What type of player are you?

1

Me - I’m a bit like a Jack of All Trades but instead of being master of none I’m master of them all.

Grew up playing as a pacy centre forward in the Brenfer North Dublin Leagues where only Glen Crowe could live with my strike rate. Turned down a move to Grange Woodbine at age 11 (in fact it was turned down by my father on my behalf) in order to continue learning my trade the Fingal way.

Won a couple of league titles, and a couple of cups. The Under 12 Cup Final at Haddon Park Killester was a particularly memorable affair. St Mochta’s (featuring Crowe) had beaten us 6-0 a couple of weeks previously on their way to winning the league. We regrouped for the final and in a dull first half (probably due to the heat) we got one smashing goal from a corner. Second half was a different story. We were under huge pressure from the start and Crowe equalised after about 10 minutes. Then I popped up with a goal and we went on to beat them 4-1.

It all went downhill from then. The manager Rock Senior left thinking all his work was done and we moved to the DDSL. We lost a couple of players to Home Farm at St Kevin’s and generally disimproved over the next 3 or 4 years. We had a bit of a revival after a further change of manager and got ourselves into the second flight of the DDSL at Under 16. By this time I was playing half of every game in midfield because I was fitter than most people so second half I’d play in midfield and run all day - a bit like Kev Kilbane maybe.

Another change of manager and I was dropped at the start of the next season for being too small. I wasn’t happy so I went off to rugby for 5 years with more bitterness than fond memories of the soccer.

Came back 4 years ago and reinvented myself as a sweeper in an adventurous 5 man defence in the AUL. Rock Senior was at the helm again and it was glorious. First season brought a league title in a playoff decider against our near neighbours. I was never the most imposing defender in the air but I could tackle and wasn’t afraid to use the fists which brought some disciplinary recriminations.

That team slowly disintegrated like one of Farmer’s cheap shirts and by the start of this season Rock Senior had grown disillusioned. We tried to carry on but numbers weren’t the same. I was dividing my time between the back 4 and the middle of the park (sometimes carrying the whole team with me it seemed). The team came to a sad end and despite an inglorious spell at the back for Clontarf, where I had a nightmare debut and quit in a storm over their training facilities, I’m raring to go.

I see myself as the lynchpin of the side. There’s no doubt I’ll be a stopper. I’ll work hard and get the blocks in and give it to the more creative lads to do their thing. That said I won’t be afraid to play the ball on the deck and I see myself bursting forward on the counter attack to grab vital goals.

Player I most resemble: Cannavaro

Value in the open market: 4m (age is a factor here - I’d say I’m worth 6m but realistically if a club paid 4m and I got one last big contract out of it I’d be happy).

2

Believe it or not I am quite like a tall centre forward that plays for Liverpool

I rarely use my height advantage but I am quite nibble on the ground for a big man

Hate playing up front

3

Good stuff boys.

I see myself as the living proof of what might have been.

Started my career as a 7 year-old with the well renowned football nursery, Wexford Albion. A superb youngster with a silky touch, fantastic dribbling skills allied with vision and maturity that belied my tender years, (as Bainne and superleeds will no doubt testify) I simply burst onto the scene. Think Lionel Messi and you’ll get the idea.

I played a few friendlies for the Under 8s (no competitive league for this age group) and ran the show. Used to saunter by players and score length of the field goals from my centre midfield position. It was only about a month into my fledgling career that I was promoted to the Under 10 squad. I felt I was ready to mix it in the company of Kevin Doyle (a different one - went to Leeds United but suffered a couple of terrible leg breaks and trained to become a physio instead) and Tim McGrath (went to Celtic but came back homesick after a year). After a few substitute appearances to bed me in (ala Stephen Hunt) I made the left wing position my own. Like McGeady last night I passed simply when I had to but revelled in taking players on.

We were unbeatable in Wexford and many teams were beaten even before the game such was our reputation. Over the next couple of years as the older players moved up to through the age ranks I assumed the responsibility of running our midfield. Jack Carthy had coached me about when to release the ball, when to switch the play, when to take players on, how to make half a yard for myself in a tight midfield and I simply had it the world at my feet. I wasn’t just a schoolyard dribbler any more, my left foot was a wand and I was a young Liam Brady.

But every Spring was the same. The hurling season starting as the association football one was reaching its climax. And hurling was my first love - my one real love. When faced with the choice of an early season hurling friendly or a crucial Wexford League soccer game I always wanted to play hurling. I remained true to football at the beginning, as most players did, vowing to give my all to hurling when the football season ended but I was kidding myself.

The nadir came when Faythe Harriers reached the Slaney Festival U-14 Final (a pre-season tournament to decide which club represents Wexford in the national File na Gael competition) and it was fixed on the same day as the Under 12 Wexford Cup Final. My mind was clear. There was no decision to make. I can still recall to this day Jack Carthy sitting in my living room on the Tuesday night, 4 days before the game, trying to convince me to play for the Albion. My father telling him he appreciated his position but the decision was mine.

A few weeks later Jack dropped up my winner’s medal and a programme of the day. I felt awkward but thanked him. He could barely look me in the eye, his emotions still too raw. I went inside, opened the programme and read the Wexford Albion pen pictures. While other players had glowing long paragraphs, I studied my name, last on the page, the final member of our squad: ‘Bandage, Age 11, Excellent Midfield Player’. It was too painful for Jack to write any more and it was very painful for me to read.

I haven’t kicked a competitive ball since.

But we won the hurling:

[img width=337 height=500]http://file018a.bebo.com/4/large/2007/03/19/22/3250820221a3884698740b906830503l.jpg

4

What a cracking photo. What might have been indeed.

5

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

only read bandage’s post just now… cracking stuff, a player with the world at his feet back then…not quite how i remember it, but today isnt a day for negatives…best of luck to thefreekick.com tonight!!

6

Another sob story of might have beens. Started my career with Salthill Devon at the age of 8. Having only been down to training for the first time 4 weeks before being categorised into A,B,C and D teams, I did well to scrape onto the B team. Started life as a striker and think I got 11 in 10. The A team soon beckoned but I found myself third choice striker. While playing U-13 I realised I had been playing an age group above me the whole time. Dropped down and had a great start to life in the U-12s, scroing a hat-trick on my debut in a 16-0 drubbing of Athenry. Later got 4 in an Irish Cup tie in a 5-1 victory against some knackers from Athlone. Forged what was at least a 50 goal partnership with Nicky Curran, later a quality right back at Galway United and very unlucky to be released at the end of last season. He got the majority of goals but my assists were crucial.

It was around this time that I had a Rock type walkout for the school GAA team. Dropped for the quarter final I told the manager (a bird!) that I quit and lo and behold I was starting in the semi. Scored 2-1, one of the goals a spectacular scissors kick. Mr. Flatley stated it was a goal “the likes of which I’ve never seen”. We were drubbed by Bushy Park in the final. My GAA career with Salthill/Knocknacarra then folded as I was selected for the Galway town team U-12 and was playing U-12 and U-13 for Salthill Devon and attempting but failing to break into the school team.

It was from here that things went pear-shaped. Again, not dissimilar to Rock I was dropped from pretty much all teams for being too small. I should also mention that while on tour in Germany I had been converted to a wide midfielder. Finished that tour as Devon’s top scorer with 5 including my favourite goal I ever scored. Top corner from outside the box followed by a Klinnsmann celebration. Anyway, being a quiet chap, having been dropped I didn’t complain and just got on with things. The only times I played were against crap country teams and then it was at right or left back. It wasn’t until U-16 and following a bit of a growth spurt that I re-emerged but it was a poor Devon team at that stage. At U-17 I played the Pires role and scored 9 in 11 before the team disbanded as we couldn’t get a manager.

My manager at U-17 moved to Galway United U-21 and took me with him. Had an encouragng full debut and scored the first in a 5-1 drubbing of Monaghan Utd. Got injured in that game and had a stop-start season at Galway United but was in the team more often than not when fit. Then finished my degree and went to Edinburgh for the summer, returning quite unfit. Those pricks that run the M.Acc in NUIG suggested it was going to be a hellish year so I gave up football. Turned out to be a reasonably easy year but hellish due to my lack of extra curricular activities and money (as I quit my part-time job too). Was probably unemployable in Galway anyway due to being fired for gross misconduct (drinking on the job) from my last post.

Haven’t played since except for two outings each summer with my mates at home, the Salthill 5s and the Mervue 6s.

Gagging to get back into it at some sort of decent level and the clock is ticking on my career. See the freekickabout as a sort of stepping stone. Really looking forward to tonight but my fitness or lack thereof is absolutley shocking and I hope it’s not costly to the team. Never fulfilled my undoubted potential but still harbour hope…

7

Sorry, got kind of emotional and had to nip to the gents to dry my eyes.

I’m a neat sort of a player. I don’t give the ball away and have what I would term a football brain. Keep things quite simple but am quite creative with it. Decent finisher. Given that I’ve lost about 14 yards of pace I’m not sure how I am at beating people. This used to be my forte but it shan’t be a strength of mine any more. I can’t head the ball due to a case called “footballer’s migraine”. It used to worry the auld wan silly.

Who is in tonight anyway?

8

A fecking stepping stone? You should be privileged to play alongside the great Tinnion. Smashing history Clarkey but how can you view thefreekick.com as a stepping stone? Unbelievable comment. We’re the future - this is as good as it gets for you.

9

Who is in tonight anyway?

We have:

Bandage
Farmer
Rocko
Tinnion
Clarkey Cat
Fats
Smelly
Kylo
Ronan

10

Probably very true. I think I was around 9 when I declared to the mother that I was going to play soccer for Liverpool and Ireland, football for the Dubs and tennis at Wimbledon during the summer. So I suppose I still have unfinished business.

Your sister says you’re very good Rocko. I’ll be expecting a performance.

11

Why football for the Dubs?

Don’t listen to my sister - she hasn’t seen me play in a couple of years.

12

Born in Dublin. Lived in Clonsilla til I was 6. Changed my colours around 96 or 97 I’d say.