Sunday league players past and present

I'm putting it on my gravestone Les! "I was onside"

Quoted from lukeo

I'm putting it on my gravestone Les! "I was onside"

You were onside when you scored, just a shame that you were stood offside when your team mate had the shot that came back off the keeper.

I loved it played from being 16 til 31 and biggest mistake I made packing up when I did 15 years ago . I like to think we always played hard but fair and so did our opponents but again things seem to have become more and more cynical on that front. I think people of my age and older have a genuine love for the game of football and literally as Moosey said there was NOTHING else. The social side was play the game and go for a couple of pts with the lads afterwards there was NOTHING else to do so no pressure from the other half etc.Nowadays the whole World is 100 mph 24/7 and it`s frowned upon taking half a day off to play football with your mates.The cost aspect I`m not sure it`s a problem but we always had problems getting subs and fines in yet the lads always had money for beer and fags even if they were doleys.The odd time I go watch a Sunday League game I am amazed how many 40+ lads are still playing they must make up around half the matchday squads?

I am only 29 and have virtually packed up, I make the odd appearance for Internet Mariners but that's all. Moving down south killed my football, now having a family weekends means spending time with them (which I'd never change ofcourse!) but I defenately do miss being fit and trying to gather all my mates up for Newton's on a Sunday morning back in Grimsby. Feels like a totally different life now, but even then 5 or 6 years ago when I folded the club originally it was going down hill.

I used to play at the Findus club for a few seasons, or Eskimo if you prefer. The fact that the pitches became a Supermarket is the physical indication of the change.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Until the mid 90's there were TEN Divisions as we finished BOTTOM of Division 10 one season. Had one of the biggest turnarounds ever though the following season when we won the league.

Thank you Les. When I saw there are now 5 divisions in last night's Telegraph, I knew I must have been wrong.

I believe Weelsby Rovers had been in quite a high division at one time, but as players aged or departed, we were working our way down to the higher numbers.  

Cost is prohibitive, FA need to get some money down there.
Running of the league also important.
I officiate in UCL and Boston league and the latter is an example of a thriving local league with 4 divisions of general well run clubs.

Also, it's okay having a team of players but no team can run without a secretary to do all the mundane stuff, like collect subs in, pay the Lincs FA fines, sort out an end of season do, take the kit to the bag wash (or for the Mrs to wash), buy trophies at the end of the season.

I did this for over 25 years and although some players do appreciate it, others just think it's all about just turning up on a Sunday, playing the game and going to the pub. I also used to run the line every week, until I was diagnosed with my brain tumour, when I had to pack it in. As 1ML says, it was like getting blood out of a stone, trying to get subs off some players but they could still afford to go out the night before and get lethered. Don't forget also that if a player is fined by the Lincs FA, it is up to the club to pay the fine and then get it back from the player.

It got to the point for me when we were struggling to field a team every week and often we were at the ground 10 minutes before kickoff ringing round players as we only had 9 men there. In the end after 25 years I had just had enough and jacked it in and I can't say I miss it at all even though we had some good times, with 3 title wins in my time at various teams and also finishing 3rd in the top division one season and being the only team to beat the champions that season.

Quoted from Les Brechin

Also, it's okay having a team of players but no team can run without a secretary to do all the mundane stuff, like collect subs in, pay the Lincs FA fines, sort out an end of season do, take the kit to the bag wash (or for the Mrs to wash), buy trophies at the end of the season.

I did this for over 25 years and although some players do appreciate it, others just think it's all about just turning up on a Sunday, playing the game and going to the pub. I also used to run the line every week, until I was diagnosed with my brain tumour, when I had to pack it in. As 1ML says, it was like getting blood out of a stone, trying to get subs off some players but they could still afford to go out the night before and get lethered. Don't forget also that if a player is fined by the Lincs FA, it is up to the club to pay the fine and then get it back from the player.

It got to the point for me when we were struggling to field a team every week and often we were at the ground 10 minutes before kickoff ringing round players as we only had 9 men there. In the end after 25 years I had just had enough and jacked it in and I can't say I miss it at all even though we had some good times, with 3 title wins in my time at various teams and also finishing 3rd in the top division one season and being the only team to beat the champions that season.

It was always thus with players many times we had to play with 10 men or the bucketman/lino had to make us upto 11.Made it a laugh but if a player got dropped he was gone.We always used to try and have about 18 in our squad but it was hard on the 6 who never made the matchday 12 as it was and they soon lost interest. Now with more subs I imagine that`s a bit better but I heard of manager`s sticking a player on for 2 mins just to get there subs money in.