Who did you play with or against in school or youth football who made it big time and what were they like as youngsters

[jimharri]

Ian Wilson at secondary school.
Made it big in Sad Cafe.

When you think back, does every day hurt?

 

[PatK]

Played against Dennis Wise at Secondary School. Surprisingly, he was a dirty, mouthy cxxt even then :-)

 

[the blue panther]

Is that the Tony Young who played for United when they were in the second division - then went to York City on a free?
If so, I got to know him reasonably well when he moved to Australia to play for a club in Melbourne called Frankston City. I was banging his wife’s best friend at the time so socialised a fair bit with them. Nice guy was Tony. A real wind up merchant but good fun. Half decent player to be fair as well.

Yes - that Tony Young. Just looked him up and see that he played 83 games for the scum. I knew him before he got into the 1st team picture and never thought he played so often. He lived with his family in a council house in Didsbury. He had knee/cartledge injuries all the time, it seemed. Very nice lad and quite a bit older than me, but, like I say, it was over 50 years ago.

 

[PragueBlue]

Gary Crosby (who later went on to play for Forest, Lincoln and a few others).

 

[Xhavenjoe]

Ian Wilson at secondary school.
Made it big in Sad Cafe.

Their album Facades is an anagram of Sad Cafe

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Ian Wilson at secondary school.
Made it big in Sad Cafe.

Did he track back?

 

[simmo]

Nicky Summerbee played against us when about 11.

My brother had Kasper and Alex Bruce in their school team.

On the touch line a few weeks back was Joe Hart who turned up to watch a game my nephews were playing in.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Two years below me was Nyrere Kelly and his twin brother Omel. Phenomenal schoolboy players the pair of them but Nyrere was exceptional.
They both joined Bristol City in 81 aged 16 at the time they went bust and Nyrere was in the first team at 16.
I think the fame went to his head a little and didn't hear anything about him after that.
About 4 years ago I googled him as was curious what became of him.
I was shocked as not only did he have a great career but I'd actually seen him playn and not realised!
He had changed his name to Tony (middle name Anthony) and had played at Stoke, Bury and a few other clubs too.
I was dating a woman from Bury in the 80's when he was playing for them and she was a fan and dragged me down to Gigg Lane for night games if City weren't playing.

 

[davyhulme blue]

Gary Crosby (who later went on to play for Forest, Lincoln and a few others).

Of the Andy dibble fame

 

[manimanc]

Played with Trevor Sinclair in school and sunday football, he was just like a normal kid, had that drive and desire none of the other kids had.
Played for Greater Manchester County with Adie Mike, John Foster, Steve Finney, Ryan Giggs, Lee Anderson, Ian Hughes and David Flitcroft.
Finney and Giggs was really quiet, Flitcroft was the dressing room joker and full of beans, Adie Mike and John Foster both sound lads, Anderson and Hughes was Bury lads like me and just normal kids really.
Went for a trial with Norwich in 88 and Chris Sutton was there too, fuckin bighead always in front of the mirror, goal hanger if i remember rightly, and oddly enough a moaning twat even back then as a kid.

I went for a trial with Crewe as well when Barry Bennall was the coach, Andy Woodward and Mike Jackson was in the team and both sound lads, Andy was a quiet lad and Mike was loud but a great lad.