Barry Pilcher - two words to which we owe our many
friendships, the weekly nerves before the match, 90
minutes of pleasure on a Saturday afternoon, and the
liver-collapsing drinking sessions afterwards. He started
it all.
One of the kindest men to grace certainly my life,
I was introduced to Barry by a friend of mine, who
knew his son. After the junior leagues finished at
14, there was an age gap of two years before the next
representative
section, the under-16. So Barry took it on himself
to arrange football practice on a Saturday lunch time
at Range High, basically for anyone who wanted to come.
He left his poor devoted wife at home to watch millions
of lunatic kids play what can be at best described
as 'primitive' football, usually drenched wet through,
for fun.
That summed him up - all give and no take. He introduced
us to Redgate one faithful day, committed to loads
of his time, and spending a huge portion of his yearly
wage, ferrying
us about,
arranging friendlies and all other things which come
with Open Age Football.
Now Barry was a very successful man, with lovely children
(I also look on him as a father figure). Barry, if
you ever read this, I have two things I never did tell
you. The first is 'Thanks'. Thanks for
getting us playing football, and enjoying it. Each
of us owe a right foot to you. The second is simple
- 'sorry'. Sorry for losing touch, and sorry for not
bringing that bottle of Cotes Du Rhone, your favourite
wine,
round
to your
house
at
Christmas.
Barry left Redagte in 2001, and since then, we have
organised the team from within - between
myself, Ian and a few others. Even the menial
things
like phoning results through seem like a chore when
you have just finished playing 90 minutes. Each taking
a role, Ian taking many, we kicked and scored our way
through
the season, finishing a very
respectable second.
So the great George Holcroft, founder of Redgate Rovers,
had harboured a dream, an ambition. For his boys to
play in the Zingari. Step
up he and Tony Francis, who guided us into the murky
waters of Liverpool's finest. He pulled a few strings
and
we we're given an interview. Passed with flying colours,
the Zingari board were highly impressed with the Club,
and our disciplinary record. We were in. August 2002,
we traveled to Peter Lloyd Leisure Centre in West
Derby, where we were narrowly beaten by Finn Harps.
As they say, understand the past, enjoy the present.
Wesley O'Brien |
