youngen Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Rather than the :censored:e thats floating around the 'Rockyroadgate' and after seeing someone played against Luke Simpson and gave the view he wasnt that good, I was wondering which professional players you have come up against or played with at various levels and what you thought of them.I played with Deane Smalley through school and he was no world beater until the final year when he came on leaps and bounds and transformed himself. I still have him as the best player Ive ever played with, as at the time he would win games on his own. I also played with Craig Dudley (the overweight, unskilled version) who was awful and I would comfortably say I have played with much better players who have never progressed beyond Sunday league level.Ive also played against Matthew Tipton at 6 a side, and take great credit that me and Paddy No Wheels both managed to meg him, although our defensive partnership did allow him a very easy hat trick. Was still a good player and was just before he moved to Ireland to score hat tricks against better defenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukka Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 David Buchanan (currently playing for Preston and ex Bury and Tranmere) was a year younger than us at our school. Played against him as a kid. He never stood out in comparison to some others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronoafc Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against Tarky, I'm the same age as him. Played against him when he played for Medlock Rangers I believe and at the time he was a centre midfielder. At the time he was easily best player on the pitch and was physically double everyone's size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4froale Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 yep I played against tarky a couple of times at school, he definitely played centre mid and absolutely bossed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against Nathan Murray; he was a cracking player. Also played against Steve Simonsen, the first time he was playing as a centre half and was :censored:e, the next time he was a keeper and was class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronoafc Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 yep I played against tarky a couple of times at school, he definitely played centre mid and absolutely bossed it. If I remember correctly too I went to Hopwood Hall College doing sports diploma and a mate of mine had a trial for the football academy - he said Tarky was one of the names on the list who didn't turn up so I imagine he'd signed professionally for Oldham around that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngen Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against Nathan Murray; he was a cracking player. Also played against Steve Simonsen, the first time he was playing as a centre half and was :censored:e, the next time he was a keeper and was class. I always look at professional keepers and wonder whether theyd do a job out the sticks. Based on Simonsen I guess not! I also played with Will Buckley at Dogdale, and cant remember him standing out, but now hes touted around the majority of lower league Prem clubs! Shows how good we are as scouts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancy lad Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Used to play against Mark Robins (showing my age here), when he was at Boundary Park Juniors and I was at Dukinfield Tigers...he never looked that special. Also used to train with Tony Naylor (Crewe, Port Vale and Cheltenham) and was just a goal machine......same as he was throughout his professional career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latics_Fanatic Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 yep I played against tarky a couple of times at school, he definitely played centre mid and absolutely bossed it. Played against Tarky, I'm the same age as him. Played against him when he played for Medlock Rangers I believe and at the time he was a centre midfielder. At the time he was easily best player on the pitch and was physically double everyone's size Explains why he was so good coming forward from the back with the ball. I'll always remember Liverpool not being able to cope with him when he did it in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaronoafc Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played with/against a couple of youth players from the lower league teams, 2 from Rochdale (1 now released). But yeah playing against Tarky is my claim to fame! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzlatic Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against Wes Wilkinson a few times in 5aside. He loved to take the piss. Also, I went to school with Thomas Evans who used to play in goal for Sheff Utd, Palace and Scunthorpe. Had a blinder in a Wembley play off final once I believe. He never used to like going in goals at lunch time and as it was my ball I got given the duty once of telling him to play in nets or :censored: off. I like to take a bit of credit for that Wembley performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) He's a couple of years & a couple of school years below me age wise; but I played against Tyrone Mears in a cup final once. He was on Man City's books at the time, but had had permission to play in the game. We :censored: ourselves that he was going to be some sort of wonder player as he was at City and was coming in specially to play. Turns out he was pretty average on the ball, but rapid. And that did for us, minimal technique; he just kicked it past us and outpaced us every time; then finished each chance. Scored 3 or 4. He was a striker it seems earlier on, until switching to full back. Just Googled him as I has no idea where he was at now, or even if he had a club at the moment. Turns out he's at Bolton but doesn't seem to be playing, recovering from a bad leg break it seems. Edited March 18, 2014 by slystallone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngen Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 He's a couple of years & a couple of school years below me age wise; but I played against Tyrone Mears in a cup final once. He was on Man City's books at the time, but had had permission to play in the game. We :censored: ourselves that he was going to be some sort of wonder player as he was at City and was coming in specially to play. Turns out he was pretty average on the ball, but rapid. And that did for us, minimal technique; he just kicked it past us and outpaced us every time; then finished each chance. Scored 3 or 4. He was a striker it seems earlier on, until switching to full back. Just Googled him as I has no idea where he was at now, or even if he had a club at the moment. Turns out he's at Bolton but doesn't seem to be playing, recovering from a bad leg break it seems. Played a couple of times with him on Chaddy Park when I was really young, so dont really remember playign against him, but I seem to remember him buying a purple Bentley he used to cruise around Firwood Park in when he turned 18 at City. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GravityGrave Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I played for failsworth in my school days and time and again we'd beat Chris Taylor's springhead . He was technically decent but the main reason he stood out was his constant moaning/whingeing . We also had some ding dong battles with a fletcher moss team that included Neal Trotman and Wayne Welbeck (Danny's older brother) . Fair to say Trotman stood out a mile both physically & technically . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmer1 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against Darron McDonough quite a few years back now. He was marking me in top of the table clash.I bagged a hat trick in a 3-1 win. I will let you guess who he was playing for at the time. A. Oldham Athletic B. Luton Town C. Cartshaft D. Newcastle United. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1012 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Against Chris Taylor at Springhead, and Ishmael Miller (Yeovil) for Moston Brook used to bang a few in. Matty Barlow once or twice for school and a with/against few others who're still floating about non league. im sure at least one of Edgehill brothers (City) played against us in the sunday league cup a few years back...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngen Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Against Chris Taylor at Springhead, and Ishmael Miller (Yeovil) for Moston Brook used to bang a few in. Matty Barlow once or twice for school and a with/against few others who're still floating about non league. im sure at least one of Edgehill brothers (City) played against us in the sunday league cup a few years back...... Forgot about him! I played with him in Primary school, our other striker was better! I know a lad who got player of the season when Taylor got picked up by latics from Springhead, and said he only just caught the team and wasnt anything impressive. Taylors sure shown his doubters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford_standreject Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Was sent off playing for school and taking out Ricky Edghill with a two footed lunge, he was the year below but was a talent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceskylatic Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played In same team as Tony Rodwell (ex Blackpool winger and Jack Rodwell's uncle) a few years ago.Still quality with the ball but couldn't move around the pitch much,but didn't need to with his ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsworthlatic Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I have played with and against a few at various different ages. I played for Blackburn when I was younger and came up against Ross Barkley, who was sensational, Adam Forshaw (now at Brentford), Luke Garbutt (was on loan at Colchester). Also played against Courtney Meppen-Walter who didn't stand out above the others in academy level and played against Lomana Lua Lua, Tresor Kandol, Efe Sodje, Sam Sodje, Anthony Willimas in a charity game in which I scored a diving header, also on DVD, that was at Gigg Lane. Played alongside Oldham defender Adam Lockwood, great leader, speaker, helped the young lads out a lot at Bury and also against Luke Simpson at schoolboy level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played alongside Ronnie Blair, and in the same school team as Kevin Randall who went on to score almost 200 goals in league football, he was often the scourge of the Latics. Strangely we both met 40 years later not knowing we were both scouts for football league clubs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue_Guru Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I played against Nedum Onuhua when he was at Hulme Grammar...also ran the 100m and 200m against him. He was built like a 25 year old from 14 years old. Also played against the lad who got in trouble for drink driving from Failsworth who's name escapes me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimsleftfoot Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 I did hang out with Gaz Robbins for a while, brother of Mark. He wasn't the greatest football player but it didn't stop him getting trials for the likes of FC Copenhagen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played against, and on the same side as Paul Scholes. It was cricket and he was a far better player than me. Also he cost me a few days pay when he nearly broke my finger as I was going for a catch at deep mid wicket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukka Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Played alongside Ronnie Blair, and in the same school team as Kevin Randall who went on to score almost 200 goals in league football, he was often the scourge of the Latics. Strangely we both met 40 years later not knowing we were both scouts for football league clubs. Ronnie Blair's wife was my Geography teacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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