January 2, 2025 • 41 mins
In the latest episode of Steels Talk, we talk to Stocksbridge's longest serving player Jordan Lemon!
He talks to us about his love of cricket and success with Chesterfield CC, how what was meant to be a one-month loan with Stocksbridge turned into six years at the club and how it all could have been very different when he was offered a chance to leave the club.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Steel's Talk. I'm your host Adam Alcroft and
(00:20):
I'd like to thank you for listening to us over the million other podcasts that are available
to you. I'm recording this after the first two episodes of Graham Furniss and Peter Rinkcavage
have gone out and it's amazing to see the brilliant response we've got to those podcasts.
Thank you so much for enjoying what we've done so far and hopefully we're going to be
able to provide more of the same over the next few months.
(00:41):
In today's episode we talk to Stocksbridge's longest serving player Jordan Lemon. He came
here in 2018 and he's been an ever present to the side ever since. We talked to him about
his other love of cricket, how a one bum flown with the Steel's became a six year stay and
how close he came to leaving the club a few years ago. Thank you for listening and I hope
you enjoy this episode with Jordan Lemon.
(01:12):
Well hello Jordan, thank you for coming on to Steel's Talk, the first current Stocksbridge
player to come on and talk to me. You're the brave one I think.
I'm either guinea pig, you know what it is.
The absolute guinea pig because the others are absolutely terrified of talking to me
most of the time as a microphone evolved. I could strike fear into the eyes of Luke
Rawson by saying the word interview.
(01:33):
Yeah bless him. I've still not seen him do one at Belfort either.
Obviously they're media guys, not as forceful as I am.
You're neat mate, one of a kind aren't you?
Because you're the guinea pig and we're trying to be kind to you as you're starting, we're
going to start off talking about something that's to be honest balls, meat, tears, we're
going to talk about cricket because that's one of your big loves in life, I think it's
(01:55):
fair to say.
Definitely, definitely.
Because right now you're playing for Chesterfield Cricket Club which is a very historic Queens
road, at least Wikipedia tells me it's historic.
Queens Park yeah, Queens Park.
And you got promoted this year.
We did, Chesterfield have been, well we were going to announce to be one of the best teams
in Derbyshire, to play in the Derbyshire league. Unfortunately about five years ago they got
(02:19):
relegated to Division 1 and then yeah, this past season we got the back of our wood into
the Premier League.
I saw you were interim captain at the start of the year, how long did that last for?
I did it for 10 games or 10 league games it was, a few cup games.
Harry Wilmot, the actual captain, had been a school friend of his since we were 11 or
(02:39):
12 so when he asked me in the winter if I could do it, he was coming back from a ACL
injury which he picked up playing last season.
So he asked me if I could do it and I was like yeah, of course it would be an absolute
honour. Unfortunately in the first three games we played 3-1, one lost two.
But at that point I was going to hand it back to someone else but I stuck with it and luckily
(03:02):
yeah, toward the end of the season we came good and got the note.
The idea of someone who had played cricket and football is a bit of an old fashioned
idea in many ways because it's something that happened in the pro game of both sports in
the 70s I think. Ian Bofen played for Scunthorpe United as well as being one of the best cricket
players and I know Ted Elmsley, but there's also Ted Elmsley who played for Sheffield
(03:24):
United and then played for Shropshire at Bramall Lane when it was a cricket ground.
There's a, I think the former Arsenal skipper, I can't remember what his name was, he was
the same, he played for England's cricket I believe, this was back in the, I think it
was like in the 20s or 30s but I just picked up naturally from my dad when he used to be
playing football, he started playing cricket again.
Growing up it was football and cricket, they were massive sports.
(03:47):
So we're going to do you one of these like double choice questions.
You get a phone call from Derbyshire Cricket Club saying can you play in our test match
tomorrow and you get a phone call just a few minutes later from Chesterfield saying we
need you at right back on Saturday.
You can only do one, which one would you pick?
Oh no, that's an easy one, that'd be football all day for that one.
(04:09):
So is football still priority over cricket?
It depends who's asking me if the gap is asking me football.
To be fair, the gap is always cricket as well so this season was the first time I've ever
missed a pre-season and the start of the season to finish off my cricket season because I've
been over that for about four or five weeks so I've always missed the last four or five
(04:32):
weeks of the cricket season to concentrate on my football but as I'm not getting any
younger, my cricket you can play until you're 40 or 50 just football.
I've probably only got a few years left so it's slowly moving into the cricket side of
things and the gap I'd really understand then is fine.
Hence why I've not played a lot this season but it's completely fine.
(04:53):
It's totally understandable but yeah, it depends who's asking.
That's the answer to that question.
Does it help because Ian Richards is a big cricket fan, played in plenty of cricket teams
himself alongside Duncan and his dad actually, is it really helpful having someone who he's
also a big cricket lover rather than maybe someone who would, like me, who doesn't really
care much about the sport?
(05:13):
I don't know, it's nice to me.
He's a little bit more understanding of probably our previous managers as well as I know.
I remember Hilton, the last pre-season game on a Saturday and then the football season
started following the week and he was like, I need you for the last pre-season game.
I was like, what cricket? He was like, well, you kind of need to pick.
(05:34):
So I was like, right, so I'll probably play football.
That was back in four or five years ago probably.
But no, yeah, Richards, he understands commitment whether it's other sports, cricket, whether
it's work commitments or football.
He doesn't pay our bills, he doesn't pay our mortgages unfortunately so yeah, he's
very understanding of it.
So because you've spent plenty of time in a cricket dressing room and a football dressing
(05:55):
room, are they quite similar or is there any big differences between the two?
Oh no, massive difference.
The football dressing rooms are totally unique.
Our dressing room, some of the things that goes on tonight, oh my gosh.
Obviously you can see the bus juniors home, there's a few individuals that I'm not going
to name, in fact I'm going to name Ben Townsend.
You've just absolutely just dobed him in there.
(06:17):
That guy's on a different planet.
He's one of a kind but he's the type of people you need to have in your dressing room.
Whereas cricket's a little bit more, I wouldn't say more of a gentleman's sport but it's
if you're saying anything to an umpire, literally you're not playing the next week, you can
get instant ban.
So how do you play any cricket games?
Well this is it, I kind of take things out on referees because I can't do it on umpires,
(06:40):
I take it all back straight on the referees.
But isn't it the case, because obviously in cricket you must be in the dressing room a
lot because is it the case when you're batting and you're not in it, you've either gone out
or you're still waiting, you're all in the dressing room together?
Yeah so it's a weird one cricket because it is, it's an individual sport within a team
sport so yeah it's been about, you could be out there for five minutes, you could be out
there buying for two hours and you're soon back in the dressing room but yeah everyone
(07:04):
stays there and watches, kind of watches the game sit together but it's a little bit more
chilled.
Some guys even like to go for a little sleep before they're out to buy and stuff like that
so it's a little bit more chilled out, there's no loud news, you're gone in the changing
room etc.
It's yeah, it's a very chilled environment.
So but obviously it's not just cricket and football, you also, you like to play a bit
of golf as well as your regular type golf days.
(07:27):
Yeah, yeah golf's one of those sports, you need to play it all the time if you want to
get any good at it but no it's, we've got quite a few golfers in the team, we've got
a few family members who play golf who I've naturally, like my grandma, she's nearly 90,
she plays every day so I kind of get things from the family from my dad and grandma so
yeah, golf's another sport which I'm not quite as good at but yeah I do love my golf.
(07:51):
You say this but I've done my research and found out at aged 13 you've got a hole in
one with your family watching.
Yeah it was my grandma was the, she was lady captain, so it was lady captain's day up in
the, she's from the north east of Newcastle and yeah I was one of the guests there playing
and the fourth hole went back on yourself, it went across the, where the clubhouse is
(08:12):
and yeah I was 13.
I actually think that I didn't hit it well and yeah I went straight in and I just ran
off and everyone watching.
Was it proper football, was it a knee slide on the green?
Not quite, not having chucked off, it was more of a just running around like Shearer
with one hand in the air.
Is that a Middlesbrough fan saying they ran around like Shearer?
Yeah do you know what, I don't score often but if you know it when I do it's always one
(08:35):
hand in the air.
I'm gonna have to watch those back now just to.
Yeah honestly you'll pick it up now.
You're one of the few we've got every single golfer on film.
Admittedly that's on one hand but.
Yeah I don't think that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Some other, no I noted I didn't properly realise, I've always known that your dad was a football
(08:56):
scout because he scouted for quite a lot of teams, I didn't realise he was a professional
player himself.
Yeah well again he's from Middlesbrough hence my Middlesbrough, parts of Bowling Connection,
played for Sunderland and then got transferred to Cheshire in the early 90s and then came
with my mum to settle down here and me and my sister ended up just living down here with
my mum and dad and yeah the rest of the family are back off to the north but yeah this is
(09:20):
why, well that's where we're living, Cheshire Field and hence because you got transferred
there from Sunderland.
So when you have like a professional player as a dad do you think that's a help when you're
trying to have a sporting career or do you think it's a bit of a hindrance because you
might have that extra pressure put on you?
I wouldn't say there's pressure it's not much, it can help in both ways.
(09:42):
I think he knows best, he knows what it takes to make it and I remember at 12 or 13 he was
telling me, you need to start eating some weights, you need to start eating better and
I just wasn't interested, I just thought because I thought I was good enough it would have
been enough but looking back it's something I do wish I had listened to him a little bit
more because sometimes if he's your dad you tend to not listen to him as much but yeah
(10:05):
he's been there, done that, he's over 300 or 400 appearances in the football league
so he kind of knows what it does, he does know what it takes.
I remember playing these, I played for shy book, I was like 17 or 18 or 18 in the FA
bars and one of the, I think one or two of the Heener fans, I was playing right wing
at the time and shouted on, I was like F'ing in Jeff and like you've failed, footballing,
(10:27):
your dad will be ashamed, look at the three of you either and I felt like what?
Why is that irrelevant?
Why is Sharman that is me?
But no and to say he doesn't get to come to a lot of our games, he's always watching
players and other teams or whatever the team is scouting for but he did go to the game
at home to Pickering and that's where that left footed volley so he was a bit shocked
(10:52):
to see that one going.
Does that mean we need to get him back to more games so he can score more goals?
Yeah he can do, he can, I think he might be coming to the football league away so that
could be a good omen.
So the follow up question was going to be that when your dad has come to see you as
he is a scout, has he ever spotted any players that he's gone recommended to the club he's
(11:13):
working for at the time?
Yeah so I've told him about Iggy, not that Iggy is on low from forward but he's most
definitely going to go on to bigger and better things and stop for his stuff, no offence
obviously to our club.
I think we can all see it, he is a fantastic defender.
He's an old fashioned centre-off and a young lad, he's a really good player.
(11:35):
Who else?
Lewis who used to play for us.
Yeah that's Lewis with him.
Unfortunately for Lewis it is me but my dad, my dad knew about him, told about a fallback
for Newcastle Town, he went up to sign for Salford and then I had a, when I was at Stamford
(11:56):
just for a few games in pre-season we had a centre midfielder, Giovanni Brown, he played
scuttled over the pre-season friendly and he did really well against.
Giovanni Brown was no longer with Stamford the week after and went on to sign for Cambridge.
But yeah there's a few, there's been a few really good players.
I remember the fallback for Stockton, I thought his name was the right one.
(12:19):
Well the load of those players were really good for Stockton.
Yeah told them about him, he went and got watched a few times but unfortunately he wasn't
in but yeah there's been a few so I kind of do a few lookouts for any players that we
have.
So you're a sort of mini scout?
Mini scout in the non-league system because the clubs, especially if they call out at
(12:39):
the minute and they're important on the week too but yeah the non-league is sometimes where
you can find a good young player and yeah there's a chance for them to get picked up.
We've seen some examples, you played alongside Harrison Biggins didn't you as well or was
that just...
No no no, I played against Harrison for numerous clubs but no I didn't play with Harrison.
So you just didn't align because obviously I use the biggest latest name to come from
(13:02):
Stokesbury as well so we have one particular name that I think I've got to down a shot
on if I mention him.
There's a way to try and limit me mentioning him.
Let's not mention him.
Scott Ogden we're obviously talking about.
Yeah that's it and Jack Morgan.
These strikers I don't get, even beforehand before the certain player it was always strikers
(13:25):
that came from Stokesbury because it was Lee Wills in the 90s.
I probably ringed him and he didn't get moves.
He was too loyal you see.
Yeah that's it, I've felt by a lot of these days.
Something else I know as well looking into is that you seem to have done a lot of coaching
in America when you were young.
What was all of that about?
Someone came into our college, Sam must have been 18, no I was 19, I was in my third year
at college just playing for the college team, wasn't really taking football seriously but
(13:51):
it wasn't my main priority.
I wanted to go on to uni etc.
But someone came into the college, gave a big seminar on opportunities in America, one
of my close pals Brad, he was like yeah let's go for it.
So I did two summers there for about three months and then my third year I went over
(14:11):
for about nine months, got kind of a club, I got given Cincinnati United and I was just
coaching there, young ones from ages from like six up to about ten.
But yeah I absolutely loved it over there.
So what was it like being a young man over in America presumably away from family?
Oh I hated it, hated every second of it, it was horrible, didn't enjoy it.
(14:35):
Pretty much trouble did you get into from the sounds of it now?
No, silly.
That was bad.
Was there a Ben Townsend with you?
Yeah, no he did a Ben Ambrose summer over there, they were based up in Connecticut so
I wasn't where they were based but yeah they did a summer in America as well.
Is this just something that people from Chesterfield go do if they're interested in football, to
(14:55):
go coach in America?
Yeah I think, well especially when you're younger, 18, 19, the opportunities over in
America, everything's paid for, yeah go have some fun, coach a bit of football.
We've seen quite a lot of lads from non-league go do these scholarships in America, Curt
and Danny Deakin is one of them and it led to Danny Deakin's favourite thing of we get
to mention caca to him every 10 seconds as if he's not totally sick of it yet.
(15:20):
But is that something you wish you had done, joined one of those colleges and had the scholarship
route and got educated over there?
No no I tried, I studied three years college over here, went over to America for the summer,
came back and then I was like oh that's it I want to go to uni over there so I applied,
got two offers, one in South Carolina, probably the one that's grown basically because that's
(15:43):
up a year out of education, I lost a year's eligibility so I couldn't have got given a
full scholarship so I had to pay like, it seems like 80,000 pounds or dollars and they
don't do student loans or anything like that in America and so it's yeah it's, I couldn't
obviously afford or my parents couldn't afford to do that.
I don't think it was 80,000, I think it was 50,000 actually.
(16:04):
Still a lot of money.
Yeah I tried to so if you don't go straight from education I think it's a lot harder to
get a scholarship.
Would you recommend that route for all your players going over to America and trying their
hand over there?
I play it well, I'm not sure, I'll see Curt and Deeks have played it, Mod has played over
there as well, I think Mod's actually played it in the top university league over there
(16:28):
so he played it in really high standard but I wouldn't know.
Go to Inns if you just want to go explore the world for a young 17, 18, 19 year old
and yeah go to it.
We're going to talk about stories soon but firstly I want to ask about another club that
I quite like because it's a team I went to a bit see a lot of and it probably turns out
I probably saw a lot of you because I was at university the same time you were there
(16:49):
but Lincoln United because you are a fan favourite over there I believe.
Yeah I'm not going to tell a story but I wind the lads up at Scotchwoods because until last
year until Matt Cotton got into the team of the year I got into the team of the year in
2017 season, playing fullback and I always remind teams if you're the other lads, team
(17:13):
of the year have you got it?
Yeah, oh it's a shame.
You mean Ben Townsend doesn't bring the Fat Cup top of his on the bench for team of the
year?
Yeah that's typical Townsend in it but no Lincoln United are not my league starter for
me but yeah they go great, kind of give me an opportunity and the manager at the time
perhaps who I played for from the numerous different clubs, yeah lovely club, very similar
(17:35):
to Scotchwoods, very community based, lots of people behind the scenes who have got the
full front of their mind and their interests but no actually loved it and I've been to
a few, went a few times and it was a lovely little club.
The news has just come out about Callum Smith who's been there for I think about 80 years
now, he's just left the club, what can you tell me about Callum Smith because that's,
(17:56):
he's been there 17 years genuinely and that's an extraordinary amount of time to be at one
club.
Oh no it's insane again you don't get that in no matter what level of football you play
someone's been there for 17 years it's insane, yeah it's such a good life, one of the funniest
guys I've ever met Cal and a really really good player and still a really good player
(18:18):
and I think he's gone to Boston Sam.
Yeah I think that's why I saw him as well, I don't know Lincolnshire that well so.
No I think there's a few ex-players I know fielded it or might still be at Boston so
there still might be a collection there for a few old players but no he has to do what
he's doing to play, what was it 560 games I think he played for them.
It's like 561 which is just that's mad.
(18:43):
Yeah yeah, make way off it.
Is there just something about Lincoln United that breeds loyalty because Matthew Cotton
you've mentioned is he's a top player he always seems to score about two goals against
us every time with ASEM and when they did get relegated a couple years to the Midlands
League I was like well surely he's going to make that move to another step four side or
step three which is probably good but he stayed anti and it seems like that Lincoln United
(19:05):
has a lot of players who have been there for a long time.
Yeah that's just some thought that's what kind of club it is and the people who are
there it's a club you want to play for and want to do well against boxes he could have
played much much higher probably two or three levels of what he played at but again some
people aren't motivated by different things if he's happy to play at Lincoln United so
(19:27):
yeah credit to him.
So we'll move on to the move to Stocksbridge because you were at Map Locktown which is
another team I went to see loads of times before coming to Stocksbridge you were Dave
Frecklington was manager at the time I believe.
Yeah.
And then you move on loan to Stocksbridge and it was only meant to be a short term thing
weren't it?
Yeah certainly.
So yeah Freck's who was with Lincoln and Spalding yeah he took me to or asked me to
(19:51):
sign for Map Lock Town and Spalding off in Map Lock being kind of on my doorstep as a
no-brainer played a few games went away to St. Neops and the one of the epic trophy I
think it is got knocked out competition so I was out for what I couldn't play for two
weeks went to play staffs shield away and I just got a phone call late the night before
(20:12):
the half like you're not in the squad tomorrow but I want you to go out and get some games
so you're ready I thought that's fine no worries had kind of a relationship with Hiltz just
playing against Stocksbridge and I always admired him I was 15 played myself at Stocksbridge
as a pitch that was part of it.
So I was like yeah let's ask him if we can do the right back for a month and he was like
(20:35):
yeah come join us as I was on loan at Stocksbridge for the third week in Freck's released the
other right back so I was like oh perfect I'll just go straight back to Map Lock.
And then a week later he gives me a call I think he's going to come back and he's like
oh I'm signing and I think it's Lee Beaver his name is.
He's like Lincoln City and Mansfield like a season pro he's like I just needed you to
(21:00):
stay at Stocksbridge you know I'm like alright cheers.
So I ended up staying and Freck ended up losing his job at Map Lock so yeah ended up
staying and loved it. Loved it every game since.
Because it's been pretty much six years because it's December I think December 2018 so did
(21:22):
you when you thought oh I'm just going there for a month did you ever think oh I'm still
going to be there in 2024?
Do you know what I think it was Ross I think too it might have been like a year or two
in and I said to him I'll end up finishing my career at Stocksbridge and it's again a
lovely club there's no need to go and want to play football as well as these people.
Especially down at our level playing for Stocksbridge you can go to other clubs lower divisions
(21:46):
in particular double your money I'm not really naming the names so it's usual and that.
Everyone naturally it's if you get off in more money at a different job then why wouldn't
you go and take it. So yeah if people probably want to move for different reasons but I said
to Ross years ago I was like I'll finish up my career at Stocksbridge I know that's
the ad I don't have no plans on leaving unless the gaffer wants to get rid of it.
(22:10):
So you were in what was actually a very good like Stocksbridge squad in 2018-19 that were
very close to the playoffs and we all know about Stocksbridge's lower budgets so it was
very impressive. What was that squad like and did you think that you would be able to get
pushing to top five?
Yeah I think the match of our first year we were fighting relegation and we had an unbelievable
team like insane. So how they were fighting relegation yeah the second year no I always
(22:35):
knew budgets are irrelevant like it doesn't matter who you're getting at sometimes the
more money you offer people the higher chance of getting kind of a few egos on the team
and you've got players dropping down from step two step three and yeah they've not got
the kind of the club at heart or the club's best interest they just want to go for a kind
of a payday which is fair enough so sometimes actually having a lower budget can actually
(22:58):
help a team.
Jack Tinker said the same when he was doing a Dakia's documentary in the summer makes
you hungrier.
Yeah yeah it does it and especially playing against other clubs who have got a lot better
resources than us having that underdog mentality can kind of it does help you and it gives
you that extra five to ten percent egos on the match there.
(23:19):
Obviously that Hilton's what it was you know and it was looking good before the pandemic
hit as well in 2020 was it was it just a good spirit around that team because that was when
I started coming in you could tell that everyone was good friends within the squad.
Yeah and to be fair I think the budget's a lot worse now than it was in that kind of
time but yeah it's similar to the squad we've got now just players wanting to play for the
(23:44):
club right a few lads who were he had a couple of Chetfield, Sheffield lads because they
were Donny lads so they kind of had different kind of friendships within the squad so no
he's a close knit squad and yeah a shame off the coast of Cambridge.
Is there any stories you can tell about any of the lads in that squad and although do
we make them legal because I know Josh Nodder was in that squad.
(24:05):
Yeah that's just Nodder.
I can't say anything.
Does every squad need a character like that because obviously we've got Townsend now and
we know the things Townsend says and it's very amusing and Nodder seemed to fit that
role before and does every squad need a bit of a character I think is the politest way
of saying it.
Oh no definitely it's massively important so it's kind of a team's morale as well sometimes
(24:29):
you can lose games and you need someone who's always positive who's always going to have
a joke around and have a laugh with everyone otherwise you're going into training you're
going into match days just kind of all sat there especially the young lads these days
they just want to come and sit on the phone and not talk to anyone so obviously having
Townsend there to annoy people I think it's needed.
Obviously towards the end of Hilton's time you know the very shortened season it wasn't
(24:53):
a brilliant time other than a few odd games and then he quit very quickly into 21, 22
so we have that change Ian Richards comes in after a bit.
What was your thinking when Hilton left and then when the change came of Ian Richards
becoming the new manager?
That's the only time where I nearly left just because Tom Oel got the job but was kind
(25:15):
of interim manager and yeah I remember Hilton kind of quitting, played handball in the
club when he did the changing room runs yeah he was obviously really upset which kind
of riles me and a few of the other kind of senior players at the time.
I remember standing outside that dressing room waiting to do an interview with Chris
Hilton that never happened because he quit and I heard so many loud voices I heard I
(25:37):
saw some storming off.
Yeah I remember Lutz was chucking his boots around he understood what the club meant to
Hilton and the players we massively let him down but then Tom Oel kind of filled in and
Tom Oel was the assistant so everyone wanted to do well for Tom Oel and then Lee Attenborough
(26:00):
who was the health manager who was at Loughborough at the time he was like do you want to come
in? Yeah I had two of the lads there who I played with at Lincoln, Nodder and Jack,
the team that Hills off of but not Sad but Hills less and he asked me if I wanted to
come I was like oh and that's the only time where I've been here with him but I wanted
to have a conversation with Richo Furtivore making the decision and Richo was like no
(26:23):
I want you I want you to stay so yeah ended up staying I'm glad it hit.
So what did Richo say to you to persuade you to stay?
No it wasn't anything to persuade me to stay it was more of what his plans were for the
club he sat all the lads down and had a meeting and what kind of what he expected from everyone
in his first training session the intensity just rose 34% it was crazy and it was someone
(26:48):
who I knew straight away I was going to get along with and me and him all joking about
him I kind of wish he was I and him as my manager back when I was like 20, 21, 22 because
I do feel like he would have he had a kick me on a lot more than maybe previous managers
would have just more in terms of kind of tactical senses and if my manager was my manager at
(27:11):
the time, Fretz, I love Fretz to basically do the world for me but Fretz is an old school
manager and yeah having to make sure maybe Fretz and Richo would have been an ideal combination
but yeah he's a really good manager and yeah so I'm glad I stayed.
I remember back at that time and it was interesting because I remember me and Richard Hayes who
did the media time when Hilton left and Richard came in we were basically planning for oh
(27:34):
there's going to be a whole squad change because that's typically what happens in non-league
when a manager changes that you have like 10 players leave and 10 come in and yet that
just didn't happen we had a couple leave and obviously a few people started filtering in
how did he manage that with the squad and how did he keep the dressing room up after
obviously they were so despondent to Answorth when Hilton resigned?
Yeah I think he could have come in and just kind of ripped the team apart and got rid
(27:57):
of everyone straight away then he brought his own players in and it doesn't work then
yeah he doesn't kind of look good in that sense but he brought in players who he needed
to bring in, brought Kurt back, eventually brought T.C. in and a few kind of other connections
he had eventually got rid of players who made my mind not fit his way of playing or not
(28:18):
an ego thing but if you didn't want to work hard or work hard for the team then yeah you're
not going to fit into a joke team because you want your front foot in everyone's faces
and if you don't want to do that then yeah you won't last long but yeah he had that balance
well and yeah he did well in his first season considering the...
And that was the year where we just kept scoring world after world you weren't it with net
cross-over? It was handy, it was nice for the end of season highlight reels at least
(28:41):
made my life easy.
Those goals were insane that year like absolutely.
I remember editing that highlight reel at the end of the season and just going to the
boat and just going these all could be goal of the year.
Oh easy, easy, they fit the way I absolutely meant them.
Just Nat and Nodder just having a competition within themselves I think especially that
Dunstan game. Yeah and the fog.
(29:03):
Oh god there's that one yeah you just remember the stockpump.
No I was thinking of Dunstan. I was thinking of Dunstan the last home game where I think
Nat took from the 30 yards and Curly and then yeah Nodder just teed himself up for one it
was just like felt like they just wanted to outdo each other.
No I remember both really good players and still scoring goals like that to this day.
Over time obviously back then you were starting now you are more of a squad player and that
(29:27):
has been a transition because we've had Bailey Baker now we've got Tom Charles with this
Kyle Austin I think snapping at both your heels at the moment for a place in the first
team. How has that transition been for you to accept that oh most of the time I am going
to be on the bench?
It's a lot easier than I thought I would have handled it.
Yeah again me and Pete joke probably last year and the year before when I'm on the bench
(29:51):
I'm kicking and heading every single ball.
Where if it's shirts I'd just do a little bit more.
I'm having a little bit more chilled but again it came from having a pre-season from Cricket
coming in after five or six league games lads are flying.
PC's absolutely having an unbelievable season so yeah I've not got that form.
I can't turn around and say I want to be star and I can't stand there.
(30:16):
So yeah I've just been waiting for my time and obviously things got suspended but there
were the three games I missed due to my work commitments.
And now PC's suspended again so that's filling and coming it right back.
Now I've had a conversation with Richo and I understand what my role is of being that
senior player and trying to help us.
The only thing I've got to say is I've got a new squad this year and yeah I'm looking
(30:39):
more towards my career as a footballer in terms of playing.
I'm picking up a lot from Richo and Richo's youth.
It's like mid-armor setting, I need what I think the team needs in terms of drills that
need doing in training or looking at different point of views just to make sure to let them
know.
I want to eventually get some kind of management and the coaching side of the non-league side
(31:02):
so yeah Richo's a perfect time as person to shadow and have advice as well as Ringian
and Pete.
So no I've taken it very well and I'm actually really really enjoying my football this year
whether I'm playing or sat watching and giving as much advice and help as much as I can.
Secret though, you know when we were at that Heaton and Stannington match and TC goes out
(31:25):
tackle and the red card comes in, are you secretly going yes that's free starts for
me over the next few weeks?
No because it came over Boxing Day, New Year's Day and I've flea-pulled two eggs so I would
have much preferred to have a drink over Christmas.
But no I don't think that, TC's been probably one of our best players this year in consistency
(31:46):
so the last thing I want to see is one of our best players get suspended.
With Tom Charles, he was with us about five years ago when you were here with your first
spell.
Yeah.
How has he changed because obviously now he is one of the best players in the squad but
then I think you and Ben Rhodes were beating him to the right back spot.
Yeah he was only a young, he was in what 1920 at the time, he's come back from playing week
(32:11):
in week out at Pennistoun, yeah it's just that consistency he's got now is better than
he's ever been.
You can't knock him in fellow right back, absolutely love it.
Did he have the hairband back then as well?
He might have done, I don't know actually, he had long hair but I don't think he had
a headband in.
So obviously that's something he's picked up at Pennistoun.
Yeah, that's a good question actually, I'll ask you about that.
But obviously James Morris was playing for that team as well weren't he?
(32:33):
Yeah, Mo's on loan to the fair, he was a speedboat, no driver at the time, I think he was 19,
before he went to America and he was so quick but he was like a rabbi in headlights, flat
on his 101s and stuff like that but he's come back and I don't know how he signed him for
Matlock, I went to watch Matlock against Spaulding a few months ago and Mo's played one of the
(32:57):
best players on the pitch so to then find out he was signed and I was like, what?
How?
So credit to them, again to Richo for selling him the dream of Stockford again but he'll
go on and play Hyrie, no doubt about that, unbelievable striker.
I think Chris Hilton might actually be coming onto this podcast soon, there has been some
talk and I might ask him which of his loanies is he going to recommend to Richo next?
(33:21):
Yeah fair enough.
It seems to work out at the moment.
Yeah no definitely, I'm trying to think of other ones that we haven't had.
Well there was Mitch Langton as well weren't there who was at the club before and then
came back and was a much better player when he came back.
Yeah the role was always Mitch.
So we've covered why you stayed this on but you've just mentioned a huge part of it, is
your plan to go into coaching after this?
Yeah not necessarily, I'd like to stay in kind of non-league or that.
(33:48):
That's what I've known, I've had opportunities to go down the scouting route but obviously
it's what my dad has but yeah I've had conversations with my old man in the special game, it's
a fickle, fickle sport and yeah if you think there's no lousy in the league then at the
professional level you get thrown under the bus, left right and sent there so yeah it'll
(34:09):
come the next few years I'll need to see whether I want to go into kind of non-league managing
or can I go down the scouting route but yeah I definitely want to stay in sport and yeah
if I get a free start I don't know what to do with myself so I'll definitely stay within
the playing football or coaching, managing scouting, doing whatever.
So when Ian Richards gets picked up by Manchester United obviously because they need someone
(34:30):
to fix that mess, would you be wanting to take over the touchline at Wreckingham?
I'd be the first one to put my hand up, I'd be knocking on Graves door so let's hope it
doesn't go in the next 5-10 years.
You've seen this on Twitter, we have been trying to collect some fan questions and I
have had some sent privately as well.
I'm not going to ask them all don't worry.
(34:53):
I'm sure most of them are not suitable for people of age.
So first question is from Mike Bailey, a photographer we have up quite a lot and someone else we're
going to try and get on the podcast at some point.
Which player, I think which Stokesbridge player, past or present would you most like to share
a hot tub with?
I'd like to share it with none of them, they're all scrubs.
(35:14):
I'll share the hot tub with quite a few of them, I'll take them down to a hour work for
a few recovery sessions.
I mean Tink have had a few moments in the hot tub together so I'll probably say my mate
Tink.
How sweet.
The next question is from Harry Verity, which is always a worrying thing to hear.
How many times a day do you think about the time you turned into a Prime David Seaman?
(35:36):
This is referring to your handball Pontifract where your Suarez moment which Ed Hall then
saved.
I've got one of our customers at work and I go visit him every six months, he's based
in Pontifract and he's a massive Pontifract fan and he was there at that game.
He didn't realise it was me until I went to my next meeting and I thought about it.
(35:57):
I think about that quite often and not the last time I played at Pontifract.
I've always been suspended.
Last year, I was suspended, even home underwear.
Hopefully I don't have to do that again but if needed.
Was that man you know the one that was shouting the expletives at you after you were watching
from the tunnel?
(36:18):
No, it wasn't one.
What did he say to you?
I can't repeat what he said to you because I watched it the other night.
He swears at you quite loudly right in front of that camera.
He was not happy with you.
Well, it has to be done unfortunately.
They're against Ponty, they're always big games and they're a class D and they're a
(36:43):
physical team so any abuse is welcome.
Was that season against Ponty because the reverse fixture was the Ben Partridge goal?
To be fair, it kind of kicks off there because I celebrated thinking we'd won, I thought
the ref would give full time.
They gave us foul so I ran on and then it's not a full time so I've gone back to get out.
Full time then happens, I ran back on and then one of their players just grabbed me by
(37:08):
the neck.
That was unintentional, I thought the ref would give full time, that's why I ran on.
But again, always good games.
This one's from Adam Teasdale, one of our fantastic fans.
He said, what would be your Stocksbridge 5 aside team from the players you've played
with over the years?
Great question.
Shall we go goalkeeper and then four outfielders?
(37:30):
Do I have to say Townsend?
No, I'm not.
I'm going to go Jacob Farnick, he was unbelievable.
That's going to drive Townsend mad, he's going to be on your case now.
He did play for Man United, he played at Newport, he played at Sunderland, I think he just gets
over Townsend.
However you set up your other four.
(37:51):
Yeah, I'm not going to pick myself, I'm a traffic fan.
Are we thinking Rees Fielding or Charlie Oglesby?
No, I'll probably go Iggy or Elf, what are those two?
I'm going to force you to pick one.
Elliot, because he's not bad on the ball as well.
Yes, he's really good on the ball, I didn't expect that.
(38:12):
I'm going to go Rees as well, he's good on the ball.
So two more players, so it's like midfielder and attacker you're thinking of here.
I'm going to go Alec Wilde in the field.
Oh he is a top player.
Put him in midfielder and go.
It's five a side mate, you've only got one more, you picked two defenders.
Oh yeah, I've done that.
Wait, I've got one keeper, two defenders.
Oh yeah, I wanted an attacker there.
(38:34):
Okay, get rid of Rees.
Oh sorry Rees.
Yeah, I'll keep Elliot.
Yeah, Alec Wilde and Scott Rutherford is an unbelievable five a side player.
Really?
He's touched the joke, so I'm getting Scott in there.
He's having a fantastic year.
And then up top I'm going, I'm going to man you.
Well, just a shame he can't score penalties against us isn't it?
(38:56):
I know, well I'll have to keep it that way.
I'm taking that digging because he's the loveliest person and he'll take it completely and be so nice,
but then he'll score against us probably when we do on New Year's Day.
Yeah, he's doing crap.
Yeah, well this comes out after New Year's Day thankfully.
But yeah, they were the fan questions, so Joe thank you very much for joining us.
Just to tell everyone, we've had like half an hour's worth of technical issues trying to set this thing up beforehand,
(39:20):
which is why we turned bald trying to sort it out.
Well hopefully everything's all good and we've not bored everyone or people can listen to this and go to sleep, it's not a problem.
I don't think we'll have bored anyone.
I think you've been too harsh on yourself.
I think it's been great to have, you know, stopped for just longest serving player here.
No problem.
(39:41):
Thank you very much for joining us and going through all those technical issues.
Pleasure, thanks for having me and hopefully a few more players hop on and yeah, looking forward, especially a tilt jump.
Definitely, we are going to try and wrangle some more players, especially from that era, very soon.
So thank you very much, Jordan Lemon.
No worries, thank you.
Well, that was brilliant and I'd like to thank Jordan Lemon again for sharing his time with us.
(40:12):
If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please give us five stars and a review on whatever platform you're listening to.
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But if you give us five stars and the review, ideally positive, but apparently it doesn't really matter what you say on it.
It really does help us.
(40:33):
It gets us seen by more people on these platforms and that means more listeners and then it just kind of goes like a big bang if you go down the hill.
Also, if you're a former Stocksfish player, official, manager or anything to do with the club and you'd like to be on the podcast, please do get in touch.
We're always looking for guests for future episodes and we'd love to hear from you because no matter who you are, no matter how much you had to do with the club, I think everyone's got an interesting story to tell and we'd like to tell it.
(41:02):
Anyway, I've been Adam Alcroft and I'll see you for the next episode.
Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Steel's Talk. I'm your host Adam Alcroft and
(00:20):
I'd like to thank you for listening to us over the million other podcasts that are available
to you. I'm recording this after the first two episodes of Graham Furniss and Peter Rinkcavage
have gone out and it's amazing to see the brilliant response we've got to those podcasts.
Thank you so much for enjoying what we've done so far and hopefully we're going to be
able to provide more of the same over the next few months.
(00:41):
In today's episode we talk to Stocksbridge's longest serving player Jordan Lemon. He came
here in 2018 and he's been an ever present to the side ever since. We talked to him about
his other love of cricket, how a one bum flown with the Steel's became a six year stay and
how close he came to leaving the club a few years ago. Thank you for listening and I hope
you enjoy this episode with Jordan Lemon.
(01:12):
Well hello Jordan, thank you for coming on to Steel's Talk, the first current Stocksbridge
player to come on and talk to me. You're the brave one I think.
I'm either guinea pig, you know what it is.
The absolute guinea pig because the others are absolutely terrified of talking to me
most of the time as a microphone evolved. I could strike fear into the eyes of Luke
Rawson by saying the word interview.
(01:33):
Yeah bless him. I've still not seen him do one at Belfort either.
Obviously they're media guys, not as forceful as I am.
You're neat mate, one of a kind aren't you?
Because you're the guinea pig and we're trying to be kind to you as you're starting, we're
going to start off talking about something that's to be honest balls, meat, tears, we're
going to talk about cricket because that's one of your big loves in life, I think it's
(01:55):
fair to say.
Definitely, definitely.
Because right now you're playing for Chesterfield Cricket Club which is a very historic Queens
road, at least Wikipedia tells me it's historic.
Queens Park yeah, Queens Park.
And you got promoted this year.
We did, Chesterfield have been, well we were going to announce to be one of the best teams
in Derbyshire, to play in the Derbyshire league. Unfortunately about five years ago they got
(02:19):
relegated to Division 1 and then yeah, this past season we got the back of our wood into
the Premier League.
I saw you were interim captain at the start of the year, how long did that last for?
I did it for 10 games or 10 league games it was, a few cup games.
Harry Wilmot, the actual captain, had been a school friend of his since we were 11 or
(02:39):
12 so when he asked me in the winter if I could do it, he was coming back from a ACL
injury which he picked up playing last season.
So he asked me if I could do it and I was like yeah, of course it would be an absolute
honour. Unfortunately in the first three games we played 3-1, one lost two.
But at that point I was going to hand it back to someone else but I stuck with it and luckily
(03:02):
yeah, toward the end of the season we came good and got the note.
The idea of someone who had played cricket and football is a bit of an old fashioned
idea in many ways because it's something that happened in the pro game of both sports in
the 70s I think. Ian Bofen played for Scunthorpe United as well as being one of the best cricket
players and I know Ted Elmsley, but there's also Ted Elmsley who played for Sheffield
(03:24):
United and then played for Shropshire at Bramall Lane when it was a cricket ground.
There's a, I think the former Arsenal skipper, I can't remember what his name was, he was
the same, he played for England's cricket I believe, this was back in the, I think it
was like in the 20s or 30s but I just picked up naturally from my dad when he used to be
playing football, he started playing cricket again.
Growing up it was football and cricket, they were massive sports.
(03:47):
So we're going to do you one of these like double choice questions.
You get a phone call from Derbyshire Cricket Club saying can you play in our test match
tomorrow and you get a phone call just a few minutes later from Chesterfield saying we
need you at right back on Saturday.
You can only do one, which one would you pick?
Oh no, that's an easy one, that'd be football all day for that one.
(04:09):
So is football still priority over cricket?
It depends who's asking me if the gap is asking me football.
To be fair, the gap is always cricket as well so this season was the first time I've ever
missed a pre-season and the start of the season to finish off my cricket season because I've
been over that for about four or five weeks so I've always missed the last four or five
(04:32):
weeks of the cricket season to concentrate on my football but as I'm not getting any
younger, my cricket you can play until you're 40 or 50 just football.
I've probably only got a few years left so it's slowly moving into the cricket side of
things and the gap I'd really understand then is fine.
Hence why I've not played a lot this season but it's completely fine.
(04:53):
It's totally understandable but yeah, it depends who's asking.
That's the answer to that question.
Does it help because Ian Richards is a big cricket fan, played in plenty of cricket teams
himself alongside Duncan and his dad actually, is it really helpful having someone who he's
also a big cricket lover rather than maybe someone who would, like me, who doesn't really
care much about the sport?
(05:13):
I don't know, it's nice to me.
He's a little bit more understanding of probably our previous managers as well as I know.
I remember Hilton, the last pre-season game on a Saturday and then the football season
started following the week and he was like, I need you for the last pre-season game.
I was like, what cricket? He was like, well, you kind of need to pick.
(05:34):
So I was like, right, so I'll probably play football.
That was back in four or five years ago probably.
But no, yeah, Richards, he understands commitment whether it's other sports, cricket, whether
it's work commitments or football.
He doesn't pay our bills, he doesn't pay our mortgages unfortunately so yeah, he's
very understanding of it.
So because you've spent plenty of time in a cricket dressing room and a football dressing
(05:55):
room, are they quite similar or is there any big differences between the two?
Oh no, massive difference.
The football dressing rooms are totally unique.
Our dressing room, some of the things that goes on tonight, oh my gosh.
Obviously you can see the bus juniors home, there's a few individuals that I'm not going
to name, in fact I'm going to name Ben Townsend.
You've just absolutely just dobed him in there.
(06:17):
That guy's on a different planet.
He's one of a kind but he's the type of people you need to have in your dressing room.
Whereas cricket's a little bit more, I wouldn't say more of a gentleman's sport but it's
if you're saying anything to an umpire, literally you're not playing the next week, you can
get instant ban.
So how do you play any cricket games?
Well this is it, I kind of take things out on referees because I can't do it on umpires,
(06:40):
I take it all back straight on the referees.
But isn't it the case, because obviously in cricket you must be in the dressing room a
lot because is it the case when you're batting and you're not in it, you've either gone out
or you're still waiting, you're all in the dressing room together?
Yeah so it's a weird one cricket because it is, it's an individual sport within a team
sport so yeah it's been about, you could be out there for five minutes, you could be out
there buying for two hours and you're soon back in the dressing room but yeah everyone
(07:04):
stays there and watches, kind of watches the game sit together but it's a little bit more
chilled.
Some guys even like to go for a little sleep before they're out to buy and stuff like that
so it's a little bit more chilled out, there's no loud news, you're gone in the changing
room etc.
It's yeah, it's a very chilled environment.
So but obviously it's not just cricket and football, you also, you like to play a bit
of golf as well as your regular type golf days.
(07:27):
Yeah, yeah golf's one of those sports, you need to play it all the time if you want to
get any good at it but no it's, we've got quite a few golfers in the team, we've got
a few family members who play golf who I've naturally, like my grandma, she's nearly 90,
she plays every day so I kind of get things from the family from my dad and grandma so
yeah, golf's another sport which I'm not quite as good at but yeah I do love my golf.
(07:51):
You say this but I've done my research and found out at aged 13 you've got a hole in
one with your family watching.
Yeah it was my grandma was the, she was lady captain, so it was lady captain's day up in
the, she's from the north east of Newcastle and yeah I was one of the guests there playing
and the fourth hole went back on yourself, it went across the, where the clubhouse is
(08:12):
and yeah I was 13.
I actually think that I didn't hit it well and yeah I went straight in and I just ran
off and everyone watching.
Was it proper football, was it a knee slide on the green?
Not quite, not having chucked off, it was more of a just running around like Shearer
with one hand in the air.
Is that a Middlesbrough fan saying they ran around like Shearer?
Yeah do you know what, I don't score often but if you know it when I do it's always one
(08:35):
hand in the air.
I'm gonna have to watch those back now just to.
Yeah honestly you'll pick it up now.
You're one of the few we've got every single golfer on film.
Admittedly that's on one hand but.
Yeah I don't think that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Some other, no I noted I didn't properly realise, I've always known that your dad was a football
(08:56):
scout because he scouted for quite a lot of teams, I didn't realise he was a professional
player himself.
Yeah well again he's from Middlesbrough hence my Middlesbrough, parts of Bowling Connection,
played for Sunderland and then got transferred to Cheshire in the early 90s and then came
with my mum to settle down here and me and my sister ended up just living down here with
my mum and dad and yeah the rest of the family are back off to the north but yeah this is
(09:20):
why, well that's where we're living, Cheshire Field and hence because you got transferred
there from Sunderland.
So when you have like a professional player as a dad do you think that's a help when you're
trying to have a sporting career or do you think it's a bit of a hindrance because you
might have that extra pressure put on you?
I wouldn't say there's pressure it's not much, it can help in both ways.
(09:42):
I think he knows best, he knows what it takes to make it and I remember at 12 or 13 he was
telling me, you need to start eating some weights, you need to start eating better and
I just wasn't interested, I just thought because I thought I was good enough it would have
been enough but looking back it's something I do wish I had listened to him a little bit
more because sometimes if he's your dad you tend to not listen to him as much but yeah
(10:05):
he's been there, done that, he's over 300 or 400 appearances in the football league
so he kind of knows what it does, he does know what it takes.
I remember playing these, I played for shy book, I was like 17 or 18 or 18 in the FA
bars and one of the, I think one or two of the Heener fans, I was playing right wing
at the time and shouted on, I was like F'ing in Jeff and like you've failed, footballing,
(10:27):
your dad will be ashamed, look at the three of you either and I felt like what?
Why is that irrelevant?
Why is Sharman that is me?
But no and to say he doesn't get to come to a lot of our games, he's always watching
players and other teams or whatever the team is scouting for but he did go to the game
at home to Pickering and that's where that left footed volley so he was a bit shocked
(10:52):
to see that one going.
Does that mean we need to get him back to more games so he can score more goals?
Yeah he can do, he can, I think he might be coming to the football league away so that
could be a good omen.
So the follow up question was going to be that when your dad has come to see you as
he is a scout, has he ever spotted any players that he's gone recommended to the club he's
(11:13):
working for at the time?
Yeah so I've told him about Iggy, not that Iggy is on low from forward but he's most
definitely going to go on to bigger and better things and stop for his stuff, no offence
obviously to our club.
I think we can all see it, he is a fantastic defender.
He's an old fashioned centre-off and a young lad, he's a really good player.
(11:35):
Who else?
Lewis who used to play for us.
Yeah that's Lewis with him.
Unfortunately for Lewis it is me but my dad, my dad knew about him, told about a fallback
for Newcastle Town, he went up to sign for Salford and then I had a, when I was at Stamford
(11:56):
just for a few games in pre-season we had a centre midfielder, Giovanni Brown, he played
scuttled over the pre-season friendly and he did really well against.
Giovanni Brown was no longer with Stamford the week after and went on to sign for Cambridge.
But yeah there's a few, there's been a few really good players.
I remember the fallback for Stockton, I thought his name was the right one.
(12:19):
Well the load of those players were really good for Stockton.
Yeah told them about him, he went and got watched a few times but unfortunately he wasn't
in but yeah there's been a few so I kind of do a few lookouts for any players that we
have.
So you're a sort of mini scout?
Mini scout in the non-league system because the clubs, especially if they call out at
(12:39):
the minute and they're important on the week too but yeah the non-league is sometimes where
you can find a good young player and yeah there's a chance for them to get picked up.
We've seen some examples, you played alongside Harrison Biggins didn't you as well or was
that just...
No no no, I played against Harrison for numerous clubs but no I didn't play with Harrison.
So you just didn't align because obviously I use the biggest latest name to come from
(13:02):
Stokesbury as well so we have one particular name that I think I've got to down a shot
on if I mention him.
There's a way to try and limit me mentioning him.
Let's not mention him.
Scott Ogden we're obviously talking about.
Yeah that's it and Jack Morgan.
These strikers I don't get, even beforehand before the certain player it was always strikers
(13:25):
that came from Stokesbury because it was Lee Wills in the 90s.
I probably ringed him and he didn't get moves.
He was too loyal you see.
Yeah that's it, I've felt by a lot of these days.
Something else I know as well looking into is that you seem to have done a lot of coaching
in America when you were young.
What was all of that about?
Someone came into our college, Sam must have been 18, no I was 19, I was in my third year
at college just playing for the college team, wasn't really taking football seriously but
(13:51):
it wasn't my main priority.
I wanted to go on to uni etc.
But someone came into the college, gave a big seminar on opportunities in America, one
of my close pals Brad, he was like yeah let's go for it.
So I did two summers there for about three months and then my third year I went over
(14:11):
for about nine months, got kind of a club, I got given Cincinnati United and I was just
coaching there, young ones from ages from like six up to about ten.
But yeah I absolutely loved it over there.
So what was it like being a young man over in America presumably away from family?
Oh I hated it, hated every second of it, it was horrible, didn't enjoy it.
(14:35):
Pretty much trouble did you get into from the sounds of it now?
No, silly.
That was bad.
Was there a Ben Townsend with you?
Yeah, no he did a Ben Ambrose summer over there, they were based up in Connecticut so
I wasn't where they were based but yeah they did a summer in America as well.
Is this just something that people from Chesterfield go do if they're interested in football, to
(14:55):
go coach in America?
Yeah I think, well especially when you're younger, 18, 19, the opportunities over in
America, everything's paid for, yeah go have some fun, coach a bit of football.
We've seen quite a lot of lads from non-league go do these scholarships in America, Curt
and Danny Deakin is one of them and it led to Danny Deakin's favourite thing of we get
to mention caca to him every 10 seconds as if he's not totally sick of it yet.
(15:20):
But is that something you wish you had done, joined one of those colleges and had the scholarship
route and got educated over there?
No no I tried, I studied three years college over here, went over to America for the summer,
came back and then I was like oh that's it I want to go to uni over there so I applied,
got two offers, one in South Carolina, probably the one that's grown basically because that's
(15:43):
up a year out of education, I lost a year's eligibility so I couldn't have got given a
full scholarship so I had to pay like, it seems like 80,000 pounds or dollars and they
don't do student loans or anything like that in America and so it's yeah it's, I couldn't
obviously afford or my parents couldn't afford to do that.
I don't think it was 80,000, I think it was 50,000 actually.
(16:04):
Still a lot of money.
Yeah I tried to so if you don't go straight from education I think it's a lot harder to
get a scholarship.
Would you recommend that route for all your players going over to America and trying their
hand over there?
I play it well, I'm not sure, I'll see Curt and Deeks have played it, Mod has played over
there as well, I think Mod's actually played it in the top university league over there
(16:28):
so he played it in really high standard but I wouldn't know.
Go to Inns if you just want to go explore the world for a young 17, 18, 19 year old
and yeah go to it.
We're going to talk about stories soon but firstly I want to ask about another club that
I quite like because it's a team I went to a bit see a lot of and it probably turns out
I probably saw a lot of you because I was at university the same time you were there
(16:49):
but Lincoln United because you are a fan favourite over there I believe.
Yeah I'm not going to tell a story but I wind the lads up at Scotchwoods because until last
year until Matt Cotton got into the team of the year I got into the team of the year in
2017 season, playing fullback and I always remind teams if you're the other lads, team
(17:13):
of the year have you got it?
Yeah, oh it's a shame.
You mean Ben Townsend doesn't bring the Fat Cup top of his on the bench for team of the
year?
Yeah that's typical Townsend in it but no Lincoln United are not my league starter for
me but yeah they go great, kind of give me an opportunity and the manager at the time
perhaps who I played for from the numerous different clubs, yeah lovely club, very similar
(17:35):
to Scotchwoods, very community based, lots of people behind the scenes who have got the
full front of their mind and their interests but no actually loved it and I've been to
a few, went a few times and it was a lovely little club.
The news has just come out about Callum Smith who's been there for I think about 80 years
now, he's just left the club, what can you tell me about Callum Smith because that's,
(17:56):
he's been there 17 years genuinely and that's an extraordinary amount of time to be at one
club.
Oh no it's insane again you don't get that in no matter what level of football you play
someone's been there for 17 years it's insane, yeah it's such a good life, one of the funniest
guys I've ever met Cal and a really really good player and still a really good player
(18:18):
and I think he's gone to Boston Sam.
Yeah I think that's why I saw him as well, I don't know Lincolnshire that well so.
No I think there's a few ex-players I know fielded it or might still be at Boston so
there still might be a collection there for a few old players but no he has to do what
he's doing to play, what was it 560 games I think he played for them.
It's like 561 which is just that's mad.
(18:43):
Yeah yeah, make way off it.
Is there just something about Lincoln United that breeds loyalty because Matthew Cotton
you've mentioned is he's a top player he always seems to score about two goals against
us every time with ASEM and when they did get relegated a couple years to the Midlands
League I was like well surely he's going to make that move to another step four side or
step three which is probably good but he stayed anti and it seems like that Lincoln United
(19:05):
has a lot of players who have been there for a long time.
Yeah that's just some thought that's what kind of club it is and the people who are
there it's a club you want to play for and want to do well against boxes he could have
played much much higher probably two or three levels of what he played at but again some
people aren't motivated by different things if he's happy to play at Lincoln United so
(19:27):
yeah credit to him.
So we'll move on to the move to Stocksbridge because you were at Map Locktown which is
another team I went to see loads of times before coming to Stocksbridge you were Dave
Frecklington was manager at the time I believe.
Yeah.
And then you move on loan to Stocksbridge and it was only meant to be a short term thing
weren't it?
Yeah certainly.
So yeah Freck's who was with Lincoln and Spalding yeah he took me to or asked me to
(19:51):
sign for Map Lock Town and Spalding off in Map Lock being kind of on my doorstep as a
no-brainer played a few games went away to St. Neops and the one of the epic trophy I
think it is got knocked out competition so I was out for what I couldn't play for two
weeks went to play staffs shield away and I just got a phone call late the night before
(20:12):
the half like you're not in the squad tomorrow but I want you to go out and get some games
so you're ready I thought that's fine no worries had kind of a relationship with Hiltz just
playing against Stocksbridge and I always admired him I was 15 played myself at Stocksbridge
as a pitch that was part of it.
So I was like yeah let's ask him if we can do the right back for a month and he was like
(20:35):
yeah come join us as I was on loan at Stocksbridge for the third week in Freck's released the
other right back so I was like oh perfect I'll just go straight back to Map Lock.
And then a week later he gives me a call I think he's going to come back and he's like
oh I'm signing and I think it's Lee Beaver his name is.
He's like Lincoln City and Mansfield like a season pro he's like I just needed you to
(21:00):
stay at Stocksbridge you know I'm like alright cheers.
So I ended up staying and Freck ended up losing his job at Map Lock so yeah ended up
staying and loved it. Loved it every game since.
Because it's been pretty much six years because it's December I think December 2018 so did
(21:22):
you when you thought oh I'm just going there for a month did you ever think oh I'm still
going to be there in 2024?
Do you know what I think it was Ross I think too it might have been like a year or two
in and I said to him I'll end up finishing my career at Stocksbridge and it's again a
lovely club there's no need to go and want to play football as well as these people.
Especially down at our level playing for Stocksbridge you can go to other clubs lower divisions
(21:46):
in particular double your money I'm not really naming the names so it's usual and that.
Everyone naturally it's if you get off in more money at a different job then why wouldn't
you go and take it. So yeah if people probably want to move for different reasons but I said
to Ross years ago I was like I'll finish up my career at Stocksbridge I know that's
the ad I don't have no plans on leaving unless the gaffer wants to get rid of it.
(22:10):
So you were in what was actually a very good like Stocksbridge squad in 2018-19 that were
very close to the playoffs and we all know about Stocksbridge's lower budgets so it was
very impressive. What was that squad like and did you think that you would be able to get
pushing to top five?
Yeah I think the match of our first year we were fighting relegation and we had an unbelievable
team like insane. So how they were fighting relegation yeah the second year no I always
(22:35):
knew budgets are irrelevant like it doesn't matter who you're getting at sometimes the
more money you offer people the higher chance of getting kind of a few egos on the team
and you've got players dropping down from step two step three and yeah they've not got
the kind of the club at heart or the club's best interest they just want to go for a kind
of a payday which is fair enough so sometimes actually having a lower budget can actually
(22:58):
help a team.
Jack Tinker said the same when he was doing a Dakia's documentary in the summer makes
you hungrier.
Yeah yeah it does it and especially playing against other clubs who have got a lot better
resources than us having that underdog mentality can kind of it does help you and it gives
you that extra five to ten percent egos on the match there.
(23:19):
Obviously that Hilton's what it was you know and it was looking good before the pandemic
hit as well in 2020 was it was it just a good spirit around that team because that was when
I started coming in you could tell that everyone was good friends within the squad.
Yeah and to be fair I think the budget's a lot worse now than it was in that kind of
time but yeah it's similar to the squad we've got now just players wanting to play for the
(23:44):
club right a few lads who were he had a couple of Chetfield, Sheffield lads because they
were Donny lads so they kind of had different kind of friendships within the squad so no
he's a close knit squad and yeah a shame off the coast of Cambridge.
Is there any stories you can tell about any of the lads in that squad and although do
we make them legal because I know Josh Nodder was in that squad.
(24:05):
Yeah that's just Nodder.
I can't say anything.
Does every squad need a character like that because obviously we've got Townsend now and
we know the things Townsend says and it's very amusing and Nodder seemed to fit that
role before and does every squad need a bit of a character I think is the politest way
of saying it.
Oh no definitely it's massively important so it's kind of a team's morale as well sometimes
(24:29):
you can lose games and you need someone who's always positive who's always going to have
a joke around and have a laugh with everyone otherwise you're going into training you're
going into match days just kind of all sat there especially the young lads these days
they just want to come and sit on the phone and not talk to anyone so obviously having
Townsend there to annoy people I think it's needed.
Obviously towards the end of Hilton's time you know the very shortened season it wasn't
(24:53):
a brilliant time other than a few odd games and then he quit very quickly into 21, 22
so we have that change Ian Richards comes in after a bit.
What was your thinking when Hilton left and then when the change came of Ian Richards
becoming the new manager?
That's the only time where I nearly left just because Tom Oel got the job but was kind
(25:15):
of interim manager and yeah I remember Hilton kind of quitting, played handball in the
club when he did the changing room runs yeah he was obviously really upset which kind
of riles me and a few of the other kind of senior players at the time.
I remember standing outside that dressing room waiting to do an interview with Chris
Hilton that never happened because he quit and I heard so many loud voices I heard I
(25:37):
saw some storming off.
Yeah I remember Lutz was chucking his boots around he understood what the club meant to
Hilton and the players we massively let him down but then Tom Oel kind of filled in and
Tom Oel was the assistant so everyone wanted to do well for Tom Oel and then Lee Attenborough
(26:00):
who was the health manager who was at Loughborough at the time he was like do you want to come
in? Yeah I had two of the lads there who I played with at Lincoln, Nodder and Jack,
the team that Hills off of but not Sad but Hills less and he asked me if I wanted to
come I was like oh and that's the only time where I've been here with him but I wanted
to have a conversation with Richo Furtivore making the decision and Richo was like no
(26:23):
I want you I want you to stay so yeah ended up staying I'm glad it hit.
So what did Richo say to you to persuade you to stay?
No it wasn't anything to persuade me to stay it was more of what his plans were for the
club he sat all the lads down and had a meeting and what kind of what he expected from everyone
in his first training session the intensity just rose 34% it was crazy and it was someone
(26:48):
who I knew straight away I was going to get along with and me and him all joking about
him I kind of wish he was I and him as my manager back when I was like 20, 21, 22 because
I do feel like he would have he had a kick me on a lot more than maybe previous managers
would have just more in terms of kind of tactical senses and if my manager was my manager at
(27:11):
the time, Fretz, I love Fretz to basically do the world for me but Fretz is an old school
manager and yeah having to make sure maybe Fretz and Richo would have been an ideal combination
but yeah he's a really good manager and yeah so I'm glad I stayed.
I remember back at that time and it was interesting because I remember me and Richard Hayes who
did the media time when Hilton left and Richard came in we were basically planning for oh
(27:34):
there's going to be a whole squad change because that's typically what happens in non-league
when a manager changes that you have like 10 players leave and 10 come in and yet that
just didn't happen we had a couple leave and obviously a few people started filtering in
how did he manage that with the squad and how did he keep the dressing room up after
obviously they were so despondent to Answorth when Hilton resigned?
Yeah I think he could have come in and just kind of ripped the team apart and got rid
(27:57):
of everyone straight away then he brought his own players in and it doesn't work then
yeah he doesn't kind of look good in that sense but he brought in players who he needed
to bring in, brought Kurt back, eventually brought T.C. in and a few kind of other connections
he had eventually got rid of players who made my mind not fit his way of playing or not
(28:18):
an ego thing but if you didn't want to work hard or work hard for the team then yeah you're
not going to fit into a joke team because you want your front foot in everyone's faces
and if you don't want to do that then yeah you won't last long but yeah he had that balance
well and yeah he did well in his first season considering the...
And that was the year where we just kept scoring world after world you weren't it with net
cross-over? It was handy, it was nice for the end of season highlight reels at least
(28:41):
made my life easy.
Those goals were insane that year like absolutely.
I remember editing that highlight reel at the end of the season and just going to the
boat and just going these all could be goal of the year.
Oh easy, easy, they fit the way I absolutely meant them.
Just Nat and Nodder just having a competition within themselves I think especially that
Dunstan game. Yeah and the fog.
(29:03):
Oh god there's that one yeah you just remember the stockpump.
No I was thinking of Dunstan. I was thinking of Dunstan the last home game where I think
Nat took from the 30 yards and Curly and then yeah Nodder just teed himself up for one it
was just like felt like they just wanted to outdo each other.
No I remember both really good players and still scoring goals like that to this day.
Over time obviously back then you were starting now you are more of a squad player and that
(29:27):
has been a transition because we've had Bailey Baker now we've got Tom Charles with this
Kyle Austin I think snapping at both your heels at the moment for a place in the first
team. How has that transition been for you to accept that oh most of the time I am going
to be on the bench?
It's a lot easier than I thought I would have handled it.
Yeah again me and Pete joke probably last year and the year before when I'm on the bench
(29:51):
I'm kicking and heading every single ball.
Where if it's shirts I'd just do a little bit more.
I'm having a little bit more chilled but again it came from having a pre-season from Cricket
coming in after five or six league games lads are flying.
PC's absolutely having an unbelievable season so yeah I've not got that form.
I can't turn around and say I want to be star and I can't stand there.
(30:16):
So yeah I've just been waiting for my time and obviously things got suspended but there
were the three games I missed due to my work commitments.
And now PC's suspended again so that's filling and coming it right back.
Now I've had a conversation with Richo and I understand what my role is of being that
senior player and trying to help us.
The only thing I've got to say is I've got a new squad this year and yeah I'm looking
(30:39):
more towards my career as a footballer in terms of playing.
I'm picking up a lot from Richo and Richo's youth.
It's like mid-armor setting, I need what I think the team needs in terms of drills that
need doing in training or looking at different point of views just to make sure to let them
know.
I want to eventually get some kind of management and the coaching side of the non-league side
(31:02):
so yeah Richo's a perfect time as person to shadow and have advice as well as Ringian
and Pete.
So no I've taken it very well and I'm actually really really enjoying my football this year
whether I'm playing or sat watching and giving as much advice and help as much as I can.
Secret though, you know when we were at that Heaton and Stannington match and TC goes out
(31:25):
tackle and the red card comes in, are you secretly going yes that's free starts for
me over the next few weeks?
No because it came over Boxing Day, New Year's Day and I've flea-pulled two eggs so I would
have much preferred to have a drink over Christmas.
But no I don't think that, TC's been probably one of our best players this year in consistency
(31:46):
so the last thing I want to see is one of our best players get suspended.
With Tom Charles, he was with us about five years ago when you were here with your first
spell.
Yeah.
How has he changed because obviously now he is one of the best players in the squad but
then I think you and Ben Rhodes were beating him to the right back spot.
Yeah he was only a young, he was in what 1920 at the time, he's come back from playing week
(32:11):
in week out at Pennistoun, yeah it's just that consistency he's got now is better than
he's ever been.
You can't knock him in fellow right back, absolutely love it.
Did he have the hairband back then as well?
He might have done, I don't know actually, he had long hair but I don't think he had
a headband in.
So obviously that's something he's picked up at Pennistoun.
Yeah, that's a good question actually, I'll ask you about that.
But obviously James Morris was playing for that team as well weren't he?
(32:33):
Yeah, Mo's on loan to the fair, he was a speedboat, no driver at the time, I think he was 19,
before he went to America and he was so quick but he was like a rabbi in headlights, flat
on his 101s and stuff like that but he's come back and I don't know how he signed him for
Matlock, I went to watch Matlock against Spaulding a few months ago and Mo's played one of the
(32:57):
best players on the pitch so to then find out he was signed and I was like, what?
How?
So credit to them, again to Richo for selling him the dream of Stockford again but he'll
go on and play Hyrie, no doubt about that, unbelievable striker.
I think Chris Hilton might actually be coming onto this podcast soon, there has been some
talk and I might ask him which of his loanies is he going to recommend to Richo next?
(33:21):
Yeah fair enough.
It seems to work out at the moment.
Yeah no definitely, I'm trying to think of other ones that we haven't had.
Well there was Mitch Langton as well weren't there who was at the club before and then
came back and was a much better player when he came back.
Yeah the role was always Mitch.
So we've covered why you stayed this on but you've just mentioned a huge part of it, is
your plan to go into coaching after this?
Yeah not necessarily, I'd like to stay in kind of non-league or that.
(33:48):
That's what I've known, I've had opportunities to go down the scouting route but obviously
it's what my dad has but yeah I've had conversations with my old man in the special game, it's
a fickle, fickle sport and yeah if you think there's no lousy in the league then at the
professional level you get thrown under the bus, left right and sent there so yeah it'll
(34:09):
come the next few years I'll need to see whether I want to go into kind of non-league managing
or can I go down the scouting route but yeah I definitely want to stay in sport and yeah
if I get a free start I don't know what to do with myself so I'll definitely stay within
the playing football or coaching, managing scouting, doing whatever.
So when Ian Richards gets picked up by Manchester United obviously because they need someone
(34:30):
to fix that mess, would you be wanting to take over the touchline at Wreckingham?
I'd be the first one to put my hand up, I'd be knocking on Graves door so let's hope it
doesn't go in the next 5-10 years.
You've seen this on Twitter, we have been trying to collect some fan questions and I
have had some sent privately as well.
I'm not going to ask them all don't worry.
(34:53):
I'm sure most of them are not suitable for people of age.
So first question is from Mike Bailey, a photographer we have up quite a lot and someone else we're
going to try and get on the podcast at some point.
Which player, I think which Stokesbridge player, past or present would you most like to share
a hot tub with?
I'd like to share it with none of them, they're all scrubs.
(35:14):
I'll share the hot tub with quite a few of them, I'll take them down to a hour work for
a few recovery sessions.
I mean Tink have had a few moments in the hot tub together so I'll probably say my mate
Tink.
How sweet.
The next question is from Harry Verity, which is always a worrying thing to hear.
How many times a day do you think about the time you turned into a Prime David Seaman?
(35:36):
This is referring to your handball Pontifract where your Suarez moment which Ed Hall then
saved.
I've got one of our customers at work and I go visit him every six months, he's based
in Pontifract and he's a massive Pontifract fan and he was there at that game.
He didn't realise it was me until I went to my next meeting and I thought about it.
(35:57):
I think about that quite often and not the last time I played at Pontifract.
I've always been suspended.
Last year, I was suspended, even home underwear.
Hopefully I don't have to do that again but if needed.
Was that man you know the one that was shouting the expletives at you after you were watching
from the tunnel?
(36:18):
No, it wasn't one.
What did he say to you?
I can't repeat what he said to you because I watched it the other night.
He swears at you quite loudly right in front of that camera.
He was not happy with you.
Well, it has to be done unfortunately.
They're against Ponty, they're always big games and they're a class D and they're a
(36:43):
physical team so any abuse is welcome.
Was that season against Ponty because the reverse fixture was the Ben Partridge goal?
To be fair, it kind of kicks off there because I celebrated thinking we'd won, I thought
the ref would give full time.
They gave us foul so I ran on and then it's not a full time so I've gone back to get out.
Full time then happens, I ran back on and then one of their players just grabbed me by
(37:08):
the neck.
That was unintentional, I thought the ref would give full time, that's why I ran on.
But again, always good games.
This one's from Adam Teasdale, one of our fantastic fans.
He said, what would be your Stocksbridge 5 aside team from the players you've played
with over the years?
Great question.
Shall we go goalkeeper and then four outfielders?
(37:30):
Do I have to say Townsend?
No, I'm not.
I'm going to go Jacob Farnick, he was unbelievable.
That's going to drive Townsend mad, he's going to be on your case now.
He did play for Man United, he played at Newport, he played at Sunderland, I think he just gets
over Townsend.
However you set up your other four.
(37:51):
Yeah, I'm not going to pick myself, I'm a traffic fan.
Are we thinking Rees Fielding or Charlie Oglesby?
No, I'll probably go Iggy or Elf, what are those two?
I'm going to force you to pick one.
Elliot, because he's not bad on the ball as well.
Yes, he's really good on the ball, I didn't expect that.
(38:12):
I'm going to go Rees as well, he's good on the ball.
So two more players, so it's like midfielder and attacker you're thinking of here.
I'm going to go Alec Wilde in the field.
Oh he is a top player.
Put him in midfielder and go.
It's five a side mate, you've only got one more, you picked two defenders.
Oh yeah, I've done that.
Wait, I've got one keeper, two defenders.
Oh yeah, I wanted an attacker there.
(38:34):
Okay, get rid of Rees.
Oh sorry Rees.
Yeah, I'll keep Elliot.
Yeah, Alec Wilde and Scott Rutherford is an unbelievable five a side player.
Really?
He's touched the joke, so I'm getting Scott in there.
He's having a fantastic year.
And then up top I'm going, I'm going to man you.
Well, just a shame he can't score penalties against us isn't it?
(38:56):
I know, well I'll have to keep it that way.
I'm taking that digging because he's the loveliest person and he'll take it completely and be so nice,
but then he'll score against us probably when we do on New Year's Day.
Yeah, he's doing crap.
Yeah, well this comes out after New Year's Day thankfully.
But yeah, they were the fan questions, so Joe thank you very much for joining us.
Just to tell everyone, we've had like half an hour's worth of technical issues trying to set this thing up beforehand,
(39:20):
which is why we turned bald trying to sort it out.
Well hopefully everything's all good and we've not bored everyone or people can listen to this and go to sleep, it's not a problem.
I don't think we'll have bored anyone.
I think you've been too harsh on yourself.
I think it's been great to have, you know, stopped for just longest serving player here.
No problem.
(39:41):
Thank you very much for joining us and going through all those technical issues.
Pleasure, thanks for having me and hopefully a few more players hop on and yeah, looking forward, especially a tilt jump.
Definitely, we are going to try and wrangle some more players, especially from that era, very soon.
So thank you very much, Jordan Lemon.
No worries, thank you.
Well, that was brilliant and I'd like to thank Jordan Lemon again for sharing his time with us.
(40:12):
If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support us, please give us five stars and a review on whatever platform you're listening to.
We're on Spotify, we're on YouTube, we're on Amazon Music, we're on some podcast services that I've never even heard of before.
But if you give us five stars and the review, ideally positive, but apparently it doesn't really matter what you say on it.
It really does help us.
(40:33):
It gets us seen by more people on these platforms and that means more listeners and then it just kind of goes like a big bang if you go down the hill.
Also, if you're a former Stocksfish player, official, manager or anything to do with the club and you'd like to be on the podcast, please do get in touch.
We're always looking for guests for future episodes and we'd love to hear from you because no matter who you are, no matter how much you had to do with the club, I think everyone's got an interesting story to tell and we'd like to tell it.
(41:02):
Anyway, I've been Adam Alcroft and I'll see you for the next episode.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.