U21's Vs Liverpool, 3-2

[Pie and mash]

Never been myself, but thinking about going this weekend (weather permitting). Only £3 entry and got nothing better to do on a Sunday.

Couple of questions: What type of attendances do we get? Do they have catering there? Is it a complete waste of time?

Thanks

[cmg]

Highly recommended.

U21 games are usually in the quaint old 'Chariots of Fire' stadium and can be very entertaining and informative. I've even seen a burger van down there, but don't know if that's a regular.

Crowds vary dependent on oppo and competition - a few hundred max.

[epsomraver]

Try to go most, good way to see the future and season T h get in for free

[dannyboi-ffc]

I go to quite a few at MP, its handy getting in for free being a season ticket holder. But its pennies to get in anyway I'd imagine.

Never more than a few hundred when I've been and there quite fun. No pressure or nerves, just a nice educated 90 mins of seeing the next young crop or players we don't see often.

[F(f)CUK]

I used to go when the team were in the 4th division.  Used to enjoy the U21 games more than the first team ones in those days.  Saw people such as Carl Bartley, Rob Haworth, Michael Mison, Carl Williams, Paul Brooker and a few others who played in the first team, but whose names escape me at the moment.

In those days you expected that the team that you were viewing would be our future.  This was the last time that I thought that until last year.

In those days you could chat to Jimmy Hill.  I spent one whole match just talking to him, reviewing what was going on.  We talked about everything from how Rob Haworth could not trap the ball and how he would train him, how he sacked Don Mackay, how Terry Angus was the only person in the first team squad who was surplus to requirements (despite him then going on to be one of the club's cult heroes), the England team and the upcoming fixture against USA etc etc etc.  He must have enjoyed the chat as he mentioned it in his next programme notes.  I was quite flattered.

I also remember saying to him how useless Garth Crooks was as a TV presenter.  He was more diplomatic saying that Garth tended to suffer with nerves.

[fulhamben]

I used to go when the team were in the 4th division.  Used to enjoy the U21 games more than the first team ones in those days.  Saw people such as Carl Bartley, Rob Haworth, Michael Mison, Carl Williams, Paul Brooker and a few others who played in the first team, but whose names escape me at the moment.

In those days you expected that the team that you were viewing would be our future.  This was the last time that I thought that until last year.

In those days you could chat to Jimmy Hill.  I spent one whole match just talking to him, reviewing what was going on.  We talked about everything from how Rob Haworth could not trap the ball and how he would train him, how he sacked Don Mackay, how Terry Angus was the only person in the first team squad who was surplus to requirements (despite him then going on to be one of the club's cult heroes), the England team and the upcoming fixture against USA etc etc etc.  He must have enjoyed the chat as he mentioned it in his next programme notes.  I was quite flattered.

I also remember saying to him how useless Garth Crooks was as a TV presenter.  He was more diplomatic saying that Garth tended to suffer with nerves.

paul brooker? i swear i was watching him in the first team when he was just 16. does that mean he was 12 when in the under teams

[epsomraver]

I used to go when the team were in the 4th division.  Used to enjoy the U21 games more than the first team ones in those days.  Saw people such as Carl Bartley, Rob Haworth, Michael Mison, Carl Williams, Paul Brooker and a few others who played in the first team, but whose names escape me at the moment.

In those days you expected that the team that you were viewing would be our future.  This was the last time that I thought that until last year.

In those days you could chat to Jimmy Hill.  I spent one whole match just talking to him, reviewing what was going on.  We talked about everything from how Rob Haworth could not trap the ball and how he would train him, how he sacked Don Mackay, how Terry Angus was the only person in the first team squad who was surplus to requirements (despite him then going on to be one of the club's cult heroes), the England team and the upcoming fixture against USA etc etc etc.  He must have enjoyed the chat as he mentioned it in his next programme notes.  I was quite flattered.

I also remember saying to him how useless Garth Crooks was as a TV presenter.  He was more diplomatic saying that Garth tended to suffer with nerves.

Think your memory is a bit muddled, MP was not Fulhams when we were in the 4th division and we had no U21 team then, just reserve games at decca at Tolworth

[Mokes]

The youth games in general are great, last season the football was better than the first team. The MP games are good but I highly recommend going to the youth FA cup games when they come around. Last years game v Reading was the most fun I have had at the cottage in recent memory.

[dannyboi-ffc]

The youth games in general are great, last season the football was better than the first team. The MP games are good but I highly recommend going to the youth FA cup games when they come around. Last years game v Reading was the most fun I have had at the cottage in recent memory.

The cup games are fun, I went to Huddersfield, reading and both final legs and it was refreshing. More enjoyable than most of our first team games last year

[cmg]

Last years game v Reading was the most fun I have had at the cottage in recent memory.

It's a memory to be cherished. That starting eleven has since provided six first team players plus Burgess (bench) and Williams (injured).
Additionally Williams, Donnelly, Hyndman and Tankovic have had full caps for their countries (with more to come!)

[Pie and mash]

Thanks for the feedback. Will give it a go on Sunday and look out for some FA Youth Cup games too

[fulhamben]

Thanks for the feedback. Will give it a go on Sunday and look out for some FA Youth Cup games too

can you do a scouting report please. intrested to know how sambou is coming along. looked like a tidy dm last time i saw him play

[F(f)CUK]

I used to go when the team were in the 4th division.  Used to enjoy the U21 games more than the first team ones in those days.  Saw people such as Carl Bartley, Rob Haworth, Michael Mison, Carl Williams, Paul Brooker and a few others who played in the first team, but whose names escape me at the moment.

In those days you expected that the team that you were viewing would be our future.  This was the last time that I thought that until last year.

In those days you could chat to Jimmy Hill.  I spent one whole match just talking to him, reviewing what was going on.  We talked about everything from how Rob Haworth could not trap the ball and how he would train him, how he sacked Don Mackay, how Terry Angus was the only person in the first team squad who was surplus to requirements (despite him then going on to be one of the club's cult heroes), the England team and the upcoming fixture against USA etc etc etc.  He must have enjoyed the chat as he mentioned it in his next programme notes.  I was quite flattered.

I also remember saying to him how useless Garth Crooks was as a TV presenter.  He was more diplomatic saying that Garth tended to suffer with nerves.

Think your memory is a bit muddled, MP was not Fulhams when we were in the 4th division and we had no U21 team then, just reserve games at decca at Tolworth

Not at all muddled.  I never said that I went to Motspur Park.  I actually meant that I used to watch the U21s (may have been U18s - on reflection I think it was).  This was at Banstead on a muddy pitch cordoned off by a rope.

As for Paul Brooker - I remember Johnny Yems (coach) slating his every move.  The one person that I thought would never get a contract was Brooker and then he was one of the few from that year.  That was the year below Haworth, Mison etc.

[F(f)CUK]

Decca was the training ground some years earlier.  It was here that my brother (who was about 15 at the time and watching the team train) was once asked to act as referee for a kick about between two teams.  One was Fulham, containing Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore and the other Santos containing er...Pele.

[Pie and mash]

Thanks for the feedback. Will give it a go on Sunday and look out for some FA Youth Cup games too

can you do a scouting report please. intrested to know how sambou is coming along. looked like a tidy dm last time i saw him play

I'll provide a scouting report, be good to see some of the youngsters who haven't been promoted to the first team

[Pie and mash]

Won 3-2, looked good first half and then got an early goal second half, were awful after that and invited pressure. Two goals from Trotta, one from Tom Richards I think.

Impressed by Freddy Plumain & Josh Passley

Well worth £3

[SP]

Decca was the training ground some years earlier.  It was here that my brother (who was about 15 at the time and watching the team train) was once asked to act as referee for a kick about between two teams.  One was Fulham, containing Alan Mullery and Bobby Moore and the other Santos containing er...Pele.

Brilliant. That really is a tale to tell his grandchildren!  I think I'd have been tempted to send Pele off.

I heard the announced of Bobby Moore's death on the radio in the delivery suite as my daughter was being born in a rather difficult birth.  Hearing about Mooro actually reduced me to tears as we didn't know he'd even been ill.  The midwife put her arm around me & said don't worry, both your wife & daughter are just fine.  I didn't have the heart to tell her.

[cmg]

An interesting line-up :Norman; Passley, Buatu, Burgess, Evans; Richards, Della Verde, Sambou, Na Bangna; Plumain; Trotta

Presumably Rodak is injured, but in any case Magnus Norman made some excellent saves. Burgess and Buatu were the bedrock of a strong defence. Tom Richards seems to be regarded as a winger these days, unsurprisingly given his speed and small stature. He took his equalising goal very neatly. A bit of a mixed bag elsewhere, although Plumain showed some good touches.

Oh, and Marcello ('We all know he's not good enough') Trotta did his usual nothing much....except to score two fine goals and provide an assist for Richards. In the last three-and-a-bit seasons Trotta's scoring record is : (Lg1, u21 League, Cups and Italy u21) is 55 in 7500 minutes play - about 136 min/goal. Don't know how many other Championship sides have a sixth choice striker with such credentials.

Subsequent discussion suggested we could have put out one whole u21 side better (on paper) than this one [something like Joronen, Stafylidis, Casasola, Donnelly, Kavanagh, Christensen, Hyndman, David, G Williams, Roberts, Woodrow.] and another one not much inferior without dipping too far into the u18s [say Rodak, Grimmer, Arthurworrey, Baba, O'Halloran, Cole, Smile, R Williams, Tunnicliffe, Eisfeldt, Taggart].

[Mince n Tatties]

Those were the days Bartley, Brooker, Haworth and Mison.
They all flattered to deceive at one time, I thought Michael Mison was going to do
good things but it never materialised, happens to so many promising kids.

[b+w geezer]

It was here that my brother (who was about 15 at the time and watching the team train) was once asked....

etc.

That is just wonderful. Your other reminiscences in this thread are very interesting too, but that one is delicious. Did anyone believe your brother at school the next day?