Our Old Heros are Paying the Price
Ex-Stokie trying to raise some money
En vanlig sjukdom nu för tiden är Alzheimers sjukdom som är en demenssjukdom. Den är tyvärr obotlig och drabbar allt fler människor. Många f.d. fotbollsspelare har dött alldeles för tidigt av denna sjukdom och en anledning verkar vara p.g.a. vikten på bollen de spelade med. Nickspecialister som Stoke Citys John Ritchie and WBAs Jeff Astle är bara två som har dött. Ritchie blev 65 och Astle var endast 59. De gamla bollarna var tunga i början av matchen och vägde oftast ännu mer när matchen var slut eftersom lädret på bollen var som svampar och sög upp mycket vatten.
Det finns en klassisk bild på Astle när han nickade en boll på en match på 60 -talet (se länken). Tittar på bollens form och det är inte konstigt att förstå att hjärnan i längden måste få stryk.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/jeff-astles-widow-accuses-fa-6846102
En f.d. Stoke City spelare nämligen Phil Heath ska nästa månad springa Londons maraton för att samla in pengar för forskning angående Alzheimers. Phil spelade för Stoke City under 80 talet (179 matcher och 19 mål). Trots jobbet, familjen och intensiv träning ställde Phil upp och berättade lite om hur det var att vara proffs på 80 talet och varför han valde att sponsra Alzheimers sjukdom och hur vi kan hjälpa till.
Hi Phil, thanks for taking your time asking ours questions……………..
Is it true you were a local lad and how did you become involved with Stoke City?
Yes I was born in Stoke on Trent and attended Longton High School, we had a fine football team that included Robbie Earle, Cliffe Wallace who went on to play pro football for SCFC, playing for the reserves and myself. We pretty much won everything at school level and went on to be selected to represent Stoke on Trent Schools. Here we joined up with lads who went on to be pros e.g. Chris Maskery, Kevin Kent (Vale) & John Laws (Wolves) so again we had a strong team that competed nationally. From these games, we were picked up by clubs and I was fortunate to be offered school boy terms with SCFC along with Robbie E, Cliffe W and Chris M. In those days training was not intense as it is now. We attended training sessions 1 night a week and every day over our school holidays. At 14, 15 it was all I wanted to do, so to be at SCFC as a schoolboy and seeing the pros training and sometimes joining in with them was a dream come true.
What was it like in the early days of your career?
I was offered apprentice terms when I left school and the usual chores of kit cleaning, boot cleaning was an everyday event combined with some pretty intense training sessions. I think it installed great discipline in us; we respected the older pros and were always looking out for their pranks and sharp wit. Our coach Tony Lacey was a hard task manager but his record stands for itself. He produced a long line of players from the youth ranks from the early 80’s which has not happened over the last 2 decades which is a great shame. Being from Stoke I know the fans really appreciate seeing a good young lad coming through.
Were you always a winger and how was your debut?
I played predominately out wide but also did play a number of games at centre forward, in fact this was the position I played my full debut in away at Southampton. I can't recall too much about that game but my home debut against Everton was a great day for me. I played again at CF and scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw, cancelling out Adrian Heath’s opener for Everton.
Wasn´t Adrian your older brother BTW?
Ha ha many people mistook us for brothers but we weren't even related, I think this used to come about from the match programmes from those days (lazy journalism!!)
Stoke miraculously survived in England´s highest division in 1984; winning the final game of the season 4 – 0 against Wolves. However, this proved to be a blessing in disguise as we ended up bottom the following season with just 17 points. However, this was your breakthrough season. What was it like losing basically every week and what was the mood of the players at that time?
The relegation season was indeed my breakthrough season. From a personal point, I had a good season even though it was a disaster for the team. Ultimately too many of us youngsters were thrown in at the deep end. The older pros were despondent with the way the club was being run but the main reason was the shocking level of training we actually did. 90% of time it was a five a side in the gym!! We never got out on the grass. Fitness levels were poor, set pieces were never practised. The list was endless. The management was totally to blame.
For the start of the following season, Mick Mills had taken over and to be honest he did “settle the boat”. How did you find him?
The arrival of Mick Mills was brilliant news, the training improved and we soon steadied the ship. Maybe if we had trained properly like we did under MM, the previous year´s disaster could have been averted. Mick was a great help to me personally, the quality of his passing to me really helped. He was such a quick thinker. I was receiving the ball a lot earlier and straight to my feet! This gave me loads of space that I could use my pace in getting at the full back. Being right footed I could always come inside and have a pop at goal but I was extremely confident in going on the outside of the full back as well. I had a reasonable left foot so could swing a few crosses in with it. The fact I could go easily inside or out was my main strength which made it difficult for my full back opponent.
Stoke finished the season mid-table which I think the majority of the supporters were content; as I am sure many thought we could struggle again (myself included). The following season (86/87) was even better and around February it looked certain we would make the play-offs. However, things just fizzled out. Why do think this was?
The 86/87 season was our best under Mills, we really played some fantastic football thumping Sheffield Utd 6, Leeds 7 and reaching the 5th round of the club where we lost out unluckily to Coventry at a full Victoria Ground. However due to the finances of the club we really had a threadbare squad, we were flying at one point but a few injuries, suspensions and a lay off for bad weather just knocked us off the rails. We never could get it going again in the final run in.
The following season (1987/88) was your last as a Stoke City player; even though you scored a fair few goals.
The 87/88 season one was a funny one for me, I finished joint top scorer with Graham Shaw with 10 goals. This was a good return from a winger but I felt I never quite strung a load of good games together. The first 4 games of the season I spent on the bench after Mills had bought in Ian Allison. It wasn't long before I regained my place after some poor performances from the ex-Arsenal man. I always had the feeling from then on that the manager had lost a bit of faith in me and when I was offered a poor contract by him at the end of the year I felt he never really wanted me to stay.
Did you an agent or did you fix things yourself? Were footballers well paid in those days?
I never had an agent and always did my own contract negotiations. Looking back this was a bad mistake!! The mid 80’s was a poor time financially for Stoke so we were never on any decent basic wage. The bonuses and appearance money really made the difference between a poor pay packet and a half decent one. This system of pay did its job; it really kept us on our toes and to stay in the team.
Was it tough to leave Stoke and sign for Oxford United?
The money was never the number 1 priority, I was playing for my boyhood club so when I got the feeling they didn't really want me to stay I was devastated. A number of clubs came in for me that summer and after speaking with Mark Lawrenson the then Oxford Utd manager I decided to sign for them. A few good seasons at Oxford was cut short when I broke my leg there in the last year of my contract. I was quickly shipped out to Cardiff at the end and then found myself at Aldershot where I joined up with some of my old Stoke mates. Brian Talbot was the manager and in their ranks they had George Berry and Keith Bertchin. Unfortunately the club went bankrupt and I found myself out of football at the age of 28.
So what have you done with yourself since then?
After finishing from football I opened a China and Cookware shop in the tourist village of Bourton-on-the-Water in The Cotswolds (a very beautiful part of England). This was one of my wisest decisions and seemed to halt a bad run of luck I had in the latter part of my playing career. I opened another shop and started an import wholesales business and things are going well for me. I still live in The Cotswolds; however, I regularly travel up to watch the mighty Potters at The Brit.
Is it a different game nowadays?
The game has really changed from my days. The level of detail down to all the stats, the training regimes, massage, doctors, diets is bewildering. In our day we were left to our own devices, diets were never heard of; hydration was a cup of tea at half time!! Again due to the finances, the canteen where all the players used to eat after training was shut down. The local oatcake & fish n chip shops did some roaring trade thereafter!! I can recall on away trips it was a bag of fish n chips to refuel after the match and even that was stopped, so it was a quick stop for some crisps and chocolate at the service station!!
So, there were no strict diet regimes then?
We were really poorly educated in this department; the club let us get on with it ourselves which suited their finances. Alcohol was also rife. There was a big drinking culture throughout the game and SCFC were no exception. This is a big regret for me today, I'm about to compete in my first marathon in London in April so I have come to realise the importance of nutrition, hydration, massage and fitness plans. I love all the stats that the marathon training throws at you, so I would have loved to be part of today's modern game; looking at all areas where I could of improved my game.
I know that you are involved in SCOBA (Stoke City Old Boys Association) how often do you meet and what do you actually do? See link: http://www.stokecityfc.com/team/scoba.aspx
I'm currently an active member of SCOBA and attend many functions that we put on around the city to raise funds for local charities and to help out any of our members who are of need of any assistance. We've played cricket matches, football games, horse racing evenings at Uttoxeter Races and many function nights at The Brit with guest speakers that have included Ricardo Fuller, Tony Pulis & Lou Macari. SCOBA have helped me out tremendously in fundraising for my London Marathon charity The Alzheimer’s Society.
Why have you chosen this charity?
This is a charity that is close to my heart after losing my grandma and 4 of my great aunts to the condition. It's also a disease that ex-pros have high statistical rates of developing in their later lives; so it's also a way for me to help out my fellow ex-players. If anybody would like to donate to my marathon please go to my giving page:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PhillipHeath
Is training going well?
The training is going well, I've had a few niggles most notably an ankle problem but overall I’m on target to finish it between 4hr & 4:30hr. Another fundraising element is one where you can try to guess my finishing time. It's £5 a go and £1 of it goes to the prize fund. The closest guess wins the jackpot.
http://www.guess2give.com/sweepstake/view/london-marathon-2015-18
As a bit of a form guide I completed The Silverstone Half Marathon last week in 1:56:17
Finally Phil, what do you know about Sweden?
With regards to Sweden unfortunately I have not had the pleasure in visiting. I once toured with Stoke to your neighbours Norway back in the early 80s when Richie Barker was the manager. Norway was a beautiful country so I can well imagine Sweden to be similar.
Thanks for your time Phil and good luck with the race! Let´s hope people dig deep in their pockets
