28/07/2023 - 'My football career is over' by David

Well this week has been better than the last one!

Since my shit diagnosis, Alice and I have been out for a cider, watched a couple of Steve Martin films (All Of Me, The Jerk) had lots of hugs and I did a DJ set!

We also went back to work this week which made life seem a little bit normal even though it's anything but.

I apologise for the numerous posts on here but I feel as though I have a lot to share and I don't know how much longer my mouth or my fingers will allow me to convey my thoughts.

This post concerns a subject close to my heart so apologies to anyone who doesn't understand the beautiful game.

Unfortunately I have had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot run around and kick a ball anymore. 

Since retiring from competitive football on the Isle of Wight in 2011 aged 45, I set up a Monday night kickabout for my fellow nhs colleagues in Southampton and have been lucky enough to play charity games on Southampton FC's Mary's Stadium meeting Saints 1976 FA Cup winning captain Peter Rodrigues as our special guest. Then we played another game at Eastleigh FC against an Ex Saints side with the 1976 open top bus in attendance as well as other 1976 Saints heroes Hugh Fisher, Jim Steele and Ian Turner watching on.


My football career started at Gurnard Primary School in the early 70's and continued at Solent Middle and Cowes High School and I was part of the inaugural squad of Gurnard Youth Football Club which was started by island sporting legend Steve Dines in 1975 and is still going strong to this day.


My men's football career started at Northwood St John's Reserves in 1981 and after a couple of seasons with them, I played for Cowes Reserves before joining Osborne Coburg FC in 1986, the club that I played more than 500 games for over 25 years. I played in all 5 island Saturday leagues and in 3 cup finals, winning 2 of them. I also played for East Cowes Liberals, Havenstreet and Cowes Park Rangers in the Sunday leagues. 


I was a team player with a good engine who got the ball and gave it to the more creative players. I probably played in all positions on the pitch apart from between the sticks and once scored a hatrick from midfield!


I played with and against some great players over the seasons and met some great friends on the pitch and on the sidelines and I will really miss the camaraderie and that feeling of putting your foot behind the ball and giving it a good old whack! 

Unfortunately, after falling while out running in January and having tests after my legs were feeling weak, I have been given the devastating news that I have Motor Neurone Disease and am still coming to terms with this news.

I would like to take this opportunity to say hi to all those players that I played with and against over the years and wish you all the best. Football really has given me some of the best memories I have and I hang my boots up with a smile on my face. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

11/02/2024 - 'The highest of highs and the lowest of lows' by Alice

Image
Strap in for a rollercoaster - it's been a big, emotional and busy week.  'Monday Monday... so good to me'. Well, not really. I'm doing the blog this week and that's because David just couldn't face it and needs a week off. I'm sure our regular readers usually feel reassured that despite his disease, he's upbeat and positive but this week, started with him feeling down (and that's OK!). So was there a trigger to this low mood? Probably yes. And that was our check up with his neurologist at the hospital. We get a 30 minute appointment and as usual, we were joined by Clare, the MND care co-ordinator for the area. The consultant starts with the same question he asks every time - 'what's changed?' and we have deteriorarion to report. David's hands are becoming weaker and every day tasks are becoming harder (if not impossible). Not only that, his arms are failing him so his overall strength is weakening. He had been packing up his percus...
Read more

18/02/2024 - 'My running days are finally over' by David

Image
In a week where both Alice and I really wanted to rest and relax, we unfortunately did neither. Alice is suffering from a bad back, and I was still recovering from my running and musical escapades last weekend, so the thought of sorting, boxing, and transporting to the new house wasn't something to look forward to. With the help of family, including Fin, who used all his lego building experience to help assemble units and desks, we have made a good start though. Unfortunately, my leg strength has deteriorated and on Monday I walked back from the new house to our old house on my own as Alice and Fin were busy assembling furniture and after only a few minutes of walking, I felt unstable on my feet, and I was lifting my left foot in a strange manner as I walked. Admittedly, I didn’t have my stick, or my shopping trolley, or the hand of a good woman to hold onto to steady me, but it was very disappointing and left me in a low mood. Amidst all the emotions and household possessions arou...
Read more

04/02/2024 - 'MND takes everything...' by David

Image
It's 12 months since my 'Theory Of Everything' moment. Anyone who has seen the film with Eddie Redmayne playing the part of Stephen Hawking, will remember the moment when he falls to the ground with a thud and his world changes forever. Unlike a 120 minute film, my story is thankfully told in real time and in the last year, I have come to terms with my condition and, in fact, embraced life ever since. It's impossible to determine the actual date of my first symptoms as Alice had noticed twitches in my legs, and I had been getting leg cramps for over a year, but my fall while out running last January, training for the Brighton marathon was definitely a turning point, and from that moment on, we both realised that another marathon was beyond my capabilities, and that I should get my body seen to by professionals. We both hoped it was leg related, but unfortunately, as the tests, went on, it was becoming obvious, that it was neurological, and I was diagnosed within months....
Read more