In bygone days, and this applied right up to the 1950s, being a Footballer or Boxer, in fact in any pro sport, where money was available, if
you were good, it was an escape route to freedom. If you did National Service, and could play, you didn't do a lot of soldiering, you were in the regiments football, or boxing squad, if you were good enough to turn pro, no coal mines, no factories, no driving wagons, no sir, you could have a little car, and a semi on a a nice estate, so you strove to reach that goal! I knew quite a few lads who could have turned pro, but when they left school, " goo an get job " the old man said, so thats what they had to do, and probably played for the works team instead ! Them days, thankfully are long gone. Now if a 6 year old kid can kick a ball with both feet he'll be signed by somebody, If he's a big un even better. So we get to where we are now. Discarded at 16 or 17. but if you make it , well the worlds your lobster!
Probably, and I'm only surmising, every bloke, who pulled on a Baggies shirt on Tuesday night, has more money, than all of us on this forum added together! Do they give a shit about going down, yes some do, but not all, and none as much as us lot do.
I've been in lots of dressing rooms, with lots of players over the last 50 odd years, and I can say hand on heart, we ALL always wanted to and did our very best to win !
(01-28-2021, 12:45 PM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ]In bygone days, and this applied right up to the 1950s, being a Footballer or Boxer, in fact in any pro sport, where money was available, if
you were good, it was an escape route to freedom. If you did National Service, and could play, you didn't do a lot of soldiering, you were in the regiments football, or boxing squad, if you were good enough to turn pro, no coal mines, no factories, no driving wagons, no sir, you could have a little car, and a semi on a a nice estate, so you strove to reach that goal! I knew quite a few lads who could have turned pro, but when they left school, " goo an get job " the old man said, so thats what they had to do, and probably played for the works team instead ! Them days, thankfully are long gone. Now if a 6 year old kid can kick a ball with both feet he'll be signed by somebody, If he's a big un even better. So we get to where we are now. Discarded at 16 or 17. but if you make it , well the worlds your lobster!
Probably, and I'm only surmising, every bloke, who pulled on a Baggies shirt on Tuesday night, has more money, than all of us on this forum added together! Do they give a shit about going down, yes some do, but not all, and none as much as us lot do.
I've been in lots of dressing rooms, with lots of players over the last 50 odd years, and I can say hand on heart, we ALL always wanted to and did our very best to win !
Thanks, keep em coming Ferenc.
Personally, I wouldn't have missed 40 odd years of hard graft to kick a bag of wind about!
(01-28-2021, 02:14 PM)Hopalong Wrote: [ -> ] (01-28-2021, 12:45 PM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ]In bygone days, and this applied right up to the 1950s, being a Footballer or Boxer, in fact in any pro sport, where money was available, if
you were good, it was an escape route to freedom. If you did National Service, and could play, you didn't do a lot of soldiering, you were in the regiments football, or boxing squad, if you were good enough to turn pro, no coal mines, no factories, no driving wagons, no sir, you could have a little car, and a semi on a a nice estate, so you strove to reach that goal! I knew quite a few lads who could have turned pro, but when they left school, " goo an get job " the old man said, so thats what they had to do, and probably played for the works team instead ! Them days, thankfully are long gone. Now if a 6 year old kid can kick a ball with both feet he'll be signed by somebody, If he's a big un even better. So we get to where we are now. Discarded at 16 or 17. but if you make it , well the worlds your lobster!
Probably, and I'm only surmising, every bloke, who pulled on a Baggies shirt on Tuesday night, has more money, than all of us on this forum added together! Do they give a shit about going down, yes some do, but not all, and none as much as us lot do.
I've been in lots of dressing rooms, with lots of players over the last 50 odd years, and I can say hand on heart, we ALL always wanted to and did our very best to win !
Thanks, keep em coming Ferenc.
Personally, I wouldn't have missed 40 odd years of hard graft to kick a bag of wind about!
Thanks, Hoppy, I'd like to have a drink with you, mate you appear "ode school, " like wot I am.
(01-29-2021, 09:44 AM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ] (01-28-2021, 02:14 PM)Hopalong Wrote: [ -> ] (01-28-2021, 12:45 PM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ]In bygone days, and this applied right up to the 1950s, being a Footballer or Boxer, in fact in any pro sport, where money was available, if
you were good, it was an escape route to freedom. If you did National Service, and could play, you didn't do a lot of soldiering, you were in the regiments football, or boxing squad, if you were good enough to turn pro, no coal mines, no factories, no driving wagons, no sir, you could have a little car, and a semi on a a nice estate, so you strove to reach that goal! I knew quite a few lads who could have turned pro, but when they left school, " goo an get job " the old man said, so thats what they had to do, and probably played for the works team instead ! Them days, thankfully are long gone. Now if a 6 year old kid can kick a ball with both feet he'll be signed by somebody, If he's a big un even better. So we get to where we are now. Discarded at 16 or 17. but if you make it , well the worlds your lobster!
Probably, and I'm only surmising, every bloke, who pulled on a Baggies shirt on Tuesday night, has more money, than all of us on this forum added together! Do they give a shit about going down, yes some do, but not all, and none as much as us lot do.
I've been in lots of dressing rooms, with lots of players over the last 50 odd years, and I can say hand on heart, we ALL always wanted to and did our very best to win !
Thanks, keep em coming Ferenc.
Personally, I wouldn't have missed 40 odd years of hard graft to kick a bag of wind about!
Thanks, Hoppy, I'd like to have a drink with you, mate you appear "ode school, " like wot I am.
Let's organise something Ferenc when this madness is over. Be great to meet you.
(01-29-2021, 01:06 PM)Hopalong Wrote: [ -> ] (01-29-2021, 09:44 AM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ] (01-28-2021, 02:14 PM)Hopalong Wrote: [ -> ] (01-28-2021, 12:45 PM)ferencpuskas Wrote: [ -> ]In bygone days, and this applied right up to the 1950s, being a Footballer or Boxer, in fact in any pro sport, where money was available, if
you were good, it was an escape route to freedom. If you did National Service, and could play, you didn't do a lot of soldiering, you were in the regiments football, or boxing squad, if you were good enough to turn pro, no coal mines, no factories, no driving wagons, no sir, you could have a little car, and a semi on a a nice estate, so you strove to reach that goal! I knew quite a few lads who could have turned pro, but when they left school, " goo an get job " the old man said, so thats what they had to do, and probably played for the works team instead ! Them days, thankfully are long gone. Now if a 6 year old kid can kick a ball with both feet he'll be signed by somebody, If he's a big un even better. So we get to where we are now. Discarded at 16 or 17. but if you make it , well the worlds your lobster!
Probably, and I'm only surmising, every bloke, who pulled on a Baggies shirt on Tuesday night, has more money, than all of us on this forum added together! Do they give a shit about going down, yes some do, but not all, and none as much as us lot do.
I've been in lots of dressing rooms, with lots of players over the last 50 odd years, and I can say hand on heart, we ALL always wanted to and did our very best to win !
Thanks, keep em coming Ferenc.
Personally, I wouldn't have missed 40 odd years of hard graft to kick a bag of wind about!
Thanks, Hoppy, I'd like to have a drink with you, mate you appear "ode school, " like wot I am.
Let's organise something Ferenc when this madness is over. Be great to meet you.
Hoppy,I'm up for that mate, I'm midway between Stourbridge and Kinver, not far from the old Stewponey, don't know why but feel you're Dudley way ? Any road be good to sort something out, post covid!
I remember my Dad telling me about his mate, a close family friend and local hard nut, that was a really good goalkeeper and offered a trial at the Albion. Got up to go and his boots and gloves were missing. Turned out his father had heard and thought football was too unreliable a career. He became a carpenter (and never stopped moaning about Osborne, Sheppherd, Latchford, Godden etc.).
Same guy knew Bobby Robson, the club found him a summer job selling steel around the Black Country. Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling probably do the same....
(01-29-2021, 05:37 PM)Tom Joad Wrote: [ -> ]I remember my Dad telling me about his mate, a close family friend and local hard nut, that was a really good goalkeeper and offered a trial at the Albion. Got up to go and his boots and gloves were missing. Turned out his father had heard and thought football was too unreliable a career. He became a carpenter (and never stopped moaning about Osborne, Sheppherd, Latchford, Godden etc.).
Same guy knew Bobby Robson, the club found him a summer job selling steel around the Black Country. Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling probably do the same....
Tom my ode mon, during the close season, came home from Bolton, til he had to report back, and worked for me grandad, driving a van.
