,[17] but left the post early the following year.[18]