Jon Couch: Stuart Fleetwood, Charlie Austin and the ‘Golden Oldies’ of Non-League Football

When Stuart Fleetwood dusted down his scoring boots to turn out for hometown club Newent Town last week, he was preparing for his 23^rd season in senior football.

It’s a career which has taken the 39-year-old striker to a whole host of clubs, from League One down into Non-League, even managing Swindon Supermarine for past two seasons.

Fleetwood, the former Hereford, Forest Green Rovers, Luton, Eastleigh and Sutton United striker, revealed to The NLP this week that he even had to borrow his son’s shinpads to turn out for the Hellenic League Division One Daffs, the club where he played most of his youth football before he was spotted by Cardiff City.

“I feel good in my body, I feel pretty fit and it’s the club I used to play youth team football for so I’ve done a complete full circle,” Fleetwood told us.

“Until any coaching jobs come up, I just want to go out and play on a Saturday. That’s why I’ll never retire – I’ll probably always be knocking around looking for a game.

“I’ve actually had to borrow my son’s shinpads for this week. Sonny is with the Under 12s at Forest Green. He’s lent me his shinpads for the first game and told me to sort myself out after that.”

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Golden Oldies

Fleetwood may been settling back into the old routine he knows so well – but there are a number of Golden Oldies out there, still playing, who can relate to the thrill of being put through their paces for another season.

Indeed, also in last weekend’s edition, we reported on former Premier League striker Charlie Austin preparing for a fresh start at Southern League Premier South club Basingstoke Town and scoring on debut last Saturday at the age of 36.

Alongside that on the NLP’s back page, we run a story on former Charlton, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City striker Lyle Taylor following his move into National League South with Chelmsford City.

Also this week, we’ve seen another former top-flight big gun, Grant Holt, earn himself a new deal. At the ripe age of 44, the former Norwich City and Forest frontman has teamed up with Eastern Counties Premier division side Dereham Town.

40+

Indeed, 40-plusses are commonplace in Non-League these days it seems.

Carlos Edwards, the former Sunderland and Ipswich wide man, is now 46 but turning out regularly for Hadleigh United, also in the Eastern Counties, similarly the great Kevin Ellison, an EFL stalwart with Tranmere Rovers and Morecambe who is leading Vauxhall Motors’ front line at the same age, and Chris Dickson, now at Step 3 Cray Wanderers and proving that life does indeed continue to flourish at 40.

But perhaps the oldest playing regular still currently turning out is Jamie Cureton, player-manager at Isthmian North side Cambridge City who turns 50 later this month.

As someone just a few months older than Jamie and who gets tired just watching the game at that level, I’m amazed how that’s even possible.

Cureton now will have the record of another veteran top-flight frontman, Barry Hayles, in his sights having played Step 6 football at Windsor FC at the age of 51 before the club resigned from the Combined Counties League this summer.

Other Golden Oldies

Elsewhere, strike pair Matt Rhead and Tom Pope hold joint player-manager roles at Kidsgrove Athletic at the ages of 41 and 39 respectively, while the effervescent Jon Challinor is beginning his 13^th season at Southern League Premier Central side Stamford at the age of 44.

The former York City and Aldershot midfielder led the England Over 40s side to World Cup glory earlier this summer.

And talking of club legends, Ian Henderson is still banging in goals at Rochdale at the age of 40. After a decade at Spotland, over two separate spells, Henderson is quite easily Rochdale’s record goalscorer and has been rewarded for his loyalty with a new deal from Dale boss Jimmy McNulty, his former teammate.

All of these Golden Oldies, and many more still turning out in the Non-League game, continue to put their bodies on the line purely to ignite their passion for the game they have loved their entire careers.

They really are an inspiration to us all.

By Jon Couch