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Recognition: Tony Nash still in love with the beautiful game
Tony Nash (left) receives a medal from Brian Walden of the Football Association in recognition of 50 years service to football. Photo: Ben Davis/Peterborough ET
TONY Nash has done everything from taking entrance money to unearthing a future England player during more than 50 years of glorious footballing service.
The well-known and well-liked city man was recently honoured for racking up half-a-century of involvement in the beautiful game in playing, managing, scouting and administrating capacities with a bash at The Fleet in Fletton.
Nash (67) is the sort of man who is prepared to do anything for anyone - a point proven by the fact you will normally now find him on the turnstiles at Peterborough Northern Star home matches in all weathers.
But nothing makes him prouder than being a founder member of the success story that is the Peterborough & District Junior Alliance League back in the early 1980s.
Thirty years on the now-retired Nash still serves on that league, the Peterborough Football Association, the Peterborough Sunday Morning League and the Northants FA Development Committee. He also chairs the Peterborough Football Liaison Committee.
And it’s fair to say he has loved every minute of his time in football. Nash said: “I’ve never taken a penny out of the game. I’ve had all I could ever want in terms of enjoyment. “I loved playing football and I am delighted to have been able to put something back into the game.”
Nash has been involved in the beautiful game since taking the first tentative steps on a playing career that took him to Eastern Counties level with Chatteris Town at the age of 15.
He started out as an inside right but gradually retreated to deeper positions as he advanced in years. Nash ended up as one half of a central defensive partnership with fellow administrative stalwart Derek Vernum at the New England club.
He also tasted life as a player-manager of a couple of Sunday teams before turning his attention to the junior game.
Nash worked as a scout for the Norwich City youth set-up (when it was run by future Posh youth supremo Kit Carson) in this area and his mean eye for a player of promise certainly served the Canaries well.
Nash was the first man to spot the considerable talents of future England full-back Danny Mills when he lined up in a representative schools game in Peterborough as a nine year-old against the cream of the city’s crop.
Mills was from the Norwich area but had slipped under the radar of his local club until impressing in front of Nash.
“I remember it well,” said Nash. “The game was down at Dogsthorpe School and I knew instantly that he was going to be a bit special.
“I spoke to the teacher in charge of the team of schoolboys from the Norwich area and he pointed me in the direction of Danny’s parents.
“We spoke on the Saturday, established Danny was interested in going to Norwich and had him in at the club the following week. It is obviously a nice feeling to spot a player who goes on to have such a good career.
“I really enjoyed the scouting and often got calls from managers asking me to go along to a game and have a look at a good prospect.”
Unearthing classy goalkeeper Andy Marshall and jet-propelled frontman Julian Joachim and were Nash’s other most notable moments during more than a decade of scouting, but in the case of the latter it didn’t lead to a distinguished Norwich career.
Nash explained: “I spotted Andy playing as an Under 12 and he has gone on to be a very good goalkeeper for a number of years.
“I also got Julian into Norwich but they ended up rejecting him. He has still gone on to have a really good career though.”
But Nash’s contribution to the junior football scene is far greater and far longer-lasting than merely spotting a few bright, young talents.
He and Richard Reed were the brains behind the launch of the Junior Alliance back in 1981 and that is quite some legacy.
“We launched the league with 18 teams,” recalls Nash. “And it has gone from strength to strength ever since to the point now where it has 254 teams across its age groups.
“I am really proud to be one of the co-founders of a league that is now run tremendously by David and Hazel Burgess and their committee. They are all doing a fantastic job.”
Another major highlight for Nash was seeing Northants win the FA National County Youth Cup in 2001 during his tenure as chairman of the county’s youth committee - a success achieved courtesy of a 3-0 success over the Birmingham FA in a final played at Wolves’ Molineux ground.
Closer to home Nash is still working hard on a number of fronts. He prides himself on his ability to work to solve problems in the local game.
“People often come to me with issues,” he continued. “And I do my best to come up with a solution.
“I’m not the sort of man to bear a grudge if my advice is not acted upon though. I’ll usually throw my support behind whatever is proposed.
“I love still being involved in football and I have no plans to cut back on that.
“Family comes first but football has always been a close second for me.”
TONY’S TALENTS . . . top players unearthed Tony Nash
DANNY MILLS (left)
Norfolk lad who spent three years as England’s first-choice right-back, winning 19 caps.
Enjoyed top-level career with Norwich, Charlton, Leeds and Manchester City.
ANDY MARSHALL
Goalkeeper with stacks of experience and who played in the FA Cup Final of 2004 when at Millwall.
Spent majority of his career with Norwich and Coventry. Now on the books of Aston Villa where he is third-choice.
JULIAN JOACHIM (right)
City-born speedster whose knock-back from Norwich didn’t affect his career.
Starred for Leicester, Aston Villa and Coventry City before dropping down the leagues.
Signed for local club Holbeach in 2010 but only played for them once. Is now with Coalville Town.
THE GOLDEN
GENERATION
TONY Nash is a member of an exclusive club of distinguished local footballing figures.
He is the sixth man from this area to have racked up 50 years of service in the beautiful game - and at 67 he is the youngest by quite a distance.
Super servants:
Tony Nash
Derek Vernum
Jack Hindle
Harry Reeve
Maurice Starkey
The late Peter Waghorn
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