After Dario: In the Footsteps of a Legend by Jules Hornbrook

Author:Jules Hornbrook [Hornbrook, Jules]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Autobiography, Biography, Soccer, Football, Non-Fiction, Sports
Amazon: B00LGJZOJ6
Publisher: Jules Hornbrook
Published: 2014-07-01T23:00:00+00:00

***

There was a fabulous anticipation ahead of the match. It was a beautiful day, a little windy but glorious sunshine as always making the end-of-season swansong an occasion to remember. With nothing to play for, everyone was in party mood. The Walsall fans had travelled the short distance in numbers, and they also seemed excited by the prospect of a history-making game. The news had spread far and wide. Any rivalries were put aside, and there was genuine interest in what might be achieved.

So the tension mounted as the second and third pints went down during heated conversations in the Corner Bar; and it was all great debate. Would Garratt get the nod in goal? Would Davis start with the kids or make up the eleven with a couple of late substitutes?

One of the best questions asked if all of our players qualified as academy graduates! Indeed, players like Adam Dugdale had come, gone and returned to the fold, and Kelvin Mellor moved to Crewe from Nantwich Town when he was sixteen. Only a few of them could tell dreamy tales of starting out as six-year-olds at the old Soccer Centre near Shavington. But at 16, 17 and 18 years of age they had all been coached at Reaseheath. Crucially, the lads likely to be involved had all completed the necessary scholarship and “graduated” from the academy. So it was genuine. We just needed to see the evidence in black and white on the team sheet before we started to celebrate the landmark.

The waiting ended just after 2:00pm when the first updates trickled onto the Internet. Multiple mobile handsets delivered the team news. Even the Saddlers fans huddled around, desperate to see if the Crewe manager had taken the plunge. He had, and as we picked down the list of names everyone grinned. It was about to happen. We were proud. Our club was breaking new ground.

The photo on the back cover of the book paints a better picture than words ever could. Young men, arms wrapped around shoulders, smiles and chests puffed out. It shows the starting XI, an ensemble of Crewe academy players captured before kick-off by photographer Pete Warburton (see later chapter).

For the record, here are the names of those players, including (in brackets) the number of first team appearances accumulated before the Walsall match. The statistics were checked, but please accept my apologies if any of the details are not 100% accurate.

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