GoalChatter: culture

Match days with dad: Football fans share their stories

8:52 AM

by Aleks V |

In honor of Father's Day, football fans look back on the most memorable games they've attended with their dads and granddads.

Paul Binning

Blog: The Exiled Robin

Facebook: facebook.com/TheExiledRobin

Twitter: @TheExiledRobin

Club: Bristol City

It was Bristol City vs Mansfield in the 1987 Freight Rover Trophy Final. It was our second successive appearance in the final, having beaten Bolton Wanderers 3-0 in our first-ever match at Wembley the previous season. We'd gone into the game having just failed to make the Division 3 playoffs, with a crucial penalty miss from Gordon Owen in the crunch match against Swindon on the final day. Two weeks later, we were at Wembley and big favorites to retain our trophy.

My main memories of the day are the journey up, with the inevitable traffic jam of cars, minibuses and coaches as we crawled around the North Circular. It was a bit strange for us as were playing in white for some reason, not our traditional red, so the club had obviously done a fantastic trade in white shirts and flags which dominated Wembley Way as we walked up. I think we had nearly 40,000 of the 58,000 attendance.

The game is a bit of a blur, to be honest, but I do remember us equalizing late on and the game going to penalties as it was our first-ever penalty shoot-out. When Gordon Owen stepped up, the reaction of all the fans around was “oh no, not again,” and it proved to be prophetic as he once again failed to convert from the spot with our final kick, which would have won us the trophy. Two penalty misses in two weeks costing us a playoff spot and a trophy! David Moyes then stepped up to take our sixth penalty, missed, and Mansfield won the match.

Granddad was a big football fan – and, like many of his generation, went to watch both Bristol City and Bristol Rovers after the second World War, partly because there was little else to do, partly as they were just so pleased to have the freedom to do so. He was always very gracious toward “The Gas” despite his strong City allegiance, and talked warmly of their great players from the '50s and '60s. But he was a City man and as such his four children all were too, including my mum who went regularly throughout the 1970s until she had me! Her and my Dad now go home and away almost everywhere.

Granddad was a season ticket holder right up until his last year, but rarely went to away games. He did talk a lot about olden days football, especially “The Arsenal,” who were such a big team in his formative years and who he talked of often, especially around the dinner table with our Sunday roast.

My other main memory of him is getting into muddles with players names – especially the foreign players once they started coming into lower league football in the 1990s, and it was a cause for celebration when he actually got a name right, instead of stuttering over it and eventually leaning back on “that foreign kiddy.”

Ava H.

Twitter: @dazhaneygooglem

YouTube: Daz H

Club: Carlisle United

Ava H. and her dad at Workington AFC's last game at Borough Park.

Most memorable game with dad?

My visit with dad to Workington AFC's last ever game at their Borough Park ground. Although we support Carlisle United, we were supporting our local non-league team. We love the vibe of non-league grounds and the closeness to the pitch and players, and I met the keepers.

I love every game, but my favorite was Derby away in a cup game in 2016 which we took to pens and lost 14-13. Longest penalty shootout I have ever seen!

Mike Smith

Blog: Auld Reekie Rants
Twitter: @Mike1874

Book: The Team For Me: 50 Years of Following Hearts

Club: Heart of Midlothian

Mike Smith's grandson Jack (left) at his first Scottish Cup semi-final

The game we were at was the Scottish Cup semi-final between Hearts and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden Park [on April 13].

It was [my grandson] Jack’s first cup semi-final as a Hearts fan whereas I have lost count at the number of semi-finals I’ve been at in over 50 years. Jack was excited at the prospect while I was dreading Hearts messing up yet another cup semi-final, as they have done so many times over the years I’ve been following them. We headed to Glasgow by train and the joy we felt at Hearts actually winning the game and getting to the final was a wonderful shared experience. It would be Jack’s first cup final and hopefully not his last.

Following Hearts is only a relatively recent thing for my family. I attended my first Hearts game in 1968, but it was something of a twist of fate that I’m a Hearts fan. I was living in Cumbernauld, just outside Glasgow, in the late 1960s. My father didn’t want me following either Celtic or Rangers with all the nonsense associated with the pair. So he took me to watch Falkirk at Brockville Park for my first game in October 1968 with a view to me being a Falkirk Bairn. However, Hearts were the visitors to Brockville that day. They brought a huge support – they outnumbered the Falkirk fans – and the atmosphere they created was brilliant. I was in awe and the fact Hearts won 3-1 sealed it for me – Hearts were going to be my team!

I now have two grownup daughters, neither of whom are too interested in football. However, daughter Laura’s son Jack has always followed Hearts. I’ve been taking him to games for six years now and we’re season ticket holders. It’s created a close bond between us. If Jack has children of his own, I’m sure he’ll carry this family trait on!

Stuart Watson

Twitter: @StuartWatson3

Club: Arsenal

Stuart Watson and his dad at Arsenal vs Wigan, May 2006.

The game was [Arsenal's] last one at Highbury before the move to the Emirates Stadium, so it was emotional for us all who had been attending regularly (myself since 1994) and also we needed to win to pip Tottenham into 4th place for Champions League qualification.

I went to games with my dad from the early '90s until early 2018 when he passed away from cancer. Dad and I used to watch the limited amount of games that were live on TV in the late 1980s and the first game I can recall is watching is when Arsenal won the title at Anfield in 1989. Dad picked me up and swung me around the living room when Michael Thomas scored!

Vivienne MacLaren
Twitter: @vivienne7

Club: Heart of Midlothian

Vivienne MacLaren and her dad celebrated his 70th birthday by going to a Hearts game

This was the last game of the 2015-16 season and Hearts were playing St Johnstone. My dad celebrated his 70th and I promised him a year of sports treats. We went to Wimbledon too, but his highlight was this game. Luckily we were invited to the game as guests and they knew it was for a celebration. When we arrived, my dad was given a Hearts pin badge that he wore on his jacket – he was so proud! It was a lovely sunny day and the game ended 2-all – typical end of season affair. We got pitch side and then met ex-player John Robertson who was my fave as a wee girl! Dad said it was one of the best days he'd ever had.

My dad always took my sister and I to football and sports generally, and my first game at Tynecastle Park was when I was 11 (we live in Glasgow, so day trip to Edinburgh). We both played football too – my sister to a high standard. Our first ever game was Pollok FC in Junior Cup Final at Hampden in the 1984-85 season. We used to go and see Scotland at home too. My sister ended up loving football and went to her beloved Rangers every weekend.

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Balls under bridges: Street soccer thrives in San Diego

12:22 PM

by Aleks V |

The eyes of three Aztec gods watch over as men, women and children transform the basketball courts at Chicano Park into a futsal fiesta. The mural, one of many, is both a backdrop and an audience to a growing soccer scene under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, led by street soccer group Bridge Barkada.

“We have ages from as young as seven or eight all the way up to people in their 50s,” cofounder Karl Hurlbert says of Bridge Barkada's members. “San Diego is a beautifully diverse city and that is reflected in our games: Mexican, Filipino, French, German, Costa Rican, Moroccan, African, and the list continues to grow. We have all ability levels as well, from beginners to former and current professional players.”

Photo: Bridge Barkada

Futsal Fridays and Saturdays are a relatively new addition to San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood. It all began on June 29, 2018, with “a conversation among friends that San Diego doesn’t have any spots to play for free outside of grassy public parks,” according to Hurlbert, who organized Bridge Barkada together with fellow soccer enthusiasts Paul Nathan Nacu, Drew Steck, Daryl Biggs, Hector Corona, and Brandon Rodriguez.

Photo: Bridge Barkada

The name “barkada” means a group of friends in Tagalog. “I was speaking to my wife, who is from the Philippines, as I wanted to give our project a name,” Hurlbert explains. “The meaning really tied together what and where we were doing this as group.”

The organizers, most of whom “didn’t know one another prior to this project or casually knew each other from the soccer community,” modeled the project “after the skate culture a few of us grew up in where you go to the park, your friends are already there and you just join in.”

Photo: @photorenzy

Weather proved to be an obstacle at the group's original HQ. “The first heavy rains flooded the entire court” at “The Bridge,” Hurlbert says. “So, we searched for another spot to play and decided on Chicano Park, a central location for the county and city.” And, it so happens, a National Historic Landmark.

The Chicano Park Steering Committee, a grassroots organization that pressured the city to keep its promise of developing a park after the construction of the I-5 freeway in the 1960s, lists Bridge Barkada's futsal Friday and Saturday sessions on its calendar.

Like the artists whose funky beats provide the soundtrack to its DJ-ed games, the group goes on tour, occasionally returning to “The Bridge.” It was recently spotted at Balboa Park, bringing soccer to life before The San Diego Museum of Art.

Photo: @photorenzy

Being good stewards

Got nutmegged? “It's like a rite of passage,” quips Nathan Nacu on the group's Facebook page. Such banter is the norm, as are headcams, and, if you're lucky, free offerings of Jarritos and chips.

It's all fun and games as long as everyone follows the number one rule: respecting one's surroundings. This includes “always cleaning up when we are done and not playing the ball off the murals,” notes Hurlbert. “We care about the people that come and join us, the people of neighborhood, and being good stewards of our time in the community.”

Photo: @photorenzy

Less than a year into its existence, Bridge Barkada found itself featured on the first episode of San Diego Soccer Shorts, a mini-documentary series by Big Pine Digital that will be shown on June 30 at Thr3e Punk Ales in Chula Vista. The film will wrap up “an all ages event with pickup games in the back parking lot and a DJ,” Hurlbert notes.

It comes a day after Bridge Barkada celebrates its one-year anniversary. In line with its pop-up nature, the project is already eyeing the possibility of expansion. Its organizers hope the City of San Diego's Parks Master Plan, a three-year “road map” meant to guide the future growth of the city's parks, will at some point include dedicated futsal courts.

“Our hope for the future is that it grows to a point where our city takes action,” Hurlbert says. “This way the love of the game can further blossom and people will be able to play any time, all the time without depending on someone bringing [nets].”

Photo: Bridge Barkada

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Doing the 92: A father and son’s groundhopping journey

11:23 PM

by Aleks V |
Photos: Chris Priday |

From Luton to Macclesfield, Liam and Chris Priday have been to all 92 grounds in the Football League.

Chris Priday and 7-year-old son Liam aren’t your average football fans. A few years ago, the groundhopping father and son duo took on the challenge of doing the 92, a project that involves visiting all 92 Football League grounds. On September 15, 2018, they completed their mission with a trip to Moss Rose, home of Macclesfield Town FC.

As of this writing, Liam and Chris have visited 259 grounds across professional and non-league football. GoalChatter spoke to Chris about the origins of their groundhopping pastime, the highlights of their journey, and plans for future travels.

Doing the 92 is a pretty popular activity these days, but how did it all begin for you? What prompted the journey?

I have been taking Liam to non-league football matches since he was 2 and had tried him at his first of the 92 - Southampton - when he was almost 4. When I discovered I could get cheaper rail travel when traveling together using a Family & Friends Railcard, I decided to try a couple of longer trips taking in Nottingham Forest, Derby County, and Sheffield United. However, the decision to attempt to try for the 92 came a year after that. There were rumors the FA were planning to increase the teams in the League from 92 to 100. “Doing the 100” doesn't have the same ring to it as “doing the 92” so I booked tickets to a few more 92 grounds. Those rumors did fade away in the end, but by this point we'd got to a stage where we were over halfway to completion and so we just went for it.

Which grounds have been your and Liam’s favorite to visit, and what made those particular experiences stand out?

For me, every ground has its own charm and even those more modest ones such as Morecambe and Forest Green have been fantastic experiences. There are so many great ones to choose from. I really enjoyed visiting Elland Road, Anfield, and St. James’ Park especially as they are fantastic stadiums and clubs with real history. Molineux and Valley Parade were probably my two favorites. Molineux is so aesthetically pleasing – I love the black and orange colors. Valley Parade is another ground with plenty of history and character, and their fans were excellent. Liam was also a big fan of Molineux but his favorite was Old Trafford as his granddad is from Manchester and a United fan.

Liam at Keepmoat Stadium, home of Doncaster Rovers

Which grounds have you revisited the most?

Our most visited ground together would be our local team Havant & Waterlooville, whilst of the 92 we have visited Southampton four or five times. On my own, my most visited ground would be the Abbey Stadium which I've visited nearly 200 times. I am a Cambridge United fan and was a season ticket holder for seven years before we moved further down south.

What grounds were the most difficult to travel to? Did you ever brave tough weather to get to any of the games?

We travel by train 95% of the time and make a concerted effort to walk to the ground from the nearest station. Yeovil was certainly the most challenging. It was a wet day in February and part of the 4 mile walk is along a muddy public footpath on a hill above the roadside. Conditions were slippery and we nearly fell. I'd never attempt that walk again!

We've certainly faced some difficult weather conditions as well. Bristol Rovers springs to mind. That was a 3 mile walk in pouring rain. We were soaked by the time we got to the ground. We visited Morecambe during the freezing temperatures (Beast from the East!) earlier this year. That was a bitterly cold one, despite the sun coming out for the second half.

Liam at Oxford United, October 2016

Anything funny ever happen during your travels that you can share?

Traveling back from Bradford City, we were waiting at the station for our train and the Charlton Athletic players all turned up. Apparently their team bus had broken down and they were having to take the train back to London. They ended up sitting in the same carriage as us so we enjoyed their company on the journey back to Leeds. They were in good spirits after picking up a 1-0 victory!

Are there any favorite souvenirs you’ve purchased at any of the grounds?

We tend to pick up the same type of souvenir from club shops. I get a pen and Liam gets a magnet or mascot toy. Probably our favorite souvenir was something we were given. After the match between Wycombe Wanderers and Cambridge United, Will Norris, Cambridge's goalkeeper, gave Liam his gloves. It was the last competitive game he played before moving to Wolves that summer. Outside the same ground Cambridge's Jake Carroll gave Liam his match worn boots from the game. We felt very privileged that day, despite Cambridge losing!

Liam celebrated his five-year footballing anniversary by seeing a five-goal stunner between Havant & Waterlooville and AFC Wimbledon

Is there a local team you support when you’re not traveling?

Our local team is Havant & Waterlooville who play one division below the Football League. I have a season ticket so will often take in a match when we're not elsewhere. It tends to be mostly evening games, hence why Liam does not have a season ticket as well.

Have you visited any grounds abroad? If so, how many, and which ones stood out?

Other than a few trips to Wales, we've not yet visited any grounds outside of England. The expense means a trip abroad for football is not on the agenda for the foreseeable future. I would love to visit some grounds in Italy, Germany, and Spain, but I'd happily go and watch a game anywhere in the world.

After completing the 92, what’s next for you and Liam? Would you be more focused on exploring non-league grounds?

We've already visited over 150 non-league grounds together so we'll definitely be visiting more of those. We recently sent a tweet asking if any non-league club would be willing to let Liam be a mascot for a game. I hoped we might get one or two responses but we ended up getting over 100, so we are currently working our way through those.

Away from football, Liam recently expressed an interest in visiting all of the London Underground stations. Most of our trips involve using the Underground network and he's become quite fascinated by it. I'm sure we can have a good go at doing that!

Follow Chris Priday on Twitter @CPriday and check out his photos and videos.

Liam visits his 92nd Football League ground, Moss Rose

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Sheffield 160: Sports Therapist Neil Snelson

11:59 AM

by Aleks V |

2017 marks the 160th anniversary of the world's first football club, Sheffield FC. Sheffield 160 is a bi-weekly series that goes behind the scenes of the historic club through interviews with players and staff.

This week, Aleks chats with sports therapist, Neil Snelson, who works with the Sheffield FC Ladies Development Team.

All photos - Sheffield FC via Flickr.

How did you come to be involved with Sheffield FC?
I first came to Sheffield FC Ladies towards the end of the 2010/11 season with my daughter, Jodie Michalska, when she joined the club. She was at Lincoln FC, but after the birth of of her daughter in December 2010, decided to find a club closer to home.

As they did not have any medical cover and I'm a sports therapist, I volunteered to do it. I covered all match days and training sessions until [the team] were promoted into Super League 2, when my qualifications did not match the FA requirements and my business would not allow me to get to all the games.

I also covered for the missed men's first team physio when she was on holiday early in the season and finished up doing the whole season, but could not continue as I was never at work. I now look after the Ladies Development Team on match days whenever I can.

Were there any games that stood out to you in the years you've been at Sheffield?
The most dramatic was the one where they got promoted into the Super League. It was non-stop excitement throughout and a great ending.

You mentioned you now work with the Ladies Development Team. What's a typical day like, and how does it differ from working with the first team?
I only look after them on match days. The girls are younger and shy at first, but they soon gain confidence. I try to get them ready to play with massage, stretching, strapping, or whatever else they need, even if it's a chat or a hair bobble.

Did you always want to work in sports therapy, or was there a point when you considered playing football?
I was never much of a player, and I only started as a sports therapist eight years ago. I was given the bucket and sponge a few years before when my kids started playing, as I had first aid training. I started learning as much as I could to try to help the kids and realised it was very rewarding, so I took a couple of diplomas in sport therapy and sports electro therapy and packed in my job and started up on my own as a therapist.

What would you say is the most challenging part of your job?
My biggest challenge for my own job at the moment is fitting everyone in that needs me. The biggest challenge looking after the girls is looking after them instead of doing my day job, but I do get a lot of pleasure from it. When at a game, the hardest thing is consoling players that are on the bench as they sometimes feel hard done to, but that is always tough as they all want to play.

What is something most people probably don't know about working in sports therapy?
You can call your self a sports therapist with any qualifications, which is very annoying, and most therapists are crippled with arthritis in their hands at a young age, but they still continue working.

Neil Snelson works as a Sports Therapist for the Sheffield FC Ladies Development Team.

Sheffield 160: Matt Pindar

12:59 PM

by Aleks V |

2017 marks the 160th anniversary of the world's first football club, Sheffield FC. Sheffield 160 is a bi-weekly series that goes behind the scenes of the historic club through interviews with players and staff.

This week, Matt Pindar talks captaining the Sheffield FC Veterans SC at the San Siro, working as the club's kit man, his charity work, and more.

All photos - Sheffield FC via Flickr.

Matt Pindar (right) during Sheffield FC's visit to Koninklijke HFC in 2014.

How did you first get involved with Sheffield FC?

I used to work on the ground staff at Sheffield Wednesday FC in the late 80's early 90's. I had a disagreement with the stadium manager so left. I missed football, and a good friend of mine, Scott Jerrison, invited me to watch a game down at Sheffield FC. I fell in love with the atmosphere and continued to go and watch. I started talking to Chairman, Richard Tims, and then asked if I could help in any way.

I started doing little jobs during the day, as I worked nights at Royal Mail at this time. Ian Whitehorne then became First Team manager and asked if I wanted to help him, so I said I would be honoured and agreed to do the kit.

As kit man, I worked under Ian Whitehorne twice, as well as Mark Shaw, Curtis Woodhouse, Jordan Broadbent, Mick Wadsworth, Andy Kiwomya, and James Colliver.

You're known as a "local celebrity" at the club. Aside from being the club's kit-man, what other duties do you have at SFC?

"Local celebrity" is very flattering. I no longer have a specific role at the club, as like many others who have experienced the same, The Club can take over your life if you're not careful. I was a member of the committee before it was dissolved to fit in with the new operating model. As has happened to many others, you then are still made to feel welcome when you still go down to support, but in my opinion, some of the people now involved with the club have short memories and are there for the wrong reasons. That's a story for another day.

I do still love and support The Club and am available should they require anything.

Matt Pindar during the Pioneers Cup game between Sheffield FC and Recreativo Huelva, November 2013.

You donned the Captain's armband for the Veterans SC on Day Two of the tour of Milan at the San Siro. Any favorite moments from that game? Do you stay in touch with anyone from Dexter Calcio?

The most memorable moment for me was hearing Italian supporters singing "Sheffield, Sheffield". Wearing the armband sent shivers down my back and made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Actual play memory was for when club legend Matt Roney scored a screamer. I am still in touch with Marco and Dani from Dexter and they now have an annual visit.

Did you play at the pro or amateur level prior to joining the Veterans SC?

I was never fortunate enough to play at either semi pro or pro football, but have played amateur football since I was six. I scored the goal that secured Stocksbridge Juniors their first ever junior trophy. I have been very fortunate to have made friends with several pro footballers and am still in touch with a few to this day.

What's the origin behind your nickname, "The Tractor"?

This is probably where your phrase "local celebrity" comes from. I was fortunate enough to also captain the club at the original Pioneers Cup competition held at the home of football, playing alongside Chris Waddle, Carlton Palmer, and Jon Beresford against a team from Spain and a team from Italy. Tomáš Skuhravý and an Italian futsal legend played for the opposition. I have been known to be agricultural with my tackles. Chris Waddle was aware of this and asked me to make my presence felt. As a rapid Italian was played through, I slid in to the challenge, and this sent the Italian into the advertising boards. Paul Hancock, Club Director at that point, shouted, "You've just been introduced to the Tractor", and the name has stuck since.

You've represented the club in support of various charitable work. Can you talk a bit about that?One of the fortunate aspects of my association with Sheffield FC has meant I have had several invites to play in charity football matches and golf events. In addition to the Pioneers Cup, Milan, and Holland, we also played against a Borussia Dortmund side captained by Lars Ricken. I was again proud to captain SFC.

I help Paul Gosney from City Taxis with Dan Walker's Golf Day. This event is attended by the likes of Alan Shearer and this has come about through meeting Paul and becoming friends whilst associated with SFC. I will always be honoured to play an ambassador role for The Club.

How would you describe Sheffield FC to someone who only knows the club as being The World's First?I firmly believe in The Club's Integrity, Respect, and Community foundations. Sheffield FC are the founders of the football and are doing everything in their powers to protect what started as a sport for all today. Sadly, the professional side of the game is rapidly moving out of reach for a lot of today's younger generation, as the game is no longer a game, but a business. SFC are trying to ensure that the game's routes don't get ripped away. The Club still believes in the beauty of the sport and will always try to remind people of what football really is - a sport for all to enjoy. SFC are the grandfathers of all other football clubs and the entire football world needs to remember that. That said, certain factions of SFC need to also remember that it itself needs to remember this, and the people who have been and want to be a part of it. SFC are the biggest name in football history - fact. But they also need to remember they need people like myself to have a future. It needs to live by its own core values and not forget its past, present and future volunteers and protect itself to guarantee a future.

FIFA, UEFA, and our own FA need to be more representative of the fact that football as we know it today was born and bread in our great city of Sheffield, and this club is and will always be recorded as the "world's first football club".

I am immensely proud of being able to have played a minuscule part in this history and hopefully will, if allowed by the club, continue to do so moving forward.

Matt Pindar has featured as a centre-back for the Sheffield FC Veterans SC. He has also worked as the club's kit man and has been involved in various football and golf charity events.