Greenfield Royal Oak F.C.

TODAYS QUOTATION

Friendship… is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.
Muhammad Ali

There  is always one thing to remember about Football and that is it creates a team that will always live with you.

I have been fortunate that I have played with some very good Footballers as well as knowing some of them personally, but I have also been fortunate that these people have remained a Football family.

I first met this  man when we were both 12 years old and we then played at school together until the age of 15 when we were both part of the East London side that won the English Schools Trophy in 1966.

While at School and district level he scores over 40 goals each season and was always the main stay of our side

I later played against him a few times when he was at West Ham and was always relieved that he failed to score (mind you I was good !! )

His name is Tony Carr

“I joined in that summer as a 15-year-old apprentice and was bumping into Moore, Hurst and Peters who had just won the World Cup so it was surreal, but at the time you took it for granted,” said Carr.

“The lack of success at England level since then has made it a very big deal.

“Bobby was a great role model and example to young players in terms of the way he conducted himself, the way he trained and everything about him. Everybody looked up to Bobby as the captain, and the man to aspire to.

“I was a very young player and he was the captain of England but he always had time for young players and wasn’t aloof in any shape or form.”

It was perhaps learning this from Bobby Moore that made him Successful.

The parallels between 1966 and 2010 are not lost on Carr, with another academy graduate in Rio Ferdinand set to captain the side, and he said the guiding principles remained the same.

“What you try to do with all the young players is try to give them good habits, on and off the pitch,” he said.

Then over 40 years later we met up again when Bryan, Jake and Myself went to see a youth cup game at Nottingham Forest when West ham were playing,

We had a quick word at pitch side then he had to get on with the match

(He must have forgotten the Balls, first aid and the bottles because someone else took them on later)

We needed a bit of advice on Jakes Football so I contacted Tony as  undoubtedly he runs the best  academy in the Country and you could see why, he took the time to run through and help, but more important told me to keep in touch if he could be of more assistance, and to his word he was there again. 

Last Wednesday he had a testimonial match at Upton Park when all the past players from his academy side turned up to play including a visit from Pailo de Canio to play against the current West Ham side.

The reason I am sharing this with you is that he just gave his help and perhaps one-Day Jake will be another that Tony helped to fulfil his football dreams, this is just my way of thanking him in his special week.

I rang him this Morning to congradulate him on his week and again he was showing a genuine interest in Jakes progress .

So when we are all watching the World Cup look at all the players he brought through and now you also have an inside view of the Man who helped to put them there.

Also on the same night Harry Redknapp was taking his side into Europe and I was taking home 3-0 defeat

I suppose 2 out of 3 aint bad

Now you know why you drew the short straw and got me

dave

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