Pic: Media Image
THE mystery man behind Tranmere Rovers' title charge can today be revealed – the bloke whose windows Ben Tollitt fitted last summer!
Unnoticed at Evo-Stik NPL Premier strugglers Skelmersdale, the part-timer was doing his day job with dad Lee when they got chatting to a client.
It turns out the home he was helping to put right belonged to Ben Seddon – whose son is a good friend of Portsmouth manager Paul Cook.
Tollitt is at the heart of Tranmere's big recovery. Alongside striker Andy Cook, he has arguably been the club's best player.
Surreal
But if it wasn't for him knocking on the right door, he wouldn't have stepped foot in Prenton Park.
Talented Tollitt told The NLP: “I used to fit windows with my dad before playing football in the evening. We fitted a guy's window who said his son happened to know the Pompey manager. He said as a thank you for doing such a good job, he'll have a word for me. He'd never seen me play, so I didn't think anything of it – I could have been rubbish.
“I couldn't believe it, but I got invited down for a trial! Even better, they wanted to sign me after I played ten minutes for them in a pre-season friendly. It was surreal for me.
“It was all by chance, complete luck. I wasn't attracting any attention at Skem. We were doing OK, but out of nowhere I was a Football League pro. It's not your usual route… it's fair to say.
“You need luck, and I got my little bit of luck that day and I'll always be grateful.”
There was absolutely no luck involved last Tuesday night. A goal which needs to be seen to be believed, Tollitt took the ball down with his back to goal in his own half and ran… and ran and ran and ran.
A fine finish added a second goal to the one he got earlier in the second half, it capped a great 3-0 win which certainly keeps Lincoln City in sight at the top of the National League.
He moved back to Merseyside after the 2008 FA Cup winners accepted Tranmere's offer in December following some time on loan.
“If I hadn't been given the chance at Portsmouth I wouldn't be a Tranmere player today – I would still be fitting windows with my dad!” laughed the 22-year-old.
Workout
“I totally believe in football you have to be in the right place at the right time, whether it's getting an important goal when someone is watching or fitting the right windows in the right house!”
Last Tuesday night didn't start in the best way for Rovers – and exercise-dodging manager Micky Mellon got an unwelcome workout!
“It was a six-hour journey and when we got around two miles from the stadium the traffic just didn't move,” he grumbled.
“We decided to get out and walk. If we had stayed on the coach then we could have been there for some time. It was quite a jaunt.
“Somebody said to us it was only a six-minute walk to the ground. Six minutes? I don't know how quickly people walk down there, but it wasn't six minutes, I promise! I've shed a bit of timber, I'll tell you that much.”
