I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

Class of 2011

4th Year - retirement was short lived and I was talked round into doing another trip up to keep making my dreams come true -

What could be better than the previous years?

Do you just live on your past memories or create new ones?

Group stages
0-0 v Sons of a Pitch
1-1 v Thistle FC (Ross)
0-0 v Team Link

Q/F
0-0 v The Inbetweeners lost 2-3 on Pens

Unlucky to go out without being beaten in any games and only conceding a penalty in 4 games. Scoring though proved to be our downfall this year.

However scoring my Penalty in front of The Bobby Moore Stand is the answer to my previous questions -
There are always new dreams that can come true!

Image: Class of 2011

Image: Mark & James

CLASS OF 2010

Image: Team picture

Image: Coming out the tunnel

Image: Tackle

Image: Tony Frank & Me

2010
3rd time up to Upton Park another great experience and acheivement getting all the way to the final.

Results;

v BAP FC 1-0 Mikey
v Wapping Old Boys 2-1 Del 2
v The Boleyners 0-3

Q-F
v Wengerboys 2-0 Del 2

S-F
v BAP FC 2-1 Mikey Paul

Final
v The Boleyners 0-2

It was great to have dreams come true once but for them to happen twice it was even better.

Also for the team to go one stage further this year and reach the Semi Finals.

Group Stages
0-5
2-2 Dave,Ross
0-0

Q/F 1-0 James

S/F 0-3

CLASS OF 2009

Image: Hasbean Tuesday 2009

Image: West Ham 2009

Image: West Ham

Image: West Ham 2009

Image: Under the eye of Bobby Moore

Image: Playing at West Ham 2009

Image: Frank McAvennie & Me 2009

CLASS OF 2008

Image: Hasbean Tuesday

Forever Blowing Bubbles - Dreams that didn’t Fade and Die

Having taken Hangleton Rangers under 9’s team to The George Parris tournament at West Ham’s Upton Park in summer of 2007, I was approached by organiser Jeff Garner from Football for Fans Ltd to see if I wanted to play in an adult tournament hosted by former West Ham and Celtic legend Frank McAvennie the following year.

I thought he was joking, I no longer played for an adult team as due to injuries it had been over 17 years since playing 11 a side football. Jeff reassured me saying a lot of people will have been in the same situation and everyone just like me wanted the chance to play on a premiership pitch and fulfil their boyhood dreams. Also the event would be raising monies for Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Willow Foundation and this was a great way to do something you enjoy but help others as well.

So last October I began to assemble a team from a group of local business people and friends who play regularly on Tuesday lunchtime at Portslade Sports Centre. Estate Agents Ralph Tingley and Chris Sawyer from Tingleys, Simon Lemcke from Goldin Lemcke and Hove based Solicitor Neil Hayes amongst others. Appropriately naming the team Hasbean Tuesday, our ages ranged from 23 – 53 and we were grateful to County League side Mile Oak FC to borrow their kit.

It seemed a world away, us wannabe oldies playing on the same ground as my heroes Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, and latter day players such as Trevor Brooking, Tony Cottee and Bobby Zamora!

The big day arrived 15th May at 6.30am in Sainsburys Car Park in Hove we set off to have the day of our lives.

The main tournament rules were 8 teams entered split into two groups of four, playing 11 a side on the full pitch, with no offsides. There would be three 25 minute league games followed by a 15 minute quarter finals, semi finals and final. Everything was organised to a tee

Having arrived and given a briefing of the day we were shown into the dressing rooms to get changed in the luxury of the home dressing room.

Leading the teams out of the tunnel to “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” for one day we were living the dream. We started well with a 2-0 win in the opening game with goals from Mark Seltzer and Chris Sawyer (Tingleys) this was followed by two 0-0 draws which saw us top the league and go into the quarter finals as group winners.

Unfortunately despite heroics from Goalkeeper Ross Etheridge (Portslade Sports Centre) we lost 0-2 to the eventual tournament winners. So it was off to showers in the plush home dressing room complete with Jacuzzi and Ice Plunge Bath (which no one actually dared putting in more than a big toe!). Physios from Orient and Gillingham were on hand to give the required rub downs and end the day of our lives living the Premiership dream. For Chris and myself to score at West Ham it is something no one can take away.

Frank McAvannie then entertained the assembled teams in an after dinner speech with some great stories from both his exploits on and off the pitch. Raffles and Auctions took place with monies raised going to the deserving charities.

Arriving back home at 12.30am with 15 lots of aching limbs, pulled muscles, bruised ribs and toes but nothing could dull the senses of the days achievements.

On 1st June I will be back to Upton Park with my Hangleton Rangers u10’s and hoping more dreams are fulfilled.

The website for further details of football events for both adults and kids www.footballforfans.co.uk