BilbaoFaithful
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35, Born in October 3rd 1976. Here I was looking back on a healthy career as a player after throwing the towel in last year after my legs just couldn't take it despite my love for football. Starting with a career when I was 12 starting out for my boyhood club, Grimsby Town I always wanted to be a footballer and it was my fathers faith in me which drove me to where I am today putting in the extra work for him in training and matches. It was soon to pay off as after 4 healthy years later with me maturing I made my first ever appearance in professional football at the age of only 16. It was against Chesterfield I had been approached by the youth team manager, Robbie Stockdale and to be greeted with his warm Scottish accent saying to me: "You're not with us today son."
I replied back with "what do you mean Robbie? I've been putting the work in at training and I don't understand." His face still shone brightly by saying "I havn't dropped you wee man, look behind you." There I was standing with my heart in my mouth with all of the First Teamers stood glancing at me I slowly walked over to the managers Rob Scott and Paul Hurst, AKA Shorty and Shouty as Rob Scott was always known for the touchline bans and hated by other managers. Hurst was the brains out of the two it had to be said. I took my place on the coach next to the players which I seemed a little fish in a big sea. Chesterfield Away it was.
The coach arrived, the fans outside the coach was our away faithful. 4,000 atleast in full voice as they was flooding through the turnstiles. All I can remember was going into that changing room and the managers taking to me to the side when the players went to the tunnel and Scott and Hurst both exchanged words which I couldn't seem to hear but then Hurst looked at me and whispered, "You're best is all we ask for, aslong as you give 110% the fans will love you." I took this on board and went out there and the end result was a 2-2 draw in which I managed to get myself on the score-sheet on my debut with a tap in it has to be said, but every goal is a goal right. Soon as the final whistle blew the away supporters was like a heard of lions with the roar they gave out and even started chanting their new 16 year old central midfielders name with "Sign him up, Sign him up, Sign him up." There was no better feeling in the world but this is just the start of my career. Shortly after the game I received a phone call from my number one fan, my father. "Just heard the news son, I knew you would do it you've done me proud."
Later that season I went on to make 15 more appearances and I scored 3 more times and assisted 6 in the season. It was a dream season for me on my first steps on becoming a football player and a club which I hoped I could be a boyhood local hero, I was soon to be awarded with a 5 year contract Not to mention I was named the Captain at the age of 19. 2 seasons later I had reached my 200 game milestone for Grimsby Town and scoring 63 Goals for them with 74 assists to my name as I always kept a chart of this and now I was a fan favourite at the club and approaching the age of 21 which I am still a youngster. A few weeks later I came into training and John Fenty, the Grimsby Town chairman was there with a big smile on his face at Blundell Park. He called me into his office and asked me to take a seat.
I replied back with "what do you mean Robbie? I've been putting the work in at training and I don't understand." His face still shone brightly by saying "I havn't dropped you wee man, look behind you." There I was standing with my heart in my mouth with all of the First Teamers stood glancing at me I slowly walked over to the managers Rob Scott and Paul Hurst, AKA Shorty and Shouty as Rob Scott was always known for the touchline bans and hated by other managers. Hurst was the brains out of the two it had to be said. I took my place on the coach next to the players which I seemed a little fish in a big sea. Chesterfield Away it was.
The coach arrived, the fans outside the coach was our away faithful. 4,000 atleast in full voice as they was flooding through the turnstiles. All I can remember was going into that changing room and the managers taking to me to the side when the players went to the tunnel and Scott and Hurst both exchanged words which I couldn't seem to hear but then Hurst looked at me and whispered, "You're best is all we ask for, aslong as you give 110% the fans will love you." I took this on board and went out there and the end result was a 2-2 draw in which I managed to get myself on the score-sheet on my debut with a tap in it has to be said, but every goal is a goal right. Soon as the final whistle blew the away supporters was like a heard of lions with the roar they gave out and even started chanting their new 16 year old central midfielders name with "Sign him up, Sign him up, Sign him up." There was no better feeling in the world but this is just the start of my career. Shortly after the game I received a phone call from my number one fan, my father. "Just heard the news son, I knew you would do it you've done me proud."
Later that season I went on to make 15 more appearances and I scored 3 more times and assisted 6 in the season. It was a dream season for me on my first steps on becoming a football player and a club which I hoped I could be a boyhood local hero, I was soon to be awarded with a 5 year contract Not to mention I was named the Captain at the age of 19. 2 seasons later I had reached my 200 game milestone for Grimsby Town and scoring 63 Goals for them with 74 assists to my name as I always kept a chart of this and now I was a fan favourite at the club and approaching the age of 21 which I am still a youngster. A few weeks later I came into training and John Fenty, the Grimsby Town chairman was there with a big smile on his face at Blundell Park. He called me into his office and asked me to take a seat.
"Garner, we have received a high amount of interest in you recently and this season and with the club in such a tight financial position you have been a fantastic servant to the club but I feel we may have to be forced to sell you for the health of the club and cash in on you."
I replied, "John, I love this club with all my heart and I want to stick around for things by now, I am not money motivated I have a bond with the fans like they are my family."
John was soon to reply, "Garner, I hate to say it to you but we have already accepted bids for you from Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City."
"So you are forcing me out of the club John? What will the fans s.." I was rudely interrupted with a knock on the door which was some representatives of Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday which I had no say in and they came to Grimsby to sign me, I didn't have to travel to either. First John invited the Wednesday guy in, He was looking to offer me £15,000 a week which was staggering to my current deal of £2,000 pound a week. Next the Hull City bloke entered with a annoying vibe about him I didn't like him whatsoever. He was the one putting £30,0000 a week on the table, a mammoth wage but I wasn't interested and aswell as Hull City are Grimsbys fierce rivals I laughed it off and was forced to put pen to paper with Sheffield Wednesday. I had to say goodbye to my town, my love, my family. My father was the first person I rung to tell about the news on which he loved Grimsby himself but saw it as a good career move for me, I was dissapointed to leave this. I also received texts from close friends and players which I had to be professional about but explain why i left. I just wonder what the fans would think afterwards. Although my transfer fee brought Grimsby out of debt.
I replied, "John, I love this club with all my heart and I want to stick around for things by now, I am not money motivated I have a bond with the fans like they are my family."
John was soon to reply, "Garner, I hate to say it to you but we have already accepted bids for you from Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City."
"So you are forcing me out of the club John? What will the fans s.." I was rudely interrupted with a knock on the door which was some representatives of Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday which I had no say in and they came to Grimsby to sign me, I didn't have to travel to either. First John invited the Wednesday guy in, He was looking to offer me £15,000 a week which was staggering to my current deal of £2,000 pound a week. Next the Hull City bloke entered with a annoying vibe about him I didn't like him whatsoever. He was the one putting £30,0000 a week on the table, a mammoth wage but I wasn't interested and aswell as Hull City are Grimsbys fierce rivals I laughed it off and was forced to put pen to paper with Sheffield Wednesday. I had to say goodbye to my town, my love, my family. My father was the first person I rung to tell about the news on which he loved Grimsby himself but saw it as a good career move for me, I was dissapointed to leave this. I also received texts from close friends and players which I had to be professional about but explain why i left. I just wonder what the fans would think afterwards. Although my transfer fee brought Grimsby out of debt.
View attachment 235930
Grimsbys Garner signs for Wednesday for 3.5m
View attachment 235934
I stood in the press conference with the manager of Wednesday, Dave Jones and the cameras was everywhere asking me why I came to Wednesday. I didn't like to lie but it wouldn't look good on me to say to the fans at my new club "I didn't want to sign I forced out of my club by the chairman." I replied to the press with the biggest pile of tosh I have ever told in my life
"The club looked very appealing when they came in for me and once they laid me an offer like they did of higher quality football, it was had to say no as well as working with good quality players and a manager like Dave."
You Garner Stay or Go?
My career at Wednesday was a brief spell as I never managed to settle there although I had quite a good season playing 30 games and scoring 7 I never really settled to life in Sheffield and was later offered the choice to move to Leeds for 2.5m. I had no second thoughts about accepting this and re-establishing myself as a quality player and I spent 6 glorious years there winning things such as promotion from league one and there or thereabouts in my career I was in the peak year in my career. I met some of the best friends in my life at Leeds and played with fantastic players there such as Becchio, Snodgrass and Lonergan. I made a total of 176 appearances and scores 66 goals. Not to mention I was made Captain after my first year after a string of amazing performances and skills of leadership. Warnock was a magical manager as he transformed me into a player who could play the role in-between the midfield and attack which pulled the strings and changed games once again. The tactic which Neal used would be one that treasured me in my managerial career the magical 4-2-3-1. It was the same ones used by the Spanish players in most of La Liga, most noticeably the '06 world cup when France beat Brazil and outplayed them with it. After 6 long amazing years at Leeds I decided that another challenge was needed to my career although I owe it to Leeds for revitalising my career and I even won individual awards such as Player Of The Month awards on numerous occasions and Team of the Year twice.
View attachment 235935
Top of the morning to ye'
After a numerous amount of transfer bids coming in for me after I put in my transfer request to leave Leeds teams such as Huddersfield, Crystal Palace, Barnsley, Hull, Southampton and Boro coming in for me I also had some outrageous offers from abroad such as Sporting Gijon in Spain, Nurnberg in Germany and Evian TG in France. I decided my venture on somewhere I had always wanted to discover when I was younger.
View attachment 235936
SHAMROCK ROVERS
I had always wanted to play in Ireland as my Grandad was Irish and told me about how beautiful everything was out there and how peaceful the way of life was, it was safe to say it was beautiful alright. I chose this club as I thought it was a new challenge and although my wages dropped dramatically you only get one life so you may aswell enjoy it. I was greeted by the chairman Jonathan Roche and the manager Stephen Kenny who I agreed a 2 year contract worth 4,000 per week. The Shamrock fans flocked inside the stadium for my first game as many describing me as a unbelievable coup for the club which made me feel great inside. My first game I realised that the standard of football wasn't as easy as I first anticipated I was made the Captain of the club on arrival. The lads inside the changing room was always joking about and most of them never truely had their head screwed on before games which most probably suggests why they was always playing in a amateur league. I lasted 2 seasons at Shamrock making a total of 53 appearances and scoring 38 goals. I felt as my career was coming to an end with my legs aching once I played 2 games a week, but I vowed to continue until I could no longer carry on my performances. I was bewildered why my contract was not renewed at the end of the season but I left Ireland with good memories with Shamrock as we won the title one year and we nearly got into the EURO cup one year but was knocked out by the famous Lech Poznan in which Manchester City adopted their dance. But i bidded farewell and was off on my journeys again.
Golden boy set for return?
I was looking for a club after Shamrock and my options again wasn't short I received offers from teams such as Swindon, Bournemouth, Leyton Orient but I wasn't interested in moving down South as I wanted to be near my family. The nearest offer I received was from Tranmere which was a 2 hour drive when I didn't really fancy even being that far away from my family, I was going to call my career a day and look back upon my business career which I once wanted to pursue, then my phone rang with a familiar voice which spoke down the phone. It was short and quick this was one opportunity I was going to cherish. "Mr Garner, it's been a very long time I hope you've had a good career and saw you was a free agent still from Shamrock is there any chance you'd be willing to drop to the level of football with us?" I replied quickly with "Yes John, I will be at your office tomorrow."
I woke the next day and drove automatically to the ground which I once called home, I had already informed my dad of the news which he was over the moon about a possible return. John welcomed me back in his office saying "the managers still want you back but we are worried about the wage issue about you joining if we can afford a player of your calibre as you are 33 and still have the quality of playing in the championship or league one, we will not be able to afford those wag..." I didn't let John finish before I jumped an responce which put a smile on his face, "John i've never been money motivated, you remember? Hull City, Sheff Wednesday, I will play for a basic wage although my knees have been hindering recently I will only ask for a one year deal." John was more excited than me and announced the signing as quick as possible.
View attachment 235948
It was a dream come true to finally return to my boyhood club, First game back was like I was 16 again yet more old and.. crocked.
The opposition was against a dismal Tamworth who I had never heard of, but we was in the non-league, We ended up drawing the match 2-2 and it wasn't the best of efforts from the boys. However the Town faithful was fantastic and in loud voice all game. The season didn't finish on much of a high neither as was 15th and was predicted for promotion I only managed to play 13 games and scored 4. Soon as the season had ended the worst possible news could have happened, (or the best for me) Scott and Hurst was sacked from their jobs after Fenty thought about it long and hard. There was 10 games left and I was called into Johns office and he explained that if there was anyone who could pick the lads heads up it was me, he offered me the temporary managers job at Grimsby till the end of the season. I also announced my retirement from football on my career which I had loved from the profession I had done. The last 10 games of the season we won 8, and drawn 2, undefeated in my first taste of management. John called me into his office and sat me down about taking the job full time and if I was interested, I jumped at the opportunity and put pen to paper on a 2 year deal with Grimsby Town.
Grimsbys Garner signs for Wednesday for 3.5m
View attachment 235934
I stood in the press conference with the manager of Wednesday, Dave Jones and the cameras was everywhere asking me why I came to Wednesday. I didn't like to lie but it wouldn't look good on me to say to the fans at my new club "I didn't want to sign I forced out of my club by the chairman." I replied to the press with the biggest pile of tosh I have ever told in my life
"The club looked very appealing when they came in for me and once they laid me an offer like they did of higher quality football, it was had to say no as well as working with good quality players and a manager like Dave."
You Garner Stay or Go?
My career at Wednesday was a brief spell as I never managed to settle there although I had quite a good season playing 30 games and scoring 7 I never really settled to life in Sheffield and was later offered the choice to move to Leeds for 2.5m. I had no second thoughts about accepting this and re-establishing myself as a quality player and I spent 6 glorious years there winning things such as promotion from league one and there or thereabouts in my career I was in the peak year in my career. I met some of the best friends in my life at Leeds and played with fantastic players there such as Becchio, Snodgrass and Lonergan. I made a total of 176 appearances and scores 66 goals. Not to mention I was made Captain after my first year after a string of amazing performances and skills of leadership. Warnock was a magical manager as he transformed me into a player who could play the role in-between the midfield and attack which pulled the strings and changed games once again. The tactic which Neal used would be one that treasured me in my managerial career the magical 4-2-3-1. It was the same ones used by the Spanish players in most of La Liga, most noticeably the '06 world cup when France beat Brazil and outplayed them with it. After 6 long amazing years at Leeds I decided that another challenge was needed to my career although I owe it to Leeds for revitalising my career and I even won individual awards such as Player Of The Month awards on numerous occasions and Team of the Year twice.
View attachment 235935
Top of the morning to ye'
After a numerous amount of transfer bids coming in for me after I put in my transfer request to leave Leeds teams such as Huddersfield, Crystal Palace, Barnsley, Hull, Southampton and Boro coming in for me I also had some outrageous offers from abroad such as Sporting Gijon in Spain, Nurnberg in Germany and Evian TG in France. I decided my venture on somewhere I had always wanted to discover when I was younger.
View attachment 235936
SHAMROCK ROVERS
I had always wanted to play in Ireland as my Grandad was Irish and told me about how beautiful everything was out there and how peaceful the way of life was, it was safe to say it was beautiful alright. I chose this club as I thought it was a new challenge and although my wages dropped dramatically you only get one life so you may aswell enjoy it. I was greeted by the chairman Jonathan Roche and the manager Stephen Kenny who I agreed a 2 year contract worth 4,000 per week. The Shamrock fans flocked inside the stadium for my first game as many describing me as a unbelievable coup for the club which made me feel great inside. My first game I realised that the standard of football wasn't as easy as I first anticipated I was made the Captain of the club on arrival. The lads inside the changing room was always joking about and most of them never truely had their head screwed on before games which most probably suggests why they was always playing in a amateur league. I lasted 2 seasons at Shamrock making a total of 53 appearances and scoring 38 goals. I felt as my career was coming to an end with my legs aching once I played 2 games a week, but I vowed to continue until I could no longer carry on my performances. I was bewildered why my contract was not renewed at the end of the season but I left Ireland with good memories with Shamrock as we won the title one year and we nearly got into the EURO cup one year but was knocked out by the famous Lech Poznan in which Manchester City adopted their dance. But i bidded farewell and was off on my journeys again.
Golden boy set for return?
I was looking for a club after Shamrock and my options again wasn't short I received offers from teams such as Swindon, Bournemouth, Leyton Orient but I wasn't interested in moving down South as I wanted to be near my family. The nearest offer I received was from Tranmere which was a 2 hour drive when I didn't really fancy even being that far away from my family, I was going to call my career a day and look back upon my business career which I once wanted to pursue, then my phone rang with a familiar voice which spoke down the phone. It was short and quick this was one opportunity I was going to cherish. "Mr Garner, it's been a very long time I hope you've had a good career and saw you was a free agent still from Shamrock is there any chance you'd be willing to drop to the level of football with us?" I replied quickly with "Yes John, I will be at your office tomorrow."
I woke the next day and drove automatically to the ground which I once called home, I had already informed my dad of the news which he was over the moon about a possible return. John welcomed me back in his office saying "the managers still want you back but we are worried about the wage issue about you joining if we can afford a player of your calibre as you are 33 and still have the quality of playing in the championship or league one, we will not be able to afford those wag..." I didn't let John finish before I jumped an responce which put a smile on his face, "John i've never been money motivated, you remember? Hull City, Sheff Wednesday, I will play for a basic wage although my knees have been hindering recently I will only ask for a one year deal." John was more excited than me and announced the signing as quick as possible.
It was a dream come true to finally return to my boyhood club, First game back was like I was 16 again yet more old and.. crocked.
The opposition was against a dismal Tamworth who I had never heard of, but we was in the non-league, We ended up drawing the match 2-2 and it wasn't the best of efforts from the boys. However the Town faithful was fantastic and in loud voice all game. The season didn't finish on much of a high neither as was 15th and was predicted for promotion I only managed to play 13 games and scored 4. Soon as the season had ended the worst possible news could have happened, (or the best for me) Scott and Hurst was sacked from their jobs after Fenty thought about it long and hard. There was 10 games left and I was called into Johns office and he explained that if there was anyone who could pick the lads heads up it was me, he offered me the temporary managers job at Grimsby till the end of the season. I also announced my retirement from football on my career which I had loved from the profession I had done. The last 10 games of the season we won 8, and drawn 2, undefeated in my first taste of management. John called me into his office and sat me down about taking the job full time and if I was interested, I jumped at the opportunity and put pen to paper on a 2 year deal with Grimsby Town.
Career Stats
Grimsby Town apps: 213 goals: 67
Sheff Wednesday apps: 30 goals: 7
Leeds united apps: 176 goals: 66
Shamrock rovers apps: 58 goals: 38
Career total apps: 477 Career total goals: 178.
Grimsby Town apps: 213 goals: 67
Sheff Wednesday apps: 30 goals: 7
Leeds united apps: 176 goals: 66
Shamrock rovers apps: 58 goals: 38
Career total apps: 477 Career total goals: 178.
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My first ever attempt on a story just going to have a coffee and tea then will be doing a start to the season on FM with transfers ect I hope you like it an constructive criticism along the way will be awesome, Thankyou.
