RKmusic

Football

As a bit of variation, away from all things musical, this page is dedicated to my football interests, and I’ll be sharing snippets of interesting ( hopefully ) information, pictures, experiences etc. for all you footie fans out there !

PSFC League Player of 2005/06

I regularly play 5-a-side football, where, due to my position being goalkeeper, I subject myself to homicidal maniacs ( strikers ) who like nothing more than to hammer the ball as hard as they can in my direction.

Aside from many games down the years after work with work-mates, I also played for about 10 seasons  with Ealing RS in the Redlees 5-a-side league in Isleworth. The highlight was running out as Champions in 1998 / 99.

I’ve also played a fair bit of 11-a-side football down the years, mostly in bottom of the table scraps with Newton City FC in the Chiswick and District league.

In recent years, I’ve played on a sort of ad hoc basis with Pacific Storm FC and was voted League Team Player of the Year 2005/2006 by my fellow team mates.

Unfortunately, I haven’t played any games for a couple of seasons now, but I’m still keeping my hand in on the 5-a-side front, playing two, three or even four times a week.

… Read on and find out how I started playing football and how I ended up securing a worthwhile position in goal ! …

* Fresh from the Archives – A blast from the past – more coming up soon ! *

Rob 1974 Griffin Utd

Rob’s Football ‘Career’

How it all started

It all started two or three years after I left school really. I didn’t play much football at school – I wasn’t that interested in playing then. I was working at Griffin & George Ltd in Perivale at the time and my workmate Dave had the idea of starting up a Griffin’s football team, inspired by the forthcoming 1974 World Cup. So we got a load of the lads together, along with some players from the Alperton branch a couple of miles away, and Griffin United was born, playing Sunday morning friendlies as and when we could get them. We soon had our own strip to play in too – A Dutch inspired orange kit !

In those days I played either up front or in midfield – anywhere to stop me getting in the way of the back four ! I did manage to get on the score sheet once or twice though. My first goal was actually a header. A bit risky considering I used to play in glasses in those days. I don’t remember who we were playing but I think it was at Gunnersbury Park, although I’m not absolutely sure of that either. Anyway, we had a throw in which was flicked on around the edge of the 6 yard box. The ball looped in my direction in the middle of the goal and as the ball came to me I nodded into the top of the net. I was amazed ! Surely a defender would barge me out of the way or chop my feet from under me. But no ! As I looked round to celebrate, there wasn’t a defender within yards of me. What would Alan Hansen have made of that ? “Awful defending.”  Still, I wasn’t complaining, I’d actually scored a goal !

After a couple of seasons, both player numbers and fixtures were struggling. As a result, the team soon had to be comprised of predominantly non-Griffins players. The name of the club was changed to Marlem Town FC and entry into a Sunday league soon followed. By this time I had finished my short career at the age of  20 !  I wasn’t as good as most of the other lads so wasn’t getting much of a game … But … Little did I know at that stage that it was just the beginning !

PGL 5-a-Side team 1978

Early days of  5-a-Side

I had been working for Gutermann’s (PGL) in Perivale for a while when I played my first 5-a-side football. I had never played 5-a-side before and soon found myself joining my workmates in the mid-week sessions at Hanwell Community Centre. I used to get the occasional tackle in and sometimes got on the scoresheet. I even played a handful of games in the Thursday night league too. But I was soon being plagued by headaches after games. Eventually, with the pain getting progressively worse and with the regular inspiration of watching my QPR hero Phil Parkes, I decided to try my luck in goal as a more permanent role. I was soon playing in goal in the league but I was still getting used to my new position. My form was therefore rather patchy and inconsistent in these early days.

… More to follow … in the fullnes of time !