How old were you when you packed in playing football?


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I'm 37 this week and have just finished my second game of four this week. I think it is important to keep doing some form of exercise for as long as you possibly can and for me football is the thing I enjoy the most.

One evening a week I turn up at a 'vets' kick about and it is great. No regular commitment needed, just turn up and play with a number of other fairly average players a couple of them are in their 60s, others more my age. Anyone older wanting to get back into playing, try to find something like that in your area, it might be easier than a hardcore vets team with training and a league. Missing a sitter is all part of the banter. If you are in easy reach Canterbury, give me a PM and come along.
 
finished at 34 for me, not because of abilty but because of all the niggles and injury I was getting, everytime I got over 1 it seemed like I picked up a different one, still fancy pulling my boots on and might do pre season with the team I played for just to see if I fancy playing again
 
Don't understand how people can give up playing at such a young age unless its for injuries or work, these are the same people I have no time for when they shout their daft opinions at the match, they give up football at a young age or have never played it at any decent level yet think they know everything about the game and more often than not are wrong, not always but mostly. Hopefully I last as long as you have although at 24 I've had my fair share of serious injuries, broken jaws and snapped ligaments among them. I'm currently playing at a good level and will look to drop down the leagues and carry on for as long as possible before moving onto over 35's or 40's. Fair play to you, nothing beats the feeling of winning a competitive game of football but good luck with your training

What do you class as a good level mate?
 
Played for years and managed to do it at a good standard locally which was all good but the best time I had with football on the whole was when me and me marra's got the idea going to start our own team on a sunday, had a fair few mates all playing for different teams at a canny level so we knew we could make a competitive team. Seemed like a good idea that would never happen but it did, I was involved in it for 6 seasons from start to finish as we started in the bottom league and worked our way to the top. Brilliant times which will probably be some of the fondest memories in my life. The end of season do's where the best bit of it all, had some tremendous times.
 
I had a year or so out when I was about 28 and when I came back the tabs and booze had taken all my pace and destroyed my fitness, couldn't get back to how I was playing before so just started playing 7 a side
 
34. Retired. Thoroughly enjoyed my years playing for Bedlington station Fc.
 
11 a side, not played since I was about 24/25... Played 5 a side at least once a week for most of my life... I'm 37 now and had a lay off for about 4/5 years while the kids were little and work was manic, but since I started taking my eldest to football training on a Saturday Morning, all the dad's got talking and we decided it'd been too long. Been playing every Thursday Night for 3 months now and I still love it just as much as I ever did. Lost a few yards of pace, and the recovery takes a bit longer, but I still love it... Oldest lad who plays with us is now 58!
 
I'm 37 this week and have just finished my second game of four this week. I think it is important to keep doing some form of exercise for as long as you possibly can and for me football is the thing I enjoy the most.

One evening a week I turn up at a 'vets' kick about and it is great. No regular commitment needed, just turn up and play with a number of other fairly average players a couple of them are in their 60s, others more my age. Anyone older wanting to get back into playing, try to find something like that in your area, it might be easier than a hardcore vets team with training and a league. Missing a sitter is all part of the banter. If you are in easy reach Canterbury, give me a PM and come along.
This is bang on. I'm played 3 times a week, once competitive open age until injury got me at 44. Now I play over 40 twice a week and add a bit in the gym. You've got to keep going.
 
Captained junior school team then fell out of it for some reason all the way from secondary school through college and university. Playing once a week now, 7 a side, at 23 year old
 
Captained junior school team then fell out of it for some reason all the way from secondary school through college and university. Playing once a week now, 7 a side, at 23 year old
I don't understand why people stop (apart from injury of course). You can find good fun games at all ages (at least you can in Canada).
 
What a star, brilliant mate.
Cheers mate. Aye he is - ex pro footballer, county cricketer, powder hall sprint champion (if the older lads know what that is) and national army light middleweight champion (during national service - where he also captained the British army v German team in Munich in front of over 80k).
Sounds like something out of a comic but it's true

Quite an act to follow like! :eek::D
 
Cheers mate. Aye he is - ex pro footballer, county cricketer, powder hall sprint champion (if the older lads know what that is) and national army light middleweight champion (during national service - where he also captained the British army v German team in Munich in front of over 80k).
Sounds like something out of a comic but it's true

Quite an act to follow like! :eek::D
Give up gracefully now mate, he's going to take some beating. Bet he has a few good tales to tell.
 
I'm a decent sportsman and thankful to him for that, but impossible to match!
I've still won trophies in 6 different sports mind so can't complain
You certainly are decent mate, keep up the good work. Is your dad famous? For some reason a man with your dad's background in sport is kind of ringing a bell with me but I don't know where from. Has anything ever been written about him or has someone ever been on radio paying tribute to his sporting life? Might be on a totally different fella but I have heard of someone with a similar sporting history getting many accolades. Anyway, him or not, he deserves high praise indeed.
 
You certainly are decent mate, keep up the good work. Is your dad famous? For some reason a man with your dad's background in sport is kind of ringing a bell with me but I don't know where from. Has anything ever been written about him or has someone ever been on radio paying tribute to his sporting life? Might be on a totally different fella but I have heard of someone with a similar sporting history getting many accolades. Anyway, him or not, he deserves high praise indeed.
Doubt it, keeps it all low key.

He's 78 now and last summer a few of the lads in a team we run (u18s now) asked him how many keep ups he could do.
"As many as you want but I would get bored. Tell you what I will do a hundred"
Nailed it first attempt, the boys just applauded. Great moment
 
Early 30s. Snapped my cruciate ligaments and knackered the cartilage in my left knee.
 
32 and still playing. No intention of giving up.....just got managers players of the season for the first time!! must be in my prime ha ha

Hats off to the lads still playing late 40's, 50's and the hard core 60+!!! unreal dedication and would love to think i'll still be having a kick about at the same age
 
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