Only One Louis Carey..

Only One Louis Carey.

Tribute to the club's all-time leading appearance holder.

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It was on Saturday, October 21st 1995 that Louis Carey first pulled on a Bristol City shirt for the first team.

As a self-confessed City fan, albeit with a slight penchant for Liverpool, it was one of the proudest moments, even if it came as a shock.

A day earlier, the 18-year-old had been hauled from a reserve team game at half-time before being ordered to jump on the bus to York City by John Gorman, assistant to manager Joe Jordan at the time.

Fully expecting to be going along for the experience, Jordan named him in his starting XI on the Saturday. Kevin Nugent scored the only goal of the game at Bootham Crescent, but for Louis it was the first clean sheet of many.

To get to that point he had slogged his way through the club’s centre of excellence programme, a precursor to the modern day Academy setup. Many hours had been spent by his family ferrying him to and from training sessions on many a cold night.

Careyx1But it paid off. Two promotions, one cup win later – even a play-off final to reach the Premier League, albeit ending in disappointment – are all stand-out moments in a 19-year professional career of the man who later claimed the club’s all-time appearance record.

Six-hundred and 46 games. Yes, 646. One more than the previous incumbent of that landmark record, the late great John Atyeo – who scored five times in six appearances for England during the 1950s.

Bristolian Louis has encountered blood, sweat and tears – and a number of broken noses – during a career he will surely sit back and cherish when all is said and done.

The tears streaming down his face at the end of the 1-1 draw at Burnley, the final game of the 2011/12 season, says it all about a man who thought then that the dream he had been living was over. In the away end his sombre face brought many supporters to tears, including his proud mum, who made the long journey north to witness it.

In the end then boss Derek McInnes offered him another year, and Sean O’Driscoll followed suit 12 months further down the line. Whilst his appearances on the pitch became fewer and fewer, both managers still realised the benefits of having such an influential and inspirational figure in the dressing room and around younger players.

Louis first tasted promotion in 1997/98, part of the dominant John Ward side that, along with Watford, were home and hosed by the start of April, although realistically well before then.

Alongside a number of experienced professionals like Brian Tinnion, Shaun Taylor, Mickey Bell and Keith Welch, Louis always stood out as a solid defender who was wise beyond his years (on the pitch only!).

It didn’t quite work the following season. Ward departed by October under a flurry of change, and City were straight back to where they started.

Managers changed, personnel changed, but Louis and his trusted friend – on and off the pitch – Scott Murray, remained the constants as City fought to put themselves back amongst the elite.

It was in 2000 that Louis bagged his first goal for the club, under the lights at Swansea City’s hair-raising Vetch Field of all places. The swish of Brian Tinnion’s left boot from a corner kick was met by the defender’s head, a glancing blow, to take the ball beyond the keeper. He still lists that feeling amongst his top five moments to this day.

Another massive moment in his career came seven months earlier when he was part of the team who competed in the Auto Windscreens Shield final at the old Wembley Stadium. Playing in gold and navy blue, City lost the game 2-1 to Stoke City, but the chance to play at the iconic national stadium is one that doesn’t happen often in a player’s career.

Another final followed in 2003 – the same competition, this time named the LDV Vans Trophy, and at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff rather than Wembley. This time City were triumphant, beating basement club Carlisle United 2-0 thanks to goals from Lee Peacock and Liam Rosenior. It was success, but Louis wanted more; another promotion. It didn’t happen that season in the play-offs, losing over two semi-final legs to Cardiff City – despite beating their South Wales rivals both times during the regular season.

City went closer still the following campaign. Back at the Millennium Stadium following a thrilling play-off semi-final win over Hartlepool United, which left Ashton Gate reverberating. Brighton & Hove Albion stood between City and Division One (to be renamed the Championship that summer). Alas, Danny Coles tripped Chris Iwelumo late on and Leon Knight plunged the knife from the penalty spot to kill off the hopes of those in red and white.

At the age of 27, Louis’ desire to play in the second tier was a burning one. He turned down a new deal at Ashton Gate to move to Coventry City. But his time at Highfield Road was brief. Yes, he wanted Championship football, but he wanted it for his hometown club.

Careyx2Just 27 games later, his contract with the Sky Blues was cancelled by mutual consent and Tinnion, now the Ashton Gate player-manager, was putting the wheels in motion for his homecoming.

It was in 2006/07, under Gary Johnson, when Louis was handed the captaincy full-time. Fitting then, he should lead the club he loves to promotion – his second – less than 12 months later.

Under Johnson there was a real team spirit, a togetherness about the place which was led by Scott and Louis. Even through adversity, including the imprisonment of colleagues, City stormed through to fight off the challenge of Nottingham Forest and clinch the second automatic promotion spot behind S****horpe United.

That was special, but arguably the following campaign was an even greater achievement, albeit one that ended in the ultimate sadness.

Back in the Championship after a nine-year absence, City were not there to make up the numbers or fight another relegation battle; Louis and co wanted glory.

Strengthened by the arrivals of Lee Trundle, Ivan Sproule, Marvin Elliott and Michael McIndoe, among others, City started like a steam train and were top of the table in March – at the same time Louis was joining the small band of players to reach 500 appearances for City.

Unfortunately the team couldn’t keep their lofty status going and had to “settle” for the play-offs, however perverse that would have sounded nine months prior.

Louis set alight the play-off semi-final first leg clash away at Crystal Palace, rounding off a terrific free-kick routine, dubbed “the Weasel”, to put City in front at Selhurst Park. The hosts equalised from the penalty spot after Louis had committed a foul. But David Noble popped up late on with a screamer to give City the advantage coming back to Ashton Gate.

Careyx3Ben Watson scored and then missed a penalty kick in front of a sell-out crowd, before Trundle and then McIndoe memorably sealed victory to send City to Wembley.

Louis was back at the national stadium, this time shiny and new, under an arch and not the infamous twin towers – and this time as captain. Sadly for everyone in red and white, City were to taste defeat once more; an unstoppable once-in-a-lifetime volley from Dean Windass sealed their fate and took Hull City to the Premier League. It is one ambition – top-flight football – that will always elude the Bristolian, now 37.

However, he reached 600 games against Leeds United in 2011 and soon set his sights on Atyeo’s record. A mixture of injuries, some more bizarre than others, like dropping a barbecue on his foot, kept that record away from him for longer than he would have wished.

But after taking over the reins from O’Driscoll, Steve Cotterill made it his mission to get Louis over the line. “I couldn’t let it lie,” he said.

He equalled Atyeo’s 645-game record in a 1-1 draw with Notts County on December 21st. Eight days later, with three minutes to go in City’s 4-1 win over Stevenage, the magical moment happened.

Replacing Simon Gillett in midfield, yes the centre of the park, on came Louis to a rapturous reception. He had done it, the record was his alone. It proved to be his final outing for the club.

A wacky dress sense, cracking banter and humour in equal measures, plus a down-to-earth outlook on life all feature in his persona.

In this day and age when players and fans are more apart than when Atyeo, Cheesley or even Dziekanowski wore the shirt, Louis bucks that trend.

But most importantly, Louis cares. When he pulled on the jersey for the first time against York, it mattered.

It mattered just as in that final game against Stevenage, because this is his club, and that drive from within to bring success to people has never been lost.

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As the song goes, there’s Only One Louis Carey.

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/20140507-onelouiscarey-1540614.aspx