Steve Foster | Homeless, Drunk & Player Of The Season

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35:28Baz Windle was I mean he wasn't the greatest physio he got basic treatment but he was hard as fuck if you remember he was into all that He'd kill you with a chop, like one of them where he'd... Ex-army or something like that. Yeah, army background. So none of the lads used to fucking say that. He'd give you a stare, wouldn't he? He'd be like, I don't want that off him. If you try to have a bit of crack and criticise his treatment or whatever, you'd just get the look. Even like a sly one to the hip. He'd give you one, just a warning, a reducer. Fuck me, Baz. Don't do it again. how old were you when you made your first league debut so I was I was 18 at Mansfield yeah I made my debut on the Tuesday against Stoke and after two minutes scored everyone would think that it was brilliant but unfortunately it was in the wrong net like so I wasn't looking at that then Mansfield five games no goal yeah yeah

36:39so yeah they got caught they got a corner and it fell down and i've gone to hook it like that but unfortunately it's gone great finish by the way top top corner sort of thing so i was in uh was was in the dressing room at half time and paul holland like he was sat next to me and he's just gone, did you score that then? And I was like, shut up, you cunt. Shut up. Like, come on, I think Gleghorn, like a winger, I think he said that he'd scored. He said, no, it wasn't me, shut up. But what a start, two minutes into your debut and that, like, top corner. You can only go up from here, surely. and then then I played I played the next game and I think the right back that had been injured he come back into into it and then you sort of you drop out of it and did they get relegated that year erm there was they could they could have done well I've got the they were relegated and you left at the end of that season is that right no I left I left halfway through the season they'd offered me I got what did I get I got a six month contract at the end of my YTS right and then they offered me then till the end of the season and I left and I went to Telford oh so your decision to even though there were an offer on the table yeah yeah yeah my ex-manager George Foster who was at Mansfield like he'd gone to Telford and I'd spoke to him and he said that he wanted me there like he'd have me there straight away and you'd be playing they were in the conference and so I went there and to be fair it was probably best decision that I did really big decision isn't it 18 to you've got a contract on the table and to drop out especially your own town team as well yeah I was put on like a professional contract with Telford as well although we only trained Tuesday and Thursday nights obviously with the lads that worked.

38:56But then on a Monday and Thursday, Friday, we would go into training anyway. So the likes of Marcus Bignett, Sean Parrish, they were all the same. I think Marcus had left Birmingham, Sean left Shrewsbury. And we'd go in and you would spend 20 minutes, half an hour on your own individual thing. So I would like, they would be pumping balls in the RBN or we'd do a defensive session. Marcus had played midfield or right back, so we'd do certain aspects of that. So in the end, that sort of six months from then helped me out because it was concentrated on you. So I learned probably more in that six months than I did for my whole entire YTS.

39:52like sort of thing like and so it was it was there and i we we played when i was at talford we played kidderminster they were going up they were i think well they were champions but like they you couldn't get promoted back then we need i think we needed a point to stay up and we played them we drew nil nil at our place and there was a lad davis center forward they used to call him the ox i mean he was built like i mean i was 11 stone wet through like sort of thing although i was tall but like i had nothing on me and i'm playing against this like big center forward after about 15 minutes he broke my nose carried on rest of the game and the manager like obviously george like came up to us and give us the biggest hug and no way i look back at that and think that meant like so much to me.

40:50Do you know what I mean? No way you think like, oh, you know what? Probably I've got a chance of like being a footballer and going on like sort of thing. I think he saw that I had like a lot of heart in terms of like my nose had gone or something like that. But I've stood up, got on with it. No concussion protocol out back then, was it? Oh, no, no, no. It was just a wet sponge, like the old magic sponge and stuff. to have a bit of water on me, bottle of water on the head, like, go on then, away you go. That must have been weird, like, playing in the conference at that time, not being able to get promoted, but you can get relegated.

41:26Is that right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how did they do it? Was it Voughton or something back then? Yeah. How did teams go up into the league? They didn't. Did they not? No, no, you were just like, you were just champions, and then that was it. And then they, so then they obviously changed it to just one goes up, didn't they? And then I think they brought the playoffs into, like, after that. And what's your aspirations at that time? What, are you 19? Yeah, I just turned about 19. Obviously, you can't get promoted, but just make a name for yourself and hopefully somebody comes in. Yeah, you just want to...

42:00Like I say, I was on a full-time contract anyway, so it was just a case of turning up, obviously putting performances in, and then it's like anybody liking it. hopefully someone turns up, you have a good game, and then they come and sign you. And in the end, it didn't really pan out, to be honest. Obviously, George left. Wayne Clarke took over. The ex-leads sent it forward. Before my take. He took over, didn't really get on with him. and then I ended up just out of the blue, Welkin came in and put an offer in for me and signed me and that had to be probably one of the best statements of my life in football, to be honest.

43:01I went down to speak to him, sign for them. If we played on a Tuesday, I'd play on a Tuesday. I wouldn't have to go training on a Thursday and then I'd play on the Saturday. If we didn't have a game on a Tuesday, I would have to go on a Thursday to training and then play on the Saturday. So it was just basically... One day on. Yeah, yeah. Why? Was that just because you wanted... Because of the distance. I mean, Wilkins in Surrey and I was... Oh, so you didn't move down? No, no. But then they put me in a hotel when I was down there, but it was just... So I moved down there. We got to, well, we were in the first round of the FA Cup, so this is like, so we're in the first round of the FA Cup at Wilkin.

43:50Me and a lad called Andy Thompson, like, used to stay in the hotel before the game, so, like, on the Friday we were walking round, like, Wilkin. We've got Millwall, who were top of Division I at the time, at our place. So we're walking round, we're past the Ladbrokes, and on the front of Ladbrokes, it's all our names of prices. So Tommy was going, oh, I'm 16 to 1. I'm still looking down the list. Oh, there I am. I was 50 to 1. For first goal? Yeah, first goal. So he says, ah, you know what? Sod it, we'll have a tenner on each other, that sort of thing. So we both had a tenner. We get to the corner, second minute.

44:38so I've gone up for it. Corner comes in, gets cleared. I thought, oh, you know what, I'll stay up. Corner's come in, back post, bosh, scored. So I'm in the back of the net and everyone's going, get in, get in. I'm going, get in. I've just won 500 quid.

45:01I'm buzzing. There's like two weeks wages there. I'm going, get in. Did you just win then? Did you get a result? Yeah. It was good because we ended up drawing 2-2 that night. We went to their place and beat them 1-0 at their place. Clive Walker scored. We had Cambridge in the next round, beat them 2-0 at their place. And then we had Coventry in there when they were in the Prem. We went to their place. We drew 1-1. and then obviously the replay was back at ours. It was, we were drawing 1-1, and then someone back post decided to edit in his own net, and we got beat 2-1. So there's another own goal.

45:56I've got some great memories. Good finish again, though. No, this was more of a... Scrappy. Yeah, should I go for it, Sean? I've got to try and get somewhere on it, and it just went in. So we got beat 2-1. Third round? Yeah, yeah, third round. It was almost a full house. It was Highfield Road at the time, so it was almost a full house when we played at their place before the replay. We obviously went to Millwall. We had a full house at our place. So it was good. And like I say, a good eight months like that was there. So that was the start of it because then we started on the trophy. the FA trophy and we got to the final of that so I ended up playing at the Twin Towers like the proper Wembley like in the final of that and we won that one 1-0 and you think like this has just all happened over eight months nine months ago I was like not really enjoying football but then all of a sudden eight months after that.

47:08You think this is brilliant. And are you hearing about league clubs being interested during that eight months? Well, we played Stevenage in the semi-finals as a trophy and Ian Holloway had come to watch Barry Ailes, the centre forward, and I was marking Baz. we ended up winning the game 2-1. Before the trophy final, I went down to Bristol to speak to them and then I signed for Bristol before that final. As soon as the final was out of the way, I was becoming a Bristol Rovers player. So he'd come down and watch Barry. That's one way of getting a move, that, isn't it? He's coming and watching a striker, a new market manager game.

48:00Perfect, isn't it? Yeah, so that was another thing out of the blue. So like I say, this eight-month period that I had, it was just unbelievable. I'd gone from being at Telford and not doing very well to then the next minute, FA Cups, FA Trophies, and then getting a move to Bristol as well. Well-winded. Yeah, yeah. Like I say, love that time there. So do you know if you played on a Saturday and you didn't have a game on the Tuesday, you were just training Thursday? Yeah. What did you do with your time?

48:43We'll do a visual on this answer.

48:49Basically, yeah, just finding things to do. Didn't really do a great deal. I wasn't, like I said, I wasn't one for the gym. I wasn't one to go running. Yeah, just... Not about. ...lanced around. Yeah. I was brilliant at Countdown.

49:10Who was he and Oliway for you? Oli was brilliant. What you see of Oli on the telly, times it by 10 and that's how he is... Behind the scenes. In a dressing room or obviously coming into work. brilliant I've got the utmost respect for him he gave me the opportunity to get him back in the Football League and loved it but then there was a few times that the way that I was sort of conflicted with the ways that he wanted me to be so there was one I'd played the second game of the season against Bristol City and And I'd got smashed and my ankle went. So I was out for about 10 weeks with that. And then I managed to get back in just before Christmas.

50:09We beat Luton 4-2 at their place. And then, obviously, we'd train. I think we'd had a day off or something. And then it was like train Christmas Eve. Well, I was still in my sort of non-league Christmas Eve. I'm going out. so I went out I ended up in Kingswood for a bit, a place in Bristol I've gone out all night all day, all night and then we were obviously training Christmas Day morning so I've turned up Christmas Day morning tried to get through training and then as I've gone to put my boots, because the gaffer looked like Ollie was still playing manager so as I've gone to put my boots in the in the boot room he's walking out I couldn't time it any better really could I like sort of thing so I've like gone oh he's gone how many do you have last night I was like I didn't have any what are you on about how many do you have last night I didn't go out gaffer how many do you have last night honestly it kept going like this how many do you have how many do you have how many do you have like I thought I'm going to have to say something here so I went I had four cans he went oh I thought oh my god I'm glad I didn't tell him the truth about 10 balls by about two o 'clock in the afternoon never mind like fall can't And he was going, oh, I can't believe it, can't believe it, four cans.

51:51And I was like, God. So he went, right, just get changed, just get changed. So we had Walsall away on the boxing day and they were doing well at the time as well. They had a lad up front that was scoring goals and I came out for the warm-up and I thought, you know what, I've got to have a good game today. I've got to stop myself alive, it'll be all right. So we played the game. Peter Beedle scored a worldie that day, like Bennett, top corner. We beat them 1-0. And come in, I knew I'd had a, you know when you've had a good game sort of thing. So I come in and I'm getting changed and he come over, oh God.

52:39And he went, I'll let you off. and I went cheers gaffer thanks am I alright for a pint like but he said yeah so he let me off a couple of seasons later I had Andy Thompson join centre half we'd played the first game of the season and then we'd arranged that we were all going to go out and we got Ban from going out so me and Tom went come on we'll just go out anyway we'll just keep our heads down and stuff we didn't used to go to like all your like 10 bob millionaire pub like type places we used to go and find a nice sort of shit old type pub and if you know what i mean but like more comfortable there so we went out and then on the sunday we went out again which we shouldn't have done because we were playing lewitton on the tuesday but we went out um and then we come out of the mill house and this car pulls up and it's Michael Meeker and he's gone Gaffer's looking for you we're going what are you on about he's gone no he has he's looking for you he's looking for you so we're going ah show up show up so we didn't live far from the house so we've walked out and we've got to the house just literally walked in and two headlights pull up outside the window and that so we've opened the door in comes Ollie and we always think in my United's book where Ferguson goes round to gigs and shop we're all saying he's reading that isn't he he's reading that he's come round to my house hasn't he is he straight in I've opened the door for him he's walked straight past me and he's walked straight into the kitchen and Tomo says I couldn't believe it he says I've just put a cigarette and a can down and he walked in so he's gone to Tomo he's gone oh it's you I knew it'd be you with him he's gone right see us in the morning didn't really say anything just walked in and then walked straight back out so Tomo's gone I'll tell you what I'll go and sort it out so he's come back in he's gone it's alright it's sorted I've gone right sound so in the morning gets to training we sat there in the morning Jamie Corton walks in and he's shaking his head at us.

55:09So I'm going, what's up? He said, what's up? He says, the state of him last night. So Chioro's gone. Tommo's come out the house. Ollie had like one of them no ex-jags, but really low ones. Well, Tommo's six foot four, but apparently he's bent down like this and he's lent on the car trying to speak to the gaffer with his head, sort of tossed like this, telling him we've only had a couple, like, and then saw someone in the car, like, he says, so this is what Curo's telling me, like, he says, and then he saw me and gone, hey up, Curo, you all right, mate? Like, and all that, while he's trying to explain, like, Ollie, that we've only been out and had a couple.

55:56Was Curo in the car? Curo was in the car, he'd been around Curo's house, got him up out of bed, like, and said, take me to Foss's house now. So he's like, so Tomo's like on the side of the car leaning, almost falling over. He's come back in and said, it's all right, it's sorted. So I'm like, Sal, got a bed happy then? Like, all right. It's sorted. Well, come next morning and yeah, like I say, we're driving to work. We're like, oh God, God. Kioro's come in and told me that then. Tomo's bent down and going, hey up Cure are you alright me he thinks he's sorted it doesn't he he thinks he's sorted yeah so I'm like oh cheers and then like the shout goes up Fars Gaffer's room like so in the end I've gone in he kept saying who was I with I says well obviously Tom but then but he says were you with any other players we were with another player like but he was only a young kid so I wasn't going to like stitch him up so I just kept saying I was with two of my mates and stuff so I said no two of my mates so he made us run so he put us on we had two runs to do we had the full lap of the training ground which has always been timed and then we had another like a fartlet type run that was timed and he made us do that we did that, we went obviously to Luton away and we played Luton away and we beat him 2-0 but before the game me and Tom were like we're going to have to have a good game today me and him so we played we didn't give their centre forwards a touch like we were proper like on the ball and stuff like that and then he pulled us in the shower block like in Luton's like in the away end and come with us so we went in there again I'll let you off I was like oh get it and there again we both went again can we go for a pint it is a massive case of it doesn't really matter what you're doing you'll get away with it if you're doing well on the pitch and that's it but it's funny because he went Ollie went to QPR like about I don't know a year after that and he took Kioro, took Kioros with him and he took Nick Calkin, a goalkeeper, who we'd had on loan from Man United and they were struggling a little bit and apparently he'd got them all together and started telling them a story about how he had two players at Bristol Rovers that had to prove to him that they wanted to be in his side so I made them run and they proved to me that it wasn't like...

58:54And Kiara rung us up, said, would you believe this? She's all about YouTube. He rung Thomas, going, listen to this. She'll be like, get in. Make an example of us. Yeah, exactly. I wonder how many times that happened in your career where you've thought, I need a good game today. The week that you've had or summer where you might not feel great. But compare that to myself, a lot of the time I'd do it right, eat the right things wouldn't drink and I'd be a bag of shit I'd feel horrific I think sometimes I don't I mean yeah you can look at your drink but like you say I think it could be what's happened like family or or the cars broke down or something like that no something like just random or something like that but then if you go into the game with the wrong frame of mind I think I always thought I always thought that I had to so then nobody could then have a go back.

59:58Like, if I gave them an excuse then I wouldn't have a leg to stand on so don't give them that excuse sort of thing. And like you say, I had the odd times where I wouldn't and I'd be rubbish and I'd be like, why bother? Do you know what I mean? That's what I'm saying. The thing is, they'd be having that, you must have had a good weekend and I'd be like, what are you on about? Went to the cinema.

1:00:27I didn't do anything this weekend. I've kept myself right. Oh, you would. You must have been out. You must have been out. I wasn't. I wasn't. And then you think, well, I'll tell you what, I will do next week. We've heard about that run, haven't we? Was it Bobby Zamora spoke about that run that Holloway used to do? Because Woody, I'm assuming, he used to join in with them runs, the timed one. Was it in the woods or something? Yeah, yeah. I did one I did Bobby say about when Frankie needed like Frankie Bennett were you there? Yeah yeah he'd start us at one place you had to run to like a fence which was about I don't know two mile touch the fence and then run back but he would give you a five minute head start and if he beat you then he'd say you have to do it again well we did it it was about it felt about 40 degrees like it was it was unbelievably hot but I was there like and then I can remember touching the fence and I've literally done about 100 yards and he's coming past me to touch the fence I thought well I've got no chance of getting back before you so we're on the we're on the way back and Frankie was running with somebody and then next minute he's just keeled over like heat exhaustion and everything like and he's like he's saying stuff like tell the missus i love her tell the kids all over he's got into like delirium yeah yeah because it was that hot Coming in with a really important message this week, gents, because we've teamed up with Think and it's something that matters to all of us.

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1:03:38We've heard about his madcap kind of managerial techniques. like they're chucking bread in formation and whatnot. The chickens. He rung Tomo up once before one game and said, he went, I've got a plan as hot as me pants. Tomo was on the phone going, because we used to live together. to Tommy when Gaffer's got a plan as hot as his pants like and all and put the phone back yeah yeah but he'd always come out I mean we played we played Reading away once it was 0-0 at half time we beat him 6-0 like by the end of the game and he come in and he he started this song about this yellow bird but we had to repeat him so it'd be like yellow bird and we'd all have to go yellow bird and then he'd say something else and then when you're all looking around going what the fuck do you know what I mean but it's just just his antics like to be honest just his antics and like how he was but to be fair Breath of Fresh yeah he's brilliant like just to see I've seen him on the telly the other day and he like looks good and I was gutted that Swindon didn't get in the playoffs to be honest I was looking at that they missed out on the playoffs because he's done really well there.

1:05:14I like to think that he's become that manager because when I first signed, he was only a player manager, so he was still learning. But then he had to learn early with dealing with me. So that's helped him. Education. Yeah, exactly. Oh, that's it. When did your love for following England come about? I've always been an England fan. Could you be classed as a hooligan? No, no, no.

1:05:46Some of my friends, see there's that word that you just mentioned. I'd like to think that you get a group of lads that go round supporting their team that sometimes might bump into another group of lads that support another team and might fuel into a bit of rivalry, a bit of friction, should I say. I think what you've just described is in the Oxford Booker's Dictionary. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a tear up in it. It's a big fucking tear up. Yeah. But would you love her?

1:06:31The Scrappman side of it, if you came across another firm? It has been known. It has been known. Yeah, I've got a lot of friends and we've got the games and stuff. Yeah, things have happened at times and stuff. I went to Brussels one year. I went with a lad Rob and two of his mates from Bristol, Bristol Rovers fans and we get there go straight out and then it was all kicking off

1:07:17and then the next minute got a few battens around the legs I got put on the floor, tyre wrapped and then marched off to to a cell and then we spent 16 hours in there we got told that we had to sign a form like to say that we'd cause trouble but we hadn't caused trouble and then and then we got on a bus that took us to the airport and there like the big Hercules plane or something that transports like the prison plane well, to transport us to tanks and stuff like that. One of them, like, no, we're the big propellers. There's about six of them going round and round. How many of you was on it? There was 40.

1:08:10They were deporting 40 at a time, but with each one you had, like, a copper with you as well. So there was 80 of us. So we'd go. Obviously, a plane would go, another one would land, and then the next load would turn up. But like I said, I didn't even do anything wrong. That's the thing. It was just the way they were. But then I was thinking, oh, I hope the club don't find out about this. Yeah, I think I'd be thinking something similar. But I thought, well, I haven't done that wrong. But I was thinking, well, what happens if they do? Oh, my God. So we ended up getting flute. We got flute in Manchester.

1:08:56and then I had no passport on me, I had about enough money, so there was a couple of lads from Chessfield, another lad from Mansfield, I didn't actually know him. We all clubbed together and got a taxi and then just got dropped off sort of thing and then Rob and his mates, can you remember, was it Loaded, the magazine? There was a big double photograph of it like the Germany game and I think Shearer's running away or something like that and there they are like in the picture jumping about and I'm thinking can I superimpose myself that's where I should have been and I'm going to take it nobody did find out no no no like yeah so I got away with that there's one story I will tell it like so I've got I've I've gone to Madrid like there was we were going to go like for Liverpool because we thought Liverpool were going to get to the European or UEFA Cup final so I'd gone with I'd gone with my mate Wesley Sean and Andy we bought tickets to go and watch Real Madrid like on on one of the nights but during the day like me me and Sean got a little bit too like leery and loud and stuff and we were trying to jump in this fountain and then Andy and Wesley decided to leave us and then Sean lost his phone so we got his phone back but the lad that nicked his phone had a couple of friends that got a couple more friends and then a couple more friends so we ended up getting ourselves into a bit of a scrape there.

1:10:49By ourselves. Yeah. it's a bad statement first when two two hooligans go oh this is too much for me this leave them here I'm going to leave this one out yeah oh but to be fair they're two handy ones as well like do you know what I mean you'd like thinking but in the end like so Sean was Sean's getting a bit of a kick in here I'm getting a bit of a kick in so I've legged it round this corner like I'm in Madrid and I'm like running round so I've legged it back and then made a sort of U-turn to get, like, seeing this taxi, I thought, sod it, I'm jumping in this taxi. Jumped in the taxi in the back and there's Sean in the front.

1:11:33We've gone, yeah, let's get it, drive, drive. I couldn't believe it, like, forget it. So we got back to the hotel and then just had a few beers after that. And then, so the next day we get a paper. I don't speak fluent Spanish, but I can read that Real Madrid's won 5-0. Figo scored, Raul scored. We had tickets to go to it and missed it because we thought, oh God. So we said, right, let's go and have a look at the ground. So Andy never come with us. So we were looking around the ground and there was like building work going on. so Wesley my mates go and tell you what let's jump this fence like so we jumped a fence like climbed up some sandbags jumped a fence I'd seen the door opened this door walked down a corridor and we're in the changing room area so the own changing rooms all fenced off so we'd so we've like jumped in this away dressing room like and we'd like honestly we're laughing our heads off I'm like a giggling kid, like, so here we go and we're taking photographs and it's like, Sean's a tiler.

1:12:56We went in and it's all tiled nicely, so he's pointing it, like it's saying I've tiled this. Put it on his website. I've tiled this, yeah, yeah. It says, oh, put pictures on. We're on the physio room, like physio's table. Photograph on his flyer. Honestly, it was brilliant. and so we've come out of the dressing room and then we've heard voices coming up from the tunnel so we went, oh shit, let's get out of here before we get nicked and this woman went, no, no, this way please we turned round, it was the official tour we went, not a problem, so we went all right on the ground

1:13:33we've got pictures in the dugouts by the side of the pitch, it was in the president's thing I've got pictures of in the trophy room like it says no prohibited over the ropes we're picking the trophies up like that

1:13:52so it's it was just it was just mental we just thought well we missed the game we might as well just try and have a look at the ground we didn't realise we'd be all round it and stuff like that it was just brilliant that if I go round the corner and it's all kicking off I'm reversing fucking getting up getting off I'm not going into the trouble I didn't that night in Brussels that sort of thing but no a lot of the time if you're there I'm running me yeah but it's generally like you'll be there already anyway like if I remember that tournament though did the Coppers have hoses were they yeah that's where I should have been the day before the day after is it Le Charlois yeah Le Charlois yeah yeah I should have been there the next day, but then that's why I got looked up the night before.

1:14:44But a good experience, though, because they're nice planes, aren't they? Oh, I don't know. I fell asleep. We've been up about 30 hours. They give us some earplugs and got on. I think I must have just been slathering all over the copper next to me, like, head on his shoulder. Am I all right here? I'm picturing Connor. Yeah. You've got to look at Nicolas Cage, to be fair. He has. The buddy in the box. And was there any repercussions for future games? Did you get a banning order? No, no. Just deport it and that's it? Yeah, yeah. It'd be funny, wouldn't it, if I got banned from all the grounds and then I'm turning around to the gaff and say, I can't play this week, I'm banned from now.

1:15:27Did any of the other lads recognise you? Because they're all football fans. No, no. Nobody. No. But after the Madrid trip as well, there was eight of us. we went to Milan about two weeks later. So we wanted to do the same at the San Siro. We was going to try and break into that life. And then when we got there, Bruce Springsteen were on. So there was about 10 ,000 fans outside, weren't there? We were gutted. We were going, ah, fucking Bruce Springsteen. We want to get in the ground life and all that. Try and break into the San Siro. And who was playing in Milan? Was there like a Champions League night or something?

1:16:10No, we just went for a three-day break. Cat-suites and suckers. Just seeing Tom Cruise. We'd done it a few times. We went to Athens, we went to Panathina, was it Olympiakos' ground or something like that? There was metal gates there and we thought we can crawl under these and we can get in. but then we thought oh the Greeks were a bit like no and then when you see when you see them when they're walking around like with machine guns or something like that you think is it really worth it like for a picture yeah yeah yeah do you still go now like you know since you've finished would you still be up for a trip away somewhere and yeah yeah yeah yeah definitely oh well were you when you signed at Doncaster because I lost would have been about 26 I think 26 Did you drop down a league to sign?

1:17:08I don't I Same Yeah yeah Yeah They were in the conference at the time so I'd left Bristol Rovers I was out of contract at Bristol Rovers and No chance of a new one? I didn't I didn't I didn't want to anyway They got a new manager in I think Who was it? Ray Graydon took over I think I wouldn't have liked to have played for him anyway So you dropped down to a conference again? Well, I ended up training with Chesterfield for a little bit and I didn't sign for them. And to be fair, if I had to sign for them, then none of my mates from Mansfield would have ever spoke to me again. So it's probably not a bad thing, but I did quite a good pre-season with them, so I got quite fit.

1:17:55So I signed for Doncaster. And to be honest, when I first signed, well I stayed I stayed there for about six months I was there for six months and then I signed until the end of the season but for the first six months I never I didn't really play to be fair mate I'm surprised you were half scrambling because you played 200 league games at this point for Bristol yeah and going on trials reputation procedure well that's I think that's what yeah I think a lot of the time it does which it annoys me sometimes that sort of thing but I can understand it in a way but then in another way you think well you've done 40 games a season for five seasons yeah exactly you've got someone that will play all year very rarely injured like so I can't be doing like although you've they don't know me it's only what they hear but like I'll still play that many games for you like so that did annoy me and I do think that sort of altered like a lot of me like trying to go higher at times but yeah it took me ages to sort of get in the team.

1:19:05And then I can remember I got in the team one game. We were playing Welkin on Sky. Penn's always used to say that if you get in the team and you do well and we win, he wouldn't change it. So I've got in the team, we've beat him on Sky. I think we beat him 3-1. And then he changed it the next game, dropped me and brought Tim Ryan back in. but Tim was like his right-hand man sort of thing, which fair play. But it wasn't good for me because I was thinking, well... And then it was about another month before that that I got in again. I played one week and then the following week, I think they were playing Saturday, Monday.

1:19:49So they played on the Saturday, I wasn't in the team, even though I played the week before and we'd won again. I wasn't in the team. but then we had to go training on the Sunday. So I've turned up on the Sunday. So he set this little running session up that he used to do. And I just, in my head then, my head had gone. I thought, well, what am I doing? I turn up, play games, we win a game, you change it, you drop me again. I thought, you can get stuff now. So we were doing this training session, running session, and I was getting lapped. I was going so slow and Pence come over and he was like, what are you doing?

1:20:31Why are you that far behind? I was like, what's the fucking point? I just carried on. He walked off and then Mickey Walker, can you remember, assistant manager, he set up a little five-a-side competition, sorry, game and Franny had played Mickey a ball and no one in your eyes just light up and think, oh my God, he's getting it. And I swear, I just got the ball, but Mickey must have spun round in the air about three times. I absolutely smashed him. And I got up and went, I'll ball, and I turned round and there was about five of the players on the floor just rolling with laughter and stuff like that.

1:21:17He must be 60, 65-year-olds, Mickey. I know, yeah. What are you? You need an hip replacement after that tackle. I just, it was just me head had gone. I just thought, it was just set up perfect. I just thought, you're getting it. Sorry, but you're getting it. Just take that bit of thingy. So just, but I never, I never got in. And then I can remember we went to, went to Dagenham away. Mark's got, he got a real bad gash on his, on his shin. He had to go to hospital. I think he had about 20 odd stitches in his, shin. Simon Marples, that is. Yeah, yeah. There's me, defender. There's two other midfielders and two centre-forwards on the bench or something.

1:22:09So Marps is a right-back. So he's gone down the line. Can you play right-back? Can you play right-back to the two centre-forwards? To the two centre-mids. can you play right back, can you play right back? He went, oh. I'm going to have to drop him off and put you on. Go on, you get warmed up. Didn't even ask me. Didn't ask me at all. I was just sat there like, all right, going, well, last time I knew I was a defender, so I'm sure I could play right back. I was going off. So he proper fell out of me. and then it took it took until February January time we got beat at home by three and we went to Halifax away and we got beat three there as well the casino number three and then I got put in after that and then that was opportunity yeah yeah yeah and then that's what I got in and then we we ended up we got in the we got in the playoffs we played the playoffs we went to Stoke in the final, we were 2-0 up against Dagenham and it came back to 2-2 and then Franny Turney, it was golden goal then, he scored the first half of golden goal so we went up there and then it was only the following year that turned up and then obviously I had that little thing with Leo.

1:23:48And then after that, he sort of, I don't know if he'd sort of seen something in me or something like that. And then he made me captain of the team and stuff. And then we just went on from there then after that. A quick break, gents, from one of our favourites. The creme de la creme of VPM services. Nord VPN. The best in the business. if you don't know what a VPN service is, allows you to bounce your location anywhere in the world. Anywhere in the world. And where have we been lately? Swindon. We didn't need it in Swindon, but we did need it in Dubai. I did need it in Swindon because I went on the hotel Wi-Fi.

1:24:29Ah, Scandinavia. Yes, because that's another thing about no VPN. Security, absolutely unbelievable. And when you go in on those... You know, what's the word? Hotel Wi-Fis, just go with that. Everybody can get involved. Yeah. Public Wi-Fi's. That's your boy. Security. None of them hackers get into your bank details, your passwords. No, no, no. I'll tell you what I'm watching at the minute. Obviously, I'm going to on my honeymoon soon. I've started watching Dominican Republic who wants to be a millionaire. Yeah. Obviously, there's going to be times where she's getting ready and that. I'm going to be watching the telly.

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1:25:47So if you don't like it, get your money back. That's why they're the goats for me. Kind of captain, were you? Yeah, I'd up to you. No, you're on a shoulder. I don't think I would have shouted. I'd more tell people where to be or like not. Yeah. I wouldn't be. It sounds like I might have this wrong here, but the way that you talk, you're very much a game day player and not so much interested through the week. Captain's role. Where a captain might be more during the week. During the week. Armband off it week. You'll give me captain this week till Friday. I think a lot of the time just being a captain is going to the halfway line and doing the toss sort of thing.

1:26:35You know what I mean? Shouting heads or tails and then that's it. Right, because who I'm next to, my other centre-half, he should be, like, the captain. He should be looking at me as a captain, but I'm looking at him as a captain because we're part, like, you know what I mean? It's not... I was never... I don't get it wrong, you can lose your head at times and say, like, when you've got Brownie, like, giving the ball away all the time, not holding it up and stuff, like, do you know what I mean? I think Dool's was the oh he'd moan he could moan yeah John Dool and that is I just remember him digging digging me out a few times the captain's role sometimes just leading by example with your performances yeah yeah yeah someone's just coming the captain's role involves the match day tickets and I just your head used to be in a job that you did yeah you just didn't need that responsibility of handing tickets out to the lads and that I can remember once Mackindo he fell out with me because he wanted you get 30 tickets something he says I've got 10 of them I says no you haven't he says I have I've got his tickets his tickets I says it doesn't work like that with me he says so how can I give you 10 tickets but someone wants 3 but he only gets two like I says but you've got ten of them I says how does that work I says I'll give you eight and he can have three no I couldn't get my head like do you know what I mean maths and that isn't it oh no I'm good at maths I couldn't get my head round how he thought that he was he was entitled to ten of the ten of the thirty tickets when we've got a whole squad like and it used to be yeah but I've already asked so and so for his tickets and so and so for his tickets He was the only one, wasn't he?

1:28:35Well, I'm not being funny, he's not getting any tickets, so I don't know why he's asked him.

1:28:42He was the only one that wasn't part of the... I mean, he was class on the pitch, wasn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That year he come, yeah, it was superb. Well, even the year after, to be fair, at times. I just couldn't get away with him as a... No, it wasn't my cup of tea, to be fair. Leo used to wind him up, from what I remember. We had a few arguments and that, like... Were you there when they had a race, Leo and Macca? No, no. A fight? Were you there for the scrap? What, Macca and Leo? I'm sure they always used to fall out. I think a lot of it was Leo winding them up. Leo was a wind-up merchant.

1:29:19Did you ever come to the go-karting? No. We went to go-karting once. Leo, I mean, Leo's massive, isn't he? So he's driving around, and obviously everyone's flying around him, so Leo's just got in his head. well I'm just going to wipe everyone out here so he'd slow down until someone come round the corner and then he'd speed up and go like try and knock them off the road it was hilarious to watch honestly and he got he got called off and banned from being like a red flag yeah yeah because he was a wind up merchant but yeah Macca was like wasn't my cup of tea quiet taste let's say one game because I think it was I went back to Sunderland and then that pre-season was the Man City pre-season game.

1:30:05Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did your eyes light up when at all? No, I was on the bench. I think I was injured, yeah, so I never got involved in that. Because we had Danny Mills on and he spoke about that game, didn't he? Yeah. I think he was more speaking about Barton, about what happened. I just imagine Tim Ryan like a little Jack Russell. You'd have to kill him to win the fight. Yeah, you know, like, just fucking stay down, will you? You know what I mean? Don't get a bit hearty up again. Did you ever have any ruckuses with Tim? No, we had a few arguments because he was a left-back. I was thinking we'd always threatened to knock each other out.

1:30:47And not so much. It happened with Marps once. We were playing Cheltenham away. And we had like, I think I was telling him to get up and he didn't get up and it was like, ah, fuck off you, fuck off, that sort of thing. But then it turned into, come on then, that sort of thing. So the game was going on. Mark's played right back. I was always left-hand side, the centre-half. We started to walk to each other as the game's going on. We were saying, come on then. Well, I'll have it then. Come on then. And Brightie's like going, the game's going on. What are you doing? We got literally about arms pop.

1:31:28Brighty's like shut up shut up and I was saying I'll knock your head off I'll knock yours off but me and Tim used to do it all the time I think it used to get to the stage where we'd do it just to wind each other up because straight after a ball had come in the air and one of us would just go and wipe somebody out yeah win the header but wipe someone out or a tackle would be there and you'd just go and smash someone and then you'd get up and we'd get up and they'd go ha ha and lap at each other as if like we'd done it on Perth like sort of thing we used to yeah we used to do that all the time me and Tim you mentioned Ricky's tackles and it's one of them when you're looking away thinking nah that's going to end up and he's he was frightened he was frightened some of the tackles and I think that's why him and Greeny complimented each other so well like the way that he he'd fly and greet but the engines on them both as well you'd start you'd start pre-season and the gaffer would say go and him and Greeny are about like half a mile in front of you like and you're just getting over the starting line like their engines on them two were unbelievable and that's why we did so well in the night with them and then obviously John Doolin but he just used to pull the strings but he had the legs around him as well didn't he?

1:33:03Remember Macclesfield when him and Pens went for each other Macclesfield away, it was my second third game, Summit I think Dool's had told him to fuck off from the middle of the pitch and Pens didn't say anything and then as soon as Doolan's walked into the changing room Pens has just gone for him probably half hoping, knowing that the lads are going to get involved but he couldn't let it go, it was one of them he had to do Summit Yeah, yeah. And Dules was a big lad, wasn't he? Oh, yeah. Cuddly. Yeah, yeah. Cuddly. It sounded like you and Penny had... Love, hate. Love, hate. Did that come to a head in?

1:33:38Was it a pathos? Yeah, it was... I think that's... We'd gone up, we got promoted via the conference, then we got promoted by Division 2, and we'd done all right in Division 1. I thought about it a few times. When you see new players come in and you know that they're on a better contract than you, you've gone up another league, they're probably earning more money than you, and then the next minute, Penz is pulling you in the office and going, come on, you've got to get them going, you're captain. And you think, well, why should I get them going? They're earning more money than me. like pay me that money I'll get them going and I think I sort of lost a I lost a bit of art in terms of like the club and the way that they treated me that way sort of thing Did it feel like you got rewarded for what you'd done?

1:34:37No no not at all yeah it's like we've got them where they are so then they're rewarding players by bringing like them in but but then still wanting us to still classing us as a conference stroke Division 2 player. So we can't give them that sort of thing, but we'll give... And that's what... That's how I felt, like, sort of thing. So I lost Art and... Did it come to an ad? It got to the stage where I was getting caught in the office near enough every other day. We went to Pathos. We'd beat Villa in the cup and we'd just got knocked out by Arsenal on penalties. But the chairman treated us to go to Paphos.

1:35:31Mid-season. Mid-season, January it was. So we've ended up, we've gone there. But it was more, he'd already says, right, we're going there. It's not a party. and he'd had a couple of goes at me. It's not like we're not going to be out all the time and stuff. So we got a pathos and we were allowed out and then the next minute he turns around to me and he says, right, you're allowed out till one o 'clock. So we've gone, fair enough, fair enough. So one o 'clock come and we've all decided to go off somewhere else. So we're in this other club. All of you, strength in numbers. Yeah, there was quite a few of us.

1:36:18So it got to about four o 'clock and I've gone, listen, it's four o 'clock. So I've actually got my sensible head on. So I've gone, it's four o 'clock, come on, get taxes, get everyone back, everyone back. So everyone's gone and then Sean Thornton, who was there at the time, he's gone, should we stay out a bit? I went, yeah, go on then. Just you two? Yeah, yeah. so we've stayed out so 8 in the morning we've ended up pulling up in the taxi Sean's paying the taxi driver and I've gone to make sure that the foyer's all clear so I've walked in the foyer and Dave Penny the door's there Dave Penny's sort of this way but he's looking the other way so I've clocked him and I've pegged it back out the hotel.

1:37:16So we've walked round the hotel and seen the kitchen area. So I've knocked on the kitchen area, chefs open the door. They didn't speak a word of English. So I'm going, me, him, bed, sleep, upstairs, manager. I don't know why you turn into this dickhead of speaking and all that sleep bed so he's gone yeah yeah so he's let us through the kitchen so we thought so we've gone through the kitchen up the stairs I've ended up knocking on because I couldn't remember what room I was in so I've knocked on Greenies and Cops room and they've let me in so I've got my head down I thought Sam I've got away with that what are you doing the next day training at all no no it's a day to ourselves so I've had like about three hours kip got up um got changed and then just like thought i'll go and have a nice little walk out on my own knowing full well what i was going to do all right so i went and found a bar on my own all right and yet again sensible head on i bought a glass of coke and put it on the table and i bought a pint and put that one down the side of me so if anyone walked in i'm on a glass of coke uh but i'm secretly picking a pint up and drinking that instead uh so i thought i'll have a couple of pints so this was about 12 o 'clock but i stayed in there till about half six didn't i like so topping up from the night before and stuff and then we got a we got a message through saying that it was a team meeting uh and tim had already met me as well and tim although he could he'd love to go out and have a drink he couldn't hide the fact that he'd had a drink either like so he was steaming and then we've turned we've turned up at the team meal went and got me me main well this is how i didn't know this but i put my main on a on a starter plate and apparently it was hanging all over the side and when I've gone to eat it my face was about that far away from it trying to like shovel it in so obviously I've had a few too many so then we had a meeting later on and me and Penn just had a right we had a right argument like proper I was telling him I said fuck that I'd fucking I'd do anything like I'd fucking run through a brick wall or something like that you fucking treat me like this.

1:40:00No, just try to reverse it as such. But then I think it was in my head as well that he wasn't giving me the credit that I thought I deserved, but I thought it would have been nice. You think that's played a part in you taking it too far? Yeah, yeah. Too far. You've got to a point where you lie off. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, because I wasn't getting anything from it. So we had a big argument. So in the end, I just went, ah, you know what, fuck it. And I just walked off and went straight back out. And then Mickey Walker come and found me and Tim in a bar. And we stayed out till about one o 'clock.

1:40:43Were Mickey as well? No, Mickey went about 12. And then... An old man. He said to get you. Yeah, he'd find out where we were. Because he told her, he said, you're off. You've gone. You've gone, that sort of thing. and we were like, oh, fuck that, I'm going back out then. What, like sack? Well, no, I think just as in you're out of the hotel, you're going home with something like that. So we were like, well, I'll go out then, like, come and find me. I didn't seek. Yeah. Take your it. So we turned back up at the hotel, walked to reception, and we went, oh, there's our bags. So they packed the bags, brought it down to reception, said, oh, I've got a key to so-and-so.

1:41:28says you're not allowed in so we went right yeah okay so we just walked straight upstairs knocked on Greeny and Copse's door again says we're sleeping here and then about 5, 6 o 'clock in the morning knock at the door and it was Mickey says come on and then he got us a taxi to the airport, flew us back poor Mickey, it's always Mickey he's always got his throat to shit it's not a moment when you got home when you've sobered up or whatever and you just thought, fuck, what have I done? Nah. Nah. Nah, I think it was more breath of fresh air, to be honest. They were coming back on the Wednesday. I think I had to be in on the Thursday or the Friday.

1:42:12I knew I was gone. And I just thought I really didn't, I really weren't bothered. Has Tim been caught in the crossfire here? Like, has he just been? I think because they got rid of me, I think they've said, right, he's going as well. But I thought he was out of order. Like, Tim had just had a baby. Like, they'd just had a baby. And Penns had rung him and said, I want you on this trip. Like, so Tim's only gone, like, because Penns wanted him on the trip. Then he's gone out and had a beer. I mean, we could have been saying, oh, we're wetting the baby's there or something like that. oh his his like thingy but then he's flew him home and sacked him you know at 12 I don't think the reason for going at is just like Wayne Baby said oh it's South my bad yeah well you've got to find some excuse don't you always try and find their way don't you I always do that but then yeah so they come in I had a meeting with him I got yeah they just sacked us there and then what's the next step cheers and then that was it and then And that's what I mean about how players should go on trips and just players only, not directors or something like that.

1:43:34Because Andy Ritchie rung me Barnsley when he was manager and sorted out a contract. I think I'd trebled my wages. Just no jokingly says, well, this is how much I'm on. And he went, right, well, probably not that much, but we can go, like, knocked it down a little bit. I went, you all right? I couldn't believe it, like, sort of thing. He says, right, I'll ring you up Friday. And on the Friday he rung me, he says, oh, I can't do it. And one of the directors at Doncaster had been with, a Barnsley director, and had bad-mouthed me, like, for how I am and stuff like that. so they he says I can't do it they won't let me do it he was saying I'd have a year straight away he says but they won't let me sign but then I got a firm call off Brian Laws at Scumforp and it was I went up to see him got a good deal with them and signed for them I think I signed on the Wednesday trained on the Thursday, Friday and we had Doncaster on the Saturday.

1:44:52So my first game for Scunform, having left Doncaster, was against Doncaster. So a few of my mates come up with me. So there's like Wesley, Ryan, Canny, Tony come up with me. So we're in the car going up. This is on the Saturday. Going up to the game. Got to make a good impression, like sort of thing. Is that what you've got in a car and not in buzz? Oh, no, because we were at Scunthorpe, so we were at home. Tellable Bushroo. We were at home, so it was just meat there. So the lad says, we'll come up for the first game. So we're on the way up. We get about five miles away from Scunthorpe, and I went, something just triggers in your head, and you're like, oh, no.

1:45:40They've gone, what? I went, forgot my boots. They went, you what? I said, I forgot my boots, haven't I? I says normally they're in the boot room but we haven't got one here they're in my bag at home and they're going you're joking aren't you I says no no I forgot my boots I haven't brought any boots so I'm trying to make a good impression by going into Scunford and I first game against Doncaster and I'm going to turn up and say can anyone borrow me a pair of boots I've got no boots so I was like what am I going to do so I had to wait for Donnie's bus to turn up and I waited for Brightie to come off and said, Brightie, have you got any spare boots?

1:46:23He went, yeah I said, well bring them out to me he says, I will do but don't let Penn see because they all go mad so Brightie brought his boots out so I had Brightie's spare pair of boots then I walked into Scunfort's dressing room and went, alright lad, so is it as if I brought me a pair of boots All Brightie's playing centre half for Doncaster yeah yeah and he was yeah yeah so I was like oh ended up playing the game but they'd just signed because they'd got rid of me so they'd sign Graeme Lee Spike oh yeah they'd signed him and it was 1-1 with about 10 minutes to go and the balls like landed on the edge of the box and Spike's gone like swivelled sort of leg over the hip type kick at that top corner.

1:47:19I thought, oh, of all the people scoring that, so I'm playing against you and the lad that's brought in just scored winner as well. I will.

1:47:32But we ended up getting beat to one of that. And then obviously I had to see Brightie after the game and go, cheers, give him his boots back. And then all the way back, all the way back, like, my mates in the car were singing, what do you do? We're drunken, Foster. What do you do? Because that's all Doncaster's fans were singing. So we'd go dead quiet. I'm like, gutted. We'd just got beat to one night, and then it would be like driving down, and then you'd just hear one of them go, what do you do? We're drunken, Foster. And we're going, cheers, lads. Did you speak to pens that day? Just said, all right.

1:48:11That was it. I'm just thinking you end up signing for Dalek then how did that come about because who signed you well it was it was Penns that signed you I thought Tim Ray I want his fucking boy well he was there as well I'd spoke I'd spoke to Tim erm and I'd I'd I'd I'd I had 18 months at Scunthorpe and it was like it was brilliant to be honest player at the season didn't you yeah I got player yeah yeah Did you change your lifestyle at all? No, no, I was even worse. At Scunny you were even worse? Yeah. So the older you got, you got worse with it? Yeah. I'd split up with my girlfriend at the time.

1:48:54I'd always stay at my mum and dad's house. I'd never bought a house myself, but I'd always stay at my girlfriend's, but I ended up splitting up with her. And she'd just bought this new house, but it was just a shell. So I used to pretend that I was helping her decorate and stuff like that. And then she'd go, right, I'm going home. And I'd go, all right, then. And I'd pretend to walk out the house and walk down the street. And then as soon as I see a car go, I'd go back. So I lived in that house for about three months. With no mattress? Nothing. There was nothing in the house at all. No telly, no nothing.

1:49:30No eating. What are you saying? The shells? Yeah, there was no eating, no nothing. It was just all, no kitchen, no bathroom. nothing it was just like it was getting all done it was like it was only a it was like a small terrace house but it had just been all ripped out so it was just like a the base of a bed in there i was staying in the pub till it closed to then go to this house to like sleep on a no mattress like with a duvet on me then get up and go training or go and play a game sort of thing and you won league one and got player of this season yeah yeah

1:50:13it's like a football phenomenon it's unbelievable you're sleeping on like just a wooden bed no mattress the night before a game yeah yeah unless we were like if we were away I'd be buzzing it's mind blowing like the treat yeah just to get a hotel you're sitting in the bath for about three hours there's running water just

1:50:40asking like whoever I'm sharing can I have the controller just for tonight I haven't seen one for a week just talk about low maintenance it's madness footballers man but then it's just what it's just what happened and like I say I had we went up as champions like that year and like you say I got player of the year. So you got promoted to the championship and you dropped down to League Two to sign for Dave Penny? Yeah, I'd organised, I'd done my contract and then two weeks before the end of the season I got a letter with my contract details on and it was totally different to what I'd agreed to.

1:51:33I went and seen Nigel Atkins who was our manager and he says they all sought it but by then I'd shut the chairman's hand I'd agreed with him and he'd come back and give me something totally different so I was like Principal then Yeah, I was like well I've got no respect for you now so I ended up speaking with Tim and then next week I spoke with Penns and then I ended up saying right we agreed a deal and i ended up saying i just ended up saying what's that first conversation like with dave penny dave yeah it's uh it was it you'd put it now you parted ways it was it was it was like i how you house things it was there was no like you know no there was no there was no animosity or anything like that i think i mean from his perspective is he asking like has anything I suppose he's assuming nothing's changed well I mean to be fair he's got a look at since I since I left Doncaster I've gone to a side Scunthorpe and won one division one and capped in the side like for some of that time as well so so there again there we go back to your reputation or what you actually do on the pitch sort of thing and And I think he thought he knew what I could do on the pitch.

1:53:07So he was more bothered about that rather than the other aspect. And that's because he knew what I was like. Yeah. But I think he was more looking at what I could offer on the pitch. And I went back to Donovan. I did change a little bit because he showed me a lot more respect. and he was like sort of, we'd have a meeting or he'd be having a meeting and I'd walk past and he'd go, come and sit down. And what do you think about this? Do you think he appreciated you more? Do you think after he left, even though everything had gone on, like I don't know how his time finished at Donny, but do you think he's got sacked and he's realised how much he missed you?

1:53:52Yeah. I'd like to think so. I'd like to think that that was the case I mean it's a great signing for Darlington really when you look at it from outside if you don't know what you're like off the pitch they've signed somebody in League 2 who's just won the League 1 Championship and capped in the side and got player of the season it's like a fucking big coup for Darlington really yeah I would have felt yeah probably felt like that to him yeah definitely but like I say the chairman had come in and I think they were they were looking to go further and further and I was quite excited at like the prospect of that and being part of that part of that yeah I could have stayed in I could have been in the championships Gunfort got relegated that year after like so would I have really enjoyed it being in the championship or could I have gone somewhere else and looked at a project that that goes further and stuff that's why I went unfortunately it didn't materialise we lost in the playoffs and then the following year went into administration and then that was it everyone sort of left there was about three of us left at the end it wasn't Reynolds was it?

1:55:11was it Reynolds again the chairman? no no he'd already gone then there was George a bloke called George out and come in I think that was his name I mean we played in the playoffs Penzo has told me we played in the playoffs and we won the first leg 2-1 and the chairman obviously we've got to go to Rochdale for the second leg and the chairman's gone alright so who do we play next then now we've beat these Penzo's like now we've got the second legs at their place next we've got like two legs before the final he didn't have a club line and then another chairman took over after that and after a year and a half, he put it into administration as well.

1:55:57So it just strikes me as the last couple of chairmen that took over were more after the assets next to the ground. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It wasn't the Hartlepool one, was it? Yeah, yeah. Raj? Yeah, yeah. Is that him? Yeah, he took over, yeah. And then he took them to fucking... I played against that at Darlington and it were like, it wasn't even a ground really. It was a ground, but you know, like got metal bars right outside. Oh, yeah. Some sort of rugby club or something. Yeah, yeah. Black, black, no, I can't remember. Black, I'm sorry, it's black. By the way, if my power goes off or my sky goes off for 10 minutes, I'm losing my head.

1:56:42Three months in that house is a long time. I've just been playing on my mind. I need to get it out. No electricity? No. Fuzzy, man. How did you charge your phone? Well, because I'd leave the pub last off, wouldn't I? So you'd fully charge? Uncharged, wouldn't you? Yeah, yeah. Three months? So it was only somewhere a kip. Do you want water? Nah, I can't. It was literally go in, get up, and then you're out again. Get buzzed. Yeah, and then a couple of times you'd stay at someone else's house, something like that, or over a weekend or something. But then, yeah, the majority of the time was spent there.

1:57:26Nobody's taking their bird back. Nomad. Especially when it was my ex's house and all. You can come back, but there's no mattress, love. The nomad footballer. Yeah. Brilliant. Fucking unbelievable. Imagine a footballer today listening to this. watching like someone asked about Pavel Abbott was he a oh yeah Pavel stayed at ours up at up at Darlington he used to come and stay good player good player but had to be 100 % fit or wouldn't play he ended up at Huddersfield he was at Huddersfield before yeah but he was the most fittest man no all these new gizmos where you'd like rollers and stuff like that he'd have everything, he'd have stretchy bands and stuff so he'd be in the living room doing all that and like I said before I'd be there with a can of Fosters and a cream cake or something and he'd be doing all these stretches and stuff then he'd come on like to a Saturday and he'd not be fit and you're like what

1:58:46so he'd play he'd play like 10 games a season or something like that and you think well you need to knock all these like stretching things on the head because no exactly I just couldn't get my head around it like me because I live with Greg as well Greg Greg would have like hot water bottle on one ear like he'd have his ice you know his ankle in an ice bucket the other doing everything you could know to play the next day uh pap would like cut his little toenail too short like and go off gonna have to see physio on this one you know what i mean it'd be like greg had come through the ranks properly hadn't he like voxel motors you know in the Northwest counties or whatever it is yeah we just wanted to play I mean like say my feet my feet are knackered now didn't do myself any favours there Greg says he struggles with well I played in that his trust with him looks the part but I think he went he went for a run and his calf went straight away or something like so that's him Mickey Water used to do cross and shooting always with one glove on he'd hold the other and Greg would just have him on a piece of string yes Mickey front post you fat little bastard because he was scouse and he taught that quick he couldn't tell what he was saying

2:00:16funny fella but he looked like I said before proper looked after me Greg he didn't have to bear in mind we played the same position he was 26 and proper took us under his wing round his house for tea and didn't appreciate it at the time did he have a missus in that he had a missus but she lived in Liverpool so he was on his own but he'd come and pick us up take us days make tea and a proper it was only after that you think you've done it for Foxtrot Mike what were it like signing back for Mansfield I was 35 then so I knew that it was my last last sort of year more swan song I think in the end yeah I think a bit of the love for football or turning up every Saturday and putting your body through it and stuff I think it just it had gone 600 games by the way I know you know when you you can you can listen to this and think whatever you want but it says 658 games here it's the league games 650 do you know how many games you played still playing now do you know how many games you played in talk like that's that's league games so obviously I thought that was all together yeah so it's more than that it's mad because like you can I can remember like most of them as well like or but then it's always sometimes it's always the bad ones that I remember most like do you know the ones that like oh I gave a goal away then or or I got sent off then or like there's not too many that like go oh we won that game we won that game we won that game like sort of thing what was your favourite achievement like of your honours you know promotions FA Vars all that erm

2:02:18well it's funny I went back to Mansfield and my last ever game like as a pro was at Wembley for Mansfield like in the FA Trophy we got beat the last kick of the game like in extra time like had we won that that would have been like a fitting thing to end it all unfortunately we lost which then coincides with so the start of my career I played for Mansfield and in two minutes I had an absolute nightmare start dinner because I scored an own goal and then you fast forward 20 years and I'm playing for Mansfield and in the very last minute we get a goal scored against us in the 120th minute like and you think so I've started off bad I've finished off bad like spent a bit in the middle I think it's done alright to be honest we enjoyed it yeah that's a good way to finish yeah well mate yeah top man mate that's what you believe us