Keith Braithwaite had an early introduction to soccer

Press, 6 May 1983, Page 8

Keith Braithwaite had an early introduction to soccer

By

DAVID LEGGAT

At the tender age of three, Keith Braithwaite was doing the sort of things which would probably mortify parents living these days in his home city of Liverpool.

For he was that age when he went with his father, Jim, to Anfield to watch the mighty Liverpool team in action. Things were a bit different in those days. Crowd violence did not exist in its present form, skinheads were still in the future, and the port of Liverpool was still doing a reasonable trade.

These days, parents are regarded as decidedly irresponsible if they take their youngsters along yet Keith Braithwaite’s love of soccer was nurtured on the Liverpool team of that era at the start of the 19605.

Having been relegated to the second division in 195354, Liverpool returned to the top league in 1961-62 to start what had been a remarkable 20 years in the

world’s most demanding competition. That was the Liverpool of Ron Yeats and “my two special heroes” Roger Hunt and lan St John. “I dreamed of being like them,” recalls Braithwaite.

He began playing competitively at the age of nine, and appeared for Kirkby—just outside Liverpool—in all its representative sides from under 11 to under 15. At 14, he spent a fortnight with Aston Villa, a stimulating, exciting experience for a youngster who knew exactly what he wanted to do in life, but had to prove that he had the necessary talent to make it a full-time career.

Before he went home, he was told by Frank Upton, then the chief scout for Villa, not to sign on as an apprentice for any other

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club. But having been told this, the bitterness of rejection was heightened. He was told that the club felt he was too small. “I was heartbroken, 1 felt really let down,” Braithwaite said. But the experience did not sour him sufficiently to prevent him having trials with Doncaster Rovers and Preston North End.

At Preston, he scored twice in an important trial, playing as a centre forward, the position he occupied through his youth, but again he was regarded as being physically lighter than what was required. Leaving school at 15, Keith Braithwaite joined Wigan Athletic, in the northern premier league at the time. The following year, he won a championship medal with the club and was picked for both the under 18 and senior Lancashire county sides in the same season.

It is interesting to consider this particular feather in Braithwaite’s cap. One player who missed out on selection in those Lancashire teams was Gary Owen, now with West Bromwich Albion, a midfielder right on the fringe of full international honours.

A few months after being left out of those Lancashire teams, Owen was on his way to Manchester City, to begin a lucrative full professional career. Braithwaite’s best friend, Joe Hinnigan, was transferred from Wigan to Sunderland in February, 1980, for a club record of £135,000, or about $300,000. In 1980-81, Braithwaite

switched to Northwich victoria, where he lined up in mid-field with Brian Hall, a former Liverpool player of the 19705. However, Braithwaite had difficulties with the manager, lan MacNeill, who is now the assistant coach at Chelsea. So he moved to Leek Town, in the Cheshire League, where he finished leading goal-scorer, playing now in the mid-field. From there, Braithwaite signed on for Marine Football Club, in the northern premier league, the same club which, at one time had on its books one Brian Hardman, formerly of United, New Zealand and Cashmere-Wanderers, and a favourite soccer son of Christchurch.

About this time, Keith Braithwaite’s love of soccer was just Uie sort of anaesthetic he needed for his other problems. He was made redundant from his job as a fitter and turner in February, 1981 and could not get work for a year.

He decided that he could do a lot worse than explore the possibilities of work and life in general in another part of the world. “After New Zealand got into the World Cup it was either Australia or here. But it would be too hot for me in Australia.”

He wrote to Terry Conley, C/- Blockhouse Bay Football Club, in the mistaken belief that the present United coach was still with the Auckland side which he

guided for two years until 1980. That was December, 1981. Two months later, he received a phone call from Mr Conley one morning—" And five days later I was on the plane.” Braithwaite confesses to being “very happy” in Christcherch, returning to live in England is, he adds, the furthest thing from his thoughts. “I have really settled in here and made a lot of friends,” he says. “I didn’t know anything about New Zealand soccer, but I thought they must be pretty good to have reached the World Cap finals.” He has noticed in his season and a half of national league competition that teams tend to play as individuals—“but at United I feel we’re starting to blend together. It is one of our strengths.” He also cited inconsistent refereeing—“it gets players irritated’—as another area where tightening up would greatly benefit the game in general. His predictions for the national league’s final points table are that “obviously Mount Wellington are going to be there, and I think Napier City Rovers. They worked hard against us, and fought for everything.” Keith Braithwaite believes his future, footballing and otherwise, lies in New Zealand. “I just want to keep playing as long as I can, and hopefully win something with United. It would be nice to send something to my father,” he added.

Jim Braithwaite now lives in Skerlmersdale, about 25tm from Southport. He was the biggest influence on the young Keith Braithw«ite’s footballing career—he just wanted me to play the game all the time; row he’ll probably never see me play again.”