Retired professional footballer visits Market Rasen Rotary
Market Rasen Rotary Club members enjoyed a talk by retired professional footballer Paul Franklin at their latest meeting.
Paul Franklin was a professional footballer and has dedicated his life to helping many others in the sport, especially young people.
He explained that he started his football career at the age of 10, having no other wish than to turn professional. He was not following anyone in his family, this was Paul going for it, on his own!
He joined Lawton boys’ team in the Epping Forest. There was just a 300:1 chance of making the grade, and the odds are worse now.
Whilst no scouts were allowed at Lawton Boys, Paul was invited to join Watford youth team at the age of 14. Paul’s parents drove him to training two nights a week. Paul was given the only school detention of his scholastic career for telling the careers master he wanted to be a professional footballer and wouldn’t rescind his statement.
During school holidays Paul’s parents made the excuse that he was away on holiday to give Paul the opportunity to train with Birmingham. Both Watford and Birmingham offered him a position but he chose to sign for Watford. He had not finished school, but Watford sent all their young players to college one day a week, so not all education was lost.
Watford’s chairman at the time was none other than pop star Sir Elton John. Paul’s debut match for Watford was against the mighty Liverpool. Paul was in the team sent to Wembley several times, but never played there and so was not part of the FA Cup side against Everton.
Paul suffered knee damage in his early 20’s and by 23 was out of playing professionally, and so got involved with coaching at Wycombe Wanderers and Reading before getting out of the sport at the professional level by 2000.
Paul and wife Jacqui then moved to the Rasen area, where they had family. he explained this was the first stable home they had had, previously moving around, as football opportunities took them.
Seven years ago they set up the youth teams in Market Rasen, based at the football and cricket club, with Paul and Jacqui taking the Chair and Secretarial roles and they are still heavily involved. There are now 10 youth teams in Market Rasen for 10-14 year olds including two girls’ teams, with 116 children involved.
Paul said he is a great believer in getting children involved in whatever gives them an interest, to get them out and active and away from insular electronic devices for entertainment. Paul said he is very grateful for his footballing career, travelling widely, to China, Malaysia, New Zealand and for the personalities he has met along the way, including Sir Elton John, Rod Stewart and others, but he and Jacqui are now very happy to be giving something back to the sport which they have so enjoyed.