Level you played at/ Level you should have played at.

Flea Market Trader said:
As in the title I would like to know what level posters on here played at and what level they think they could/should have played at. Also what were the reasons why you didn’t play at the higher level you feel your god given talents deserved. I will start. I started playing pub level football in the late 80s and finished my illustrious career at pub level standard. I reckon I should have been picked up by a scout and maybe played in some of Liverpool’s European cup finals and maybe knocked a World Cup off. I only didn’t make it as one of the top players of my generation due to my asthma. Bob Paisley said i reminded him of Kenny Dalglish and only thing different was that I was much better than him in the air. I was told to keep playing for my pub team and the scouts would still come to watch me. I told him to F@£k off. That was that really.
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Was asked to train with Hartlepool but as it coincided with Horden Labour club disco, chasing fanny took precedence
However did continue to have an illustrious career as semi pro culminating in a Team from Melbourne taking me on a sports visa
 


I used to cover every blade of grass on the pitch - my skills were, rightly, compared to the lad that drove the lawnmower.....

Sunday league was my level - I've got a decent left foot and can pick a pass but was too slow over distance and a bit lightweight.

Still play 5 a side now and again but only to make up numbers but I struggle to walk the next day.
 
Having played against and with some ex pros , including 73 cup winners when I was a kid then you realise how good they are.

So yes OBrien is shit....but he isnt really :)
 
Gazoliver said:
I played Sunday pub leagues in Harrogate and carlisle. That was my potential fulfilled!!

Still play over35s and over 40s which are actually better standards as you get some of the ex pros and semi pros turning out. Chris Lumsdon is one of the few Sunderland connections I've played against but many other ex Carlisle, Workington, SW Scotland players still have a go.
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Excellent.
My claim to fame was representing my school at a penalty shoot out in front of 1,000 people. Came 3rd with a poultry 2 out of 5.
In goal the Oxford Utd keeper Roy Burton.

Roll the clock forward pub football on a Sunday and Roy Burton playing for the Oxford based team.
Lobbed him from 20 yards and queue the over reactive celebration. Mates pissing themselves as knew the Swindon connection.
He was superb after the game went over to him to explain being a Swindon fan.:lol:
 
Az* said:
I wonder how many class players preferred a drink. I know a few my age who were cracking sportsmen but loved a good slurp more.
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Met some lads on a stag in benidom years ago from Blackburn. Got talking to this lad who the year before was in Blackburn academy with Phil Jones. Apparently a better player but he loved the booze. Had a canny kite on him at that point anarl.

Played for school teams, Saturday league and county. Had some health problems at 14/15. Came back and could never get fit. Tried going back to Sunay league about 5/6 years ago now about 24 ish and hated it. Couldn't get over these blokesturning up half cut and having a fag before starting the game :lol: always get the feeling of wanting to start again but don't enjoy it anymore. Would probably play 5 a side like.

Also played against Sami Ami Obi when he was like 15 and still lanky as fuck. What a player he seemed. God only knows how good these 'shite' prem players are!
 
Footy - average at best. school team for a bit, sacked it off at 13 as I wasn’t good enough, mainly because I put too much pressure on myself and hid from responsibility. I got back into playing at 18, 1 appearance for the Uni 4ths and I sacked it off again for booze and women. Played 7s in work leagues across London for a few years before ligament damage ended all playing in my early 30s.

Cricket - played a few games in Berks with work. I’m the worst batsmen you’ll ever lay eyes on, but I somehow managed to dismiss and ex-new Zealand under 18 opener with my part time leg spin. It was the drift that did him.
 
Az* said:
The yearly tournament held in Amsterdam ? I played in that 3 times, it’s how I was noticed by 2/3 Dutch clubs. It was massively popular in the 80’s/90’s. I never come across anyone on RvP’s level mind.

Always seemed to be a lot of Redby players and kids from Monkwearmouth area attending.
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No mate I think I recall the one you're talking about but I never played in that. Iirc there was a similar one in somewhere like Blackpool every summer as well.
 
barmyarmy73 said:
Played for East Durhams for a game or 2 but was super shy in them days and stopped going.
Goerge Courtney was my first football teacher/ manager and picked me for school team when I was in 2nd year and rest of team were 4th years.
Been told I was really good left footer and compared too Waddle.
Remember scoring winner on debut and the rest of team carrying me off on the shoulders.
Rest i can't really remember.
Stopped playing when realised women were sexy.
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Sounds a similar story to me....played for East Durham a couple of times,but lacked the will mentally to stick at it and aim higher...ended up in Peterlee Sunday League,as a forward,but preferred the 10 role....which in the top division had a smattering of very good footballers.Played until I was 39.
 
It was always a toss up Between drums and football and I tried to do both…naturally gifted at drums (apparently) and played Sunday league…had I chosen to practice football more I’d have maybe gone higher, got told many at time I had a ‘wand of a left foot…’ but was never fast nor probably aggressive enough…didn’t score many goals but they were usually worldys…😂
 
Had trails at Oldham and Rochdale (actually got scouted for Oldham in a school match that we lost 6-0 :lol::eek: ) , played for Halifax Town for a season (under 16s) , on the cusp of going into the youth team and they folded. They reformed as FC Halifax Town and ran the Youth Team through a college (which literally was a college team associated to the new club) so i sacked it off and went to a different college and then on to uni whilst playing for Bradford PA for a year.
 
Played for Ivy House on a Saturday morning in the 90s.
Then 20 year 'career' in Spanish pub football.
Played 1 season at the lowest rung of the Spanish pyramid. 9 promotions from Real Madrid and Barca.

Scored a goal in a 3-2 defeat to Uruguay in the Madrid immigrants World Cup. Diego Forlans brother captained Uruguay. Some fella who gets on here turned up in Madrid for the weekend and played left back as the UK struggled to find 11 players.
Couple of seasons on loan for a Catalan team in Barcelona, won the Bifl Cup.

A chequered career. Would have been better if I had a left foot.
 
Az* said:
I always wanted to learn and play cricket. Only kids I knew that played lived in Ryhope village and I’d only see them now and again. Amazing how they played in ryhope but a mile down the road nobody played at all.

I still don’t really understand the game today :lol:
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My brother was decent and I inherited his Duncan Fearnley bat. Fairly sure that’s why I was picked! Was surprising how much difference a decent bat made though, I was mediocre but walloped some corkers off fast bowlers if I got the bat on the ball at all.
 
Watching some of the 'players' we've had over the last 4 years, I genuinely believe that with the correct fitness regime, their are posters on this thread who could have got a game in our first team.:confused:
 
Played for youth teams from the age of 7 to 18. Was OK at 1st without being anything special, but had some good coaches and I seemed to really peak and turn into a decent player in the teenage years.
Regular for the school team and got picked and played a handful of games for the county. Played Sundays during that time for a few youth teams who were challengers at the top end of their leagues, one which I captained to a promotion scoring 11 goals from cb (I took the pens). Probably my best personal season. After that went to college got picked after trials to represent Sunderland college academy development side. Was a very good standard and I didn't really standout but enjoyed it playing with some great lads who have went on to play to decent standards.
Felt like a footballer back then travelling around the country on the coach playing at some football grounds and training grounds against academy sides. After that from 18 up to 27 played sunday league playing for 4 different sides across the Sunderland and South shields leagues. Had to pack in after several shoulder dislocations. Miss it like mad, coached a blokes Sunday morning side for a bit lately and have fancied coaching youth football for a while now.
Don't think I could have played any higher than I did and seemed to definitely play my best seasons and peak between the ages or 13/14 to around about 20 I would say
 

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