Good thread, enjoyed reading this. I was ****e at football.....I loved playing it, just wasn't very good at it. What I did have though, and still do to some extent, was a decent left foot. Not power, but placement. I was always good at the fairs where you had to get the ball through the hole, and was **** hot at playing crossbar challenge. Never got me anywhere mind. As an aside, my nephew has just had his official "head shots and poses" photographs done for "cough cough "....the mags.
I did the usual and played school, county etc as a kid. Played with some cracking players however I wasn’t good enough to get picked up by a club. Played for the University team which was great fun and a good standard. A couple of the lads got picked up by clubs. I trained with Macclesfield as they’d signed my centre half partner and another lad as semi pro but realised after a few weeks I wasn’t at that level. I was definitely a better centre half but preferred playing centre mid. It was around that time I dropped a level and just focused on playing more for fun and accepted that was all it would be. Played Sunday league in Manchester for years with mates, a few of which were SAFC fans, which was a good laugh. Multiple 5 and 7aside teams over the years as well. Hung up the boots about 10-12 years ago. I was back playing centre half and had to defend so deep and was still getting beat for pace over the top by young lads it wasn’t fun. It also seemed to get more of an edge in the league or I was more aware of getting injured.Either way it wasn’t as enjoyable. I’ve been really lucky through work to get to play at the SOL, Old Trafford, Anfield, Reebok Stadium (as it was then) and Celtic Park. I’m considering joining a vets team here in Switzerland to force me to improve my language skills.
Good read lads. Not a patch on you lot as I’m not blessed with the ability. Just loved playing though, especially five a side. Based my game on putting the hard yards in, never giving up and learned to read the game as well as I could. Great one on one defender and could tackle like nobody’s business. I miss the competitiveness and feeling like you’re putting absolutely everything into the game.
Really going to show my youth here compared to some of you lads Started playing at maybe 8/9 at 7-a-side. Flying left winger, all left foot and was pretty good. Played for all the school, district and county teams and had trials at Boro and Darlington. Played in a tournament at the SoL and scored, a memory that will be with me forever. After moving to 11-a-side I was good for a few years maybe until 15 when I just seemed to lose a step of speed and everyone was suddenly quicker than me, ended up going back to left back and eventually centre back. Packed in playing at about 17 after injuries and just falling out of love with playing the game. Started coaching and done my badges, coached at a whole load of levels from u10 girls to men, most of this was while at uni. At uni one of my lecturers put me in contact with a northern league coach and I helped out for a few months before he asked if I fancied scouting, I was unsure but tried it and realised I had a real eye for it. From there I have scouted in the womens game in the 2nd tier, step 3 of mens non league, national league north and now in the Championship. Also dabble in some data stuff which is interesting and a real eye opener. Football is great.
Peaked at 10/11 - had trials at dundee united but lost my confidence when playing for my boys club thanks to the coach making a lot of broken promises. Never really got my confidence back after that but still loved playing. Captained my school team, was a ball playing CB for them but RB at boys club Had a cracking 1st touch, good passing range and i could read the game really well (thats helped me with my coaching and scouting) - was never fit, was slow n lacked aggression which was my down fall
I hated football as a kid. Growing up in North Wales in late 70's i supported Liverpool but soon changed from a European dominant team to Sunderland. I've never looked back I'm not a team player, boxing, running, swimming etc was my favourites. Rugby wasn't bad because you could cripple someone I don't like relying on others and want to win. A good mate of mine as kids was pìssed off because I didn't like football, he was a good player and tried to get me into it at every opportunity. I remember him saying he made friends with me and another lad when he moved in the area because the other lad was a good footballer and I could fight He said I was a natural Tony Adams FFS that put me off even more I remember going for a game with mates at a leisure centre, Gary speed turned up whilst playing for Leeds. One of the lads went mental, didn't want me playing, saying I'd fook his career up. I laughed at him, I said I wouldn't touch him, and probably wouldn't be able to touch him. I took my son along to football at age 4, spent the next years to age 16 stood in pìssing rain and driving winds and he enjoyed it and was a great player, He's fooking boxing now
Never played at any decent level just school team and 5 a side with uni and work after that. Had a bit of talent and pace but I lacked the grit and determination to do anything with it. Shin splints knacked me in the end and I moved on to weightlifting for my physical outlet.
Goalkeeper for the now defunct Acton Albion, including pre season tours in Ireland. Got asked to join up with Harrow (i think) who were maybe one down from the old third division at the time.
Scored direct from a corner when playing for JFK primary v Lambton. Had trials for Washington boys but not selected. Moved down to the North West and played Sunday football for Higher Poynton reserves. Got the players player of the season award in 1992/93 and that's as good as it got. Broke my leg coming on as a sub in a rare 1st team appearance and that was pretty much that.
1997- 2010 Played for Birtley St Joe's from the age of 11 up until under 18's picked straight into Birtley Town first team from there. Biggest regret we beat Leeds academy at under 15 level got mom. Got pulled a couple of weeks later in training saying Leeds have been to watch you a couple times. Idiot that I am said I wasn't interested. Played for Lord Lawson of Beamish school team right through. CF/RW occasionally Played LW. Miss those days wish I could go back. Edit. Forgot to add I played with Carl Magnay who later went on to win football icon.
I played until I was 40 at the lowest level and was not really very good However I did have the pleasure of scoring the only goal against Essen from Germany in an invitation match My other only shall I say claim to fame was I had a decent 5 a side team we played at consett sports center in a top class league Circa 1979 I scored a hat load of goals and got a wright up in the local paper I was very lucky and never had an injury Ohhh I may add at the age of 9 10 11 12 I was a better player then and was one of the best in side
Seaham Park Cricket club football team, CF, was 20 years old and hadnt played 11 a side since I left school. Sunderland Sunday afternoon league. Went up for a corner and their CH just hoyed me to the ground, I thought **** me this is different We won the league that season
Never played above pub level. I could never, ever get consistency always had a good game ‘in me’ but I never got it consistently. To this day can ping in a wicked cross on either foot mind. That was my one constant. Enjoyed it though played in Costa del Sol league and that was decent standard. Had to drop back to left back there as was way short in midfield, come up against lads who had played top flight in Spain and Portugal their touch was jaw dropping. We did, however, win the league with a couple lads who’d been on books at some landmark clubs, Spurs and Feyenoord. Even if I’d been consistent I’d never have been near pro, but was always a ‘decent’ part of any team at the levels I did play.
Used to play with a lad who'd played Championship level. He must have been in his 40s at the time. My game improved massively playing with him. Mainly cos he talked me through every game. Literally told me precisely what to do for 90 minutes
Aye I’ve noticed that with anyone who’s played at a high level. Communication is massive. There was a lad for us who’d played for Santander in the Spanish 2nd and 3rd and I swear mate the way they bring the ball down and that is insane. We used to rattle balls at him in training and just watch his touch in awe. It’s natural. Anyone can improve first touch and such, but there’s a level that’s god given and the lad was ridiculous. Couldn’t pass for **** mind. The lad from Feyenoord (to this day one of my best pals), never seen strength like it. Big lad but not massive, but **** me you can’t budge him. It’s like all of those that got to ‘a level’ had some attribute or other that was almost super human. I’m guessing the top players just happen to have 4 or 5 of those combined.
Speed of thought too. This fella seemed to know what was going to happen before it happened. And like you say, he was really skinny but had this unbelievable strength. I lad I know through non-league who played Football League said a similar thing to me once. The main difference between these lads and lads at the top is how quickly they can process what's happening.
What held back my football career was the time it took for information travelling from my brain to my feet. By the time it reached my feet the moment was lost.
For sure mate. We can see the game as fans sitting with a wide view and seeing space. To be able to predict where that space is happening next, in an instant, based on calculating ‘who has the ball, what are they capable of, where are they looking, where’s my man looking, where’s the cover’, it’s actually wild when you break it down. ‘great at finding space’ is such and underrated trait in a player. Foden is a bit of a master of that but you can see in everything he does he’s one that like you say is ‘couple of thoughts ahead’ of the game. Combine that with a player with vision and passing range like de Bruyne and then your team wins 6 titles in 9 years..
Great read lads, l could write a book of my career. At the age of 8 l became a goal keeper by default. I never looked back, played in a very good school team, and became a member of my local youth side. At 14 l was prompted to the men's reserves as the 1st team keeper had broke his leg, these were men, who, if you met in the street you called them Mr. A great baptism for a 14 year old. At 18 played at Surrey senior level which was a decent level, and was the highest level l played at. So many great memories, and as said, could write a book on them memories.
