The following story is my attempt at an FM Story which is quite narrative based and has a hefty amount of back story. I'll be blending the monthly updates idea with a personal story. If you don't like a lot of "guff" and reading this might not be for you. Anyway...here it goes and I hope you enjoy.
Blue For You
An Everton Story
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“Come on son, you can do better than that”. Those were the words I heard throughout most of my childhood. My father was a football coach. Not famous, but well respected in the community and he lived and breathed football. His team was Formby FC, which was the town I grew up in and the team that I played for. People probably thought I was in the team because of my family ties, but the truth is I had to work just as hard as anyone when it came to trial day. Father was passionate about the game, and he wanted me to succeed at it. I gave my all at every match and training session and I'd help coach the youth team every now and then. It was never enough though, never enough to impress dad. I was a left back and had shaped my game around David Unsworth. Everton FC were me and my fathers team, and there was something about the hard work that David gave in every match that inspired me.
At the age of 24 I was captain of Formby and trying my best to get the community interested in local and grassroots football. Our youth squad was creating some good talent and our position in the league was ever improving. Everything seemed on the up and my father had finally come to respect me as a footballer and a man. Talk about father issues. The season wasn't all good though. In December my father fell ill. He'd sliced his finger open badly and it had got infected. This lead to him being hospitalised for months with septicaemia. During this time, I was asked to caretake the team and thought it was a big undertaking I accepted. I suppose this is where my football journey really began.
We were runners up in the league that season, and our reserves won the local cup. I'd tried to keep my father's philosophy and playing style intact, however I felt the need to implement my own ideas in to the team.
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“What the **** is a Wingback!?”, shouted my father, waking up the man in the bed next to him.
“You know dad, a full back but with more opportunity to attack. More advanced role”, I replied.
“We're not playing the Premier League, son. At our level, good old fashioned hard work and good old fashioned tactics work best”.
“I'm not sure dad, football has changed...at every level. One of the young lads would really suit the role and besides we need all the attacking threat we can get on the left now Clifford has gone”.
“What do you mean, “Clifford has gone?”
“We sold him dad, remember? Marine came knocking for him, how could we turn the money down?”
“Of course, of course...Sorry son, I've not been myself lately.”
“No, you've been oddly supportive”
“*******...”
==============================================================================================
My dad returned for the following season, fit as ever and decided to make me his number two. I'd taken a liking to coaching, so hung up my boots at the age of 25. Our blend of modern and traditional footballing ideas worked a treat and we stormed up the league and went on to win it, losing only 4 games. Our exploits at this level caught the attention of the local media and other teams and soon we had our youth players being bought by teams further up the leagues. Our brightest young player moving on to Tranmere, a certain wingback.
At the age of 26 something unexpected happened, I got a call from Everton FC, my childhood dream. They offered me a place on their coaching course, I would become qualified and gain experience...a bit like an apprenticeship. I snapped at the chance obviously and my father could not of been happier.
I completed the courses with relative ease, and my love of the game grew every year I was learning and coaching. When I was 29, I was qualified and had got some experience coaching at Tranmere, Marine and Preston, mainly within the youth squads. Things were going well, and they only improved when Everton offered me a full time coaching role for the first team. It was the 2009/10 season, and David Moyes had got the team to Wembley for the F.A Cup final. My father was in the stands, and there I was in the dug out writing down notes for David. As I'm sure you're aware, we lost the game...but the experience was fantastic and the team went from strength to strength under the shrewd Scot.
So now, its June 2012...and Moyes' future is uncertain...Tottenham have come calling.
An Everton Story
View attachment 258191View attachment 258192
“Come on son, you can do better than that”. Those were the words I heard throughout most of my childhood. My father was a football coach. Not famous, but well respected in the community and he lived and breathed football. His team was Formby FC, which was the town I grew up in and the team that I played for. People probably thought I was in the team because of my family ties, but the truth is I had to work just as hard as anyone when it came to trial day. Father was passionate about the game, and he wanted me to succeed at it. I gave my all at every match and training session and I'd help coach the youth team every now and then. It was never enough though, never enough to impress dad. I was a left back and had shaped my game around David Unsworth. Everton FC were me and my fathers team, and there was something about the hard work that David gave in every match that inspired me.
At the age of 24 I was captain of Formby and trying my best to get the community interested in local and grassroots football. Our youth squad was creating some good talent and our position in the league was ever improving. Everything seemed on the up and my father had finally come to respect me as a footballer and a man. Talk about father issues. The season wasn't all good though. In December my father fell ill. He'd sliced his finger open badly and it had got infected. This lead to him being hospitalised for months with septicaemia. During this time, I was asked to caretake the team and thought it was a big undertaking I accepted. I suppose this is where my football journey really began.
We were runners up in the league that season, and our reserves won the local cup. I'd tried to keep my father's philosophy and playing style intact, however I felt the need to implement my own ideas in to the team.
==============================================================================================
“What the **** is a Wingback!?”, shouted my father, waking up the man in the bed next to him.
“You know dad, a full back but with more opportunity to attack. More advanced role”, I replied.
“We're not playing the Premier League, son. At our level, good old fashioned hard work and good old fashioned tactics work best”.
“I'm not sure dad, football has changed...at every level. One of the young lads would really suit the role and besides we need all the attacking threat we can get on the left now Clifford has gone”.
“What do you mean, “Clifford has gone?”
“We sold him dad, remember? Marine came knocking for him, how could we turn the money down?”
“Of course, of course...Sorry son, I've not been myself lately.”
“No, you've been oddly supportive”
“*******...”
==============================================================================================
My dad returned for the following season, fit as ever and decided to make me his number two. I'd taken a liking to coaching, so hung up my boots at the age of 25. Our blend of modern and traditional footballing ideas worked a treat and we stormed up the league and went on to win it, losing only 4 games. Our exploits at this level caught the attention of the local media and other teams and soon we had our youth players being bought by teams further up the leagues. Our brightest young player moving on to Tranmere, a certain wingback.
At the age of 26 something unexpected happened, I got a call from Everton FC, my childhood dream. They offered me a place on their coaching course, I would become qualified and gain experience...a bit like an apprenticeship. I snapped at the chance obviously and my father could not of been happier.
I completed the courses with relative ease, and my love of the game grew every year I was learning and coaching. When I was 29, I was qualified and had got some experience coaching at Tranmere, Marine and Preston, mainly within the youth squads. Things were going well, and they only improved when Everton offered me a full time coaching role for the first team. It was the 2009/10 season, and David Moyes had got the team to Wembley for the F.A Cup final. My father was in the stands, and there I was in the dug out writing down notes for David. As I'm sure you're aware, we lost the game...but the experience was fantastic and the team went from strength to strength under the shrewd Scot.
So now, its June 2012...and Moyes' future is uncertain...Tottenham have come calling.
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