I am sat here, on my own, thinking footy. Specifically remembering some of my playing days. Have some brilliant memories, on and off the pitch.
Usual stories of 20 a side on the rec. Played for a boys team and got picked up by a local Saturday mens side at 14 or 15, cant remember. First game I was ringer because they had 10, rang my Dad and said get him here. I knew a couple of lads in the side who were a couple of years older than me. Manager said play up front out of the way
. 2 mins in we get a corner and a lad I knew says stay edge of box nee bugger will mark you and I will ping it to you. I smashed a volley into the top corner and then never touched the ball again . Anyway signed on and played 2 seasons up top with my Dads work mate. Weird. I was never a centre forward, but he was and I played around him.
Went off to non league at 16. What a learning curve. Probably equivalent of step 4 now. Brutal. I played wide left for second half of a season and my legs were never any colour other than black or blue. Moved into CM next season and loved it. Became a man then. Had to give it back.
Moved for uni when I was 18. Played uni footy for 3 years, which was a good standard. Travelled back each weekend for first 6 months for my non league side, but got too much so stopped. After uni played semi pro again for about 6 years. Had a great time. Played CM with a solicitor, I was a junior accountant. We werent your typical non league CM pairing, but man we never took a backward step. Loved playing with him, time and again we were in amongst something together.
As career took off I travelled so stopped the non league stuff as it was wearing on relationships. Played at a decent Sunday morning level for few years but it just got ****e. No refs, endless scraps, lads trying to break legs. Stopped.
Then invited to play in a 5 a side league. This will sound daft, but it was an unbelievable standard and invite only. Never played a better standard of football in my life. 8 mins each way, two leagues, fastest football ever. In a hall, walls in play. It was unreal. Had lads who played futsal for England, semi pros, ex pros. I would say it was elite level. 3 or 4 deep on the balcony with spectators - it was well known. We had teams in that league go to national 5 a side and win. I played for a side for one year, but they were a running team and I was getting older. Was allowed to have my own side next season and I brought in some old lads and we played a very different way. It was about keeping the ball, at all costs. We did well. I have a bunch of trophies. I ended up back up front, full circle. I was a strong lad, who could use his body well. So I played back to goal and was our wall pass. I held it while lads came to support from deep. I wouldnt let any body get round me. What a few years that were. We finished as a team as we hit 45. There were lads in other sides 18 to 30 and fit as lops. It was getting too much for us. But we never rolled over, ever. There was 7 of us in that group and we loved it. I once brought in a young lad, a coach I knew who had been a pro but stopped playing at 24. He lasted one week and wouldnt come back. Too fast and too brutal for him. Best thing, every team in the bar after, for a couple of pints.
Apologies, this may be a bit self centered. Not meant to be, just remembering stuff. Would love to here other lads footy days. Wish I could play just one more season.
Usual stories of 20 a side on the rec. Played for a boys team and got picked up by a local Saturday mens side at 14 or 15, cant remember. First game I was ringer because they had 10, rang my Dad and said get him here. I knew a couple of lads in the side who were a couple of years older than me. Manager said play up front out of the way
. 2 mins in we get a corner and a lad I knew says stay edge of box nee bugger will mark you and I will ping it to you. I smashed a volley into the top corner and then never touched the ball again . Anyway signed on and played 2 seasons up top with my Dads work mate. Weird. I was never a centre forward, but he was and I played around him.Went off to non league at 16. What a learning curve. Probably equivalent of step 4 now. Brutal. I played wide left for second half of a season and my legs were never any colour other than black or blue. Moved into CM next season and loved it. Became a man then. Had to give it back.
Moved for uni when I was 18. Played uni footy for 3 years, which was a good standard. Travelled back each weekend for first 6 months for my non league side, but got too much so stopped. After uni played semi pro again for about 6 years. Had a great time. Played CM with a solicitor, I was a junior accountant. We werent your typical non league CM pairing, but man we never took a backward step. Loved playing with him, time and again we were in amongst something together.
As career took off I travelled so stopped the non league stuff as it was wearing on relationships. Played at a decent Sunday morning level for few years but it just got ****e. No refs, endless scraps, lads trying to break legs. Stopped.
Then invited to play in a 5 a side league. This will sound daft, but it was an unbelievable standard and invite only. Never played a better standard of football in my life. 8 mins each way, two leagues, fastest football ever. In a hall, walls in play. It was unreal. Had lads who played futsal for England, semi pros, ex pros. I would say it was elite level. 3 or 4 deep on the balcony with spectators - it was well known. We had teams in that league go to national 5 a side and win. I played for a side for one year, but they were a running team and I was getting older. Was allowed to have my own side next season and I brought in some old lads and we played a very different way. It was about keeping the ball, at all costs. We did well. I have a bunch of trophies. I ended up back up front, full circle. I was a strong lad, who could use his body well. So I played back to goal and was our wall pass. I held it while lads came to support from deep. I wouldnt let any body get round me. What a few years that were. We finished as a team as we hit 45. There were lads in other sides 18 to 30 and fit as lops. It was getting too much for us. But we never rolled over, ever. There was 7 of us in that group and we loved it. I once brought in a young lad, a coach I knew who had been a pro but stopped playing at 24. He lasted one week and wouldnt come back. Too fast and too brutal for him
. Best thing, every team in the bar after, for a couple of pints.Apologies, this may be a bit self centered. Not meant to be, just remembering stuff. Would love to here other lads footy days. Wish I could play just one more season.
