Through The Lens

WEBVTT
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Music.
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Right, so this week, welcome back to the Upfront and Unfiltered podcast.
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This week I'm joined by a man who everyone's probably seen at a local game.
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They've all seen the photos he takes at a local game.
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And yeah, he's the first ever chairman of FC Isle of Man as well.
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So I'm joined by Gary Waitman. Gary, how are you?
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Good, thanks, James. Good to be here. So let's get into your footballing journey.
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Obviously, you're not from the Isle of Man. Where does football start for Gary Waitman?
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My first ever memory of football is actually being taken to see Blackpool play
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when I was about six or seven.
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The world was black and white then. But my only memory of that game,
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really, is lots of legs running around and being told off by policemen for having
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my legs dangling over the side of the wall.
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So, yeah, that's where I did. Actually playing was at school.
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Played at Altingham Grammar. I managed to get myself in the first team a few
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times, but there was two very good goalkeepers ahead of me.
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A guy who ended up playing for Altingham Aces, ice hockey, teaming goals. It's mad.
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You don't think of ice hockey in the UK, do you? No, Ultingham Aces was a big
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thing. They were really popular.
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So yeah, Pete Rasmussen, his name was, he ended up playing for Ultingham Aces.
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And after that, I obviously played Saturday and Sunday league football.
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Eventually, I'm hopeless with dates, but in my early 20s, I ruptured my ACL.
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And that basically from then on, I was playing with one leg.
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Because it was a very new operation.
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You know, this is like 40 years ago now. It was a new operation.
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I had an experimental replacement, which only lasted three or four years.
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So, and since then, really, from when I came to the island, I was basically
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playing on one leg. So, I've never sort of really...
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I don't know how good I could have been. Yeah. When I was young,
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I got to a point where I was doing okay, but I'll never know, so...
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So when do you come to the island? What age is it? It was 1988,
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so I'll be 27 when I came to the island.
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Came on a Friday in September. On the Saturday, I watched Braddon play their
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first ever game at the New Ground.
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I think they played St George's from memory. And the following week,
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I was training with them and ended up playing mostly in Braddon Comby because,
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again, they had a very good first-team goalkeeper in Kevlandon at the time.
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Yeah, I played at Brandon for a few years. Went to Union Mills,
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where I ended up managing the side.
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I retired once at Union Mills, kept a clean sheet in my last game,
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and then made the mistake of leaving my kit in the car the following week.
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The keeper got injured and ended up playing again.
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Never again. I think it was three. I conceded that last. That was my last game.
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So if you do quit, throw your gear away.
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Very quickly. Yeah. Don't leave it in the car. and when you get it out it's
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damp and you've got to play in it so I ended up managing Uni Mills for about
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a year and a half that didn't quite work out how I wanted it to,
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and then the police football team was formed was approached by them to be FA
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rep and that's really where the admin side of things started on the island for
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me that's fine, so playing days at Braddon,
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obviously you said you played there for a little while in a combi,
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did you win anything back then?
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Not then, no So I'd won stuff across.
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We won a couple of trophies, won promotion.
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Union Mills, we won the Cal... I helped manage the Cal Cup team, which won the trophy.
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But actually playing on the island, no, I've not won anything.
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Fair enough. Fair enough. In it for the love of the game, Gary.
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Very much so, yeah. Love of the game.
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So obviously you had that. You obviously had your time there.
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How did that thing with the police come about? Obviously, that are now Douglas Athletic, aren't they?
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At the time, I was just approached. Guys I played cricket with were playing
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football. Nick Cray, people might remember.
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Jeremy Meggett, who ended up playing for the police.
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They approached me because at the time I was involved in Crombourne.
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I was on the committee at Crombourne and so on.
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And they asked me if I'd just help them out. And yeah, I got myself onto the FA that way.
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And that's so is that always now the
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side of football obviously we'll come into your photography side of that
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in a bit that's the side we'll talk about but was
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that your main step into sort of the local game
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then when you left to pick up the admin side of
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it and get into that side of it I imagine would
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that be when and Garrett and those people like that were in the FA yeah
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it was it was I'd done some bits I'd been on the committee at
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Union Mills obviously being manager and so on and I'd
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done stuff across as well with the local FAs but yeah
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from then on I was involved with the
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FA for a few years with the police until the police in
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effect folded and I didn't really then get
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involved until again through Crombourne Cricket gyms
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merged into the Crombourne Sports and Social Club
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as it became and from then
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on I became involved in gyms just watching and
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yeah and that's really when the photography started because i
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i stopped being involved in cromwell
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i had a restroom admin having done it for so long just started
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i needed to do something on a saturday kill a saturday afternoon yeah
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and obviously like for everyone that doesn't know that's where you
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really started your photography stuff but was photography a
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hobby before that or it had been when
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i was in sort of like here when i was 18 19 i'd done
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a few bits and it even then it had been sports stuff it'd.
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Been a mate a mate was very good golfer so i photographed him playing.
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Golf and but i'd stop because i.
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Was playing and i was watching man city home and away when i did my knee i was
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going to man city and so on so yeah it was it had been but it just i thought
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i've got to do something i'm not a very good watcher of games yeah i need to
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be sort of actually doing distracted doing something so yeah no that's fair
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enough and that's fair enough so.
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Obviously, Jim's, you know, your photography. And then I think you kept going
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to Jim's home games, didn't you? It was mainly through Jim.
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What then triggered you to sort of go, I want to go and see a bit more of Mike's
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football and do this a little bit wider?
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Jim sort of, they started to struggle. There was a reasonable side there.
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It was Jabba, Barry Harding and Sparky Connor.
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Those boys. And so it was a decent side. They were a good set of lads.
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And so but once they started to sort of
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like break up and i thought i've got to do something more i can't just keep
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photographing gyms i was going to away games as well and i was enjoying that
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yeah so yeah i just thought actually i need to see a bit more in manx football
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yeah and so yeah i just sort of spread it around a bit no and that's that's
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fair enough and and that's it.
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So that i think that comes into our sort of first ever question really that
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comes from tommy crow you know Tommy yeah so and he said do you think like going
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along to the matches and taking pictures would start you on such a journey as it has taken you.
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Not at all no it was it was just something to do yeah and it has sort of like
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it's one of those hobbies it has grown brilliantly for me but it's all been
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purely accidental there's not been any I know that feeling yeah yeah well yeah I mean you,
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know it does this footman's football can take over your
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life in fact anything you're on the island man
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if you if you're passionate about it and and you're
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prepared to volunteer yeah then people will let you
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volunteer yeah and so yeah so obviously
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you know you've been you've seen a lot of
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mike's football how does it differ to you watch
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it obviously you're a football fan first of all how does it
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differ to you watching football through a lens than it
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does sitting there without a camera apart from
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it's a lot harder watching without a camera because i feel like
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i need i i am hopeless at watching games
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i need to be doing something else while i'm
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watching watching through the camera i see things a lot more closely than most
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people yeah i see things very close up i see when they are fouls and they aren't
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and i see handballs that people don't see i see a lot of stuff that a lot of
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people don't see but also i I don't quite often, I don't see the bigger picture.
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Yeah. So, you know, it's not always... That, that concept.
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Tactically, it's not, it's not brilliant for me. Occasionally,
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I will see things. Yeah. That I just think, actually, I know I've spotted that and that's not working.
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But generally, it's just, it's the close-up stuff. I actually enjoy seeing right in there.
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That concentration on the ball and that action, which is a brilliant thing.
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I think it's good to talk about your photography and there's another sort of
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questioning along them lines.
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From Simon Dooley at Douglas Royals. And he says, out of all the games you photographed,
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I don't know how many there is. Would you roughly know how many there's been now?
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I honestly don't know, but I've been doing it since 2008.
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So it's probably an average of, I don't know. I mean, this year already,
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I've got 40-odd games under my belt.
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If you say 50 games a year, minimum.
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50 or 60 games a year. And that's without your FC All-A-Man trips as well.
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Yeah, so I don't know. What's that?
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16 years 50 games a lot a
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lot a lot isn't it yeah no he says
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which or do you have a moment that you've captured that stands out the most
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now i have one that you've captured and i don't know if you'll say the same
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one it's the one of wadey when it's absolutely pissing it down down at jim's
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it's like the most iconic folk i think he was playing for honkin at the time
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yes it's the most iconic,
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one of the most iconic men's football photos you'll ever see.
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Thank you. I don't think Wadey likes it that much. I occasionally pop it up on the memories.
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I think Onken were losing 5-1 at the time, and it was absolutely lashing it down.
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And poor Wadey was still there. He made a couple of, well, two or three fantastic
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saves in that game. Yeah.
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But unfortunately I got him just as he was looking at his most miserable.
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And I think the guy in the background with the umbrella actually makes that
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photo because Wadey looks so bad but the guy's there he's coming up he's fine yeah.
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And he's wearing a white shirt as well. It just adds to it, doesn't it? Yeah, it was just lucky.
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I saw it. I thought there's a photo there with the lenses and everything.
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I was very lucky just to be able to cram it in.
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But yeah, thanks for that. What do you have on yourself that?
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There's Luke Murray's overhead kick at West Didsbury for FC Isle of Man.
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But probably my most my favourite recent
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photo is Pinney celebrating scoring for FCI Le Mans I can't remember this is
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where my memory's open I can't remember the ground now but he scored and he's
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running towards the camera and he's high-fiving the fans and the other lads
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are coming in behind him I just like that it's the sheer joy of football and that's fantastic.
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I think what we'll do is when I put this out as
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well I'll get you to send me the top three photos you
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think you've taken and you can you can pick three and
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we'll put them up with the post i think i think that'd be a great idea even just
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in the comments that people can have a look at them like obviously they look at
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your pictures every week anyways but the three that you know
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if you've been doing it since 2008 there's going to be some memories in
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there that you'll probably think of one later on and you
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just oh that's just popped in well that's that's the great thing
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i really like about what i do is that it's giving people memories yeah you know
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people occasionally you know with facebook be what it is the algorithm throws
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up my photos if somebody else has found them and i just makes it always makes
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me smile yeah because i've given somebody that memory to.
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Memorize to remember you know that's a great part of the photography i think
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it makes sense and it is so obviously that's your playing days and your photography
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stuff i'll move on now to the fcl man stuff because when that's coming about
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it floating around in paul jones's head At what point does he contact you?
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It's about a year out.
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Before it sort of really took off, I was sat in the car actually in Derby Square
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and Paul rang me and said he'd like me to be involved and would I be chairman.
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And so I said, I didn't really think about it greatly. I said,
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yeah, if that's what you want me to do.
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Yeah, I got involved. It's something that had been talked about for a long time on and off.
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And I hadn't really been involved in those conversations, but it was something
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that I knew it needed to happen. for Man's football, I think.
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Just to bridge the Irish sea for players. Yeah.
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Yeah, yeah. And obviously, you come in as chairman there and you also had,
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there was a lot of different roles you had in the club as well, not just chairman.
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I knew you'd done the welfare stuff, you'd done some secretarial...
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That came much later. Yeah.
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I was chairman up until, basically, until we got into the league and played
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the first game and then Jill Christian took over because I want you to carry
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on taking photos and you can't glad hand sponsors and take photos at the same time.
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So to be honest, photography is my first love and that's what I wanted to do.
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I was happy that I'd been involved with 10 other people who'd all worked really,
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really hard to get FCLM playing that first game at Main Road.
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And that was sort of like job done for me. Yeah. You know, there was a lot more
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hard work to go on in, you know, in FCR a month.
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But for me, that was what I had wanted to do.
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Yeah, we'd got it. We'd got it there. Yeah, you got it to that point where you
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were happy to hand it over and go back to doing the bit you loved,
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which was the photography side of it.
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What challenges did you face, Ed? Obviously, we know the challenges that people,
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like the football inside faced, where they had to go up to clubs and stuff.
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But behind the scenes, what challenges did you face as like an admin challenge.
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Trying them hurdles that were put in front of you to make sure that could happen?
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The hardest thing, I think, the hardest thing was obviously,
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as always with this, was the money. Yeah.
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Was making sure that we had the sponsors and so on. and the guys,
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I say the other nine, ten guys involved, all worked so hard to do that and people brought things in.
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But there's also the meetings with government ministers and civil servants to
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make sure that we could use the bowl how we wanted to.
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Obviously, talking to the English FA, talking to the North West counties,
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getting the ground approved and agreeing with the civil servants about the work
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that needed to be done to upgrade the bowl.
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Not a great deal but work still needed to be done
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so that was that side of it and that was just
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not a slog but it had to be done you had to have those meetings you had to fill
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the forms and you had to yeah boxers had to be tipped basically that was it
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and then fingers crossed when the meetings were going on to make sure going
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round all the clubs on the town halls that we did where Paul Jones and the other guys,
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talked to anybody who was interested about what FC Ironman was about and doing
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that persuading the FA and through those towns all persuading the clubs and
00:15:47.395 --> 00:15:49.815
to get an almost unanimous vote from the.
00:15:50.575 --> 00:15:55.635
Manx footballing community was absolutely brilliant to get us,
00:15:56.241 --> 00:16:00.541
to say yes you can go and do it yeah and that's and that's a great thing and
00:16:00.541 --> 00:16:04.961
that was a stepping stone so obviously from that chairman role you just then
00:16:04.961 --> 00:16:06.741
go back into your photography role.
00:16:07.241 --> 00:16:09.881
And i think you were the away secretary as well weren't you at
00:16:09.881 --> 00:16:13.421
the time i was a way back secretary i was registration secretary
00:16:13.421 --> 00:16:16.821
i did quite i did lots of smaller admin
00:16:16.821 --> 00:16:19.861
jobs that all need doing but probably aren't
00:16:19.861 --> 00:16:22.581
full-time for anybody yeah you know i ended up
00:16:22.581 --> 00:16:25.701
at the end with about eight or nine jobs that a lot
00:16:25.701 --> 00:16:28.461
of it was making sure those boxes were tipped and we
00:16:28.461 --> 00:16:31.501
were doing stuff the right way yeah you know the registration i
00:16:31.501 --> 00:16:34.881
think we only ever had one problem with the registration and that
00:16:34.881 --> 00:16:38.161
wasn't our fault so you know it was making
00:16:38.161 --> 00:16:41.321
sure we ticked the boxes and did everything properly yeah
00:16:41.321 --> 00:16:44.301
you know we made sure that you know that first season
00:16:44.301 --> 00:16:48.041
i mean everybody will know from the social media how
00:16:48.041 --> 00:16:50.741
brilliantly the club was presented by you know
00:16:50.741 --> 00:16:53.981
the guys who worked on that Tom Brew and the other
00:16:53.981 --> 00:16:56.961
guys who put all the stuff out there to
00:16:56.961 --> 00:17:00.081
make sure that everybody knew what was going on yeah
00:17:00.081 --> 00:17:03.721
so obviously that that happens
00:17:03.721 --> 00:17:06.501
and then the club obviously get to
00:17:06.501 --> 00:17:10.241
that cup final you know the promotion comes around what's
00:17:10.241 --> 00:17:13.081
that like for you obviously to have seen it
00:17:13.081 --> 00:17:17.761
from its very very infancy to you said obviously you were happiest when you
00:17:17.761 --> 00:17:21.241
they just played that first game never mind getting to that point so what was
00:17:21.241 --> 00:17:25.801
that like for you that was amazing looking around the bowl for the semi-final
00:17:25.801 --> 00:17:32.421
the playoff semi-final and seeing it full it was quite emotional to be honest and.
00:17:32.755 --> 00:17:36.235
It was just something we'd never... It's one of those things you dream of.
00:17:36.395 --> 00:17:37.935
It's what we hoped would happen.
00:17:38.595 --> 00:17:43.655
But to actually see it, to see the bowl full, you know, 3,200 people,
00:17:43.815 --> 00:17:47.935
whatever it was in there, was absolutely phenomenal for everybody.
00:17:48.255 --> 00:17:51.775
And that first, just feeling that semi-final was just brilliant.
00:17:52.075 --> 00:17:55.935
And the support from the Manx public in that first year, there was a whole set
00:17:55.935 --> 00:17:58.115
of circumstances with COVID and so on.
00:17:58.135 --> 00:18:01.075
And that meant we were actually one of the few things you could go and do.
00:18:01.075 --> 00:18:09.015
But to get almost 5% of the population coming out to watch a game of the local
00:18:09.015 --> 00:18:11.535
lads playing football was absolutely brilliant.
00:18:11.655 --> 00:18:14.095
And that was week in, week out as well. Yeah, we were getting 15.
00:18:14.415 --> 00:18:19.455
I've been putting up this year. I've been putting up first season's photos as
00:18:19.455 --> 00:18:26.615
they happened and noticing the crowds of 1,500, 1,700, 1,800, 1,900.
00:18:27.115 --> 00:18:30.815
It's been brilliant. Just bringing back memories for me as well.
00:18:30.815 --> 00:18:35.075
Yeah, and I think that's one we can touch on as well, because obviously it's
00:18:35.075 --> 00:18:38.975
no secret that crowd numbers have dropped over the last couple of years,
00:18:39.015 --> 00:18:42.755
and they've dropped off quite significantly as well compared to that first season.
00:18:43.155 --> 00:18:46.075
Obviously, there was a set of circumstances where COVID was around,
00:18:46.615 --> 00:18:51.355
travel was a little bit restricted, it was new to the island, things like that.
00:18:52.215 --> 00:18:57.715
What do you think happened there a little bit? I think it was in about first year was exceptional.
00:18:58.435 --> 00:19:05.675
I think we've probably settled. I would hope that a crowd should be around about 1,000, hopefully.
00:19:05.715 --> 00:19:10.495
I don't know what the club needs now to break even. I'm not involved in that at all.
00:19:10.915 --> 00:19:14.695
But I think there was that unique set of circumstances in the first season.
00:19:14.695 --> 00:19:18.415
The team were playing really, really well. They were winning every week.
00:19:18.975 --> 00:19:20.555
You couldn't get off the island.
00:19:21.375 --> 00:19:25.375
And we were lucky that people could come to the island. There wasn't any premiership
00:19:25.375 --> 00:19:29.675
football you couldn't go and watch. So we were football, we were live football
00:19:29.675 --> 00:19:31.535
for a lot of people and I think that's what it was.
00:19:31.715 --> 00:19:35.215
I think because of that, there is so much to do on the island.
00:19:36.235 --> 00:19:39.235
There's so many sports, everybody's involved.
00:19:41.075 --> 00:19:43.855
So many people go off the island to watch premiership football.
00:19:44.375 --> 00:19:46.275
So I think that's part of it.
00:19:46.435 --> 00:19:50.855
It is difficult, I think, even to get 600, 700 into the bowl,
00:19:51.055 --> 00:19:54.655
I think for a game of football is brilliant still.
00:19:55.495 --> 00:19:59.315
Especially on a Saturday night as well, when there's so much on now and everything's
00:19:59.315 --> 00:20:01.135
back on a Saturday night, isn't it?
00:20:01.615 --> 00:20:05.235
It's not just a Saturday night. So there's another point as well.
00:20:05.335 --> 00:20:09.015
You were obviously the welfare officer at one point and I had a question here.
00:20:10.315 --> 00:20:12.475
It kind of ties into it because it does...
00:20:13.778 --> 00:20:16.778
It spins a bit on well-being of people.
00:20:17.338 --> 00:20:22.978
So it's from Jed Power. And Jed says, how important is club football on the
00:20:22.978 --> 00:20:25.078
island for the well-being of young men?
00:20:25.258 --> 00:20:29.718
And obviously with that head off, what would you say to that?
00:20:29.938 --> 00:20:33.238
I think it's so important that people are involved in sport,
00:20:33.378 --> 00:20:34.898
not just football, but sport generally.
00:20:35.378 --> 00:20:38.898
It's so good for your mental health. It's so good for your health generally.
00:20:39.218 --> 00:20:45.018
If you feel good in your body, then nine times out of ten, your mind's going to feel so much better.
00:20:45.418 --> 00:20:49.858
Local football also gives you a bit of discipline as well, which is,
00:20:50.058 --> 00:20:52.358
again, good for some people in their mental health.
00:20:52.498 --> 00:20:55.098
It also lets people let off steam on a Saturday.
00:20:55.318 --> 00:20:57.398
So I think it's hugely important.
00:20:57.638 --> 00:21:00.478
Sport generally is massively important in people's life.
00:21:00.778 --> 00:21:06.198
And the island, I think sometimes it doesn't realise how lucky it is with the
00:21:06.198 --> 00:21:11.258
amount of facilities and the amount of sport that is available on the island is phenomenal. Yeah.
00:21:11.638 --> 00:21:17.658
So obviously your time at FC Isle of Man then was, you brought that to an end of last season.
00:21:18.378 --> 00:21:21.838
What makes you make that decision? Is it just want free time or?
00:21:21.838 --> 00:21:25.698
There were things going on that I wasn't particularly happy about and I won't
00:21:25.698 --> 00:21:35.938
go into so yeah but I thought the time was right to walk away and take a break from it to be honest.
00:21:37.058 --> 00:21:41.858
I won't go into the reasons but all I will say is that last week somebody who
00:21:41.858 --> 00:21:45.098
was part of what happened apologised to me,
00:21:45.778 --> 00:21:50.798
for what their part of it was so I'm quite happy that was very,
00:21:50.918 --> 00:21:53.258
very, very bigger than I was really impressed.
00:21:53.538 --> 00:21:56.378
Yeah, and that's fair enough. And you obviously don't want to go into that.
00:21:56.738 --> 00:21:59.658
Is it something you still go down and watch now and then?
00:21:59.978 --> 00:22:06.338
I haven't. I watched actually the first game last Sunday, the Sunday game of the doubleheader.
00:22:06.418 --> 00:22:10.218
That's the first game I've been to this season, simply because on a Saturday,
00:22:10.458 --> 00:22:14.518
by the time I've been to a game, taken photos,
00:22:15.158 --> 00:22:19.858
and the time I've almost finished looking at the photos, it's after 6 o'clock
00:22:19.858 --> 00:22:25.138
and to be honest I don't particularly want to go out again having been out basically
00:22:25.138 --> 00:22:29.838
from 1 o'clock to go out again at 6 till 8 or whatever.
00:22:31.258 --> 00:22:38.138
It's nothing against the club it's just I follow all the results it's just a
00:22:38.138 --> 00:22:41.958
set of circumstances with me doing the football in the afternoon when I was
00:22:41.958 --> 00:22:47.558
with FC Isleman I'd occasionally go and do I do the first half
00:22:47.998 --> 00:22:53.818
I'm a bit of a completist I hated it I want to see the whole game Yeah and you
00:22:53.818 --> 00:22:56.998
go I know I've seen you a couple of times down a bowl and you'd be like what
00:22:56.998 --> 00:23:00.358
did it finish or what was the score because you had to go and you had to be
00:23:00.358 --> 00:23:01.418
at the bowl for a certain time,
00:23:01.958 --> 00:23:06.798
and that's that but no that's a great insight to your journey through football.
00:23:08.098 --> 00:23:14.298
And then obviously local football as well now, you've come sort of full circle back around to it.
00:23:14.878 --> 00:23:18.298
Are you enjoying being back on a Saturday, going out watching the football?
00:23:18.618 --> 00:23:24.898
I am. I'm really enjoying it. It's good also to see that after four years of FCR the man,
00:23:25.378 --> 00:23:31.058
because I'm very much aware that we did by taking out that 26,
00:23:31.338 --> 00:23:37.658
27, the very best players from the island, was going to affect local football.
00:23:38.098 --> 00:23:43.358
But it's great now, after four years, to see, first of all, the age of local football.
00:23:43.978 --> 00:23:48.178
The average age appears to have dropped quite considerably. There's a lot of
00:23:48.178 --> 00:23:53.418
younger guys playing, and the quality is getting there.
00:23:53.618 --> 00:23:58.158
But I think local football is recovering, and it's well on the way to recovering,
00:23:58.198 --> 00:23:59.658
to getting back to where it was.
00:23:59.998 --> 00:24:04.058
So, yeah, no, I'm enjoying it. It's great seeing there's a lot of faces I don't know.
00:24:04.478 --> 00:24:07.698
There's a lot of very young faces I don't know. There's still a few old stages
00:24:07.698 --> 00:24:11.058
playing as well. So, you know, yeah, no, I'm enjoying it.
00:24:11.338 --> 00:24:14.478
And obviously, we talk about people still involved in the game.
00:24:14.878 --> 00:24:18.178
Big thing this week, Man's football, the referee strategies come out.
00:24:18.298 --> 00:24:21.218
You know, they're pushing a new referees course, things like that.
00:24:22.758 --> 00:24:25.238
What's your thoughts on refereeing at the moment on the Isle of Man?
00:24:25.838 --> 00:24:32.518
Is there anything you would do from the outside looking in to help try and increase the numbers maybe?
00:24:32.638 --> 00:24:37.218
It's very difficult. I mean, I don't know what referees get paid at the moment,
00:24:37.218 --> 00:24:40.598
but whatever it is, it isn't enough for the abuse they get.
00:24:41.878 --> 00:24:45.958
That's part of the problem. Why would you go and, no matter what you pay somebody,
00:24:46.138 --> 00:24:48.478
why would you go and stand in the middle and just be abused?
00:24:48.898 --> 00:24:53.658
Especially when the referees are on their own, you know, because there's no assistance.
00:24:53.858 --> 00:24:57.118
They can't see offsides. They don't see everything.
00:24:57.818 --> 00:24:59.358
They can't see everything.
00:25:00.398 --> 00:25:05.958
By players who make mistakes every 30 seconds in a game or abusing a guy who's
00:25:05.958 --> 00:25:10.178
made four or five mistakes in 90 minutes and that's just not fair.
00:25:10.358 --> 00:25:11.718
I don't know what the answer is.
00:25:13.638 --> 00:25:17.998
Money's not the answer. You can't just keep paying more and more.
00:25:18.158 --> 00:25:21.378
Especially when clubs don't have it as well. Yeah, clubs don't have it and people
00:25:21.378 --> 00:25:25.698
are doing it for the wrong reasons then. You've got to want to be a referee.
00:25:26.318 --> 00:25:29.098
I honestly don't know what the answer is. I think if
00:25:29.098 --> 00:25:33.618
we knew what the answer is it would be it would be working wouldn't it it's
00:25:33.618 --> 00:25:38.458
madness and that's football though isn't it in general so we'll move on that's
00:25:38.458 --> 00:25:42.218
your footballing days and I think it's been a very good insight into that the
00:25:42.218 --> 00:25:47.358
question I always ask someone now is is at the moment this present day,
00:25:47.987 --> 00:25:50.887
What do you think the best thing about Mance football currently is?
00:25:51.167 --> 00:25:54.367
I think it's the number of young players I'm seeing playing.
00:25:55.127 --> 00:25:59.027
There's a lot of... I think FCI Le Mans has given those young players,
00:25:59.127 --> 00:26:01.887
some players I'm sure are playing now.
00:26:02.487 --> 00:26:07.587
Who wouldn't have been playing if FCI Le Mans wasn't in existence because FCI
00:26:07.587 --> 00:26:10.267
Le Mans gives them something to aspire to.
00:26:10.527 --> 00:26:14.567
And if they can get into FCI Le Mans, then there's always that chance.
00:26:14.567 --> 00:26:17.587
They'll be seen across
00:26:17.587 --> 00:26:20.787
by somebody and you know somebody sees
00:26:20.787 --> 00:26:23.827
them then that'd be brilliant that would be
00:26:23.827 --> 00:26:28.607
I always said that one of the best a good season for FCI the man could be losing
00:26:28.607 --> 00:26:33.307
three or four players to teams above them because that means those guys are
00:26:33.307 --> 00:26:38.467
playing at a better level they've improved they've got that chance hopefully
00:26:38.467 --> 00:26:41.987
in the future you know if FCI the man carries on.
00:26:42.567 --> 00:26:45.527
For probably another five ten years then maybe
00:26:45.527 --> 00:26:48.467
we'll start seeing a regular flow of really good
00:26:48.467 --> 00:26:51.207
footballers going across and maybe a
00:26:51.207 --> 00:26:54.047
few more professionals yeah hopefully hopefully that's a
00:26:54.047 --> 00:26:56.987
the aim isn't it that's the aim of the club realistically to
00:26:56.987 --> 00:26:59.947
look for the club to move up the pyramid but for the players
00:26:59.947 --> 00:27:02.687
at their development to also bring them up it may be that the club
00:27:02.687 --> 00:27:05.767
reaches a point where that the local talent
00:27:05.767 --> 00:27:08.747
can only get them to yeah the next step the
00:27:08.747 --> 00:27:11.887
next step or the step above that but if
00:27:11.887 --> 00:27:14.927
that's what it is that's what it is but it's still that bridge
00:27:14.927 --> 00:27:17.907
across the Irish Sea for them yeah yeah
00:27:17.907 --> 00:27:22.307
it's that opportunity to be seen to be seen yeah and that's that's fair enough
00:27:22.307 --> 00:27:27.147
and obviously we come into that now obviously FC Isleman players and things
00:27:27.147 --> 00:27:31.247
like that you're talking about the younger players coming through as well do
00:27:31.247 --> 00:27:35.067
you think it's helped develop the coaching as well on the island maybe to.
00:27:35.887 --> 00:27:41.507
Adjust it slightly to try and get players more competitive now that weren't
00:27:41.507 --> 00:27:43.867
in that elite group? Possibly, yeah. I think,
00:27:44.981 --> 00:27:48.481
FC has always encouraged young coaches to come down.
00:27:49.821 --> 00:27:53.521
I've lost count of the number of coaches who've been and helped out,
00:27:53.621 --> 00:27:55.801
even if it's one or just one or two sessions.
00:27:56.481 --> 00:28:01.621
And I think, yeah, the coaching on the island, I think the level is going up.
00:28:01.761 --> 00:28:06.721
I think these days you've almost got to have coaching badges be involved in
00:28:06.721 --> 00:28:10.221
football in that sort of scenario.
00:28:10.561 --> 00:28:14.281
So I think, yeah, the standard is very, very, very good.
00:28:14.281 --> 00:28:17.821
And what I've seen with the guys who've been involved with SCLM the coaching
00:28:17.821 --> 00:28:21.361
sessions are brilliant they're all very good and they're thought through it's
00:28:21.361 --> 00:28:25.021
not just throwing something on they actually know what they're doing and they're
00:28:25.021 --> 00:28:28.461
trying to achieve things in coaching sessions so yeah.
00:28:29.841 --> 00:28:34.901
Hopefully that coaching progression will carry on and it'll get better and better
00:28:34.901 --> 00:28:38.321
and that's what you want isn't it so if the players can develop the coaches
00:28:38.321 --> 00:28:42.681
can develop the game develops doesn't it and that's it obviously you talked
00:28:42.681 --> 00:28:43.881
about younger players as well,
00:28:45.021 --> 00:28:48.061
I've had Brian Callow and Tony Meckham on the last two weeks,
00:28:48.081 --> 00:28:49.841
and I've asked them both this question.
00:28:50.461 --> 00:28:55.101
Could you ever see FC Allemant having a standalone academy and a sort of youth
00:28:55.101 --> 00:28:56.621
set-up to bring players through?
00:28:57.961 --> 00:29:01.301
Yes, I could see it happening, but with all these things, it's money.
00:29:01.741 --> 00:29:06.881
It's about money. And at the moment, while FC Allemant is paying for the opposition
00:29:06.881 --> 00:29:11.501
to travel here, then that sort of thing is going to be out of the reach,
00:29:11.521 --> 00:29:14.961
unless somebody wins a lottery. Yeah, there's no best step.
00:29:15.141 --> 00:29:18.981
Yeah, is somebody prepared to put money in for the right reasons,
00:29:19.541 --> 00:29:25.701
you know, and not want to control the club, but say, look, here's £500,000 for
00:29:25.701 --> 00:29:27.641
your academy, go and do it. Yeah.
00:29:28.001 --> 00:29:30.821
Then, yeah, I can see it happening. It's the same with the women's team.
00:29:31.041 --> 00:29:34.441
People keep saying we need to do this, FCL man needs to do this,
00:29:34.561 --> 00:29:38.381
this and this, but it's got to be baby steps. The club's got to be stable.
00:29:39.501 --> 00:29:45.641
Then at a point where the income, if they're generating the income now that
00:29:45.641 --> 00:29:51.461
would help run a women's team, would help run an academy.
00:29:51.941 --> 00:29:56.181
So, yeah, I think it could happen, and hopefully in the future it will.
00:29:56.521 --> 00:30:01.221
Yeah, it's a football club, but overall it's a business, and it's got to be ran like a business.
00:30:01.601 --> 00:30:06.221
It's not an amateur football club. It's a team that's aspiring to be professional.
00:30:06.381 --> 00:30:09.101
Yeah, it's got to be run for the football, though.
00:30:09.101 --> 00:30:14.681
You can't be constantly thinking about the business side it's got the business
00:30:14.681 --> 00:30:17.781
has got to run for the football the football isn't there to run the business
00:30:17.781 --> 00:30:22.021
that makes sense it's all about the football it should all be about the football
00:30:22.021 --> 00:30:26.361
yeah but there's someone there has to have that head on it that says,
00:30:26.959 --> 00:30:30.679
Yes, there is finances involved and we've got to keep on top of that. Oh yeah, very much so.
00:30:30.959 --> 00:30:34.579
Those finances have all got to be directed to making sure the football goes right.
00:30:34.639 --> 00:30:38.159
Yeah, and a lot of people don't realise as well that the finances involved with
00:30:38.159 --> 00:30:43.379
FC LMA are exponential compared to a local club as well. Oh yeah.
00:30:43.519 --> 00:30:46.379
Because as you mentioned earlier, playing for teams to come over,
00:30:46.939 --> 00:30:51.099
playing for them to stay, you know, you're paying for the hire of the ball and
00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:54.219
then the travel of the home players to go to away games, the travel to away
00:30:54.219 --> 00:30:56.639
games, hotels for them, you know.
00:30:56.959 --> 00:30:59.659
And you've got to look after the lads who are playing.
00:31:02.439 --> 00:31:07.639
Occasionally, we weren't at the best sometimes, but I think over the years,
00:31:07.759 --> 00:31:12.779
we've looked after guys who are giving up so much to play football for FC Isle
00:31:12.779 --> 00:31:14.539
of Man, what they've gone through.
00:31:14.999 --> 00:31:20.459
And I mean, there's probably five or six that have done it for the last all four years now.
00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:24.039
And the fact they keep doing it is just amazing.
00:31:24.219 --> 00:31:28.159
I mean, it was very easy for me. travelling I was just sat on my backside taking
00:31:28.159 --> 00:31:31.319
photos in the corner they were playing football for 90 minutes,
00:31:31.859 --> 00:31:37.439
and then travelling on a coach for two hours into a hotel into a hotel and having
00:31:37.439 --> 00:31:40.659
to get up at 6 in the morning to get the plane back to go straight to work.
00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:45.219
That commitment is just phenomenal yeah I've done it a couple of times with
00:31:45.219 --> 00:31:48.899
them and I honestly I don't know how they do it playing footy and then like
00:31:48.899 --> 00:31:51.659
sitting on that coach you think I'm just going to cramp up here just coming
00:31:51.659 --> 00:31:53.779
some of them coach journeys back are just
00:31:54.199 --> 00:31:58.119
they're as long as like they're longer than the flight the return flight yeah
00:31:58.119 --> 00:32:02.159
it's it's mad like one coach journey that just to a ground is longer than the
00:32:02.159 --> 00:32:05.519
flight there i'm back sometimes yeah and it is you know,
00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:10.179
it's really weird not knowing where you're going or the way you're going somewhere
00:32:10.179 --> 00:32:15.299
or whatever it's quite funny it's a strange experience sometimes i'd i'd never
00:32:15.299 --> 00:32:20.039
i mean i missed i think four or five games in three years and i never got used
00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:22.219
to the travel yeah you know you knew what you
00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:25.119
do it no matter what you tried to do to get
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:28.319
some sleep at some point and it never worked there's
00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:32.139
always something it just never you know you're just always shattered yeah
00:32:32.139 --> 00:32:35.279
so that's what you think is good about bank football a little bit more about
00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:39.379
fclmr the local game at the moment as well i always ask people this question
00:32:39.379 --> 00:32:43.739
i ask them to be honest about it because it's an opinion it's not a fact what
00:32:43.739 --> 00:32:49.139
do you think isn't great about the local game at the moment it's difficult to say i,
00:32:49.819 --> 00:32:52.599
personally and that people don't like this but I think there are too many clubs.
00:32:53.435 --> 00:32:57.135
I think there are too many teams. I think the fact that clubs are struggling
00:32:57.135 --> 00:33:04.715
to get out combis or first teams, I think shows that there are just too many clubs at the moment.
00:33:05.375 --> 00:33:11.015
That doesn't help. I don't know enough about having been outside it for three
00:33:11.015 --> 00:33:15.515
years to sort of get into the nitty gritty of what's actually going on in local football.
00:33:15.795 --> 00:33:22.915
I really don't. I enjoy it. I enjoy being involved. and the clubs all put on
00:33:22.915 --> 00:33:28.515
all the grounds, particularly the Premier League. That's what I've been going to.
00:33:29.455 --> 00:33:35.395
I've not seen any Division II games and I just think all the First Division,
00:33:35.535 --> 00:33:38.335
all those Premier clubs, they do a great job.
00:33:39.715 --> 00:33:42.535
Some grounds could be a little bit better, but often that's outside.
00:33:42.735 --> 00:33:46.615
Those grounds aren't as good as they could be. We were at Boxster the other week, weren't we?
00:33:46.815 --> 00:33:49.355
Yeah, but a lot of them are outside the control of the club as well.
00:33:49.355 --> 00:33:50.855
Oh, yeah. It's just where they are.
00:33:51.355 --> 00:33:55.675
It's historic. It's not a club, is it? No. So, yeah, the pitches are brilliant
00:33:55.675 --> 00:33:59.095
generally, but they could be a little bit better, I think.
00:33:59.795 --> 00:34:03.875
The money's available from the FA. I don't think they've got a grand person
00:34:03.875 --> 00:34:08.515
anymore, though, because they used to have an advisor over here that was based on Ireland,
00:34:08.735 --> 00:34:12.915
and I don't know if they've recently just got one back, but I know there's been
00:34:12.915 --> 00:34:16.415
a lull of a couple of years where they've not had that person that can come
00:34:16.415 --> 00:34:21.615
up and say, this is the type of soil or this is the type of seed and think for your type of ground.
00:34:21.615 --> 00:34:25.475
I know they did lull on that a little bit, but I think they might have just gone.
00:34:25.615 --> 00:34:28.815
Outside that, I'm really not right into the integrity of it.
00:34:28.935 --> 00:34:31.435
I think there are little things that don't help.
00:34:31.655 --> 00:34:36.095
Things like the men's national team doesn't, because, I mean,
00:34:36.135 --> 00:34:40.135
again, it's outside the Manx FH control, because we haven't got those in the
00:34:40.135 --> 00:34:43.615
Inter-County Cup games anymore. They don't play enough games.
00:34:44.015 --> 00:34:47.075
Then that, again, it's an aspirational thing
00:34:47.075 --> 00:34:50.155
isn't it if you can go and play for the men yeah then
00:34:50.155 --> 00:34:53.875
you've got why you you'll play that a little bit harder to get yourself if you
00:34:53.875 --> 00:34:56.875
want to do it you'll just train that a little bit harder you'll work a bit harder
00:34:56.875 --> 00:35:00.875
to go and play for them but they don't play what they're playing three four
00:35:00.875 --> 00:35:05.235
games if i think they played two games last well they obviously they played
00:35:05.235 --> 00:35:08.655
a couple of friendlies and things like that and then hardly games but there's
00:35:08.655 --> 00:35:10.075
no tournaments in between that anymore.
00:35:10.415 --> 00:35:14.335
So it's literally prep, play the tournament, done.
00:35:14.695 --> 00:35:18.835
Whereas it used to be prep, few friendlies, tournament every year, wasn't it?
00:35:18.875 --> 00:35:21.775
Yeah, there was always some of the best trips were going on those,
00:35:21.775 --> 00:35:24.015
you know, away games in the County Cup.
00:35:24.135 --> 00:35:28.075
Yeah, they were great. They were great fun, but it was a good standard as well. Yeah.
00:35:28.355 --> 00:35:30.815
And we did quite well as well. Yeah, we did very well.
00:35:32.035 --> 00:35:35.555
That brings me on to something else as well. I think just before we sort of
00:35:35.555 --> 00:35:40.535
go on to your seven-a-side team, you had that time with Mipha as well, into a Malcolm,
00:35:41.345 --> 00:35:44.485
somehow no one on this island has ever got to know how
00:35:44.485 --> 00:35:47.705
Malcolm Blackburn got that together but it was a fantastic
00:35:47.705 --> 00:35:50.565
thing what was that like for you the trip to
00:35:50.565 --> 00:35:53.545
Swede was phenomenal was keep saying phenomenal I
00:35:53.545 --> 00:35:56.545
have to stop it I'll get that out of my vocabulary it was brilliant it
00:35:56.545 --> 00:35:59.665
was probably the best thing outside FC Ireland
00:35:59.665 --> 00:36:02.385
man I'd done in football it was just to get
00:36:02.385 --> 00:36:05.285
to the final of that and playing at the level
00:36:05.285 --> 00:36:08.185
that I mean people don't realize how high what
00:36:08.185 --> 00:36:11.185
the standard was like there and it was
00:36:11.185 --> 00:36:14.385
just fantastic it was a fantastic experience for
00:36:14.385 --> 00:36:18.385
leaving the islands coming back after that
00:36:18.385 --> 00:36:21.505
it got a little bit ragged i think as malcolm's
00:36:21.505 --> 00:36:25.945
i think basically struggled again it's money yeah that was probably how we went
00:36:25.945 --> 00:36:29.485
to a couple of tournaments that weren't brilliant and there was you know there
00:36:29.485 --> 00:36:34.245
was things going on in the background weren't weren't quite right and i think
00:36:34.245 --> 00:36:38.465
he's probably died a death now i think kanefa's still going i know Actually,
00:36:38.545 --> 00:36:42.225
I noticed today, I was going through some stuff in the office and I found an
00:36:42.225 --> 00:36:45.125
old Keneva email to the Island Games Association.
00:36:46.565 --> 00:36:49.865
But Keneva, I think, is still going. But I think Cameron Bally,
00:36:49.925 --> 00:36:53.025
I think FC Isleman was probably done for that, I think.
00:36:54.265 --> 00:36:57.505
But yeah, no, that Swedish shit was just out of this world.
00:36:57.685 --> 00:37:00.465
It really was. It's hard to put into words how good that was.
00:37:00.565 --> 00:37:03.765
It was professional football for local footballers.
00:37:03.905 --> 00:37:09.745
Yeah. and the lads embraced it and they played above yeah above themselves I've
00:37:09.745 --> 00:37:13.285
had a fair few people on that been on that trip like Frank Junior,
00:37:13.885 --> 00:37:17.505
Johnny people you know people that have all been around that set up and they
00:37:17.505 --> 00:37:22.185
all said the same thing that it was just a bit mad when they went and it was
00:37:22.185 --> 00:37:25.825
one of them things so we're coming towards the end of this now,
00:37:26.726 --> 00:37:30.166
seven-a-side team. Now, I've spoke to you about this over the last couple of
00:37:30.166 --> 00:37:32.906
weeks and I think you've changed it about 400 times.
00:37:33.246 --> 00:37:36.866
You know the rules. Everyone knows the rule at Bar now. So, goalkeeper can be any era.
00:37:37.666 --> 00:37:42.326
You need three current outfield players and three retired outfield players in
00:37:42.326 --> 00:37:44.086
it. And I'll let you have a manager as well.
00:37:44.226 --> 00:37:48.806
We talked about this, didn't we? Because there's been sort of like most of the
00:37:48.806 --> 00:37:53.626
teams have almost been fairly, pretty much the same group of players from a
00:37:53.626 --> 00:37:54.686
particular generation.
00:37:54.686 --> 00:37:58.006
And I thought, well, I said to you, I'd like to bring it down the generation.
00:37:59.246 --> 00:38:05.386
Not decrying any of those, the Geordie's boys, Chris Bass, Johnny Myers, Frank,
00:38:06.086 --> 00:38:11.046
all those guys would really, actually I've got one of them in my side,
00:38:11.086 --> 00:38:19.566
but I think there's guys playing now who are not as, well, they're as good,
00:38:19.806 --> 00:38:23.126
they're playing, they're the generation I've seen most of, to be honest,
00:38:23.206 --> 00:38:25.666
I didn't see all of that Geordie's.
00:38:26.446 --> 00:38:33.466
12 years of domination so yeah there's a couple of younger players as well so
00:38:33.466 --> 00:38:40.846
slightly different to everybody else's that's good so we'll start off with your goalkeeper John Ward.
00:38:42.026 --> 00:38:50.846
Very easy he was the best I saw playing he was just he was head and shoulders
00:38:50.846 --> 00:38:55.746
with everybody else and he was still playing I think I played four years ago.
00:38:55.926 --> 00:39:01.386
Yeah, I mean, I think, I can't remember what he was. I've got a photo of him diving full.
00:39:01.546 --> 00:39:04.986
I think he was 60 the other day. I think he's, Sam's still mates with his son.
00:39:05.306 --> 00:39:08.886
Yeah, he's probably in his mid-50s then with the last game I photographed him in.
00:39:09.026 --> 00:39:12.626
Was that the last, I can't remember, it's a game here. Did he miss a penalty
00:39:12.626 --> 00:39:14.386
in it? I can't, I can't. Was it?
00:39:14.526 --> 00:39:18.046
I think you were at that game when, I think Danny Mead who used to play for
00:39:18.046 --> 00:39:22.166
all boys scored a penalty as a goalkeeper and then John Ward had to take the next one.
00:39:22.186 --> 00:39:27.086
He did go to penalties. And John Ward missed his, and I think it was a junior cup, that. But yeah.
00:39:27.566 --> 00:39:32.326
So who's your first current outfield player? Current outfield?
00:39:33.066 --> 00:39:37.066
I've got a real dichotomy in the way I like, what I like in football.
00:39:37.266 --> 00:39:42.626
I love flying wingers. I love wingers. I think they're one of the best things in the game.
00:39:42.706 --> 00:39:46.766
But I also like the guys in the engine room who people don't notice.
00:39:46.926 --> 00:39:49.586
And probably what I do know is them doing more. Yeah.
00:39:50.046 --> 00:39:53.886
Especially the way you're... close up and I'm always in that corner I'm looking
00:39:53.886 --> 00:39:58.946
towards the middle of the park so I see a lot of those guys so the winger is
00:39:58.946 --> 00:40:01.406
Dan Simpson I think Simo is one of the.
00:40:01.933 --> 00:40:06.933
Best. I remember seeing Simo when he first played for gyms a long time ago,
00:40:07.173 --> 00:40:11.933
when he was more about the tricks and the skills than actually playing football.
00:40:12.213 --> 00:40:15.313
But even then you could see he was going to be something special.
00:40:15.593 --> 00:40:19.693
It's unfortunate the last year or so he's... When he broke his leg and he's
00:40:19.693 --> 00:40:22.453
had to come back. He's had to come back, but he's back now.
00:40:22.653 --> 00:40:28.233
So hopefully he'll carry on, but he's such a graceful player.
00:40:28.473 --> 00:40:32.533
There's something that we're watching considering there's a real languid quality
00:40:32.533 --> 00:40:35.953
to the way he plays. He just offers something a little bit different, doesn't he?
00:40:36.473 --> 00:40:43.333
It's not always... He's got that turner pace that many people can't turn on, if that makes sense.
00:40:43.813 --> 00:40:46.533
I don't know, like anyone who's watched him all know that. I think,
00:40:46.633 --> 00:40:49.873
you know what? He's got all the skill as well. Yeah, but he's strong, he's powerful.
00:40:50.093 --> 00:40:52.933
It's that he could be jogging and the next minute he's gone.
00:40:53.253 --> 00:40:57.133
Yeah, and it's not just because I'm buying my bathroom from him at the moment.
00:40:57.413 --> 00:41:00.993
That's what it is, a little bit discount from him. A big discount from Paysetter. Yeah.
00:41:01.273 --> 00:41:03.373
So who's your first retired player?
00:41:03.693 --> 00:41:08.293
First retired player? I'm not actually sure if he's retired now because he's
00:41:08.293 --> 00:41:11.013
not on the island anymore, but Ash Webster. Yes.
00:41:11.733 --> 00:41:15.073
He probably played... Retiring from Ants football. Retiring from...
00:41:15.073 --> 00:41:20.633
Again, Ash was one of those really skillful players, but had that bit of grit about him as well.
00:41:20.953 --> 00:41:26.053
I've got a great photo of him challenging for the ball where he's jumping at
00:41:26.053 --> 00:41:28.973
somebody almost shoulder height with his feet out in front of him.
00:41:29.193 --> 00:41:32.913
Just wanting to win. But he was a tremendously skillful player,
00:41:33.013 --> 00:41:36.513
Ash. I think the local game probably misses him a lot.
00:41:36.993 --> 00:41:40.893
I really enjoyed watching him play. Yeah, yeah. That's fine.
00:41:41.073 --> 00:41:44.713
So who's going to be your second current player?
00:41:45.273 --> 00:41:48.673
Another Corinthians player, Luke Murray. It's St. John's now.
00:41:48.833 --> 00:41:50.113
Yeah, well, St. John's, yeah.
00:41:50.293 --> 00:41:53.373
But again, Luke, such a big guy.
00:41:53.633 --> 00:41:55.453
He's incredibly skillful.
00:41:56.010 --> 00:42:00.470
Scored that amazing, he scored some amazing goals, but that overhead kick at
00:42:00.470 --> 00:42:06.050
West Didsbury, it's probably the best I've seen since Sam Kane scored one against
00:42:06.050 --> 00:42:07.790
St John's for Geordie's.
00:42:08.110 --> 00:42:11.050
But yeah, and he's a genuinely nice bloke, Luke, as well. Yeah.
00:42:11.150 --> 00:42:14.110
Which is, you know, he's just... It's a shame with everything that happened
00:42:14.110 --> 00:42:16.750
where he can't commit to West Saddamer now.
00:42:16.930 --> 00:42:19.470
But he's still enjoying the local game, isn't he? Yeah, you can see a little
00:42:19.470 --> 00:42:21.410
bit of frustration in him when he's playing, I think.
00:42:21.630 --> 00:42:27.250
But he's, yeah, it was just great watching Luke because he was a Just a genuinely
00:42:27.250 --> 00:42:29.250
good footballer. Yeah. Yeah.
00:42:29.490 --> 00:42:31.690
So skillful. Great in the air.
00:42:32.350 --> 00:42:35.890
And yeah, you can see at St. John's, he's knocking the ball about,
00:42:36.070 --> 00:42:39.170
you know, really, really well. So yeah, Luke's next.
00:42:39.410 --> 00:42:42.170
So who is your next retired player?
00:42:43.470 --> 00:42:49.790
See, this is a real throwback, Gareth Jones, who everybody says is like one
00:42:49.790 --> 00:42:53.170
of the best footballers the Ireland's ever produced, if not the best.
00:42:53.330 --> 00:42:59.370
Yeah. I never played with Gareth apart from on Sunday mornings way back when
00:42:59.370 --> 00:43:03.490
I was really lucky to be asked to play for the teachers on a Sunday morning.
00:43:03.650 --> 00:43:09.630
So I had the joy of playing with Gareth Jones, Robbie Teer, Jeff Dawkins,
00:43:10.610 --> 00:43:13.850
Don Beard, who else was playing. There's quite a few others.
00:43:14.070 --> 00:43:18.410
A few of theirs like Steve Clegg and Simon Beard were playing as well.
00:43:18.510 --> 00:43:21.710
They were teachers at the time. but Gareth even then
00:43:21.710 --> 00:43:24.830
when he'd I think he'd not been playing for Russian for probably
00:43:24.830 --> 00:43:27.830
10 years at the time was just
00:43:27.830 --> 00:43:30.870
phenomenal he was we'd play like
00:43:30.870 --> 00:43:35.850
Ileman Bank sides who were like full of young lads full of energy and whatever
00:43:35.850 --> 00:43:40.090
and Gareth Dawkins and Robbie T were just not the ball about between themselves
00:43:40.090 --> 00:43:44.910
and keep it mad absolutely mad these were guys probably I'm not sure probably
00:43:44.910 --> 00:43:49.410
in their late 40s early 50s at the time and they were just still.
00:43:49.810 --> 00:43:54.490
You could see the class and Gareth stood out even alongside.
00:43:56.150 --> 00:44:00.930
Great referee as well. Great referee. He was when he retired and went into refereeing.
00:44:01.630 --> 00:44:05.990
I think because he understood the game, that's why he made him a great referee.
00:44:06.110 --> 00:44:11.170
He was just he knew the game and he could read the game and he was brilliant when he went into that.
00:44:11.470 --> 00:44:16.190
So we'll move on now to your final current player.
00:44:16.630 --> 00:44:19.930
This is a tricky one because current players is a bit of a funny one.
00:44:22.430 --> 00:44:22.870
Because,
00:44:24.950 --> 00:44:28.350
Pecker has retired about three times I think this season. Yeah.
00:44:28.730 --> 00:44:30.770
So he was going to be my...
00:44:31.245 --> 00:44:34.405
I think he was going to be one of my retired players, Pekka,
00:44:34.545 --> 00:44:36.545
but if he's still playing, I'll have him as a...
00:44:37.045 --> 00:44:40.425
I don't know. I'll still class him. He's played a game this season. Yeah.
00:44:40.765 --> 00:44:43.745
Therefore, the season's not over, so he's registered. We'll keep him as a current
00:44:43.745 --> 00:44:46.245
player. Yeah, so he's just phenomenal.
00:44:46.805 --> 00:44:51.325
I was lucky enough to be there when I think he scored his 200th and 300th goals
00:44:51.325 --> 00:44:53.305
and get photographs of them both.
00:44:53.885 --> 00:45:00.105
I've never seen anybody score goals like him. He's just a nice guy with it. Yeah.
00:45:00.925 --> 00:45:07.525
Again he's just so skilful and just knew where the girl was half the time he's
00:45:07.525 --> 00:45:10.965
not even looking it's just natural isn't it when it's there obviously you would
00:45:10.965 --> 00:45:14.005
have seen him back in his gyms days before he even went.
00:45:15.765 --> 00:45:20.365
Still a traitor to gyms obviously people probably won't there'll be people that
00:45:20.365 --> 00:45:23.725
do remember but there won't be many people from the last few years at Peckers
00:45:23.725 --> 00:45:27.245
when he was really at speed that ever remember him being at gyms he'll always
00:45:27.245 --> 00:45:30.025
think he's always been at Geordie I've got photos of him playing for,
00:45:30.516 --> 00:45:35.976
we'll dig one of them out we'll dig one of them out so now we'll go on to your final retired player,
00:45:36.536 --> 00:45:42.416
well this is the guy in the engine room P Kelly yep who's now I think he's helping
00:45:42.416 --> 00:45:48.596
manage at Peel isn't he yes P was just got on and did his job and did it really
00:45:48.596 --> 00:45:51.176
really really well with no fuss,
00:45:51.696 --> 00:45:55.816
but with that real bit of grit that you need in the centre midfield yeah but
00:45:55.816 --> 00:45:59.396
there's never any fuss and they're the sort of guys I like they like Kyle Watson
00:45:59.396 --> 00:46:05.416
playing for FC Now, obviously not the same level as P yet, but I think he could be.
00:46:06.136 --> 00:46:10.156
He just gets on and does his job, which isn't scoring goals.
00:46:10.576 --> 00:46:14.856
But he's just, it's those guys. I really enjoy watching those guys,
00:46:15.256 --> 00:46:17.356
you know, the water carriers, as they call them, don't they?
00:46:17.896 --> 00:46:23.176
You know, work hard for the whole team without sort of taking too much of the glory for themselves.
00:46:23.436 --> 00:46:27.376
Yeah, and he won a lot as well, P, didn't he? You know, and went with that national
00:46:27.376 --> 00:46:31.996
side as well and things like that. He was one of them, as you say,
00:46:32.076 --> 00:46:37.996
one of them all-round players that probably didn't get the personal recognition he probably deserved.
00:46:38.756 --> 00:46:43.256
But as I say, hopefully he's going to have a league title in his hand as a coach in a couple of weeks.
00:46:43.636 --> 00:46:47.416
So it could even be, well, it could be this week. Peel don't play this weekend,
00:46:47.596 --> 00:46:51.296
but if Russian beat Foxdale, then they're guaranteed the league.
00:46:52.056 --> 00:46:54.276
So he could, on Saturday night, be celebrating.
00:46:55.316 --> 00:46:58.876
Who would manage that team for you? I thought that was quite a lot.
00:46:59.356 --> 00:47:04.156
Um, probably, I think just for what he did with the Island team, Kev Manning, I think.
00:47:04.476 --> 00:47:07.736
What a guy Kev was. You know, he was around there when they won the county,
00:47:07.936 --> 00:47:08.796
the inter-county thing.
00:47:08.936 --> 00:47:12.316
And, uh, and later on I saw him, you know, I saw him, it was like his testimonial
00:47:12.316 --> 00:47:14.316
and things. And he said, oh, he said hello.
00:47:14.616 --> 00:47:18.456
Yeah. He said a nice word. But yeah, what he did with the Island team was just
00:47:18.456 --> 00:47:20.176
phenomenal. I'm doing it for so long.
00:47:20.576 --> 00:47:22.376
Yeah. You know. That, that longevity.
00:47:22.936 --> 00:47:26.216
And he, he was just a great guy, Kev. Yeah. Just a really nice guy.
00:47:26.316 --> 00:47:28.836
You can always have a chance. I've not heard anybody have a bad word to say
00:47:28.836 --> 00:47:33.216
about him. I mean, I know from the lads he could be really hard at training and whatever.
00:47:33.875 --> 00:47:37.215
And would have a harsh word with them in the half-time or whatever,
00:47:37.355 --> 00:47:41.775
but actually, as a guy outside, you know, when you saw him outside the game,
00:47:41.975 --> 00:47:44.535
he was just fantastic. Yeah, what a guy, what a guy Kev was.
00:47:44.895 --> 00:47:48.935
So, that's some team as well, like, you wouldn't, you know, you wouldn't want
00:47:48.935 --> 00:47:52.295
to play there on a Saturday afternoon, would you, you know, or in the NSC or St. John's.
00:47:52.675 --> 00:47:56.515
It's a great team, Gary. So, just before we wrap this up, have you got anything else you want to say?
00:47:57.235 --> 00:48:01.135
Not really, no, I just say thanks to everybody who's put up with me.
00:48:01.895 --> 00:48:06.495
Everybody who's made me cups of tea and, got the pasture ready for me at halftime and so on.
00:48:06.815 --> 00:48:10.835
Yeah, thanks for everybody who's put up with me, just letting me take photos
00:48:10.835 --> 00:48:12.655
of them, sticking my camera in their faces.
00:48:13.155 --> 00:48:16.695
It's a big thank you, that as well. What game are you at this weekend? I'm not.
00:48:16.895 --> 00:48:21.495
I'm off Ireland this weekend. There you go, then. One of the joys of not being
00:48:21.495 --> 00:48:25.435
involved with FD Arneman, I'm actually going away with Moral Bowling Club because
00:48:25.435 --> 00:48:27.675
they're playing in a competition across.
00:48:28.215 --> 00:48:31.615
And so I said I'd go and photograph that for them. Oh, that's fair enough.
00:48:31.615 --> 00:48:38.635
But I'm back the following week then I'm away again and then Cup final finals
00:48:38.635 --> 00:48:43.295
the following weekend isn't it so I think I'm back for that so you might do both of them Friday,
00:48:43.395 --> 00:48:46.875
Saturday I think so that's alright then right Gary it's been a great insight
00:48:46.875 --> 00:48:50.635
it's been a great chat really appreciate your time and coming up so we'll get
00:48:50.635 --> 00:48:53.515
this out on Friday and thanks for everything and keep doing what you do for
00:48:53.515 --> 00:48:56.255
Manx Football with the photos and getting them out there thanks very much Dean
00:48:56.255 --> 00:48:57.815
enjoy with it thank you cheers Gary.
00:48:59.760 --> 00:49:20.765
Music.