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Seeing as the World Cup is just weeks away, & football is going to be more talked about on this forum than is usual, I think its time for all Blondeites to state their qualifications, their history & career in the beautiful game.

My Football CV.

I have supported QPR since childhood, following in the family tradition of 3 generations. Season ticket holder 1976-82. During most of the 80s & 90s I was an occasional home game supporter, with a few away games, notably when we played Huddersfield & I was part of the R’s travelling army of 37 (lol) packed into the away end, & pi$$ed upon, both on & off the field.  Since moving up North, I’m lucky if I can make it down to Loftus Road once or twice a season.

My playing career was probably most notable for playing against Paul Walsh (remember him, ex Liverpool & England) as a school boy. Our school nearly always beat his (typical score was 7-4), but he seemed to always score at least 3. I was the regular left-back, with a right foot (never a 2 footed player). I never scored, but I was credited with a farcical own goal when I volleyed into my own net from outside the box (a looping mis-kick that seemed to take forever, & was watched in wonder by both teams), it was costly, we lost 2-1. Our captain was one of the most talented footballers in London & had signed for Charlton, I can remember his tears of frustration at our lack of talent & skill. My highest honour was to reach the quarter finals of a schools 5 A-Side Tournament, I was actually sub, but still managed to get a plastic medal. My “could have been a contender” moment came when I was asked to go along to one of Charlton’s Schoolboy Trials, well it came as a crushing blow when the coach explained that their had been a mix up in the names (my name was similar to someone’s on the YES list). They were nice enough to let me partake (make up the numbers) in the game, but my short Peter Crouch frame & one footed, five touch to get the ball under control skill did not win them over. 

There you are my brief footballing career. To put it into context, I guess if I was part of the England set-up, I would be considered  to be qualified as Tord Grip’s bag carrier.

Come on fellow Blondes, please put forward your Footballing CVs, so that in the weeks ahead we can refer back to your qualifications, & decide if your talking nonsense or have the wisdom & insight that years spent in top flight football can only give (I of course am being ironic). 

I am a Leicester City Supporter.

Back in 1974, at the age of 7, I was taken to my first match by my uncle. My family was living in Leicester at the time.
This was Leicester City's golden age, well until O'Neill arrived anyway! Frank Worthington, Keith Weller, Lenny Glover etc. I was taken to a few games a year for a couple of years and was hooked.

My family moved to London when I was 10 and I supported from afar during many many fallow years. My particular playing talents were more geared towards rugby which I began to play to a high level but I played in many school football teams as a particularly mad goalkeeper....

When I went to University in Nottingham I began to make trips back to Filbert Street and once I left University and began working in London I joined to London supporters club and travelled to many matches.

My heyday was during the Brian Little era for three seasons I hardly missed a game. Indeed in one fourteen day span I did successive away trips to Barnlsey, Middlesborough on a Tuesday night, Bristol City, Newcastle in the ZDS and Tranmere. The Middlesborough trip was mad, the 1pm National Express bus and back the same night and straight off the bus into work. The Newcastle trip was plain stupid. The ZDS cup!!! We lost 4-0.

In 1994 I met my future wife. At the away end at Kenilworth Road. My seat on the "terrace" was next to hers, we began chatting and travelling to matches together, she too being London based, and we married in 1996.

First child came along in 1997...Nathan Walsh Prew (Steve Walsh....) and Ryan Elliott Prew (Matt Elliott.......) in 1999. It could have been worse....might have given them the middle names of the entire O'Neill squad.

As the kids began to grow up we kept going, by now home games only and continue to this day

Although the marriage sadly did not survive we share the cost of one adult and three kids season tickets and take it in turns to take kids to home games. Now I am able to do the odd away game too....My middle child Ryan is passionate about Leicester and I think, at the age of 8, shows a lot of promise as a goalkeeper having just been accepted into the Rushden and Diamonds Centre of Excellence. I know its an oxymoron. Rushden and Excellecne that is....but !!!

In the late 1990s I became involved with Bedford Town FC, my local club. This season they have been promoted into the Conference South. I made a donation towards the continuing future of the club a few years ago and was made a Honorary Vice President. I adore non-league football, the characters involved and the struggles on a weekly basis. It far more excites me than the Premiership

Almost every Saturday afternoon from August to May you will find me either at the Walkers Stadium, at Bedford Town, or an away match. With an occasional foray into poker festivals and taxi service for kids parties.

I have attended football matches at 77 of the 92 league grounds, the latest addition being Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury a few weeks ago on a Tuesday night.

Leicester's constant yo-yoing from one division to another has helped me on the way to the "92 club"
I have a big interest in football trivia and used to have the nickname at University of "Rothmans". I did not smoke!   

Maureen? what's up....I was born in 1967....I was 7 in 1974!!!

Oh.. thought you were much ...younger..x

Yeah I've aged well...all those early nights,exercise regimes and absence of stress.

I've supported Notts County since the early 70s, like them, I am crap. That's my CV

 :goodpost: ;iagree;

only 15 grounds to go Tighty, is it an ambition to visit all of them?

Well here we go.

Born in 1981, I have been a Celtic supporter since well since I can remember.  I got my first Celtic strip when Iw as only a few days old, I went to my first game aged 5 although I don't remember much apart from falling off a barrier and splitting my head open.

The first game Ir eally rememebr going to was the Scottish Cup final in the Celtic centenary season of 1988.  It was a magical day and my best player at the time Frank McAvennie scored two great goals.

I have been  following Celtic at home, away and abroad for many years.  my first game oustside Scotland was for Paul Davies testimonial when we went to play Arsenal. 

I have seen Celtic play in Europe in many occasions I have been to Bordeaux, Paris, Lyon, Barcelona, Stuttgart, Bremen, Hamburg, Valencia, Basle, Oporto, Amsterdam, Munich, Kaunas, Vigo, Brussels and many more weird and wonderful places.  I have been to nearly every ground in scotland where Celtic have played and I have followed them in many occasioons down to England on European nights as well as going down on numerous occasions for friendlies and testimonials.

For me there is no greater feeling that Celtic winning.  I have supported teh club through the good times and the bad.  Ic an count on one hand the games I missed home and away during the Rangers 9 in a row era.  Over the past few seasons my interest has wained especially after we lost the league to Motherwell on the last game of the season two seasons back.  I lost my rage with my 10 year old cousin because he started crying and  since then I decided to give the football a bit of a rest.

Most annoyingly for me is all these new age football supporters who have come out the wood work and start supporting a club because its a success of fashionable to those I ask where was you when we needed you?

I feel i must contribute to this thread as my biggest passion in life in football.

I played from a very early age and was lucky enough to be picked up by Ipswich Town when i was 13, this came about because my cousin then played for Ipswich, some of you mad footy fans may know him, James Scowcroft. He pretty much set me up there and i played right through for the academy until a few months before my 16th birthday when i tore my cruciate ligaments in a friendly match against Bournmouth academy. injuries are pretty much unheard of at that age and i was gutted as a few months later i wasn't offered a professional contract, i think, because of my knee.

Had some fun times with Ipswich, i sometimes played in the same team as Darren Bent, Darren Ambrose and Dean Bowditch amongst others who have all gone on to play professionally and very succesfully.

8 months and Keyhole surgery later i kicked the ball again and straight away wanted to try and make it back into the game . I enrolled at our local football academy Bury Town FC) when i was 16 and studied sports science for a year there before giving up to work full time. A few claims to fame are playing in the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup for Bury Town. The FA Youth Cup game was extra special as we made it through 7 rounds to the 3rd round proper and got to play Blackburn Rovers at home. We lost 2-0 but were very proud as Blackburn went on to finish runners up! Playing at Anfield and of course James Scowcroft being my cousin.

I'm Primarily an Ipswich fan, but not too mad, i like to follow Coventry now which is where James plays and i also follow my hometown, Watford.

Nowadays i only play in the county league for a local side, i know due to injury that i can never play even at a non league standard again so football is purely recreational for me now!

Still im only 20, you may never know! Although i may need to get fit again!

Anyway enough boring you guys lol, hope you enjoyed my piece

Ben, did you follow Leicester when Scowie played for us?


good player, we always played him Right midfield though...doh!

Born and bred in Manchester but a virtually life long Charlton Athletic fan. The story is an embarrasing one that involves teddy bears so the less said the better but if i said a sketch appeared in an episode of "only fools and horses" based on my story but the other way round then you'd get the picture!!

yes i visited Leicester quite a lot and saw a lot of great games there. My favourite one was when Leciester played Man United there, they lost 4-1, but i was in the players lounge afterwards rubbing shoulders with the United players!

Scowy was definatly wasted sometimes at Leicester, hes a hold up player up front, not a winger!

He went to Leicester when Peter Taylor signed him. He played for England u21's under Peter Taylor and is a big fan him of him, thats why he signed him! Taylor played him in his best position, Micky Adams didn't

it was when I was younger mate, but less so these days


with 2 up and 2 down into the Conference thse days its tougher to do, as well as new grounds all the time


Will do it gradually from here


Here is what is left


Accrington Stanley...just up

Carlisle

Torquay

Yeovil..up a few years ago

Scunthorpe

Darlington (New Ground)

Hull (New Ground), try and do next season

Bristol Rovers (Now at rugby ground)

Macclesfield

Brighton (been to the Goldstone, never the Withdean)

Southampton (New ground)

Cheltenham

Boston

Doncaster

Swansea (New)


and will have to do Arsenal soon, think I'll do the Emirates last!!!

James was one of Taylor's few good signings, but it was an impossible job following O'Neill...the established players wouldn't play for him

Adams was a route 1 manager, and James was wasted by him...surprised to see him go to Cov to join up with him again where hey presto he plays up front!!

none the wiser matt? but good for you in bucking the trend & supporting a not very fashionable team. I've a soft spot for the Addicks, even if they did not reliase my potential.

to be fair he has been playing  lot in midfield still for Coventry as McSheffrey and Adebola tend to play up front most of the time.

Craig Levein didn't really like James for some reason, thats why he left Leicester when his contract was up.

Coventry were the last team on the list, Norwich followed closely by Palace and Reading were the keenest to sign him, but Norwich offered pathetic money and James has a good relationship with Micky Adams and Coventry is obviously close to Leicester where his kids were settled in at school.

He's just recently moved back to where i live, near Bury St Edmunds, he lives 1 minute away....I don't think he will be at Coventry next year

CV for Greg Hill - AKA Junior. - STAGS FAN!

Team: Mansfield Town (Life-long supporter of the blue and yeller army)

When i was a young boy (about 7yrs old) my dad use to take me to Field Mill as punnishment for being a bad lad and to get me out from under my mother's feet.  The football was awful, it was cold and windy, i couldn't really see (it was terracing then) but i loved it, so it no longer became a punnishment and i was hooked.

The second season i started going regularly with the ol' fella the Stags won the Freight Rover Trophy beating Bristol City on penalties at Wembley in front of 60,000 fans - the sea of yellow and blue that lined wembley way and the bright yellow ticker tape (the caravan and fishing sections of an old hacked up yellow pages) that filled the air as the captain lifted the trophy will stay with me forever. - unfortunately that is our clubs only piece of silverware so far and i doubt any more will ever come but if your a follower of the stags then you are born with an inbuilt level of hope that never leaves you.

The highlight of my young MTFC supporters career was when i was 8, i was mascot for the day against Halifax Town - i got a free kit, match ball and got to kick around with the players before the game, shoot in against kevin hitchcock and meet them after in the players lounge and i got a full tour of the ground, changing rooms and tunnel etc.- every little boy's dream!

Some 20 yrs on and now aged 27 I have visisted nearly 65 grounds (alot of which have been relegated from the football league) and have been to over 500 games.  i have seen some terrible football, some real bad times but the occasional bit of glory has more than made up for the dissappointment that most stags fans feel week in week out.

As far as playing career goes - i havent got one. - school team, cub scouts and woodhouse colts U12's is about all i can point to but i tell ya, if it hadn't been for my lack of height i could have played for england - and i still hold out hope that Sven will pop down the local 5-a-side hall on a Tuesday night and 'discover' me. - you never know.

 :goodpost: guys, its fascinating to read a bit of idle chat about your teams, your playing careers & experiences. 

CHAIRBOYS BARMY ARMY MID80S ONWARDS

I think I was five when I saw my first Wycombe match, it was at our old Loakes Park pitch and I believe it was against Barnet.  I remember seeing a few games there, probably with my Dad.  I then didn't go for a few years as he wsa ill and mum was too busy looking after him.  But I can clearly remember watching them against Farnborough which was probably around 89, 90.  Went to the last ever game there which included George Best and an anti poll tax streaker.  I missed the FA Trophy final at Wembley in 91-92 but it was two years later that my love of my home town team was cemented.  I don't think I'd been to a single game that year but a trip to Wembley was too good an option to miss.

After two minutes we got a free kickjust outside the box, and I remember telling my mate that Jason Cousins was going belt it in.  He did and we went on to win 4-1 and get promoted.  Trips to Adams Park became more regular the next season and I made two trips to Wembley that year, a week apart.  The first was the Evening Standard London Fives and the second was the play off finals.  We won both.

I briefly flirted with supporting Man Utd but quickly realised this wsa pointless and just glory hunting.  As I got older and had to rely on my own finances the attendances dropped off, I also started playing for my church (more on that later).

A saturday job soon put paod to playing and watching.  I issed a lot of the difficult years, although I have a vivid memory of running round the church the time we avoided relegation on the last day of the season!! 

The big year was our monster FA Cup run which I followed from a distance as much as possible.  Listening to the penalties away to Wimbledon while on the phone to friend was brilliant.  Then came Tighty's beloved Leicester.  I was working at Homebase at the time and made sure everybody knew when Essandoh (wwwwwhhhhhoooooooo) scored the winner. 


I couldn't get a ticket to the semi against Liverpool, but seeing Wycombe Legend Jason COusins having a go at Michael Owen for diving was absolutely priceless.  It was brilliant to see Keith Ryan, who i have huge admiration for, score a late consolation.  Bare in my mind the didn't score until they had bought Gerrard and Fowler on and you have a great day for a Wycombe fan. 

Since then it's been a struggle Tony Adams didn't cut it and this season is going down to the wire.  Will we do it?  Who knows but I'll be there on Thursday and I'm looking forward to it.

been to adams park / causeway or whatever you call it these days a few times.  good luck next season

Definitely Adams Park mate.  You won't find anyone apart from Commentators and Suits calling it the C******y.

Saw Mansfield home game this year, can't remember the score though, so probably a draw knowing us.  Is Birchall still with you?  How's he getting on?  Also what do you make of Uhlenbeek?

I forgot to add that i studied football as a foundation degree at university in High Wycombe for 1 year. Part of the course was gaining the FA level 1+2 coaching badges, my practical exam for the level 2 was coaching the kids at Wycombe wanderers, great close knit club and i have many friends there. I still have a load of Wycombe kit in my warddrobe which they gave me.

birchall has gone now and uhlenbeek was released at the end of the season - he was a good player but a nut case - everytime there was any sor of a skirmish on the pitch he was right in the middle and would run ninety yards just to bepart of it!!

LOL Junior you are so right.

many years ago when Scowy played for Ipswich Gus Uhlenbeek was there. One of the funniest things in football was seeing Uhlenbeek take a throw in to himself LOOOOL. He looked confused when the ref blew his whistle

When were you there Sunday?  Did you have anything to do with the coaching in the community people.  My mates been with them four years. 

I met Danny Senda on Friday night, he seems like a pretty decent guy, came down to our end of season do at the pub and ended up giving out the awards.