Ex Players - 1990-1999
The PlayersHonours
| PLAYER | BRIEF HISTORY | PLAYER | BRIEF HISTORY |
| Ian Bowman | Silky midfielder | Mike O'Shea | Biggers - in every sense of the word! |
| John Blakiston | Country Squire | Dr Jim Johnston | Cerebral |
| Simon Keane | Flashy forward | Andrea Vincentini | The Itallion Job |
| Martie van Tongeren | Great left foot | ||
Ian Bowman
Rumoured to have retired when his cat died!
Well I moved on from Village when moved house and out to Droitwich (although never quite did get over the death of that cat).
Recently been playing for Fernhill Heath in Midland Comb 2 on a Saturday and now Chawson Old Boys in Bromsgrive Advertiser Div 1 on Sundays.
Village Life: - Highlight: Scoring the goals in the A's 2:1 win away at Parkfield to keep us in the Prem and send them down on the last day of season.
Lowlight: Whilst managing the Sunday team taking them away to Moor Lane where our opposition didn't play, then on (eventually) to their home pitch only to find that we were supposed to be home. Returned back to Rowheath to find an annoyed Toledo FC, ref, a cancelled match and a hefty fine.
Mike O'Shea
John Blakiston
Now living in Bewdley, Worcs. Married to Liz with 2 girls of 5 and 2. Playing now restricted to low standard 5-a-side forays.
Wishing Village FC the best for the future
Dr Jim Johnston
Dr Johnston was a fleet footed wingback for the C Team and Sunday Team between 1995 and 1999 with an intelligent right foot. However, his flamboyant lifestyle cut his career short and he retired due to disco knee early in 1999.
Simon Keane
After leaving Birmingham I went travelling around the world and actually randomly bumped into another Village player (Paul Cypher) in Australia (as you do!). Now working in London for Dept for Education in Westminster and bored! Not playing at the moment
Andrea Vincentini
Helped you organise the 2000 Village Tour in Bologna/Portomaggiore (you can't forget the ugly ladies club where I took the team - and they wanted some credit card of yours to let you in and most of you gave him Tesco and Saisbury cards - I'm still sorry about that but it was one of my team's sponsor so we had to go).
I really would love to come back to Birmingham, not as a poor student, but as worker. I've got a degree now and I've been working for a market research company for almost one year and a half. I would find a job there and come back with Annarita.
If I come back it would be an improvement for Village as well, I'm as good as Paul Ince!!!
Martie van Tongeren
Creator of the very first Village web site. May it rest in peace.
Due to be married to the loveley Helen in May 2003. Retired due to a crippling back injury.
Still to be found wandering the streeets of Bearwood, if not drinking in the Green Man.
Played 1992-1998 for Village D. Player of the year once before it all started going downhill.
One of the more cerebral players to have graced the red and black, has returned to his native Scotland and clearly having gone up in the world now resides in Edinburgh where the McBains (wannabe Scots) outnumber the Scots 3 to 1.
A student at Birmingham University and played centre forward for Village from 1999 to 2001 in the C's with Dave Csonder and occasionally the B's. I played in the Minor Cup final in 2000 and scored the first goal in the 2-1 win. Together with Dave I represented a frightening striking partnership that regularly got the better of many a defence!
1 presence in the B team 7 presence and 1 score for the C team in the season 1999-2000 I can certainly be recognised for the victory in the Birmingham AFA 5-a-side tournament in July 2000 (with Carl Griffin, Dave Csondor, Alan Moat, and some other good players. I scored the victory penalty and a couple of goals as well.
Played in the lower teams of Village for a few years before his talents were finally recognized. Played for the As for about 3 years, when he realized that life in an ivory tower in Manchester is much better.
