✅ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

⚽️ Bucket List number 38: Win Player of the Year (13/10/23)

Since returning to football 2013 at 39 years old, after a 23 year break from the game, simply to have one last season. I assumed that once I turned 4-0, once anyone turned 40, there was no chance you could still play football.

The return to football started at North Ryde Soccer Club for a few years, long enough I thought the football bug was satisfied, but fast forward to 2023 at 49 years old and I'm still playing at Concord Junior Soccer Club

Ten years of playing for two different clubs, in two seperate associations in old man and older man football (35s and 45s) both times the team started in, and won, Division 2. The follow year promoted to Division 1 only to be reminded we were not a Div 1 team.

The group of guys at CJSC that formed in at the beginning of covid train, play and pub 2 or 3 times a week all year round. From 2020s socially distanced fitness sessions to social distancing 5 on 5 park football, through each of the following seasons to 2023 the core of our team as stayed together.

Curb side pizza and beers after a game at Majors Bay Reserve

I have to accept I can't suddenly learn crazy football stills, its too hard to teach an old dog new tricks, which means all I have to bring is effort, the desire to win and (touch wood) fitness. Thankfully in old man football we are more about catching up for training and beers than we are about being high performance athletes. Everyone loves to win, but we'd rather a team of great people we want to go to the pub with over amazing players that are assholes.

Even while having fun, you need a goal...... win Player of the Year.

Ten years after returning to football, playing in 45/1 in the best team I've played with, both on field and in the pub, on the 13th October 2023 at the end of season dinner I was awarded "Player of the Year".

The next goal is to make it to the Over 50s and still be playing good football.