BRFPA
Joined: January 2018
Posts: 34 
|
Post by BRFPA on Apr 23, 2020 16:58:40 GMT
Hello again all, Soz for lack of activity but we are still crying in a dark room after having to postpone both our 2020 Former Players Dinner, which this year was focussing on two promotion seasons; 1973/74 and 1989/90, and our 2020 Golf Day. Hopefully we can still run the former later in the year though…. More news when we get it. HOWEVER, we are still periodically putting some new articles up on our website - www.brfpa.org.uk - and most importantly we have launched BRFPA TV where we’ll be taking some time out to release a series of FREE videos we recorded in 2019. BRFPA TVFirst up >>> Recorded LIVE at our 2019 Former Players Dinner, we were proud to see and hear our members enjoying the ‘locker room’ banter again whilst appearing on Geoff Twentyman’s brilliant Radio Bristol ‘Having A Gas’ programme. This site may not let me add the video, so you may have to click on the link above - which takes you straight there; no ads or BS. Sit back and enjoy 15 minutes of highlights, starring Billy Clark, Tom Stanton, Justin Skinner, Gavin Kelly, Lee Mansell, Byron Anthony, Craig Hinton, Bobby Gould, Steve Elliott, Geoff of course, and a certain Sir Rickie of Lambert… Get in!
brfpa.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/having-a-gas-radio.m4v |
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 25, 2020 16:29:50 GMT
Great to see. I had trials but never made it. I was desolate. I’d have paid to have played just one game. UTG
|
|
irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
|
Post by irishrover on Apr 27, 2020 10:53:29 GMT
Great to see. I had trials but never made it. I was desolate. I’d have paid to have played just one game. UTG I think 'I had a trial for......' is worth a thread on a it's own KP. That's really interesting. (Obviously a different thing from 'I was on trial for......' which is a subject for a different forum....). |
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 27, 2020 14:46:44 GMT
Great to see. I had trials but never made it. I was desolate. I’d have paid to have played just one game. UTG I think 'I had a trial for......' is worth a thread on a it's own KP. That's really interesting. (Obviously a different thing from 'I was on trial for......' which is a subject for a different forum....). I still sometimes have dreams where Colin Dobson tells me how great I am and I get picked for the first team, at 14 ! 🤪 |
|
irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
|
Post by irishrover on Apr 27, 2020 17:23:03 GMT
I think 'I had a trial for......' is worth a thread on a it's own KP. That's really interesting. (Obviously a different thing from 'I was on trial for......' which is a subject for a different forum....). I still sometimes have dreams where Colin Dobson tells me how great I am and I get picked for the first team, at 14 ! 🤪 I had a couple of trials with Glos and Somerset for cricket when I was a teenager. I knew I wasn't close to good enough because I regularly played against the people who did make it. No regrets from me though because so many of those borderline squad players who did make it through the trial jacked it in before they were 20 because it burned them out. Whereas I'm still enjoying playing now in my mid-30s and will hopefully carry on for many years. That's what I learned from that experience-being exposed to 'professional standards' kills a lot of people's love for the sport, especially if they have no real chance of actually making it. I'd have hated that to happen to me. I'd rather be mediocre and still enjoying the game than a little bit better but burned out at 20 and looking back wondering what the point of investing all that time on something I wasn't enjoying had been. I wonder if this is just a cricket thing or if it exists in football too? (The burnout thing of good young players I mean). |
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 27, 2020 18:16:10 GMT
I still sometimes have dreams where Colin Dobson tells me how great I am and I get picked for the first team, at 14 ! 🤪 I had a couple of trials with Glos and Somerset for cricket when I was a teenager. I knew I wasn't close to good enough because I regularly played against the people who did make it. No regrets from me though because so many of those borderline squad players who did make it through the trial jacked it in before they were 20 because it burned them out. Whereas I'm still enjoying playing now in my mid-30s and will hopefully carry on for many years. That's what I learned from that experience-being exposed to 'professional standards' kills a lot of people's love for the sport, especially if they have no real chance of actually making it. I'd have hated that to happen to me. I'd rather be mediocre and still enjoying the game than a little bit better but burned out at 20 and looking back wondering what the point of investing all that time on something I wasn't enjoying had been. I wonder if this is just a cricket thing or if it exists in football too? (The burnout thing of good young players I mean). I noticed the same thing , how some just went mad. You should see lee Zabek now. Cuts a sad figure. Polish family. We were close when his grandparents were alive. I put everything into fencing and rugby them some boxing and karate. I stopped playing early as women were a much nicer sport lol |
|
eppinggas
Administrator
Ian Alexander
Don't care
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 8,126
|
Post by eppinggas on Apr 27, 2020 21:28:07 GMT
I had a couple of trials with Glos and Somerset for cricket when I was a teenager. I knew I wasn't close to good enough because I regularly played against the people who did make it. No regrets from me though because so many of those borderline squad players who did make it through the trial jacked it in before they were 20 because it burned them out. Whereas I'm still enjoying playing now in my mid-30s and will hopefully carry on for many years. That's what I learned from that experience-being exposed to 'professional standards' kills a lot of people's love for the sport, especially if they have no real chance of actually making it. I'd have hated that to happen to me. I'd rather be mediocre and still enjoying the game than a little bit better but burned out at 20 and looking back wondering what the point of investing all that time on something I wasn't enjoying had been. I wonder if this is just a cricket thing or if it exists in football too? (The burnout thing of good young players I mean). I noticed the same thing , how some just went mad. You should see lee Zabek now. Cuts a sad figure. Polish family. We were close when his grandparents were alive. I put everything into fencing and rugby them some boxing and karate. I stopped playing early as women were a much nicer sport lol Lee Zabek. A name I haven't heard in 20 years... Lisa Beck I think we used to call him... |
|
irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
|
Post by irishrover on Apr 28, 2020 2:07:16 GMT
I had a couple of trials with Glos and Somerset for cricket when I was a teenager. I knew I wasn't close to good enough because I regularly played against the people who did make it. No regrets from me though because so many of those borderline squad players who did make it through the trial jacked it in before they were 20 because it burned them out. Whereas I'm still enjoying playing now in my mid-30s and will hopefully carry on for many years. That's what I learned from that experience-being exposed to 'professional standards' kills a lot of people's love for the sport, especially if they have no real chance of actually making it. I'd have hated that to happen to me. I'd rather be mediocre and still enjoying the game than a little bit better but burned out at 20 and looking back wondering what the point of investing all that time on something I wasn't enjoying had been. I wonder if this is just a cricket thing or if it exists in football too? (The burnout thing of good young players I mean). I noticed the same thing , how some just went mad. You should see lee Zabek now. Cuts a sad figure. Polish family. We were close when his grandparents were alive. I put everything into fencing and rugby them some boxing and karate. I stopped playing early as women were a much nicer sport lol I saw him near to the end of his career when he was playing for Keynsham Town. He wasn't fit and couldn't really cover the ground at all but he was the best player on the pitch by a mile - ran the game. It's funny you should say that about his view of the game. I would have thought someone who had been a proper Pro being still willing to continue playing at such a relatively low level was evidence that he had a passion for the game. Obviously not then.
Some do definitely go mad - I think it's quite psychologically intense. Having observed very talented young cricketers for many years I'd say the crucial period is when young players reach a level where they find it a struggle for the first time. That can be quite a shock to youngsters who have often formed their whole identity around being good and have tended to dominate up to that point. It separates out the ones who really love the game from the ones who just like being good at something. There's also a really difficult mental challenge attached to that particularly if you have to face the realisation that you're not actually going to make it which can be devastating to some. I can't speak for football but representative junior cricket is absolutely terrible at dealing with those moments to the point of borderline neglect in the my view. So players just get bitter and walk away. I'd like to think football was bit more professional about it but I doubt it somehow.
|
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 28, 2020 9:26:44 GMT
I noticed the same thing , how some just went mad. You should see lee Zabek now. Cuts a sad figure. Polish family. We were close when his grandparents were alive. I put everything into fencing and rugby them some boxing and karate. I stopped playing early as women were a much nicer sport lol Lee Zabek. A name I haven't heard in 20 years... Lisa Beck I think we used to call him... Always a lovely bloke and his grandfather was a paratrooper. The Polish Paras were known to be tough as nails and any of their regimental insignia are snapped up by collectors and for a great deal of money. I have one as dad did their training though I’d never sell it. I was supposed to be in Poland last week & was going to handover all of his history and medals. I’m absolutely done by it as it’s the final thing he asked me to do Anyway, Lee was very cut up by not making it. I think he played for exeter then maybe bath but he then took up weight training and got huge. He now works with his dad, Kevin, & is a plasterer. The drink hasn’t been kind to him 😢 |
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 28, 2020 9:29:35 GMT
I noticed the same thing , how some just went mad. You should see lee Zabek now. Cuts a sad figure. Polish family. We were close when his grandparents were alive. I put everything into fencing and rugby them some boxing and karate. I stopped playing early as women were a much nicer sport lol I saw him near to the end of his career when he was playing for Keynsham Town. He wasn't fit and couldn't really cover the ground at all but he was the best player on the pitch by a mile - ran the game. It's funny you should say that about his view of the game. I would have thought someone who had been a proper Pro being still willing to continue playing at such a relatively low level was evidence that he had a passion for the game. Obviously not then.
Some do definitely go mad - I think it's quite psychologically intense. Having observed very talented young cricketers for many years I'd say the crucial period is when young players reach a level where they find it a struggle for the first time. That can be quite a shock to youngsters who have often formed their whole identity around being good and have tended to dominate up to that point. It separates out the ones who really love the game from the ones who just like being good at something. There's also a really difficult mental challenge attached to that particularly if you have to face the realisation that you're not actually going to make it which can be devastating to some. I can't speak for football but representative junior cricket is absolutely terrible at dealing with those moments to the point of borderline neglect in the my view. So players just get bitter and walk away. I'd like to think football was bit more professional about it but I doubt it somehow.
You make a good point as Jamie Shore became one of the bitter ones and had nothing good to say, of Rovers |
|
|
|
Post by lostinspace on Apr 28, 2020 9:37:01 GMT
when Jos Butler came into junior cricket for the under 8 team in Cheddar, the guy who was running it called in a former member of Middlesex CC to appraise him,[he lived in the village] his words were something like" never have i seen someone so young doing stuff that the likes of Viv Richards et al' were doing at 20 years of age, the rest was to come and is still history making
|
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 28, 2020 9:44:26 GMT
when Jos Butler came into junior cricket for the under 8 team in Cheddar, the guy who was running it called in a former member of Middlesex CC to appraise him,[he lived in the village] his words were something like" never have i seen someone so young doing stuff that the likes of Viv Richards et al' were doing at 20 years of age, the rest was to come and is still history making I’m fairly positive that most clubs run educational programs for their youth teams and development squads, to deal with those that don’t make it. Look at Shaquille Hunter, was being touted as a probable star. It’s sad but his attitude was always a major thing. I saw him a few times, when I used to watch our boys train and he had the talent. It’s not easy for the ones who don’t make it |
|
Angas
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,067
|
Post by Angas on Apr 28, 2020 15:29:48 GMT
|
|
kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by kingswood Polak on Apr 28, 2020 16:18:43 GMT
Just imagine having super Jase to fill his boots. Those were great times |
|
eppinggas
Administrator
Ian Alexander
Don't care
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 8,126
|
Post by eppinggas on Apr 28, 2020 17:05:22 GMT
Barry Hayles always comes across really well. Definitely one of my favourite players ever. My son (aged 3 1/2 at the time, now 26) saw his home debut against Plymouth and was hooked for life. I remember him playing away at Watford (bloody lost 2-3 due to a late Tommy Mooney winner) and he was just unplayable. Jinked into the box, beat a couple of players, got kicked to the floor, got up, beat them again, got kicked to the floor again, and was finally awarded a penalty. There's no need to look it up on Youtube. My feeble memory remembers is that way and I refuse to believe any other versions. |
|
