FMTTM Footy / FC

relfyoftheboro

Well-known member
I played my first game of 7 a side in 5 weeks last night and with it being F***ing freezing I knew I was going to need a shirt that’d keep me warm. Probably two. I’d been put on the Red team so started hunting for a long sleeve red footy top amongst the scores I’ve got at home.
The only one I could find was this.
fmttmfc shirt.jpg

And it got me to reminiscing. The game I played in last night is an evolution of one started almost 20 years ago and organised on the original FMTTM.COM. That shirt was a direct result of a bunch of strangers from an early noughties internet message board agreeing to meet up, once a week and attempt to approximate a game of football.

To be fair, some of the lads who played over the years were outstanding footballers. The majority, of which I include myself in, were ordinary to rubbish but all had a love and need to play the game. It started off one week in when “standards” made the suggestion of a game at Southlands Leisure Centre and as I lived 30 seconds walk from the place I jumped at the chance. After that first game I assumed the organising role and the game quickly grew to a point where we had 28 players, split across 4 teams and each team played 2, 25 minute games.

That pool of players then spawned an actual 7 aside team and in our first year together we were promoted from the division we were in and played another 2 seasons I the top division of the Southlands Monday night football league.

For me though the best thing about it all was the amount of people who I met that became life long mates. I did originally meet a tons of FMTTMers via the pre and post game meets up at Dr Browns but the sheer number of lads who I met playing footy was mental. So, I went on a dig through my PC and old hard drives to see if I could find an old list of usernames that used to play. I managed to find the below from a period between 2005 and 2008 and doesn’t even remotely cover all the years we were playing so I know for certain that there were loads and loads more. I don’t know if any of these lads still post under these usernames or others but if so, it would be good to hear from you.

standards, JSawyers200, bigtl_Billingham, Motown_Junk, Borored, captain5, the_needle_threader, iggy_pop_barker, Kerouac, Esky_North_Stand, sunset_over_ici, Berwick_Hills_Boro, MatrixUK, SidUK, Supernovaheights, chboro, KrivoyRog,The_GOAT, Goalscrounger, Bonus_Ball_Head, Save_50_percent, Missimo, Boro_roddam, holgate_rochey, Mickey_the_kid, joseph2001, APL1970, john_lillie, Mad_Matt1, Corruptbiggins, Fischer, shackerooni, M_F_C, extratomato, Kiwi_In_Disguise, Mr_Maz, Makaveli_The_Don, stephen1986, LIVEY, The Voyeur, Key_Toenail, Piggy_Nichol, little_piggy_nichol, JPSmoggie, THE_ANT, bindipper_ben, Phelps_E, sparko76, A_New_Era, regular_reader.

It would be class if I could add to the list of names and any memories of the games. One of my strongest memories makes me both giggle and wince. It was the time that Mickey_the_kid was in goal and attempted to drop kick the ball down field only for fischer to walk directly across his path and receive the ball full force in the face, from no more than about 3 foot away. Took him a while to get up. :oops:

I still know and play footy with some from the above list. I would say that it represents probably only a quarter of the board members who played at one time or another. If Ive missed you, apologies but it would be good to hear any memories.
 
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Think I might have turned out in the first assembly and then roundly retired immediately - but I used to come down sometimes to meet up in the bar - especially when there were European nights arrangements to make - good times and hats off to you relfy and everyone for forging such a footballing community at the old Southlands now past tense itself.
Thanks for posting.
 
Yep, you were defo there Rob. I remember it well. You also occasionally supported the League team along with toots, if I recall correctly.

Its brilliant to think that a quick idea, on a message board almost 20 years ago to lead to what it has. I played with both bigtl_billingham and Motown_Junk last night. Both attended my wedding along with a least half a dozen others from the list.

The post game beers were always a highlight and for some, the main reason to play in the game!
 
I was Piggy_Nichol back then. My heyday, if you could call it that, was probably 2005. I thought the four team set up over two pitches at Southlands was great and when I started organising my own games 'Football at Goals' I understood the effort that you'd put in, Relfy.

Good to hear that you are still playing, particularly with bigtl and motown. I've not kicked a ball for two years now. In my last game of five a side I blocked a shot and dislodged a toe nail. It's only now looking something like it should.

I bumped into Esky and Capt5 at MK Don's in the promotion season. I don't think I'd seen Esky for a good few years before that.
 
some real 'blast from the past' names in the list in the OP (y) only seen a couple post regularly in recent times, especially on the new board, at least under those usernames
 
Good to hear you're well Piggy, shame you're not still playing. We've all had our share of injuries and as the years count up they're always harder to get over. That toe nail one sounds pretty grim mind.

I remember you and your son played with us for years and when the old board split and we moved our game to Block 17 I think you stayed and kept things going at Goals. Organising could be a massive head ache, particularly when players would drop out with an hours notice but it was massively worthwhile.

All the best fella (y)
 
some real 'blast from the past' names in the list in the OP (y) only seen a couple post regularly in recent times, especially on the new board, at least under those usernames
Yeah, it was a lot of fun going finding all those names. I remembered a good chunk but I know there's loads more. Hopefully this thread might tempt them out of the woodwork.
 
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I have an admission to make as far as Esky is concerned. He is in My Boro Debut book - but for some stupid reason I typed a totally made up name for his debut memory Francis Annett should read Esky.
He lives on the south coast these days having lived on the other side of the world for a spell.
 
. It was the time that Mickey_the_kid was in goal and attempted to drop kick the ball down field only for fischer to walk directly across his path and receive the ball full force in the face, from no more than about 3 foot away. Took him a while to get up. :oops:
I don’t remember that ☺️
How are you doing Relfy? Keeping well?
 
It would be class if I could add to the list of names and any memories of the games. One of my strongest memories makes me both giggle and wince. It was the time that Mickey_the_kid was in goal and attempted to drop kick the ball down field only for fischer to walk directly across his path and receive the ball full force in the face, from no more than about 3 foot away. Took him a while to get up. :oops:

I have absolutely no memory of this at all, but maybe that's not surprising! It definitely sounds like the kind of thing I WOULD have done...

Yeah, fun times. I think 2003/4 was probably when I was playing the most regularly... although I remember discussing the UEFA Cup games after one match, so must still have been sporadically turning up in 2006.

Three words - Briggsy's orange shorts.
 
Three words - Briggsy's orange shorts.

AS IF I forgot about those. He took some flak did that lad but he took all in good humour. Briggsy_19, sorry I missed you off the list!

Not in the least bit surprised you dont remember that hit Bob. To this day Ive never seen anyone take a ball kicked that hard from so close, into the face.
 
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I have absolutely no memory of this at all, but maybe that's not surprising! It definitely sounds like the kind of thing I WOULD have done...

Yeah, fun times. I think 2003/4 was probably when I was playing the most regularly... although I remember discussing the UEFA Cup games after one match, so must still have been sporadically turning up in 2006.

Three words - Briggsy's orange shorts.
For what it’s worth Bob, sorry dude 😂
 
I played in one 7 a side game over goals, blowing out my ****, with Esky and Captain giving me grief all game... to be fair Captain still gives me grief to this day.. at least Esky gives me a pint when he see's us.

I was posting as Broady91 back in them days. I think I was only about 15/16 when I played that game..
 
Great memories relfy! I played as bonus ball and played with you of course over the years at ormesby for a while. I met up with Phelps E in March first time in 13 years or so! I am out in Philadelphia now and keep it going with the occasional 7 aside!
 
There were some good players on there! Save_50_percent could've played in slippers and with a pipe, he made it all look so easy. Didn't Roddam play for Guisborough Town later?
 
There were some good players on there! Save_50_percent could've played in slippers and with a pipe, he made it all look so easy. Didn't Roddam play for Guisborough Town later?
Ive been reminded about Reverend_Comfort who was an outstanding player. Lovely bloke too.

Roddam was indeed a Northern League player, bloody good one too.

There were lots of good footballers over the years.
 
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