The Game of Your Life... (1 Viewer)

...in which you've played an absolute blinder, a 10/10 performance. Could be from a kick-about, a game at school, Sunday League, anything.

Personally, mine came in '97 at the Ryton Connection - 7 a side indoor footy tournament. I was always a midfielder, from the start to the finish of my time playing footy, but always fancied myself as a goalie...my chance came when our regular goalie bogged off to Ibiza for a fortnight and left us hanging.

We were 2nd in a league of 10 teams at this point and we were playing the top team, real talented bunch of lads who called themselves Indoor Milan. So up steps me, first shot they had went straight through my bastard legs...

...but then, I was like Bill Glazier for the rest of the game. Stopped shot after shot, threw the ball out like Schmeichel and assisted 3 goals...final score, 7-4 to us.

Stayed top for three games, then we ballsed it all up. Mid table finish and I'd had a tit-full of walking home to Hillfields from Ryton every week.

Pipehitterz said:

i used to play up there back then, indoor milan and my team went neck and neck a few seasons
cant remember what name we were at the time as it changed from season to season, what team were you?

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We were AC Wanderers, mate, only there for one summer 'cos it was a bastard getting lifts to and from the Connection. The only other teams I recall were Captain's Army and XTC4NRG (what a feckin' name).

Good laugh up there though, apart from one arsehole team who had a really annoying lad playing for them; he'd laugh mockingly whenever he scored and he splattered my mate Tez's nose up his face one time. Suffice to say, he wasn't laughing much after I blazed a free kick into his knackers on purpose.

olderskyblue said:

I think more people might have responded if you had asked for the 1/10 games we remember.....

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Saying that, my 1/10 game (the definitive one) came in the same tournament at the Connection. I'd had to walk to the place from Hillfields on a hot summer evening and I was shagged before I got half way.

Finally got there, (half pleased that I still had to play in goal as opposed to running my arse off) tried to gather myself for a minute and then we were straight into a match - I was like Mr Bean, all limp and flappy, let in 12 goals and nearly got KO'd by some git piledrivering a shot whilst I was trying to have a breather. Lost 12-7, I think, and yup, had to walk home as well.

Hadji10 said:

I had a trial for Cambridge Utd 10 years ago, the game was against Leicester City's Under 15 side, I had probably the best game I could have imagined. Couldn't have done more.

Didn't get a call back, I was gutted and since then I lost all faith in football.

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Yeah, I had a glimpse of a trial with Kidderminster when I was 17, the scout was keen and promised he'd be in touch. Nothing. Tried getting myself in the door of a few more non-league clubs, but nothing transpired.

I stuck to Sunday League after that, just enjoyed my football and tried not to let the disappointment eat me up. I doubt my knees would have held up nearly as long if I did go semi-pro; the bastards would swell up something rotten in the last 10mins of a match.

Houchens Head said:

Sorry for being a bit negative but the game I remember playing was when I was in the Military and we were playing an RAF team. It was 1971. I was in goal and had a really good game. I had noticed our RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major) standing on the side-lines and thinking to myself that it was strange he should attend as he wasn't the slightest bit interested in football. The game eventually ended and as we came off the pitch, the RSM approached me. He put his arm on my shoulder and told me the news that that my sister had been killed in a car crash the previous evening.
I'll leave it there.....

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Not sure what to say, HH, but I imagine that 44 years on and it's probably still as clear in your mind today as it was back then? Unthinkable, really. I truly hope she didn't suffer, mate.

This time of year always reminds me of a lad I used to play footy with: really nice boy who was immensely talented as a footballer, and was too modest to tell us all he was being scouted and groomed by at least five 1st Division sides.

Had a superb debut game for our team in a proper 11-a-side tournament in Hillfields, (on a snowy post-Xmas day in '94) but then the next day we found out he'd died in his dad's flat - a fire had broken out and he asphyxiated in his sleep from the fumes, he was only just 15.

Always think of him this time of year, and wonder where he'd be now. Judging by his skill as a Winger, he'd have had a top flight tenure, I'm certain of it.

Houchens Head said:

Killed instantly. It was the bad old days before seat belts became compulsory law. She was a passenger being given a lift home from work late at night. The driver had only passed his test the week before and was showing off. She was 23, married and left three young nippers.

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That's terrible, horrible. Can't imagine that, and I don't want to either, it's a case of not having the right word to do that kind of tragedy justice.