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

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Mr Fraser

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John stiles was best I played with only cos he played above his age. But he was never very successful
 
Played with and against Mark Lillis when he was in High School. How he made it and I didn't remains a deep psychological wound 50 years on. Nice lad though. Should have stayed at City longer. Played with several other contemporaries of his who signed for the Manchester clubs as teenagers but didn't get near the 1st team.

Used to kick about with a lad called Tony Young who was a reserve with United and eventually got a couple of 1st team games in the late 60's or early 70s.

Such a bloody long time ago!
 
One of the lads 3 years above me didn't do too badly, although became more famous after he retired.
A lad called Gordon Taylor!
One of my best mates was signed by Harry Godwin after one of our Sunday league matches. I told Harry he'd signed the wrong person! He started in the "B" team, progressed to the "A" team and then played in the Youth team, all in the same season. The club wanted to sign pro forms, but he wanted to stay at University for his Architecture degree, so they released him and signed Tony Towers instead (so I was told).
Barry Davies is his name.
 
I played for Openshaw Lads Club (Crossley House) in the early 70’s. Played against Carl Valentine in one game who went on to play for Oldham, West Brom and Vancouver Whitecaps. He tore me a new arsehole and scored a hat trick. I bumped into him years later in a hotel in West Bromwich when the West Brom team were staying there before a game. We had a bit of a chat and he said he remembered it (Not sure if he did - but I certainly did!). He was a really nice guy with time for everyone. He had a half decent career as well. 50 years later I still remember that game and cringe when I do!
 
the blue panther said:
Played with and against Mark Lillis when he was in High School. How he made it and I didn't remains a deep psychological wound 50 years on. Nice lad though. Should have stayed at City longer. Played with several other contemporaries of his who signed for the Manchester clubs as teenagers but didn't get near the 1st team.

Used to kick about with a lad called Tony Young who was a reserve with United and eventually got a couple of 1st team games in the late 60's or early 70s.

Such a bloody long time ago!
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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.
 
We played in a school cup match against North Chadderton. They had a lad who stood on the halfway line just waiting for long balls over the top. Scored a hat trick. Mark Robins

At our school, Mark Owen was a year younger than me. Decent footballer. Remember reading he had trials for the rags before he joined Take That. He played for local team Freehold when work commitments allowed
 
PPT said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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