Four Four Two - UK (2022-07)

AROUnD

GROUn DS

THE

EFL • nOn-LEAGUE • SCOTLAnD

You’ve just turned 50, but have been

playing in non-league for well over

a decade now. What motivates you

to keep going?

I feel fit enough. I still have the hunger,

the passion and the will to win, so that

keeps me going. A nice hot bath after

games helps! Back in the day it used to

be ice baths, but since I turned 35 it’s

been a hot one. That’s me sorted and

ready to go again! I’m trying to leave it

to the youngsters mostly, but we’ve

got such a small squad and budget at

Merstham that I end up on the bench

more often than not. It’s always good

to pit myself against the kids because

you can learn from them, too.

You play far less now – how long do

you plan to carry on for?

When I left Cheltenham [in May 2010]

I thought I was going to retire, but the

phone started ringing again and I gave

it another go. Truro were the first club

that called me. I watched a few games,

signed for them and scored 20 goals as

we won the title. It was like, ‘Oh yeah,

I might be 39 but I can still do it’. That’s

what kept me going the last 10 years –

I’ve been to various clubs, maintained

my fitness and joined in. At Merstham,

I’m the assistant manager. I’d prefer to

focus on that, but needs must.

How did you get into coaching? What

do you enjoy the most?

I started coaching about 15 years ago,

when I played for Plymouth, but didn’t

think I’d enjoy it. I kind of put it on the

backburner for a while. But then I came

back to London after playing for several

non-league clubs, put a session on and

loved it. Now I’m in the coaching mode

again, sorting my badges and pushing

forward. I like trying to implement my

vision of how I believe the game should

be played – my ambition is to become

a manager one day.

Which of your former managers has

had the biggest influence on how you

view football?

I’ve taken little bits off all of them, but

three jump out. Jean Tigana’s calmness

when everybody was going berserk in

the dressing room, effing and blinding;

then Kevin Keegan’s motivational skills

• at 2.55pm he made you feel like the
  best player in the world. You wanted to
  go out and show him. Ian Holloway’s
  work ethic, too – he was always on the
  training pitch, from start to finish, and
  I want to be like that.

You started out in non-league too, at

Willesden Hawkeye and Stevenage –

how did that shape you as a player?

I gained a lot from competing in men’s

football at a young age. I realised the

physical side of things, and back then

you could get away with fierce tackles.

During one game at Willesden I broke

my jaw in two places, so I learned the

hard way! I was playing left-back on

that occasion. I remember pushing the

ball beyond the oncoming player, and

as I ran past he stuck his forearm out

and smashed me right across my chin.

You were 25 when you finally made

it to the Football League with Bristol

Rovers in 1997. Why do you think it

took that long?

I never went to an academy, so I never

had the chance to break through that

way. I received a call-up to represent

Middlesex at county level, which is how

I got noticed by Stevenage. We played

against Hertfordshire, who were being

led by Stevenage boss Paul Fairclough.

I was still paying subs at the time, and

he asked me if I wanted to get paid to

play instead. It was a no-brainer! Later,

Ian Holloway came in for me at Rovers

but the two clubs couldn’t agree a fee.

He promised he’d sign me the following

summer, and true to his word he did.

It was a great fit.

“BACK In THE DAY I’D

HAVE ICE BATHS AFTER

GAMES – nOW A nICE

HOT OnE HELPS ME OUT”

AROUnD THE

GROUnDS

He’s now in his fifties, but

the former Fulham ace is

battling on at Merstham

• albeit with more efforts
  on coaching than kicking.
  Still, it beats broken jaws

InTERVIEW

BARRY HAYLES

Interview Sean Cole

84 July 2022 FourFourTwo