Gavin Mahon

Gavin Andrew Mahon (born 2 January 1977) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

Mahon started his career as a trainee at Wolverhampton Wanderers, although he did not make any first-team appearances for the club.

He was released by Wolves at the end of the 1995–96 season, having made no first-team appearances.

In July 1996, he joined Hereford United on a free transfer, and went on to play two-and-a-half years of regular first-team football.

In July 1996, he signed for Hereford United of Division Three on a free transfer, making his first professional appearance in the club's 1–0 victory against Doncaster Rovers on 24 August 1996.

Mahon scored the first goal of his career during the same season, in a 3–0 victory against Rochdale.

He played seven times during the early stages of the season, although did not make any further first-team appearances from November onwards, with Hereford suffering relegation to the Conference National at the end of the season.

Mahon remained at Hereford for the 1997–98 season, playing in all 42 league matches as Hereford finished the season in sixth-place.

Mahon signed for Brentford in November 1998, for a fee that increased to £130,000.

He helped the club earn promotion from Division Three during the 1998–99 season, and made 166 appearances for the west London club.

In November 1998, Mahon signed for Division Three club Brentford, joining for a nominal fee of £50,000, which eventually increased to £130,000 under the terms of the deal.

Mahon debted for Brentford in the club's 2–1 defeat to Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on 21 November 1998, and played regularly in central midfield.

He scored his first goal for Brentford in the club's first match of 1999, scoring the third goal in a 3–1 victory against Barnet at Griffin Park.

Brentford earned promotion to Division Two as champions in Mahon's first season there, winning the league by four points.

He made 32 appearances during the season, contributing with four goals.

The 1999–00 season was Mahon's first full season with the west London club, making 44 appearances in all competitions and scoring three times, as Brentford consolidated their place in Division Two with a mid-table finish.

Mahon played regularly during the 2000–01 season, making 51 appearances in league and cup competitions, as Brentford once again finished in mid-table.

He scored once that season, scoring the equalising goal in an away game against Bristol City in December 2000, a match that Brentford went on to win 2–1.

He was also named in the starting line-up for the first competitive final of his career, as Brentford lost 2–1 to Port Vale in the Football League Trophy final.

Mahon made a further five appearances for the club during the remainder of the 2001–02 season.

He joined Watford for £150,000 in March 2002, and captained the club to promotion into the Premier League.

Mahon received the first red card of his career that season; he was sent-off in the 83rd-minute in a 1–0 home defeat to Swindon Town on 11 April 2002.

His fourth consecutive season at Brentford started with the club producing an eight-match unbeaten start to the season.

He made 39 appearances during the season, and was named Brentford's Player of the Year for the season despite leaving the west London club three months before the end of the season.

During his three-and-a-half years at Brentford, Mahon made 166 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals.

In March 2002, Mahon signed for Division One club Watford for an initial fee of £150,000.

The move came about as a result of Watford reserve team manager Ray Lewington, who had previously signed Mahon at Brentford, recommending the player to new manager Gianluca Vialli.

Vialli subsequently went to watch him play, and opted to make Mahon his first signing for the club.

On signing for Watford, Mahon stated – "As soon as I knew Watford were interested I was ready to jump at the chance".

He made his Watford debut on 9 March 2002, playing the whole match in a 2–0 away victory against Crystal Palace.

Ahead of the 2002–03 season, under the management of Lewington once again following Vialli's sacking, Mahon was one of several players who took a voluntary pay cut as a result Watford's financial troubles.

Shortly before the start of pre-season, Watford stated that Mahon was going to miss the opening months of the new season after sustaining a knee injury in May 2002.

After playing in the reserve team for two months to gain fitness, Mahon returned to the first team in the club's 2–1 victory against Burnley at Vicarage Road on 30 November 2002, and made 22 appearances during the season.

Mahon then signed for Queens Park Rangers ahead of the 2008–09 season, following a successful loan spell the previous season.

Injuries hampered the latter stages of his QPR career, and he was briefly loaned out to Crystal Palace in March 2011, although he did not make any appearances for the club.

Mahon signed for Notts County on a free transfer in August 2011.

He was loaned to Stevenage in February 2013, for the remainder of the 2012–13 season.

Mahon left Notts County at the end of the season, and briefly joined Portsmouth in October 2013 for a one-month spell.

He signed for Tamworth in December 2013, playing for the club for the rest of the 2013–14 season in what was the final playing role of his football career.

Mahon began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he progressed through the club's youth academy and played regularly for the youth team.