Your own football ability - how good are/were you?

[STM]

Always knew exactly what I wanted to do with the ball but just didn't have the legs or lungs.

 

These kids nowadays don't realise how good they have it. My sons being playing for 5 years or so and he's ten, small pitches, smaller goals, smaller balls, smaller sized games. I was only starting at his age and it was straight onto massive pitches and massive goals, 90 minutes.

[RS]

At a high farm middle in Wallsend I was in 4th year and acting as a midfield general. Playing against the 3rd year in a “friendly”
They win a corner that was mine all day when it swung in. I ended up in the net with the ball after Anth Lormor steamed in and mullered me and the ball.  I Knew at 12 he was going to be a pro. 

[magvicar]

I was always average at football. I loved playing football as most kids did and do but I wasn't anywhere near naturally gifted at any of it like some that stood out like sore thumbs.

Also my fitness and strength wasn't up to the required to get more than a few games for the school team, most of them in goal.

The stuff I could do in my head was amazing. 

[jack j]

21 minutes ago, STM said:

Always knew exactly what I wanted to do with the ball but just didn't have the legs or lungs.

 

These kids nowadays don't realise how good they have it. My sons being playing for 5 years or so and he's ten, small pitches, smaller goals, smaller balls, smaller sized games. I was only starting at his age and it was straight onto massive pitches and massive goals, 90 minutes.

Most them Don't even need to get their knees dirty the first few years they play!

[Heron]

On 23/11/2023 at 14:43, TBG said:

Would've made it if I could have gotten off the crisps. 

[Heron]

I'm okay.

 

Great reading of the game and positioning, generally, and as a result a decent tackler and organiser. Spent most my time organising defences and captaining sides. Probably not as good in the air as I should be given I'm 6ft 3.

 

Not very technically gifted but did manage to get trials to go to America and passed those. Didn't go in the end, didn't want to go that far from home.

 

Used to play football relentlessly though, every night for 3 or 4 hours until it was dark, for Sunday League teams, for school. Even now I'm still playing a minimum of once a week (7 a side) but occasionally 2 or 3 times. Love 7s now.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Heron

[Coffee_Johnny]

2 hours ago, STM said:

Always knew exactly what I wanted to do with the ball but just didn't have the legs or lungs.

 

These kids nowadays don't realise how good they have it. My sons being playing for 5 years or so and he's ten, small pitches, smaller goals, smaller balls, smaller sized games. I was only starting at his age and it was straight onto massive pitches and massive goals, 90 minutes.

Too true! I’m old enough to have ‘enjoyed’ the feel of a wet caser slapping against cold thighs and thudding against forehead, in junior school. Strips were teabag style nylon on a pitch at pretty much top the highest point in Gateshead. Madness really. 

[Billy Warthog]

There was a time when I was around 16-17 years old, I was actually a fairly good goalie. Played in a local league for a local team, really enjoyed it. Never amounted to much! 

 

Then I moved to uni where the focus was on five-a-side all the time - that's the only facility that existed in the area. I kept up the form more or less but there was no real appetite for a decent competition so it just became more of a hobby / way of winding down at the end of the week. Losers got the beers in etc. 

Ever since then... hopeless! I went in goal for a one-off game about 7 years after stopping playing regularly and was comically shite. One of my goal kicks cannoned off the arse of a fellow defender and pinged back into my own net - that sort of standard. Subbed myself off after 15 mins or so. Thank fuck mobiles weren't around as much, I may well have still featured on some memes today. 

[gbandit]

4 hours ago, Dr Venkman said:

Ahh ok. We probably have quite a few acquaintances in common.

Sounds likely, did you finish school in ‘05? In tynemouth?

[mosstef]

Played in the 3rd division U16 in Denmark as a CB. Then I discovered weed, pussy and beer. Been playing some Sunday league on and off as an adult but last game was more than a decade ago.

[Dr Venkman]

2 hours ago, gbandit said:

Sounds likely, did you finish school in ‘05? In tynemouth?

Left school in 2000 mate.

[OpenC]

Was always absolute dogshit. Still occasionally have terrible dreams about playing for Newcastle and dreading the ball coming to me, then being completely unable to do anything useful when it happens  SJP just goes silent

[Coastie]

15 hours ago, Billy Warthog said:

Thank fuck mobiles weren't around as much, I may well have still featured on some memes today. 

Reminds me of a funny story.

 

Years ago, playing at a fairly decent level - it was the start of the season and I had brand new boots with quite sharp and unusually long studs. Also as the season was new the pitches were thickly grassed (before they turned into mud patches during midwinter).

 

I was in goals and about five minutes into the game one of their lot shoots from the corner of the box. One of our defenders deflected it into the middle - another defender tried to clear it - hit another of our blokes in the arse - ball bouncing about with everyone trying to get to it - another guy trips over his own feet - someone has an airswing - another failed clearance as the ball flies off the captain's jaw. Finally the ball is close enough to me - I step towards it but my long studs get caught in the thick grass and i go down like a sack of shit as my left back tries another clearance. The ball ricochets off the sweeper's knee, hits me on the top of the head and flies into the roof of the net.

 

An own goal where we got the last 14 touches. I would give anything to have the video.

[Kid Icarus]

17 hours ago, OpenC said:

Was always absolute dogshit. Still occasionally have terrible dreams about playing for Newcastle and dreading the ball coming to me, then being completely unable to do anything useful when it happens  SJP just goes silent

 

 This reminds me of this lass I fancied for years in my 20s but always managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with. I used to dream about her but most of the time even in my dreams I used to fuck it up or she'd just say no.

[OpenC]

It's nearly the same dream every time  I'm right back so on my theoretically better foot and all the play is on the other wing, I'm in acres but well behind the play. The ball starts coming back and whoever is left centre half sees me and punts it high to me. I think, "ah, here man, at least play it along the bottom" not that it would make the first bit of difference, then I think "just bring it down and get rid of it, you'll be ok" then my first touch is like a bag of hammers and everybody goes quiet it's awful

[Infatuation Junkie]

Very rusty and old.

 

Always played in defence. Have the lungs for 90. Although easily lost without consistent running. 
 

Wouldn’t put myself as owt decent. Can find a pass. Only scored once in club footie. Won 1-0 and finished second that season.

 

Not going to say I’m a cracking CB because I have played with a lot of you lads twice now so I know how shite I actually am.

 

 

My avitar speaks for itself ?

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Infatuation Junkie

[sixx]

Played until 16/17 years old when I discovered drinking and that being in a band would get me laid more. I wasn’t great but a couple of guys from the squad certainly were and went to trials at Liverpool and Blackburn. The only one from the squad to ‘make the grade’ was the one who was most persistant and sacrificed basically everything to become professional. He was nowhere near among the most talented in the group but it’s usually like that I guess.

[JoeyBartoon]

I thought I was decent but then realised I have an attic full of junior 5-side trophies thanks to Peter Ramage ?. He was rapid and played up top, we’d basically all just watch him do everything by himself. As you can imagine, the trophies dried up when he moved on ?

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

23 hours ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Too true! I’m old enough to have ‘enjoyed’ the feel of a wet caser slapping against cold thighs and thudding against forehead, in junior school. Strips were teabag style nylon on a pitch at pretty much top the highest point in Gateshead. Madness really. 

Wet casers were one thing, but I always remember those moulded Mitre balls that every school seemed to have, would be instant an dead leg if you were foolish to even attempt cusioning it with your thigh. Made even worse if said game happened to be in January or February ?

[Guest]

Played 5-a-side today. I was class. Had a good opening 10 minutes. 5 minute safety vomit. 10 minutes in goal with a strong 10 minutes outfield again when everyone else was dead. Couldn't stop me. 

[LionOfGosforth]

Thought I was half-decent at school level but probably not as good as I thought. Recall playing against Shaun Murray around 85 or 86. He was a lot better than me, he went to Spurs as a trainee I think and then played later for Portsmouth and Bradford I think, end of the 80s, early 90s.

 

Edit - after a bit of googling, he played for Bradford 130 times in the 90s, not bad

 

 

Edited May 30 by LionOfGosforth

[timeEd32]

My best attribute was my ability to run up and down the wing endlessly, which is why I became a distance runner.

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

Used to get picked before joe allon as CF for Durham boys (circa 1980) 

 

Im still absolutely shite 

[Mountain]

Played striker for my school. Zero pace and horrendous engine. The ball always fell to me in the box though.

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

13 minutes ago, Mountain said:

Played striker for my school. Zero pace and horrendous engine. The ball always fell to me in the box though.

Mouncher