neilunsworth7
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This is my first story, been wanting to do one for a while, hope you guys like any feedback and advice would be great!
CHAPTER 1 – Last Kick
“And this now must be the last kick of his career, how fortunate for Tony Richards, to get the chance to put his team two up on the final day of the season, on what he claims to be his final match ever”
“It’s what stories are made of... now Richards steps up... GOAL... and there was no doubt that he wasn’t going to score that penalty, sent the keeper totally the wrong way.”
“And there you have it, the final whistle, Exeter City 3 Wycombe Wanderers 1. The main feature of the game was Exeter’s veteran journeyman, Tony Richards, scoring a penalty with his last kick of his career.”
Wow what a feeling, I can’t believe all these people are clapping me; it’s been far too long since I have felt that. Oh here comes, wondered when he would want to get in on the action...
“Congratulations Tony” this was my manager, Paul Tisdale, speaking. Loved being surrounded by media and definitely thought of himself as far too big for Exeter City, but never admitted it.
I was feeling such a mix of emotions in one sense I was overwhelmed with amount of support we had out today and on the other hand I was absolutely knackered and couldn’t wait to sit down.
With Paul’s arm wrapped around my neck, not in a comfortable ‘well done’ sort of way, but more of a head-lock powerful way, we made our way off the pitch and down the tunnel. While walking down the tunnel, filled with sounds of metal studs stamping ahead with the faint noise of crowd still singing, I heard a voice, speak out to me...
“Now then Tony, about time you started scoring again” it was a voice I recognised straight away.
“John Wilkinson, how the **** are you?” It was my lifelong friend and ex-team mate. We had played together at Exeter and grew up together just down the road from each other.
CHAPTER 2 – Catch-Up
After getting changed showered and all the rest of it I met up with John in the players’ lounge. I hadn’t seen John for nearly 3 years, he played over in Singapore and there season ran at different times to our English leagues. It was brilliant to see him; he was back visiting family as he had recently injured his knee, always had dodgy knees, and was out for a month. We talked for what seemed to be minutes, until one of us finally looked at our watches and realised that it had been more like hours...
“Anyway you going to come and stay with me in Singapore and take that well deserved holiday” John said.
I thought to myself is Singapore somewhere I would really wanted to visit, I had always been a Spain kind of person. I was single though and had always wanted to travel the world and I have the time to do it now.
“Yeah, go on then, let’s see what this little place is about then” I told John
CHAPTER 3 - Holiday
I had spent a good 3 weeks in Singapore and to be honest, I am loving it. I was now on my way to the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, home of the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC), to watch John play. I was very excited to see what the football was like out here. I had heard a lot of good things from John, he did however say that the standard isn’t as great, but the passion of the fans does however make up for that.
It turned out to be a great game, with SAFFC winning 2-0 against Airbex Niigata Unicorn, and John managing to get himself on the score sheet. I decided I would go and get another Tiger beer, a beverage which I had found to be quite fond of since I came here. I was at the bar, ordering in English as that is one of the national languages of Singapore, when I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned around expecting to see John, but instead there was a small Singaporean gentleman, perhaps around the age mark of late 50’s I guessed.
“You enjoy the game Mr. Richards?” said the gentleman. I thought to myself how does this man know my name, yes I was a professional footballer and I did have a couple of international caps, but not one of continental reputation, well so I thought as I had never really been one for getting recognised abroad.
“It was good, very exciting” I said. The gentleman smiled and went on to ask why I was here, was I enjoying myself and other such polite questions. When I finally got a chance to ask him about him, John turned and looked rather bemused that I was talking to this gentleman.
“Hello Mr. Hong” said John. Turns out the gentleman I was speaking to was Kuok Khoon Hong, the Chairman of Wilmar International and one of the richest men in Singapore. Me and John stayed and talked with Mr. Hong and why he was at today’s game. Mr. Hong went on to explain that Niigata Unicorn, the Japanese team who John had just played against were pulling out of the S-League and the opportunity has arisen for Mr. Hong to enter a team into the S-League replacing and he wanted to know if John wanted to be involved with the club both as a manager and as a player as his current contract with SAFFC ends at the end of the season. Needless to say John was a little overwhelmed, and looked honoured but went onto say that he wasn’t ready to go into management yet and just wanted to concentrate on playing and then said something totally unexpected...
“However if you were to hire Tony here, as the manager, I would find it very difficult to refuse a playing contract for your club. I mean you have done all coaching badges Tony rite?”
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, I wasn’t ready for management, yeah I had thought of it, but didn’t expect to be looking for a job for a couple of years yet, let alone having John apply for them on my behalf.
John was still going on ... “he is more qualified than me, and has no ties or reasons to really stay in England” I thought thanks alot, make me out to be an absolute loner why don’t you, John. To my surprise though Mr. Hong seemed to be agreeing with John and looked at me and said...
“Is this something you would be interested in Mr. Richards?”
CHAPTER 1 – Last Kick
“And this now must be the last kick of his career, how fortunate for Tony Richards, to get the chance to put his team two up on the final day of the season, on what he claims to be his final match ever”
“It’s what stories are made of... now Richards steps up... GOAL... and there was no doubt that he wasn’t going to score that penalty, sent the keeper totally the wrong way.”
“And there you have it, the final whistle, Exeter City 3 Wycombe Wanderers 1. The main feature of the game was Exeter’s veteran journeyman, Tony Richards, scoring a penalty with his last kick of his career.”
Wow what a feeling, I can’t believe all these people are clapping me; it’s been far too long since I have felt that. Oh here comes, wondered when he would want to get in on the action...
“Congratulations Tony” this was my manager, Paul Tisdale, speaking. Loved being surrounded by media and definitely thought of himself as far too big for Exeter City, but never admitted it.
I was feeling such a mix of emotions in one sense I was overwhelmed with amount of support we had out today and on the other hand I was absolutely knackered and couldn’t wait to sit down.
With Paul’s arm wrapped around my neck, not in a comfortable ‘well done’ sort of way, but more of a head-lock powerful way, we made our way off the pitch and down the tunnel. While walking down the tunnel, filled with sounds of metal studs stamping ahead with the faint noise of crowd still singing, I heard a voice, speak out to me...
“Now then Tony, about time you started scoring again” it was a voice I recognised straight away.
“John Wilkinson, how the **** are you?” It was my lifelong friend and ex-team mate. We had played together at Exeter and grew up together just down the road from each other.
CHAPTER 2 – Catch-Up
After getting changed showered and all the rest of it I met up with John in the players’ lounge. I hadn’t seen John for nearly 3 years, he played over in Singapore and there season ran at different times to our English leagues. It was brilliant to see him; he was back visiting family as he had recently injured his knee, always had dodgy knees, and was out for a month. We talked for what seemed to be minutes, until one of us finally looked at our watches and realised that it had been more like hours...
“Anyway you going to come and stay with me in Singapore and take that well deserved holiday” John said.
I thought to myself is Singapore somewhere I would really wanted to visit, I had always been a Spain kind of person. I was single though and had always wanted to travel the world and I have the time to do it now.
“Yeah, go on then, let’s see what this little place is about then” I told John
CHAPTER 3 - Holiday
I had spent a good 3 weeks in Singapore and to be honest, I am loving it. I was now on my way to the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, home of the Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC), to watch John play. I was very excited to see what the football was like out here. I had heard a lot of good things from John, he did however say that the standard isn’t as great, but the passion of the fans does however make up for that.
It turned out to be a great game, with SAFFC winning 2-0 against Airbex Niigata Unicorn, and John managing to get himself on the score sheet. I decided I would go and get another Tiger beer, a beverage which I had found to be quite fond of since I came here. I was at the bar, ordering in English as that is one of the national languages of Singapore, when I felt a tap on the shoulder. I turned around expecting to see John, but instead there was a small Singaporean gentleman, perhaps around the age mark of late 50’s I guessed.
“You enjoy the game Mr. Richards?” said the gentleman. I thought to myself how does this man know my name, yes I was a professional footballer and I did have a couple of international caps, but not one of continental reputation, well so I thought as I had never really been one for getting recognised abroad.
“It was good, very exciting” I said. The gentleman smiled and went on to ask why I was here, was I enjoying myself and other such polite questions. When I finally got a chance to ask him about him, John turned and looked rather bemused that I was talking to this gentleman.
“Hello Mr. Hong” said John. Turns out the gentleman I was speaking to was Kuok Khoon Hong, the Chairman of Wilmar International and one of the richest men in Singapore. Me and John stayed and talked with Mr. Hong and why he was at today’s game. Mr. Hong went on to explain that Niigata Unicorn, the Japanese team who John had just played against were pulling out of the S-League and the opportunity has arisen for Mr. Hong to enter a team into the S-League replacing and he wanted to know if John wanted to be involved with the club both as a manager and as a player as his current contract with SAFFC ends at the end of the season. Needless to say John was a little overwhelmed, and looked honoured but went onto say that he wasn’t ready to go into management yet and just wanted to concentrate on playing and then said something totally unexpected...
“However if you were to hire Tony here, as the manager, I would find it very difficult to refuse a playing contract for your club. I mean you have done all coaching badges Tony rite?”
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard, I wasn’t ready for management, yeah I had thought of it, but didn’t expect to be looking for a job for a couple of years yet, let alone having John apply for them on my behalf.
John was still going on ... “he is more qualified than me, and has no ties or reasons to really stay in England” I thought thanks alot, make me out to be an absolute loner why don’t you, John. To my surprise though Mr. Hong seemed to be agreeing with John and looked at me and said...
“Is this something you would be interested in Mr. Richards?”
Such a good story!!