My footballing journey

My footballing journey

I’m a 36-year old first time Dad with a passion for football. My wife tolerates it and dare I say enjoys it too - I’m incredibly lucky that she encourages my love of the beautiful game, and has actively encouraged me sharing this relationship with our daughter.

I dabbled with the professional game myself, playing for AFC Bournemouth in pre-season in 2010 when the club were in a dire financial state, under the management of Kevin Bond, with a young rookie coach named Eddie Howe (not a bad claim to fame!)

Suffice to say, my playing career ended promptly after it started, with brief spells at a series of non-league clubs before acknowledging my place was on the terraces, not the pitch.

But I think I knew this already, considering my footballing journey had actually started 15 years earlier…

It all started for me on a Tuesday night in Dorset on 22nd August 1995, in the Coca-Cola Cup First Round, as AFC Bournemouth welcomed Luton Town to Dean Court, in the second leg of the tie, after a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road.

It was the Summer Holidays, so although it was a late night, it wasn’t a school night! We sat in the then IMAX Family Stand, me, my sister, my Dad and my Grandad.

The game itself is a blur really, but I remember the wooden benches in the stand, the sweets in Grandad’s pocket, and the crowds roach when Steve Fletcher and Steve Robinson both found the back of the net for the Cherries.

Before this memorable night, Dad had taken me shopping for my first football shirt for my Birthday. The Man Utd shirt was an obvious draw - in the era of Eric Cantona and co. Why not be a ‘glory hunter’? Because my Dad was born on the day Man City won the FA Cup in 1956 and was a blue, so that’s why not.

The Everton away shirt looked great - but my Dad’s family were Liverpool fans - so choosing Everton was also a no!

The Red side of Liverpool it was - with the classic Red with white diagonal stripes in the era of the Carlsberg kits.

However, getting to Anfield wasn’t easy when you live in the South, and with family in Bournemouth, Dean Court seemed an obvious choice for a first game.

As my love for football continued to grow, I travelled the country to watch Bournemouth, as well as taking in annual trips to Liverpool.

I was fortunate enough to see Bournemouth’s astonishing climb from staring down the barrel of non-league football, to the giddy heights of the Premier League and trips to Old Trafford, the Emirates Stadium and of course, Anfield.

Such was my love for the beautiful game that my best friend and I embarked on a ground-hopping journey, watching a plethora of different teams in different stadia - to tick off different grounds.

This took us to then Southern League Division One club, Winchester City, our local team.

I had seen City play for many years, being a Wintonian myself. The glory year that City won the FA Vase at St. Andrews was one that lives long in the memory, with club legends like Andy Forbes, Ian Mancey and Danny Smith in the red and black stripes.

Now I had been involved as a volunteer in the Wessex League, a Step Five non-league football league. But the opportunity came up to become Programme Editor at The City Ground - this was right up my street.

I met with the Chairman and Secretary and agreed to become a volunteer and committee member for the Citizens. And that was where my Winchester journey gathered momentum.

Being so involved in the club, you become friends with fellow committee members, supporters and even the management and players. This bond is one that cannot be replicated in the professional game.

It was this ‘family’ that I wanted to integrate my wife into, and subsequently our daughter.