It's only a game

After losing at Walderslade in the opening game of the season, Upbury Under 12s next match was against Rainham. In a game played on the hallowed turf of Langton playing fields on a Saturday morning our morale took a bruising before kick off when, just as at Walderslade, the opposition turned out in a vastly superior kit… 
 

And this, of course, is how we looked in our ragamuffin strip… 

Paul, Clive and I were delighted to see Billy Hollands, a former Twydall classmate, in the Rainham side. Our old friend had no football pedigree and seeing him line up at left back, in baseball boots, on a muddy pitch, was highly encouraging. This had to be our day.

Final Score: Rainham 8 Upbury Manor 1

‘Three cheers for Rainham. Hip hip…’

Rainham didn’t just beat us; they wiped the bloody floor with us. As for Baseball Boots Billy in the Rainham defence, he was rarely called into action in a one-sided demolition.

The next match saw us away again, at Gillingham Tech on a match played on their pitch across The Lines. To my huge disappointment Mister McDouall dropped me from the team. I can’t recall if I was named as the reserve (substitutes didn’t come in until the following season) but I went along to support the team anyway and see a 1-1 draw. Though it’s possible the team’s improvement was down to my demotion, I prefer to think it was influenced by another, more significant factor; the Tech’s red and white quartered shirts were almost as bad as ours.

There was great excitement on the day the under 12s, along with the football teams from other years, were told to report for team photographs one lunchtime. I badly wanted to be part of it but after missing out on the previous game I feared Mister McDouall would shout at me if I turned up, unwanted. With a heavy heart, I decided not to risk it. 

Standing, left to right: Trevor Hickson, Brian Lack, Brent Wigley, Martyn Hooper, Mark Sandmann, unknown, Bill Steadman.

Sitting, left to right: Raymond Wright, Stanley Slaughter, Barry Roots, Alan Greenstreet, Paul Parker. (Note how few boys had matching oversocks.)

A mystery to me is the absence of Clive Ward. He should be in this picture. I can only assume he was absent that day. The boy I can’t name – I only knew him by sight – was in one of the B or C classes, I think. Maybe he took my place in the team. If anyone can identify him please let me know and I’ll gladly name him here.

School team status was recognised in our playground kick-abouts. Internationals v The Rest we called it or as Paul put it, Professionals v Amateurs. As big headed as it sounds it was a novel way of picking sides that everyone took in good spirit. Though happy to line up with the likes of Alan Botten, Stephen Svensen and other good ‘amateurs’ my two appearances for the school team made me eligible for either side and I played, as required, for both.

And the school team? I was never picked again. (sigh)