Many of you may well recall the sight of our ex-defender Ian Pearce dragging his battered body through the pain barrier to score a goal that played an integral part in our survival two years ago.
Pearce, an experienced defender, after that injury, struggled to get back into the first team and during the summer was released by Fulham.
Since then he’s decided that rather than hang up his boots he’d return to grass roots football playing some eleven divisions below the last level he played at.
On match days now, Pearce turns out for Oxted & District FC and like the others in his team pays subs of £2.50 for the privilege.
On his debut, against Westminster Casuals, Pearce scored a goal in front of a record crowd of 150 spectators as Oxted emerged 4-1 winners.
It’s obviously a far cry from Ian’s last days at Craven Cottage but the defender seems determined to keep on playing, a fact the Oxted joint manager, Peter Green, is grateful for but still left a little puzzled when he commented,
‘I’m still pinching myself that he’s signed for us’
‘But he’s just one of the lads and we’re chuffed to have him around.’
‘He has come home to finish his playing days where it all started.’
Take a bow Ian Pearce, one of the few who made it to the very top, Premiership winner with Blackburn, who is content to put something back into the game purely for the enjoyment of continuing his playing career.
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