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ALS non league XI
life after Sunderland |
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As we are currently discovering, life does continue outside of the premiership. It might not be as glitzy, it might not be as intensely followed by the whole world and, Lord knows, it isn’t as skilled (Hooolio excluded), but when all is said and done it still looks like the game we all know and love. Of course, as fans we know that once day our club should get back up to the highest level and we can enjoy the good life once more. However when a player is no longer wanted at such a level there is usually no way back. Whether through injury, advancing years or simply because of a lack of ability, there are a host of ex- Sunderland players who have been forced into plying their trade in that classic form of outdoor all-in wrestling known as non-league football.
Goalkeeper: Lionel Perez
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As if the 96/97 and 97/98 seasons weren’t interesting enough, fans had the added excitement of a bonkers Frenchman playing between the sticks. Lee-o-Nel was released after the play off final and then spent the next two years with his feet up while taking a million quid in wages off the Mags. Following a two-year spell at Cambridge he dropped out of the league in the summer of 2002 and joined Enfield. Later that season he joined those loveable Mag haters at Stevenage, where he has recently forced his way into the side.
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Right Back: Gareth Hall
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‘How did he ever avoid non-league obscurity in the first place?’ I hear you ask. Well, somehow he did and after finally taking his leave from us he continued to darken the doorstep of the Football League by turning out for Swindon Town. Hall eventually succumbed to the inevitable in the summer of 2001 and joined Hampshire Giants haven’t and Waterlooville, where he had his industrial sized shorts sponsored by a Mickey taking, Chelsea supporting columnist from the Daily Telegraph.
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Left Back: Stephen Capper
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A regular in the reserves towards the end of last season, young Stephen was forced to take a break from kitting out the whole of Pennywell in his tracksuits and find another club after his realise is summer. He moved down the coast and down the leagues to join Scarborough in the Conference, where he has been a fixture in the starting line-up.
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Centre Back: Richard Ord
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After a league career that lasted 11 years at Roker Park and the Stadium of Light and approximately five minutes at QPR. Dicky Ord retired from league football in the summer of 2000 with a dicky knee. After working himself back to a decent level of fitness he joined Durham city in the Northern League. However after a couple of years at New Ferns Park his other knee started to go, so he retired again and took up a coaching role there and recently opened up a bar in Murton.
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Centre Back: Lee Howey
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Plucked from non-league obscurity in the first place (Bishop Auckland to be precise), big Lee was always not popular with the fans, not least after sending a thundering header into the Fulwell End goal against Middlesborough in 1994. His career progressively wound down after leaving the club with spells at Burnley and Northampton. He dropped into the Conference with Forest Green and last season was playing for Nuneaton.
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Right Midfield: Gary Owers
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The man that Denis Smith once tipped to play for England at right back enjoyed a top flight season and an FA Cup final in his time at Roker before being moved on to Bristol City in part exchange for Martin Scott. Owers had four seasons at Ashton Gate and another four at Notts County before joining Forest Green in the summer of 2002. Now with considerably less hair than he used to have. Owers also captains Forest Green’s Skittles team.
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Central Midfield: Steve Agnew
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Agnew played a big part in the Championship winning team of 95/96 and will always be remembered for his cracking equaliser at Old Trafford in the FA cup. Unfortunately injuries took their toll on what remained of his Sunderland career and he moved to York during the first season at the Stadium of Light. After a three-year stay at Bootham Crescent, Lombardo’s younger brother became player assistant manager at Gateshead, but left soon after and finished last season with West Auckland.
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Central Midfield: Gordon Armstrong
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One of Sunderland’s top ten appearance makers of all time. Armstrong played in the side for more than a decade and like Owers, played in the top flight and in the FA Cup final of 1992. He was sold to Bury by Peter Reid and then followed his new manager Stan Ternant to Burnley a couple of years later. Armstrong was released in the summer, but remained in Lancashire where he joined Accrington Stanley. Currently acting as an agent for his up and coming brother (Christopher) who is Sheffield United left back.
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Left Midfield: Sam Aiston
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After shooting to prominence during the promotion season of 95/96, Aiston spent another four years at the club doing nothing whatsoever expect for the occasional loan spell at Chester. He eventually moved to Shrewsbury in the summer of 2000 and has been a regular for most of his time there. He made his non-league debut in August following Shrews relegation last season
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Centre Forward: Stephen Brodie
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A regular goalscorer in the Sunderland youth team, Brodie found it Difficult to get into first team, presumably because he didn’t have any ID. The only player of recent times, who could have looked like Milton Nunez in the eye, Brodie moved to Scarborough in 1997. He is now playing alongside Owers at Forest Green having been brought to the club Addison, for whom he has played for at both Scarborough and Swansea.
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Centre Forward: Don Goodman
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The Don was a hero at Roker Park from the moment he netted a hat trick against Millwall soon after joining the club from West Brom. He moved on to Wolves in 1994 where, amongst other things, he grew a huge Afro that doubled as a crash helmet. He made his non-league debut at the end of last season when helping Doncaster back into the football League and then joined Stafford Rangers at the start of this season.
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Keith Watson
(First appeared in issue 117 of ALS 03/04 season)
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