Once played in game in the Sheffield u18s league on a pitch which contained a full sized tree, about 5 yards in from the touchline and just one side of the half way line. Ref just said to ignore it & treat it as part of the pitch, which was fine apart from the roots sprouting up around it. Surprised nobody broke an ankle or something, and was very glad I played centre half so didn’t need to go near it
We laughed because it was like a ‘slapstick’ moment and funny.We all thought he was laughing as well. He wasn’t.
Played in the Sheffield Sunday Cup where I scored the fastest goal of my career. I kicked off and passed the ball to my colleague who dribbled past a couple of players before putting a lovely ball through to our speedy winger. He crossed the ball into the box where I met it with a sweet volley. 1-0 up after about 10 seconds. However, they had a 38 year old ex pro playing in midfield and for the next 85 minutes he totally ran the game. He scored two and made two as they led 4-1 with 5 minutes to go. The ball was like a magnet to him and we couldn't get near him. Then their manager decided to give him a rest and took him off. He was absolutely fuming and called him all kinds of expletives. Anyway, without their talisman they weren't the same team and we bagged 3 in the last 5 minutes to take it to extra time where we slotted in another three goals. So from being 4-1 down with 5 minutes left we eventually won 7-4.
Early sixties playing for Silkstone youth against the men's team. 3 nil up giving it bigtime. Lost 13 - 3.
I remember this game. Only match I've ever left early because of the quality of the football. Was too young to take my dad for a consolation pint then as well
Charlton away 3.0 up at half time a ron futcher hat trick, game over. Went out to play wi mi mates came in for grandstand i think it was wi printer futcher had been sent off lost 5.3 gutted punched wall over fire, solid them, that wa last time i ever punched ought that didnt hit back, lol. Futcher smashed home teams dressing room door up, got fined.
Played in a few strange footy games but it's a cricket game that stands out for me. I was playing for Thornhill in the Bradford league. I was only 18-19years old. Can't remember the opposition but it was a team of Asians. A contentious decision was made by the umpire....... Well all hell broke loose. Stumps were all out. Folk from both sides twattinng eachother with bats stumps.... before long the police were on their way. Felt like the whole estate turned out. We had to get a police escort out of the place. Never been as frightlened in my life......
Mine was bizarre because of the surreal ness of it all. Played against Man City old boys at Woolley MW in a benefit match for somebody at the then BOC. I was left back and had to mark the one and only Peter Barnes. They had Alex Williams in goal, Paul Power in midfield with Frank Carrodus, and Jim Tolmie up front. What an experience.
Bless Don. A reight awkward bugger. Forgot who we were playing. A team from Scisset I think. Barnsley Sunday league. One of their players sent a screamer just over the bar. He muttered b’std to himself, but Don heard him. And sent him off, with everyone from both sides pleading with him not to, as no harm was meant or done. “Get off lad” at the end of the game he went into their dressing room as he heard someone call him an unpleasant name lol. Don. “ Right, which one of you called me a so and so.” To a man, “me” lol. He asked for all their names but I don’t think anyone responded. Can’t remember the punishment at the time but it cost em a fortune. He used to attend Church and on more than one occasion. We had to toss for ref. Until he arrived and took over. Bloody fit feller mind. and reffed well past his sixties if I remember rightly.
About 30 years ago, whilst living in the Chew Valley, I was asked at short notice to turn out for Blagdon football club playing against Clevedon town in the first round of the Somerset cup. Blagdon didn't really have a team as such but wanted to honour their fixture against what would have the equivalent of Dodworth vs ManCity. Now this was the nadir of my personal footballing career that hitherto had been quite piss poor before then. (Cricket, Volleyball and Squash were really my games but I was a reasonable centre half for a while, playing for Chew Magna) At the last minute one of the Blagdon regulars poured himself out of the Seymour Arms and decided to play putting me on the bench for the first half. Half time saw the scoreline of Blagdon FC 0 Clevedon Town 14. 6 or 7 of the Blagdon 'players' said enough was enough and we should stop now to save total embarrassment but the manager was having none of it. After a rousing speech (Henry V at Agincourt springs to mind) the team decided to continue and play for the honour of the club. All except the goalkeeper who not only had had enough of picking the ball out of the net but said he'd rather go to the pub before it shut. ( I felt for him) Right said the manager, looking at me, go in goal for the second half. I've NEVER played in goal, EVER! said I. Never mind, he said, go in goal. Anyway, long story short, it finished 0-23 and made the local papers. I ended up with a gash on my knee diving at some brick sh1thouses' feet and missed my usual Sunday session in the Bear and Swan in Chew Magna. Thems' the days.
Played for Barnsley Division against Bradford Division (Fire Service). Match was in Keighley on a pitch with what seemed like a 60 degree slope. The manager was away so I had to get a team together. Ended up with “have you got boots? Great! You’re in”. I was goalkeeper and we kicked off uphill. It was like the Alamo. Shot after shot flying in towards me. The pitch was turning into a bog as the rain lashed down, and the rain turned to sleet/hail. We lost a man so we’re down to 10. One lad went to change his boots and never came back, so the second half we played with 9 men. The sleet/hail/rain relented with about 5 mins to go, just enough for them to notch their final goal to make it 20-0. The opposition manager made me man of the match! Before we set off for the match, our manager asked me to let him know the result. I’ve never told him to this day!
Back when I was just a Year 8 student at Eddie (Edward Sheerien, for the people who don't know...) back in 2009/2010. We played Dearne ALC and lost 16-0 and then played Holgate a week later and lost 9-1. Both games we had most of the team just plucked from classes who hated football because of kids not being arsed or off school for 1 reason or another. Sure the Dearne game we was only 2-0 down at HT but can't remember...
The only game I've attended with VAR springs to mind, Burnley in the FA Cup a couple of seasons back, penalty given by the ref and one of our lads booked, ball on the spot and Burnley player just about to start his run-up when VAR gave offside.....