My Favourite Football Memory

As a player I could (understandably) never get past club legend left back Rodney Rowe and get a regular run out in the first team, so my playing memories are confined to the Ressies.

I remember captaining the side at 18 for half a dozen games, times were tough and we were struggling, but we had a massive future star amongst our ranks in Phil Everett who of course went on to become a national non-league star with Tiverton Town.

But two games, five or six seasons later stick out for me, and one of those featured another talented player in teenager James Owen. James was on the wrong end of a terrible tackle and suffered a broken leg against our rivals Chard United who used to rock up stinking of cider.

It suited Chard, who we were neck-and-neck with for the PSL Division Three title, to call the game off and head to the bar, but we wanted retribution and proceeded to run the dirty b*stards off their feet and stormed to 6-0 win on our way to a treble winning campaign.

The following season we were 100% robbed by a bent referee in the Dorset Minor Cup semi-final away at Weymouth-based Tudor Paving. At that time no PSL side had ever won the trophy but we felt we had a decent chance of reaching the final and were the better side, but a series of baffling decisions – including a defender who dived full length of the goal line to tip the ball round the post - saw us unjustly beaten 3-2.

It turns out waiting for us in the final would have been another of our old foes in Halstock who, like Chard United, were from the middle ages!

Fun times which seemed to flash by in an instant.”

Do you have a favourite football memory? Not necessarily a match. It could be as a spectator or the first professional game you ever saw. Share your memories with club members - speak to Philip Evans if you'd like to share your Favourite Football Memories.