| Lads you played with in school who just never made it 22:28 - Jun 28 with 5949 views | KeithHaynes |
I’ll start with a Haverfordwest lad Gordon Thomas. What a footballer.
Came from a big influential local rugby family. He had exhilarating pace and ball control, head and shoulders above anyone at our school at the time.
Man Utd offered him youth terms, apparently his dad, who was as tough as they come and a real gent once you knew him said if you join them and don’t play for Llanelli at rugby we are done. I have to be honest I can see his point, if you kicked a ball in school you would be humiliated, he was definitely my type of bloke. Gordon turned Man Utd down and broke his leg badly in his first game for the scarlets, he was an outstanding athlete.
And never played again.
Was big mates with Haverfordwest lad Peter Morgan, Llanelli and British Lions. On retirement Peter ran a bloody good chippy in Prendergast in Haverfordwest. Lovely chap too, always went there after a few jars in the Bull.
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 20:41 - Jun 29 with 1709 views | Catullus |
Paul Absalom, he was on Man City's books. When we left school he stayed there another 3 years ( I think, may have been longer) but they decided he wasn't good enough and paid him off.
He took the money and learned to be a private detective and made a fortune. Last I knew he lived down Derwen Fawr way. Was doing very well, last I knew. |  |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:28 - Jun 29 with 1627 views | jack_lord |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 20:41 - Jun 29 by Catullus |
Paul Absalom, he was on Man City's books. When we left school he stayed there another 3 years ( I think, may have been longer) but they decided he wasn't good enough and paid him off.
He took the money and learned to be a private detective and made a fortune. Last I knew he lived down Derwen Fawr way. Was doing very well, last I knew. |
Ive played against Paul. Really solid player. He was also at the basic training camp at the same time as me. I was quicker than him but he could stop a lot. Havent seen him for years though. |  |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:39 - Jun 29 with 1602 views | angryjack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:28 - Jun 29 by jack_lord |
Ive played against Paul. Really solid player. He was also at the basic training camp at the same time as me. I was quicker than him but he could stop a lot. Havent seen him for years though. |
Good old apples..Good fun.. | | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:02 - Jun 29 with 1587 views | jack_lord |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:39 - Jun 29 by angryjack |
Good old apples..Good fun.. |
yep good lad | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 14:58 - Jun 30 with 1462 views | Catullus |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:39 - Jun 29 by angryjack |
Good old apples..Good fun.. |
I was in town one night, donkeys years ago and in a drunken moment (I used to have quite a few!) I pinched a rtaher nice looking behind, she turned around and smiled at me, it was only Apples missus. He took it with a laugh too because that's the kind of bloke he was/is. I haven't seen im in about 15 years now
When we were in schoolhe used to hang around with a kid called Dai O'callaghan, the pair of them were always in trouble! | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:27 - Jun 30 with 1392 views | BenJ94 |
I was friends in school with Jandir Zola who played for the Swans U21’s. He was big for his age and very strong, I always thought he’d progress with the Swans but I think he just ended up being released. Playing for Swansea Uni in the welsh leagues the last I heard.
I also played against Scott Tancock a few times between the ages of 11-15, another one who was levels above the rest at our age, again, looked a promising player in the Swans youth sides but didn’t quite make it.
There were a few boys in my year who were just naturally very good footballers who could easily have had a career maybe even as semi pro, but never really put the effort in and just sort of fell out of playing all together. |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:31 - Jun 30 with 1390 views | lifelong |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 08:06 - Jun 29 by OptimisticJack |
On a similar line back in the mid 80s Swansea City youth had a team of youngsters in the Swansea Sunday League - incredible really.
One particular match I played against them and marked a young centre forward called Jeff Griffiths. I thought he was quite a player.
Good feet and excellent in the air.
Watched out for him after that and really thought he would go far. Unfortunately he didn't make the grade.
He is now a taxi driver in Swansea. [Post edited 29 Jun 2022 8:27]
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‘Humpsie’ was a good player G.
He went to Leeds when he was 15, came home because he was homesick, was signed with the Swans but didn’t make it. You just couldn’t get the ball off him. 😄 |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:49 - Jun 30 with 1368 views | OptimisticJack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:31 - Jun 30 by lifelong |
‘Humpsie’ was a good player G.
He went to Leeds when he was 15, came home because he was homesick, was signed with the Swans but didn’t make it. You just couldn’t get the ball off him. 😄 |
Yes spot on there.
He was playing with us at a ripe old age and simply oozed class. | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:50 - Jun 30 with 1365 views | STID2017 |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:49 - Jun 30 by OptimisticJack |
Yes spot on there.
He was playing with us at a ripe old age and simply oozed class. |
Did you play for Morriston Town ? |  |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 20:33 - Jun 30 with 1341 views | builthjack |
Mr Edwards , our sports / pe teacher, a great bloke, managed to get 4 of us trials at Wolves.
We spent a fortnight there during the summer holidays. 3 of us got called back for another 2 weeks.
They let us all go.
But a Coventry scout had been told about one of us, not me, a goalkeeper.
He went there for a year, then they released him.
He moved on to Cardiff where he spent a season as reserve keeper, then they released him.
It's a tough old world. |  |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 21:06 - Jun 30 with 1324 views | swan_si |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 14:58 - Jun 30 by Catullus |
I was in town one night, donkeys years ago and in a drunken moment (I used to have quite a few!) I pinched a rtaher nice looking behind, she turned around and smiled at me, it was only Apples missus. He took it with a laugh too because that's the kind of bloke he was/is. I haven't seen im in about 15 years now
When we were in schoolhe used to hang around with a kid called Dai O'callaghan, the pair of them were always in trouble! |
A good few years back he had a bad accident at pont Abraham roundabout, some american,not expected a roundabout on the m4 crashed into the back of him, very nice compo payout, he later went through a messy divorce, trying to hide a lot of his assets, got a warning from the court, his head went a bit and he basically wrecked his house in Derwen farm, Angel Rangel built his house just behind Apple's house when this was going on, he must have thought he'd moved into a war zone, haven't seen him since Nice bloke, but I wouldn't believe his radio. |  | | |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 21:25 - Jun 30 with 1291 views | PatchesOHoulihan |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 13:48 - Jun 29 by Flynnidine_Zidownes |
I had a similar experience coming up against a future superstar. Our side went out to holland for a tournament, like a round robin thing. I was about 14/15. We absolutely smashed the host club, think it was Maastricht, there was an African side we beat and an Italian team. We went into the last game on a winning run thinking we were sh1t hot and found out last minute it was Feyenoords youth team. Anyway they just knocked it around us for fun, they could have scored a hundred if they wanted to, they were 7-0 up within 20 minutes and just kept the ball for the rest of the game. In the end the ref blew up 20 minutes early because he felt so sorry for us. Years later I found the programme for the tournament and found out I had been playing against a certain R V Persie. Glenn Loovens was also in the squad and another player who went on to play for Holland who’s name escapes me.
It was the most demoralising experience I’ve ever had on a football pitch. |
Pretty sure I played in that tournament a couple of years before you.
The quality in the final was as good as anything I’d seen at the time.
We convinced ourselves many years later over a beer that some superstars played for the team that beat us but can’t remember who we thought they were.
Some of them must have made it.
Was it 40 minute matches you played? |  |
| This is Patches O'Houlihan saying "Take care of your balls, and they'll take care of you." |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 22:33 - Jun 30 with 1246 views | OptimisticJack |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 19:50 - Jun 30 by STID2017 |
Did you play for Morriston Town ? |
Afraid not.
Not good enough.
Nearest I got to them was playing for Morriston Athletic as a youngster. | |
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| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 23:05 - Jun 30 with 1198 views | Catullus |
| Lads you played with in school who just never made it on 21:06 - Jun 30 by swan_si |
A good few years back he had a bad accident at pont Abraham roundabout, some american,not expected a roundabout on the m4 crashed into the back of him, very nice compo payout, he later went through a messy divorce, trying to hide a lot of his assets, got a warning from the court, his head went a bit and he basically wrecked his house in Derwen farm, Angel Rangel built his house just behind Apple's house when this was going on, he must have thought he'd moved into a war zone, haven't seen him since Nice bloke, but I wouldn't believe his radio. |
Ah, that's shame. As good a laugh as he was he was often a bit close to the mark. That's why he was always in trouble in school, he was a cheeky git! | |
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