by Peter Scherer
Mickleover assistant manager Ricky Ravenhill has been at the Don Amott Arena for almost two years. He started as a youth player at Barnsley in 1998, but got his break when he joined then Conference side Doncaster Rovers in 2002.
His forceful midfield role played a part in Doncaster’s play-off win in 2003, which took them back into the Football League, only to celebrate a double promotion success as Division 3 Champions a year later.
He had five season with Doncaster, making 159 appearances and scoring 10 goals, before a loan spell at Chester preceded a permanent move to Grimsby for the 2006/7 season. They lost out in the League 2 play-off final and after a change in management, Ravenhill had another loan at Darlington, which after 15 games and a goal was made permanent.
His stay at League 2 Darlington lasted a couple of seasons, making another 84 appearances with five goals.
The next stop was with Notts County, joining in the summer of 2009, he was League 2 title winner. But in his second year it was considerably tougher in League 1, although the Magpies avoided relegation, another loan spell beckoned at Bradford City.
He had made 97 appearances at Meadow Lane and hit three goals, before his move to Bradford City became permanent again in 2012. They were League Cup runners up and League two play-off winners by the end of the season.
But 68 games and two goals under his belt and the next stop was Northampton Town. An initial loan again became permanent, before a brief spell in the League with Mansfield Town in 2015.
He then played moved into the Northern Premier League with Buxton, before joining Mickleover in September 2018.
NHS CHARITY MATCH JUSTGIVING PAGE
All donations raised for the match will go straight to the NHS.