Southampton Schoolboys

[JackanorySFC]

Due to being incredibly bored with the monotony of the doom and gloom vs happy clappy rubbish this board has been drowning in lately, thought I'd start a thread on that age old Southampton lad passage of right - the chance to play for Southampton Schoolboys.

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/10037604.Southampton_Boys_name_unchanged_squad_for_Trophy_test/

 

Just saw the above link in the Echo and it reminded me of Southampton Schoolboy trials at held at Redbridge School, I got put through with 4 others from my school but didn't make the cut despite scoring a hat-trick in my trial game (not bitter at all...). In my year group only Brian Stock went on to make a career out of it although the goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot played/ still plays decent semi pro standard as did Dean Higgins.

 

Strange how things have changed, back then St George's didn't have a particularly decent side but they have 3 lads in the current Schoolboys team. The best sides in Southampton when I was a nipper were Wildern (my school, and largely because of Stocky), Toynbee, Bitterne Park but the best side was definitely Weston Park Boys. Always used to be up there in the national tournaments.

 

Anyone play for Soton school boys? My brother (who posts here) did and won a trophy at the Dell. The absolute pinnacle for a nipper growing up in the City then. However these days with lads on contracts at 7 years old I wonder if the clubs allow them to play for Schoolboy/ Tyro rep teams?

[Colinjb]

I wonder if the clubs allow them to play for Schoolboy/ Tyro rep teams?

 

Certainly around the midlands they don't. Aston Villa, Coventry City and Leicester took on a few youngsters from the John Bryan League I coached in around Coventry and as soon as they were snapped up they couldn't play for their original clubs any more, the Birmingham FA and other local associations transferred the registrations to the pro clubs.

[View From The Top]

Due to being incredibly bored with the monotony of the doom and gloom vs happy clappy rubbish this board has been drowning in lately, thought I'd start a thread on that age old Southampton lad passage of right - the chance to play for Southampton Schoolboys.

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/10037604.Southampton_Boys_name_unchanged_squad_for_Trophy_test/

 

Just saw the above link in the Echo and it reminded me of Southampton Schoolboy trials at held at Redbridge School, I got put through with 4 others from my school but didn't make the cut despite scoring a hat-trick in my trial game (not bitter at all...). In my year group only Brian Stock went on to make a career out of it although the goalkeeper Gareth Barfoot played/ still plays decent semi pro standard as did Dean Higgins.

 

Strange how things have changed, back then St George's didn't have a particularly decent side but they have 3 lads in the current Schoolboys team. The best sides in Southampton when I was a nipper were Wildern (my school, and largely because of Stocky), Toynbee, Bitterne Park but the best side was definitely Weston Park Boys. Always used to be up there in the national tournaments.

 

Anyone play for Soton school boys? My brother (who posts here) did and won a trophy at the Dell. The absolute pinnacle for a nipper growing up in the City then. However these days with lads on contracts at 7 years old I wonder if the clubs allow them to play for Schoolboy/ Tyro rep teams?

 

We've had nippers poached by professional clubs and immediately their registrations are transferred they only play for the academies but others who are allowed to train & play for both but the professional club are allowed to block them playing in tyro games in they think the player injured, tired or have a game within 48hrs.

 

The best team in our league, unbeaten in league football for 3 seasons, have their starting 8 outfield players at professional clubs from Villa to Shrewsbury.

 

Got a lad at my lads club who turned Stoke down as he doesn't want to be a professional player. Wants to be a pilot.

[Give it to Ron]

My lad is lino for that game tomorrow

[sugarbabe64]

When I was at school Weston park had the best school team and most of them played for what was the best tyro leaugue team at the time which was winsor.

My cousin who was part of that Weston park team went on to play professionally.

[Dig Dig]

When I was at school Weston park had the best school team and most of them played for what was the best tyro leaugue team at the time which was winsor.My cousin who was part of that Weston park team went on to play professionally.

 

Blast from the past that! Taken me back to my Millbrook Lions and Brendon days.

[Goalie66]

I actually played for the Under 11's under 14; and under 15's. In those days there was little or no connection with the Club other than the English Schools trophy and Hants Cup gamjes being played athe Dell. I do rember long chats with Len Stansbridge who was the groundman at the Dell recalling his playing experiences as a Schoolboy. Like me he was a goalie. Ironically at 16 I went for a trial at the club and I got signed on. No one knew that I had played for Schools team all those years. Would not happen now I would have signed at 7 !!!!

[Give it to Ron]

Going back to my schooldays I often would watch them play - the team then was run by Alec(x) Perkins who was teacher at Weston Park

so you can guess what school made up the most players then.

At that time it was my school Redbridge, Weston, Bellemoor and Merry Oak that were usually semi finalists.

I played against Graham Baker from Merry Oak who was outstanding even at that age and that kicker Graham Roberts from Spurs/Rangers

who was a right hard man even then.

[Ed Rooney]

Played for the Schoolboys whilst at the dell as well from Age of 9 - 14/15, Was at Weston Park and the school year on year always had a good side. Bitterne Park and Bellemoor at the time were closest rivals.

 

Remember schoolboys games against Portsmouth, even then had a bite and niggle about it

[Wade Garrett]

Southampton Boys in the mid '80s. Lost in the quarter-finals of the English School Trophy in a second replay against Doncaster (who went on to win it). Gutted really, as we should have beaten them in the first game and the first replay.

[Window Cleaner]

Played for the Schoolboys whilst at the dell as well from Age of 9 - 14/15, Was at Weston Park and the school year on year always had a good side. Bitterne Park and Bellemoor at the time were closest rivals.

 

Remember schoolboys games against Portsmouth, even then had a bite and niggle about it

 

I played for Southampton Schools in the late 60s, left winger, took a right kicking from Bournemouth Boys at Dean Court, never played against Pompey though.

[Hatch]

I saw this thread title and thought - Uh Oh! Whats happened now?

[GenevaSaint]

St George's was always a rugby school rather than football.

 

A few on here know Charlie Coombs dad well as we use to play on Peartree Green as kids. Charlie's a pretty good player.

[LGTL]

I played for Southampton Schoolboys, the Tyro rep team and the academy throughout my childhood/adolescence. Great times.

[LGTL]

Also, schools actually have priority over professional clubs these days. If I want a kid to play in my school team or for the school boys and a professional club refuses there can be big problems.

[Clash City Saint]

As an 8/9 year old....way, way back, I started playing Tyro in the Under 10's League for what has to be the best named Tyro team, Mini Saints, (our Under 12's were Little Saints). Our 'pitch' was on Hoglands Park where the Skate Park is now. We kids would have to carry the posts and crossbars across 'Queensway' and assemble them before our Saturday morning home games. We would often have quite a crowd (for u10's) as we were run by a couple of dockers and their mates would leave their wives to shop in Debenhams and come watch us. I remember that when we were kicking towards those dodgy public toilets, our right winger would often cross the ball only for it to get caught in in the big tree there.

By the time we got to Under 12's we had changed our name to something very familiar now but us kids had never heard of it, we became Southampton St. Mary's. Our biggest rivals then and pretty much all my footballing career were Brendon, (always hated them), Sky Blues and Millbrook

Probably half our side played for the Tyro Rep team ran by Tommy Traynor (RIP) and some of these also played for the Schoolboy team but as I remember you had to be big regardless of your football ability to stand any chance of being selected.

In about 74/75 we (rep team) went across to Bayern, France to play in a tournament against the club teams of Bayern, PSG and Bayern Munich, These were boys signed by those professional clubs and then nurtured through their schoolboy careers, a simular system to what Saints now operate but unheard of in England at the time. We did have one star player in our ranks but as he was a couple of years younger than the rest of us he took the brunt of the **** taking but I guess he had the last laugh seeing as he was/is Paul Rideout.

Someone mentioned St Georges school earlier, my memory of them is playing them away at school (Bellemore) and the big center-forward just smashing his way through our defence time and time again, We lost 4-0 and he got all four, big powerful lad even though he was a couple of years younger than us, his name? Ian Baird.

[JackanorySFC]

Hope what your saying is right LGTL, could be different in different parts of the country when you hear what VFTT says though? Would be a shame as School football is a cracking leveller, if you played a decent level at weekends you'd have serious amounts of pride to play for at a school game against your weekend team mates. Also pride in your part of the City doing well against another - oh, and of course getting to leave school an hour early for away games!

 

Remember playing a Hants Cup game against a school called Cove (I think) up Fleet way, was had a tasty side but they had this lump playing for them, full grown beard, hairy chest (had his top off smoking before the game) etc, quite a sight when your 14! Managed to beat them 1 nil though.

 

Also remember playing Toynbee at their school and the game being abandoned due to some ex pupil riding a Moto-X bike onto the pitch during the game and doing donuts, and playing a skate team at home in the Hants Cup and loads of loons from my year that didn't even like football rocking up after school as they were hoping for a tear up!

 

Happy days....

[View From The Top]

Hope what your saying is right LGTL, could be different in different parts of the country when you hear what VFTT says though? .

 

Schools football is different as they players don't have to be registered.

 

When working in secondary schools our lads at academies always played in the big games, went of the tours etc and they knew the other decent players in the other school teams. We had lads at Oxford, B'ham, Villa & WBA.

[Wade Garrett]

St George's was always a rugby school rather than football.

 

A few on here know Charlie Coombs dad well as we use to play on Peartree Green as kids. Charlie's a pretty good player.

 

His old man wasn't too shabby either.

[CityRanger]

Played for schoolboys around '87/88. Good links with Saints, trained in gym under West Stand on Tuesday's (used to bump into Madman John Burridge, the training fanatic, doing extra work lol). Played George Reader invitational Trophy at Dell, beat Watford 3-1. We beat Bournemouth with Jamie Redknapp in their side, 3-2 for the Wright Cup (Southern Cup). Aways at Arsenal and Manor Ground Oxford also highlights. My main claim to fame is played, supported, and reported at Dell (worked for Sun for 20 yrs).

[Dalek2003]

I think we were unlucky againdst WBA but we will beat the swansae 3-0 today.

[IN MY DAY]

Played for the Schoolboys whilst at the dell as well from Age of 9 - 14/15, Was at Weston Park and the school year on year always had a good side. Bitterne Park and Bellemoor at the time were closest rivals.

 

Remember schoolboys games against Portsmouth, even then had a bite and niggle about it

 

---------------------------

 

I was a School Boy in the early 80's and also a Weston Park Lad. Played a the Dell a few times in the English School trophy. Seemed like a football pitch for giants even at that age. Its funny but a bumped into the old sports teacher from Bellemoor last sunday and pass Bywaters every morning as he cycles into Hamble.

 

Happy days.

[Give it to Ron]

Saints won 1-0 good game very physical at times but decent standard.

[Ed Rooney]

Played for the Schoolboys whilst at the dell as well from Age of 9 - 14/15, Was at Weston Park and the school year on year always had a good side. Bitterne Park and Bellemoor at the time were closest rivals.

 

Remember schoolboys games against Portsmouth, even then had a bite and niggle about it

 

---------------------------

 

I was a School Boy in the early 80's and also a Weston Park Lad. Played a the Dell a few times in the English School trophy. Seemed like a football pitch for giants even at that age. Its funny but a bumped into the old sports teacher from Bellemoor last sunday and pass Bywaters every morning as he cycles into Hamble.

 

Happy days.

 

Did Bywater have his Stan Smiths on ?

[gjphilsaint]

Played for Hightown Utd and Harefield Tennents in Tyro form.. then Itchen College when we won the Hampshire 6th form League.. represented Hampshire @ Sixth Form level.

[ottery st mary]

Played for the Schoolboys whilst at the dell as well from Age of 9 - 14/15, Was at Weston Park and the school year on year always had a good side. Bitterne Park and Bellemoor at the time were closest rivals.

 

Remember schoolboys games against Portsmouth, even then had a bite and niggle about it

 

---------------------------

 

I was a School Boy in the early 80's and also a Weston Park Lad. Played a the Dell a few times in the English School trophy. Seemed like a football pitch for giants even at that age. Its funny but a bumped into the old sports teacher from Bellemoor last sunday and pass Bywaters every morning as he cycles into Hamble.

 

Happy days.

 

Was that Richard Diiick Donohoe? by chance....

[St Chalet]

Given where I grew up I played for Gosport & Fareham schools. The year i was in routinely beat both Southampton and Portsmouth schools.

 

I didn't make it any further, had I grown up in Catalonia I am sure I would now be gracing the world stage.

[Red and White Russ]

I played at Weston Park from 1981-1985, under Mr Millar and Mr Bywaters. Great days and a pretty good team. Our biggest rivals then were Millbrook and Bellmoor. I remember having a few tussles with a young Francis Benali, who was a striker in those days. Also remember playing against a young Matt Le Tissier in a 0-0 draw against Guernsey. Had two trials for Southampton Schoolboys at Stubbington Study Centre. Didn't make it, but did represent Hampshire Schools under 18's at a couple of tournaments. In my school days I played for Netley and a team called Westwood Wasps in the tyro league. Great days. I wouldn't last 5 minutes on a football pitch now!

[70's Mike]

Showing my age played against Bill Beaney as a school boy

[gjphilsaint]

I played against Ian Baird... gulp.. was he at St george`s?

[doddisalegend]

Hope what your saying is right LGTL, could be different in different parts of the country when you hear what VFTT says though? Would be a shame as School football is a cracking leveller, if you played a decent level at weekends you'd have serious amounts of pride to play for at a school game against your weekend team mates. Also pride in your part of the City doing well against another - oh, and of course getting to leave school an hour early for away games!

 

Remember playing a Hants Cup game against a school called Cove (I think) up Fleet way, was had a tasty side but they had this lump playing for them, full grown beard, hairy chest (had his top off smoking before the game) etc, quite a sight when your 14! Managed to beat them 1 nil though.

 

Also remember playing Toynbee at their school and the game being abandoned due to some ex pupil riding a Moto-X bike onto the pitch during the game and doing donuts, and playing a skate team at home in the Hants Cup and loads of loons from my year that didn't even like football rocking up after school as they were hoping for a tear up!

 

Happy days....

 

My son has just started playing for his school team. He only started secondry school this year went to the school trails and only made it on to the first reserves got called up after a 1st teamer got injuried and hasn't been dropped since. Apparently his teacher told him him he is the best RB he has seen in 10 years of running the school team.

 

He loves it especially cutting classes early and being on the team coach going to and from games. He's desperate to play against some of his team mates from his tyro team at other schools now.

[Webby]

Blast from the past that! Taken me back to my Millbrook Lions and Brendon days.

I played for Brendon too.

[chocco boxo]

Played up the Dell twice for Southampton boys vrs Oxford and Bristol schoolboys. Trophy Match we had just over 2,000 there seemed like a full house when you 15 and playing under lights. 7 of the team came fom the same Brendon Tyro side. We were pretty good but played Islington schoolboys beat us 4-0 could have been 20! Realised then long way off ever making it!

[doddisalegend]

 

Strange how things have changed, back then St George's didn't have a particularly decent side but they have 3 lads in the current Schoolboys team. The best sides in Southampton when I was a nipper were Wildern (my school, and largely because of Stocky), Toynbee, Bitterne Park but the best side was definitely Weston Park Boys. Always used to be up there in the national tournaments.

 

 

Having just lost 3-1 to them this afternoon my son reckons the Toynbee boys are still pretty good ...........

[theyin]

Knocked the game on the head the summer before joining Weston. Mr Bywater had a grasp on the tyro and asked me to reconsider playing. Had a p1ss poor pre season trials and that was that. "A bit more commitment and effort m'lad" seems to have followed me through life.

 

Great players at Weston during my time there though. 83-87

 

Popped into the new Mayfield Academy this summer and saw Bywater who came up to me (wearing running trainers), he gave me a look, I said, "25 years ago" which knocked him sideways for a bit. By God though, he looks fit as a fiddle. Not a year on him since the day I left which is more than I can say for myself. He was still riding in every day. I suspect on something carbon nowadays. Said he was on the verge of retirement. By the looks of him it's going to be a long one.

 

Alec Perkins was also a great man even though I had the displeasure of a caning from him on a couple of occasions.

[Turkish]

Knocked the game on the head the summer before joining Weston. Mr Bywater had a grasp on the tyro and asked me to reconsider playing. Had a p1ss poor pre season trials and that was that. "A bit more commitment and effort m'lad" seems to have followed me through life.

 

Great players at Weston during my time there though. 83-87

 

Popped into the new Mayfield Academy this summer and saw Bywater who came up to me (wearing running trainers), he gave me a look, I said, "25 years ago" which knocked him sideways for a bit. By God though, he looks fit as a fiddle. Not a year on him since the day I left which is more than I can say for myself. He was still riding in every day. I suspect on something carbon nowadays. Said he was on the verge of retirement. By the looks of him it's going to be a long one.

 

Alec Perkins was also a great man even though I had the displeasure of a caning from him on a couple of occasions.

 

I remember Bywater and Perkins from city trials. I played for Southampton schools east in a tournement and had city trials but never got it. I ended up playing left back in the tournment and trials depsite my usual position being centre half or centre mid for my tyro side, the reason being simply because i had "a good left foot". My school was the best side of the time, we won the Hants cup 3 years out of 4 and the City league and cup every year. We went unbeaten for about 3 years. We had some great players, 4 played for Hants and we had a few on Saints and Pompeys books, even the ones that weren't were all very decent footballers.

[LGTL]

Being from the Waterside, there was nothing better then my school (Hardley) going to some big time city school and smashing the **** out of them. I think we were about the only good year group they've ever had. Also used to love going down so some hole in Portsmouth and represent our city. This is a great thread BTW.

[View From The Top]

I remember Bywater and Perkins from city trials. I played for Southampton schools east in a tournement and had city trials but never got it. I ended up playing left back in the tournment and trials depsite my usual position being centre half or centre mid for my tyro side, the reason being simply because i had "a good left foot". My school was the best side of the time, we won the Hants cup 3 years out of 4 and the City league and cup every year. We went unbeaten for about 3 years. We had some great players, 4 played for Hants and we had a few on Saints and Pompeys books, even the ones that weren't were all very decent footballers.

 

Similar happened to me except that despite being a dyed-in-the-wool left back, I was played as a CB as I was tall.

 

Lost interest for a few years after that as it coincided with me discovering spending my weekends attempting to get into the knickers of the local lasses was more fun.

[Turkish]

Being from the Waterside, there was nothing better then my school (Hardley) going to some big time city school and smashing the **** out of them. I think we were about the only good year group they've ever had. Also used to love going down so some hole in Portsmouth and represent our city. This is a great thread BTW.

 

Did you ever play away at Mayfield in Portsmouth? We played them twice, once down there in the Hants Cup, then the following year in the Final. Sh*thole school full of typical gobby Skates and i used to have a right battle with a lad who played for them,came out on top both times of course. We beat the 3-2 down there, then 5-0 in the cup final.

 

We also played a Hants cup final against a school from Portsmouth whose name escapes me, we won 2-0, all i remember out them was that they had they had a quality player in centre midfield with ginger hair. About 15 years later our paths crossed again due to football, where we eneded up chatting and getting on very well after realised that we had played against each other all those years ago and him being a skate and me a Saint. Strangely he remembered me as well, although as "one of the two big lads at the back that won everything"

[theyin]

 

Lost interest ...... after that as it coincided with me discovering spending my weekends attempting to get into the knickers of the local lasses was more fun.

 

This

 

Though of course it turned out it was perfectly feasible to combine the two as you got to realise later on.

 

So I suspect at the base of all our 'what could've beens' is plain laziness. The prospect of another winter training in all weathers on some sodden pitch on the other side of town certainly wasn't a prospect I was looking forward to.

Edited 12 November, 2012 by theyin