PORTRAIT OF THE MAN

Boardman was the Halifax Town Supporters player of the year in seasons 93-94 and 94-95!

The following article appeared in the SATURDAY & SUNDAY 6&7 MARCH 1999 YORKSHIRE SPORT

NON LEAGUE SECTION

FORMER SHAY DUO REUNITED AT OSSETT

By Mike Popplewell

CRAIG BOARDMAN'S Career has been dogged by injury but the former Nottingham Forest,Peteborough,Halifax Town & Scarborough defender is battling back once again with Ossett Town.

Former Halifax Town team-mate Gary Brook,Now player manager at Nothern premier league division one leaders Ossett, Stepped into offer the 28-year-old a way back into the game after a niggling back injury.
"I'm still not 100 % fit but i am able to get through game now"he told Yorkshire Sport

Targets

"I know I could play at a higher level if i was fitter but at the end of the day ,I just want to play football."
"I haven't bothered setting myself any targets.I enjoy playing with the lads at Ossett Town"
"They've got a good "standard" players and there is a good atmosphere between all the different sections in the club.If we play like we can do were an half decent side we've a very good chance of going up"

Boardman together with another former Halifax Town Buddy-Sean Constable ,are the fine tuning undertaken by manager Brook after taking over the Ing field hotseat from Trevor Best

Best steered the side to the top of the table but there had been signs of faltering before he decided to walk away from the game
When Brook stepped up he was obviously aware that he had inherited a good squad and has not rushed into making drastic changes.
Boardman's acquisition coincided with the recent winning run that has taken Town back to the top of the table and,going into this weekend's games ,they held a three point lead over arch rivals Ossett Albion.
Said Boardman "Gary has an uncomplicated approach to the game and that he attributes his first manager - Brian Clough. "He influenced my career big style .When i began moving I found over managers just complicated the game."
"When he first talk to you ,you would think "What 's he on about".But when you thought about it .It made sense.
"As a central defender my job was to just get my head to the ball or kick it clear ,we were only to get it down and play it if we really had time"
"Wingers ,they had to get past the full back and get crosses in ,midfielders,get it back again,fullbacks,stop the wingers crossing." "I feel a bit stupid when i tell people that we were coached in that way but you can't really argue with it"

Boardman could not have had a better grounding in the game for his father ,George was a Scottish Amateur international international with the famous Queens Park Club of Glasgow before carving out a useful career in England.
Having Shrewsbury in June 1963 he went on to play 177 league games ,Scoring 49 goals ,before moving to Barnsley in 1969
His career at Oakwell as a player took in 126 games,Scoring another 14 goals,but he was later involved in the coaching of the club's Northern Intermediate League side and has been scouting for several years.
On leaving Barnsley last time George went to work for Terry Venables at spurs and today still only 55 years old he is at Middlesborough in the same capacity under Brian Robson

Blossom

Craig Lives only a few 100 yards from his father ,who remains a big influence.
Unfortunately his own career did not blossom as everyone (inc me ..Ed and Mr Bates) hoped it would and admits he does really miss the daily involvement in the game .
"You don't appreciate how good life is as a Footballer until you start a doing a proper job .He Said "You just take it for granted"
Still ,He is Happy enough with his football at Ossett ,and his job with the "The Yorkshire Electricity Board", and with a Wedding coming up soon things are looking up .Promotion would put the icing on the cake

Nottingham Forest 88-93
Peterborough 93
Halifax Town 93-95
Scarborough 95-96
Halifax Town 96-97
Stalybridge Celtic 97-98
Stocksbridge P.S (on loan)98
Sheffield F.C 98-99
Ossett Town 99-?

List of Nottingaham Forest mates & players for season 91/92.and where they are now.

Mark Crossley = Middlesborugh
Roy Keane = Manchester United
Nigel Jemson = Bury
Lee Glover = Rotherham
Gary Charles = West Ham United
Gary Crosby = Assistant Manager at Burton Albion
Steve Chettle = Barnsley
Kingsley Black = Grimbsby
Stuart Pearce = West Ham United
Scot Gemmill = Everton
Gary Parker = Leicester City
Brett Williams =Not Known Last seen at stockport
Des Walker = Sheffield Wendsday
Nigel Clough = Manager at Burton Albion
Brian Laws = Was the Manger at Rotherham United
Craig Boardman= Ossett Town
Carl Tiler = Charlton Atheletic
Teddy Sheringham = Manchester United
Ian Woan = Was at Nottingham Forest
Tommy Gaynor = Millwall then moved to an Irish club
Darren Wassell =Birmingham City
Andy Marriot = Sunderland
Steve Stone =Aston Villa
Jason Kaminski =Not Known
Vance Warner = Rothterham
Toddy Orlygsson = Oldham

E-mail from Cambridge Red

Craig, like the page. I remember watching you in Forest Reserves for a couple of seasons. You seemed destined for the top - what happened!!!!

List of other Nottingaham Forest mates & players during the duration

Danny Hinchelwood = Portsmouth
Sean Dyche = Bristol City
Steve Blatherwick = Burnley
Ian Kittford = Wigan
Paul McGregor = Preston N.E.
David Currie = Not Known Last seen at Scarborough
Neil Webb = Last seen over year ago on Live & Dangerous
John Finnigan = Lincoln City
Lee Marshall = Norwich
Steve Guinan = Sold this season ..But to whom?
Mark Smith = Wallsall
Stan Collymore = Aston Villa
Andy Dawson = Scunthorpe
Steve Hodge = Not Known
Colin Foster = Cambridge
Paul Crichton = W.B.A
Roy McKinnon = Dundee United
Hans Seger = Wolves
Phil Starbuck = Burton Albion
John Moncur = West Ham
Russell Bradley = Hartlepool
Steve Sutton = Goalkeeping coach maybe now at Leeds
Lee Chapman = Working in a wine bar in London

Was it Steve Sutton in the Leeds Utd dugout for the Leeds v Man Utd game at Elland Road on the 25.04.99,Maybe..but the more obsevervant of you will have noticed a certain Mr Boardman in the West stand,Yes Mr Sheringham you looked up unsurely ,but it was him

Yet to be cofirmed but Phil Neville butt (no pun intended) is Peter Beardsley's lovechild?

DEEP