From Wembley to Dales Lane: The New (or old) 7th Tier Hitman

It’s the 2013 Conference Premier play-off final. Newport County are one up against Wrexham and are heading for the Football League. With only one minute left on the clock, Wrexham manager Andy Morrell makes use of his third and final substitution by giving veteran striker Dele Adebola his final few minutes as a professional footballer, and pushing everybody forward in search of an equaliser. At the home of English football – in front of a crowd of 16,000 - marks a fitting way to close the curtains on a football career that spanned over 12 years and included 168 goals across 15 clubs. A goal did come… though unfortunately in the wrong net as Wrexham were succumbed to non-league football for at least another season, whilst Newport celebrated football league status. With Dele already focusing his time on working towards his coaching badges, the time was right to call it a day.

Four months later, in the Evo-Stik NPL Premier (just slightly less glamorous than Wembley), Rushall Olympic are lining up with a new striker on the team sheet. That is, Dele Adebola. The big man appears to have taken a Scholes-esque u-turn on his retirement, not quite ready to hang up his boots, but rather planning on adding a few more goals to his career tally.

When boss Neil Kitching offered Adebola a friendly match over the summer, the football bug caught up with him - the buzz of a matchday, the excitement, the adrenaline. “I thought I didn’t want to play but as soon as the season kicks off you get that adrenaline rush and just want to be out there on the pitch”. Dele may be fixed on coaching once his playing days are truthfully up… it just seems that wouldn’t be quite yet.

Dele has found the lower realms of non-league football offer him more time, both for his family, and to continue working on his coaching badges. Travelling to and from the midlands whilst at Wrexham was proving too much for the 38-year-old striker, perhaps a key factor in his decision to retire. Now, Rushall offers a closer alternative, with less time required for training. It’s not all positive for a player who is used to playing much higher up the football pyramid – Adebola now actually needs to take things to games, such as his boots and kit. You mean, the kit man doesn’t do this for you now, Dele? Tragic.

Dele joins some notable figures amongst those who have fallen foul to the ‘football bug’.

• Brazilian legend and world cup winner Romario announced his retirement from football in 2008, only to play again a year later in order to fulfil his father’s wishes. At 43, Romario made his one and only appearance for America Football Club – the team his father supported. Coming on as a substitute in the 68^th minute, Romario failed to add to his goal tally, but America managed a 2-0 win as they secured the Second Division title of the Carioca Championship.
• Matt Le Tissier retired from the game in 2002, after over 400 appearances for Southampton. 10 years later, Le Tissier signed up to play for Guernsey of the Channel Islands – of whom he was Honorary President – in order to help a fixture congestion crisis. At 44 years old, Le Tissier only managed one substitute appearance, coming on during a 4-2 defeat.
• Football league journeyman Steve Claridge fell victim to the ‘football bug’ not once, but twice. After formally retiring in 2007, Claridge gave a single appearance for Weymouth, who were going through serious financial difficulties. At 45, however, Claridge dusted off his boots once more to sign for Gosport Borough of the South League Division One South & West. Claridge bagged a goal on his debut, and then scored twice in the play-off final against Poole Town – sending Gosport into the Southern League Premier Division. He has since retired for the third, and final time. Or so we presume…
• These three however were made to look like kids in comparison to Benny Docherty in 2010. Benny, who played professionally for Notts County way back in 1963, signed up for his local team Holt at the age of sixty-nine. He made his debut for the club in 2011, a game in which Holt won 5-0. Still got it.