Mark Nicholls

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Mark Nicholls (born 30 May 1977) is an English former professional footballer. He currenntly plays for Southern Football League Division One South & West side Uxbridge.

Nicholls was born in Hillingdon, London. A forward, he began his career as a trainee with Chelsea, turning professional in August 1995. He made his league debut in the 1996–97 season, after gaining experience on loan with non-league Chertsey Town, but made a real breakthrough into the Chelsea side the following season, appearing in half of Chelsea's Premiership games. However, as the number of foreign imports grew at Stamford Bridge, he fell further out of the reckoning and joined Reading on loan in December 1999 with a view to a permanent move. The move fell through and on 10 February he returned to a peripheral role at Stamford Bridge.

He joined Grimsby Town on loan on 24 February 2000, and then Colchester United on loan on 6 October the following season. He had an unsuccessful trial with Motherwell in March 2001 and was released by Chelsea at the end of the season, having scored 3 times in 36 league games, although 25 of those appearances were as a substitute.

In May 2001 he joined Aberdeen on trial, but nothing came of it and by July he was playing for Aldershot Town, and later had a trial with Swindon Town. He joined Partick Thistle on non-contract terms on 18 August 2001, but played just once in a 1–0 home win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

He joined Torquay United on non-contract terms on 7 September 2001, making his debut in the 1–0 home defeat against local rivals Plymouth Argyle the following day when he came on as an 81st minute substitute for Kevin Hill. He played nine times for Roy McFarland's side, scoring once, before being released on 25 October, having failed to adapt to Third Division football.

Soon after, he began a trial at Hamilton Academical, signing for them on 3 November in time to make his debut in a 3–0 defeat away to Forfar Athletic. However, he played only once more for the Accies, scoring twice in the 3–2 defeat at home to Stenhousemuir a week later, before joining Clydebank on 24 November. With Clydebank going out of business in the 2002 close-season, Nicholls joined non-league Chesham United, but moved to Maidenhead United soon after.

In October 2003 he moved to Northwood, leaving for Hendon in the summer of 2004. In February 2005 he signed for Uxbridge, but left to join Hayes the following summer. In September 2006 he rejoined Northwood only to re-sign for Uxbridge in January 2007.