Colin Pates

Coco-pop Pates

Personal information
Full name	Colin George Pates
Date of birth	(1961-08-10) 10 August 1961
Place of birth	Carshalton, London, England
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Chelsea
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1979–1988	Chelsea	281	(10)
1988–1990	Charlton Athletic	38	(0)
1990–1993	Arsenal	21	(1)
1990–1991	→ Brighton & Hove Albion (loan)	17	(0)
1993–1995	Brighton & Hove Albion	50	(0)
1995–1996	Crawley Town
1997	Romford	4	(0)
Total		410	(11)
Managerial career
1995–1996	Crawley Town
1998–1999	Wingate & Finchley
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Colin George Pates (born 10 August 1961) is an English former footballer born in Carshalton, London, who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League. He played for various clubs, mainly in London, in a defensive role.

Career

Pates began his career with Chelsea, making his debut as an 18-year-old in a 7–3 victory against Orient in 1979. He remained with Chelsea through the turbulent early 1980s and as club captain led the side to promotion in 1983–84. He was surprisingly sold to Charlton Athletic in 1988 for £400,000 having made 346 appearances for the Blues. Two years later Pates joined Arsenal for £500,000 in January 1990. He was part of the Arsenal side that won the old First Division in 1991 but only played in one match which was not enough games to earn a winner's medal. After struggling to break into the side he signed for Brighton & Hove Albion on loan, a move which became permanent in 1993.

After a knee injury forced his retirement from the top-level game, he moved into coaching. He was appointed player-manager of Crawley Town, leaving in 1996, and then had a brief stint playing for Romford. He gained coaching qualifications while managing Wingate & Finchley, and since 2001 has coached football at Whitgift School in South Croydon.