Barry Marc Fuller (born 25 September 1984) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Dorking Wanderers. He previously played for Stevenage Borough, forming part of the squad that won the 2006–07 FA Trophy in the first competitive final at the new Wembley Stadium after they beat Kidderminster Harriers 2–1 on 12 May 2007 in front of a record FA Trophy crowd of 53,262. Fuller has also made over 200 appearances for Gillingham and was captain of the squad that beat Shrewsbury Town 1–0 in the League Two play-off final at Wembley Stadium on 23 May 2009 to win promotion to League One.
Club career
Early years
Born in Ashford, Kent, Fuller was spotted playing for his local club, Kennington Juniors FC, by Premier League side Charlton Athletic who signed him to their youth Academy at the age of thirteen. The full-back progressed through the Addicks' Academy up until the age of nineteen, signing his first professional contract on 1 July 2004. On 17 July 2004, he featured for Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly win over Southern League side Sittingbourne; he scored in the 83rd minute to confirm a 3–0 win following a brace by fellow youngster Lloyd Sam. The young right-back was selected to captain Charlton Athletic's Reserves side during the 2004–05 season, helping the club to finish as Champions of the Premier Reserve League Southern Division. He also represented Charlton in the first ever Premier Reserve League Shield national play-off final on 12 May 2005, which saw Northern Division champions Manchester United Reserves beat the Addicks 4–2 at The Valley. Despite his success with the Reserves, however, he failed to break into the first team and was subsequently loaned out to League Two side Barnet on an initial one-month deal on 12 January 2006. The 21-year-old defender made his Football League debut on 14 January 2006 in a 4–1 defeat by Lincoln City. On 15 February 2006, it was announced that he would remain with Barnet for a further month. On 18 March 2006, he scored his first Football League goal in a 2–2 draw with Peterborough United. On 24 March 2006, Barnet manager Paul Fairclough extended Fuller's loan for a third and final time up until 22 April. He played his final game for the Bees on 22 April 2006 in a 0–0 draw with Chester City before subsequently returning to Charlton Athletic. In total, he made fifteen league appearances for Barnet during the 2005–06 season, which proved to be a vital contribution in helping the club avoid relegation from the Football League. Despite impressing on his loan spell, the 20-year-old defender was released by Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley at the end of the season.
Stevenage Borough
On 28 June 2006, Fuller signed for Conference side Stevenage Borough. He made his debut for the Boro in a 2–1 defeat by York City on 15 August 2006. The defender scored his only goal for the club in a 2–0 win over Grays Athletic on 17 February 2007. He was ever-present throughout the 2006–07 season, making thirty-seven league appearances in all. He was also indispensable to the club's FA Trophy success, featuring in both semi-final legs which saw Stevenage Borough beat Grays Athletic 3–1 on aggregate. He was part of the squad that played in the 2007 FA Trophy Final against Kidderminster Harriers on 12 May 2007 in front of a record FA Trophy crowd of 53,262. Stevenage came back from 2–0 down to ultimately triumph 3–2 following an 88th-minute goal by Steve Morison; the victory was all the more significant for Fuller as he became a member of the first team to win a competitive final at the new Wembley Stadium. He would go on to make 24 league appearances for the Boro during the 2007–08 season before subsequently leaving the club to sign a two-year deal with League One side Gillingham on 28 January 2008 along with teammate Stuart Lewis; reuniting him with the manager who had previously recruited him at Stevenage Borough, Mark Stimson.