He started his playing career at Portsmouth as a trainee in July 1988, but only made a handful of appearances in six years before moving to Barnet in 1994.
In June 1997, Exeter City manager Peter Fox paid £10,000 to bring Gale to St James Park, where he was again a regular starter before a series of injuries started to interrupt his career.
He sustained a broken arm during a friendly in August 2003 and the repercussions kept him off the pitch for the whole of the 2003–04 season, eventually forcing his retirement from playing.
In October 2007, he was appointed as manager to The Hawks following Ian Baird's departure to Conference South rivals Eastleigh.
[4][5] The 2011–12 season was a poor one for Havant & Waterlooville, and after dropping to second from bottom in the league following a defeat at Basingstoke Town, Gale was sacked on 1 April.