Big Geordie Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 (edited) Just wondering about this a wee bit earlier - how good were/are you at the beautiful game? For me, I wish I could look back on something be be proud of, but playing/managing in a inter-departmental league whilst a student, was as good as it got for me. Being really tall - I wasn't blessed with pace - couldn't head a ball to save my life - but I did have something of a fairly ok ability to pass the ball over long distances, as well as being able to cross quite well. Haven't had a kickabout in 10 years or so - having younger lads whizz past me back then, did nout for me when I had the turning circle of a super oil tanker! So - over to you - anyone have trials or maybe be on youth forms/turn pro? Or maybe semi-pro/Sunday league? Edited November 23, 2023 by Big Geordie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Absolute shite Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joelinton7 Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Would've made it if I could have gotten off the crisps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groundhog63 Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Sent Scott Sloan for a Chronicle once. That and lifting the 1998 Pauline Gainford cup with the Dudley Hotel being my glass ceiling. Decent full back, take corners with either foot, nearly typed "both" but that would be ridiculous. Without a shadow of a doubt I could've performed at a higher standard than I did but, much like Mr Ranger, alcohol and a stinking attitude stifled any progress above the Alphabet leagues Ended up being CM general. Miss it, tremendously Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conjo Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Was really good in the beginning around age 5-7. Played as a libero and scored quite a few goals. Highlight being limiting an opponent to 2 goals while playing in front of a keeper who had brought his TMNT backpack and spent the entire match playing fighting against imaginary foot clans, and scoring the equalizing goal from midfield at the end of the game. Got stuck at RB from age 13-16 when we started playing 11-a-side which is always a bad sign though so I had a very early peak. Retired at 16. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbandit Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Very average. I was always quite good at crossing accuracy but my dribbling was non-existent. I think I have relatively good vision but not the skill to make use of it a lot of the time. Absolutely awful in the air Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawK Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Played centre mid in my cadets' team lol. Was a David Batty-type who thought he was Glenn Hoddle Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonesJones Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 (edited) Played for my local team, at left back, but spent most of my time on the bench/side of the pitch freezing cold. I'd say I could be compared best with Almiron, I used to run around non stop, and was only any good with my right foot. I do know I loved a crunching tackle and caused many players to get subbed off. Eventually they partnered to become the youth team for abit more of a professional setup, I wasn't at a good enough level and most of my mates were and went to play for them. That was the end for me. Probably blessed with the physical attributes to succeed but not the determination. Edited November 23, 2023 by BonesJones Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 (edited) Wallsend Cup Winners medal 1983 and High Farm Youth Club U16’s player of the season 1985. Pinnacles of my career. Edited November 23, 2023 by RS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stottie Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I have one medal (!) for winning three games in the first round of the Northumbria Police 5-a-side in 1981 or 1982. I was in goal, but scored the winner in a penalty shoot out. We got hammered in the second round. I was basically useless at football, but got stuck in goal enough to get good at angles and stopping shots. That's enough for 5-a-side, where you have the protection of your own area. For an eleven a side, I was too lightweight and just got shoved about. When I played as an adult, I was amazed at how knackering all the sprinting you do as an outfield player is. I've run half marathons and a hilly 20k trail run, but football is a completely different type of fitness. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallsendmag Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Played for the school team, played a couple of times for the County and Sunday League as well. I was ok. Nothing more than that. My brother was better than me. Got player of the year for Percy Main in the Alliance League and also played Northern League but he didn't enjoy that because he said it was too serious. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordJake Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I was half decent as a young’un until I realised there were kids way better than me. Few of the lads I played with had good northern league careers, winning the vase. Started playing again in my twenties but it was half hearted, more interested in necking pills and chasing lasses. One of our squad members was our erstwhile former chairman, Lee Charnley ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondonewc Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 42 minutes ago, Nobody said: Absolute shite This, but worse. Didn't stop me from playing every night til it was pitch black as a kid, loved it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manorpark Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I was fantastic - truly fantastic - at playing "doors" with a tennis ball in the back lane of Brinkburn Street in Byker !!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Geordie Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 (edited) 10 minutes ago, mondonewc said: This, but worse. Didn't stop me from playing every night til it was pitch black as a kid, loved it. Yup - I wanted to play as often as I could, be it just a kickabout on the local green as a kid, training with year school team at HS (they were all way better than me, but I loved training with them), as well as kickabouts during my Uni days, that sometimes went on for 2-3 hrs. Miss it. My best mate from Uni days, could have signed youth forms with Barnsley, but his folks told him to do his a-levels instead. He had a helluva left foot and was a canny centre-forward. Edited November 23, 2023 by Big Geordie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyn davies Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 1 hour ago, manorpark said: I was fantastic - truly fantastic - at playing "doors" with a tennis ball in the back lane of Brinkburn Street in Byker !!! Never see kids playing doors or gates as we called it, now, neighbours used to kickoff about the racket, but we had it tough?, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Kids are too busy playing on their Playstationbox and watching TicTac videos on their Nokia 3310. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiresias Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clintdempsey Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I was alright as a youngster. Was football mad from a young age and was out all night every night with my mates. Was terrified of playing with a team at first and quit when I was 8-9 years old only to return a couple of years later. I was a goalkeeper and started playing with the kids a year older than me (due to all my mates being older). That’s when things started to click. I played at the highest national level as a U15-16 player, saved a Johan Elmander penalty (The only game that season he went off the pitch without a goal) and was called up to the national try outs (Halmstad Camp). After that I started getting involved with the first team in my club (who played in the equivalent of the Championship in Sweden) but that was a rough time as a 16 year old. Made a couple of appearances in the second division and was invited to FC Copenhagen to try out for their academy. Fucked a disc in the back playing beach football with mates a week before and that was that. ? I continued playing in the lower divisions after that until I injured my knee aged 35 and decided to call it a day. Still miss it five years later tbh. There’s something a bit special about it. Best football memories would probably be the tournaments (Gothia Cup and so on), playing against and alongside people that actually went a bit further in their careers (Elmander, Ola Toivonen, Marcus Berg to name a few) and to top it off we went on a camp to Newcastle and got to visit the training ground and St James’ as well as playing against some Uni sides back in 2002/03. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I could run and I could hoof the ball. Thats about it. @reefatoon was very good I seem to remember. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUHRLYASLEEVESUP Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Won our backstreet "Gates" champion of champions cup in 1976, also managed to nutmeg myself taking a penalty in the milk cup final played at gateshead stadium 1979 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groundhog63 Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 I've got an abiding memory of playing for the school, Kelvin Grove, circa 1972. Can't recall exactly where the pitch was but it was away from the school on a bitterly cold, windswept Bensham field. Absolutely pissing down. Was like the scene from Kes and I was Casper. Got hit on the ear by the ball. Stung like fuck for weeks. For some reason it sticks in my mind that neither parent were watching so I'm assuming some others were. Moved to Berwick where I played with Trevor Steven. Have I mentioned that before ??? Played loads of 5 a side tournaments at all the village fetes with the school team. We won one once so was very late home and my Dad went ballistic. Never watched me once though. The wanker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAK Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Shite as a kid as I wore glasses. My eyesight was so bad I couldn’t cross the road without them as cars were a blur. Once they were off to play football I couldn’t see the ball until it was next to me. Always last to be picked? When I moved to contacts in my late teens went from Ali Dia (fake George Weahs cousin) to Emmanuel Rivière. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bimpy474 Posted November 23, 2023 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Half decent, lefty so loved a long sweeping ball left to right. The spectators didn’t fetching the ball from over the fence I wish I had the football brain I had at 42 when I was 14, saw the game so much better when I had all that experience Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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