Glory year of 1979 when our school football team was almost unbeatable

The Post's court reporter MARTIN NAYLOR fondly recalls the exploits of his school football team almost half a century ago

- MARTIN NAYLOR

I DON’T know to this day how the teacher, Mr White, decided who the best 11 footballers at our school were.

All I do really recall is that, apparently, I was one of them and as such my underwhelming career as a full back was about to begin.

Not that I knew it at the time.

The year was 1979 and the location was Robert Shaw Primary School on the opposite side of Western Boulevard to the former Beechdale Baths and which, I’m pleased to say, is still going strong some 46 years later.

I have absolutely no idea who our first game was against - probably Margaret Glen-Bott which was near Wollaton Park or another nearby school - but what I do recall like yesterday was how that afternoon forged my entire and largely unsuccessful 11-a-side journey.

Because after the bell went and the 11 of us (maybe 12 if we had a substitute) all excitedly crammed ourselves into a classroom, Mr White - who later became a short-lived family friend of my late parents and their gang of mates - walked in carrying a big kit bag.

The zip opened and out came a bundle of royal blue and amber jerseys and shorts to which the teacher cried “grab a shirt then lads” and the free-for-all began.

In those days the shirts were numbered 1 to 11 (or 12) and the one you ended up eagerly grasping in your young hands dictated where on the pitch you were going to play.

Green was obviously the goalie, nine was the centre-forward and 11 the left winger.