Marcel Seip (; born 5 April 1982) is a Dutch former professional footballer who plays as a centre back for ACV in the Dutch Hoofdklasse. He previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United, Charlton Athletic, Bradford City, VVV Venlo, Central Coast Mariners and FC Emmen.
Club career
Veendam
Born in Winschoten, Seip made his debut for Eerste Divisie side BV Veendam in 1999, making six appearances in the 1999–2000 season. The following season he played 18 league games. Seip made a total of 27 league appearances for Veendam.
Heerenveen
In 2001 Seip signed for Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen, making his debut in the 2002–03 season and went on to make six league appearances that season, as Heerenveen finished in seventh place, qualifying for the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Seip played in all five of the club's games in the Intertoto Cup, as they reached the finals, where they lost to Spanish La Liga side Villarreal.
In 2003–04, he made 31 league appearances and scored one goal as Heerenveen finished in fourth place, qualifying for the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. The following season he made 30 league appearances, scoring one goal and made six appearances in the UEFA Cup. Heerveneen qualified for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup in which he played seven games, whilst making a further 28 Eredivisie appearances.
Seip was though unable to keep a regular place in the starting line up and his contract expired during the summer of 2006. He made a total of 113 appearances, scoring 3 goals in five years with Heerenveen.
Plymouth Argyle
After a trial with Russian side Spartak Moscow, Seip moved to England on 7 September 2006 with Championship club Plymouth Argyle, initially on a three-month contract.
He made his debut for the Pilgrims on 16 September 2006, as a 31st-minute substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Southampton at St. Mary's Stadium. His first goal coincided with his full debut in a 3–1 victory over Norwich City at Home Park a week later.
In November, Seip agreed to a three-year contract, tying him to the club until the summer of 2009. Seip was an ever-present in the starting line-up, making 42 league and cup appearances, and scoring two goals, in his first season.
On 5 April 2008, Seip refused to be a substitute in a league fixture against Charlton Athletic, after having made four successive starts. He was subsequently fined two weeks wages, and placed on the transfer list, by manager Paul Sturrock.
On 4 July, Seip apologised to Sturrock and his teammates over the Charlton affair. As a result, the club removed him from the transfer list. In the 2008–09 season Seip was once again a regular in the first-team and in November 2008, renewed his contract with Argyle, tying him to the club until the summer of 2011. He made a total of 42 appearances that season, scoring three goals.
After a 1–3 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday on 29 August 2009, Seip was again placed on the transfer list after a "breach of discipline", reported to have been a "dressing room bust up with manager Paul Sturrock".
Loan moves
On 28 September it was reported that Seip was set to join fellow Championship side Blackpool on a one-month loan deal, where he would join up with his former manager Ian Holloway. The following day it was confirmed that Seip had signed for the Seasiders the previous evening, on loan until 31 October. Later that day he was an unused substitute in Blackpool's 2–0 defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate Stadium.
His first appearance was for the reserve team in their 4–3 Central League Division One West win over Preston North End on 14 October. After receiving clearance to play, three days later he made his first team debut, and scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win over his parent club, Plymouth Argyle, at Bloomfield Road. After the game Seip said of both his goal and Paul Sturrock, "I'm delighted to have scored. I was training on my own at Plymouth. I'll never play for that man again, and he'll never pick me. Yes, we have had a big fallout but Blackpool have given me a chance and I want to take it"
However, the goal and the fact that Plymouth allowed Seip to play in the game created controversy with Argyle club captain Carl Fletcher later saying, "Marcel playing for Blackpool should never have happened. It made the whole club look like a Mickey Mouse club, and players take that to heart. At the end of the season, if we get relegated by one goal, that's going to affect the livelihoods of 30-odd players here and people working at the club."