SENT OFF

I have never been sent off in a game but have picked up the odd booking. I remember an Easter weekend derby for Camberley Town playing local rivals Farnborough, a team that were at home and statistical favourites to win the game. The manager pumped us up; I responded the best I could, but weighing in at 10 and half stone (wet), I was never a big tackler; unfortunately I was booked very early in the game for an over enthusiastic tackle.

I did send myself off on a Sunday in a park in Guildford when a colleague playing for the "well known", Farncombe Athletic FC, very much a pub side, took a throw in, aimed at my head for a "nod" back. As the ball hit my forehead, so did some dog's muck that had attached itself to the ball. I nodded the ball back to him, (not the dog) and followed it to the touchline where there was the "team bucket". I sloshed it over my head, said "cheerio" to the lads on the touchline, asked for a sub, continue my walk to the pavilion and that was my last "competitive" game football. I beleive we drew 2-2!

On this day in 1997, Jason Crowe had a dream debut for Arsenal planned in a 4-1 Cup victory over Birmingham City. at Highbury. He replaced Lee Dixon and after 33 seconds, clearly wound up, as you are under such circumstances, he flew into a high tackle and Uriah Rennie, the experienced referee, had to send Jason off.

Another goalkeeper didn't have such an enjoyable debut. When Stanley Milton made his debut for Halifax Town against Stockport County in Division 3 (North) on Saturday January 6th 1934 he was on the wrong end of a 13-0 defeat, a record scoreline in a Football League match!

Stanley Milton must surely have wished that his debut could have been wiped from the records just as fellow 'keeper Jim Brown's debut in the Football League was nearly 40 years later. Chesterfield had signed Jim Brown from Albion Rovers on December 22nd 1972 but the letter registering the player with the Football League was delayed in the Christmas post and didn't arrive until two days after he had made his Boxing Day debut for Chesterfield. In that match Chesterfield had won 1-0 at Blackburn in a Division 3 fixture but as he was unregistered and so ineligible to play the match was declared void and had to be replayed in March - Jim Brown again helping Chesterfield to a 1-0 victory, but this time it counted!

Bob Blanthorne’s debut for Newcastle United against Bradford City  on the opening day of the 1908/09 League season was memorable for the wrong reason. It lasted just ten minutes before he broke his leg and that proved to be the only time he played in the first team in his two and a half years at the club.

When Ralph Brown played his first match for Aston Villa it was not only his debut but also the only first team match he played for the club. He finished on the losing but still picked an honour most footballers only dream of. He was in the side that lost 2-0 at Rotherham on Tuesday August 22nd 1961 in the first leg of the League Cup Final held over from the previous season. Without him Villa won 3-0 in the second leg to win the trophy which allowed him to be presented with a winners tankard (not medals in those days).

Last but not least the story about a near debut! On November 23rd 2002 Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan was about to bring on as substitute the 20-year-old Joey Barton in the Premier League defeat against Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium for what would have been his senior debut. But then Barton discovered that he had lost his shirt! He had left it in the dugout at half time and it seems that a Boro fan had lifted it in his absence – and there was no spare!. The rules were clear, he had to wear a shirt with his squad number – 41 – on it to play and so without it it was Ali Benarbia who Keegan brought on as the sub. Joey Barton had to wait until April 5th 2003 before making his first team debut, against Bolton in the Premier League. And then a lot more stories followed!