Despite
having seen my first game at Purvis Park back in May 2005 (a 3-2 loss to Heaton
Stannington), I’m a relative newcomer to these parts. In point of fact, the
first game I can recall watching as an actual supporter of Percy Main Amateurs,
rather than as a sad groundhopper, would have been a 7-6 win on penalties after
a 2-2 draw against Westerhope, in the Combination Cup on 17th
November 2007, which probably marks me out as something of a glory hunter I’d
imagine.
To be frank,
I recall that game indistinctly; a decisive winning penalty stroked home in
near darkness at the cricket pitch end by the legendary Gary “The Tank" Wigglesworth is about my only clear memory of the day. The statistics tell us
that the Main’s goals were notched by Stephen Black and Michael Dibie, but I’ve
no memory of either of those strikes.
However, the
long term significance of that day is not that it gave us the opportunity to be
knocked out 2-0 away to Gosforth Bohemians in a desperate game the following
February, but that it marked the day when the man who we’re here today to pay
tribute to, returned to Percy Main Amateurs after a period of time spent with
our neighbours North Shields. In the subsequent 5 years, Tony has been the most
constant and consistent factor in the club’s steady improvement on the pitch,
so I’d like to spend a bit of time recording my observations of Tony from a
fan’s perspective.
I think the
main qualities that would be associated with Tony, both as a player and a man, are
reliability, honesty, tenacity and bravery. While Percy Main players, from the
classy to the completely incompetent, come and go (69 of them in the season
just ended for instance), Tony is the equivalent of the ravens at the Tower of
London transplanted to the Northern Alliance; as long as he’s here, the
Villagers will never be in trouble!
There are
many aspects to Tony’s game and time with Percy Main that deserve to be
commented on. The 2010/2011 season that saw our return to the Northern Alliance
Premier Division was notable for Tony’s incredible early season hot streak in
front of goal, when he banged in 6 strikes in his first 5 games; not bad for a
centre half. Also, almost incredibly considering his position on the pitch, he
went through the whole of 2010/2011 without being booked, especially
considering some of his erstwhile team mates were working overtime to pay off
the fines they’d accrued by having their name taken. Typically enough, Tony
managed to have his name taken in the first game of 2011/2012, away to Carlisle
City, though equally typically, he coughed up his fine immediately, rather than
having to be chased to pay like so many other players have to be.
Perhaps the
reason he doesn’t get booked isn’t just to do with his style of play but because,
unlike so many others we’ve had here over the years, Tony doesn’t lose his
temper when things aren’t going well. He hates losing, but he understands
defeat is part of the game. Indeed, perhaps the angriest I’ve seen him was away
to Ashington Colliers in October 2010. Having seen us turn a single goal
deficit in to a winning 2-1 position with a couple of quick goals, the home
side lost their heads and started trying to kick anything above ankle height.
One particularly nasty tackle on Mickey Haley, which resulted in the
perpetrator seeing red for a second yellow, saw Tony absolutely furious with
the dismissed player, reminding him that lads at the Alliance level don’t get
paid and that injuries can mean time off work with a resultant loss of pay.
It’s particularly important to remember that the offender’s first yellow that
day had been for an even more brutal assault on Tony in the first half, but
typically enough Tony had just got up and taken the free kick after that one.
If that
incident showed Tony’s concern for his team mates, then what about this one? In
our promotion season of 2009/2010, exactly a year before the Ashington game, we
were away to Peterlee on a particularly filthy afternoon, on the fringe of the
North Sea. The rain was torrential and the wind almost gale force. Playing in
to the elements in the first period, we’d had a nightmare, as the home side had
made full use of the conditions to open up a 2-0 lead at the break. The
management and many of the players at the time had a competitive streak that
touched on petulance when things went against them. Despite the fact we’d not
tasted defeat since mid-August, this state of affairs was unacceptable to
several of the squad; hence the half time whistle sounded amid a chorus of
oaths, invective and petulance.
As the rest
of the team skulked or flounced to the changers, Tony went back to the away dug
out, retrieved the water bottles and medical kit, and then went inside. He knew
the game was only halfway through and that, regardless of the reactions, there
was still 45 minutes to play; players needed rehydration (strangely enough
considering it had been slinging it down all game) and possible muscle spray.
I’d like to
think that his concern for the broader picture was part of the reason why the
second half saw an incredible change of fortune; the rain stopped, the wind
strengthened behind our backs and Percy Main banged in 4 unanswered goals to
take the points and keep our promotion bandwagon on track.
Of all of
the memories I have of Tony, the heroic tackles, the brave headers, the
unending sequence of close range finishes, the one that sums up his importance
to the club for me, is the sight of him taking the water bottles in to the
changing rooms at Peterlee. Truly, this was the ultimate selfless act of the
dedicated club man. Enjoy your day (and night) Tony; you’ve totally deserved
it.
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