Video links: Adrian Crowe video Here, ALL Ferals Video Interviews HERE.
Quickfire Questions
Favourite hot drink: Tea.
Favourite cold drink: Peroli.
Favourite game you've watched live: Stoke 5 Bolton 0 FA Cup Semi final! Or Stoke 6 Liverpool 1!
Favourite TV Show: Match Of The Day.
Favourite film: Shawshank Redemption.
Favourite sport other than football: Cricket.
Favourite pro player: Gordon Banks is my favourite player.
If you could relive any sporting moment from any time which one would you pick: 1966 World Cup.
DK: If you could have any 2 professionals past or present playing for Ferals who would you pick?
AC: Alan Hudson and I've got to be fair to Aston and say Stuart Peace, because I need a good left back!
DK: How did the Ferals come about?
AC:In 2006/07 season, we played in a thing called CYFL which was the Community Youth Football League, which we knew at the end of that season it would finish so we had to try and find football, so we went to another club and said we've got a few lads who want to play football, including Sam Waterson, so we had four lads.
We were told that they weren't good enough, so as I was running a men's side we decided we'd put a kids side together for the Under-9s and Mr (Martin) Hogg came up with the name of the Feral Crowes - so to start with we were the Feral Crowes and then we looked into it, that we needed to be Charter Standard so Moreton Hall offered us the chance of joining them at the time, and join them as a 'B' side, so we were always called the Ferals from day 1, but we were called the Moreton Hall B's/Ferals, and then the Ipswich & Suffolk Youth League in about 2010 decided to do away with A's and B's because they didn't want children feeling bad that they played for the 'B' side and not the 'A' side.
So then teams had the chance of calling themselves Yellows, Blues, whatever, so Moreton Hall 'A' team became Moreton Hall Alpha and Moreton Hall 'B' became Ferals, which just fit because our nickname at the time was always the Ferals! So that's where it comes from, it was me and Mr Hogg in the early days who set it up!
DK: It's been quite a successful time for Ferals overall, hasn't it?
AC: Yeah, we've completed thirteen seasons, we still have 3 originals who have played every season in that thirteen years. We do have another original player still playing for us but he did disappear for four years, Harvey Addison, but on the whole we started with Fred (Stewart-Hogg), George (Crowe) and Sam Waterson.
Although you'll probably find that Aston Fallows has played the best part of ten years, you can't forget Elliott Frost-Palmer because Elliott actually played for the 'A' side, so although he's only been with Ferals for only ten years, he also played for Moreton Hall 'A' side for four years before that, but we don't have any records for how many games he played for the 'A' side but I do have records for how many games he's contributed to me over the years.
DK: That must be a big record if it goes all the way from the start?!
AC: I've just got appearances and goals and goal scorers. We did have two years in 2013/14 where we got ripped apart by another club having trials, who kept coming after my players to go and play alliance football. So in the year 2014/15 we went to Walsham (Le Willows) and played EJA football for 2 years and we played there until the end of the U18s. We were going to fold the Under-18s because we struggled to get a side all season, we did complete the season but we weren't very successful.
I then got a lovely letter from Fred Stewart-Hogg saying "you can't let it fold, let's see if we can get some more players," so we did that. We got some mates, they're all the same age and we got entered into the Bury & District League 3rd Division as Moreton Hall Ferals, so we went there with the nucleus of sixteen players and we did alright to be fair, we came third and we won the cup 5-1 down at Bury Town (Ram Meadow)!
All the boys played their part, that's the history of us.
DK: What's the highlight of the Ferals?
AC: Our first game actually, getting nine boys and a girl on a pitch in all different coloured shirts to start with in our very first ever friendly and winning that, winning the cup at under-12s against a team that were far better than us, under-13s we got to the Suffolk Cup final which we lost to Woodbridge 1-0. We hit the underside of the crossbar and were very unlucky, beating Horringer when we went into men's football 5-1 at Ram Meadow in the cup final when nobody gave us a chance - which Horringer did have a good side then, a cracking side that day!
We absolutely battered them! Another great game we played Gym last year at Welneathem and we drew 5-all in the cup and beat them 11-12 on penalties. They only played with 9 men but they were unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!
Then two weeks later we turned up there in the league and the great thing about that was that those two games we had a young 16 year old Matt Glover play his first games for us after a coach from an U18s side said to him "what you doing wasting your time playing for them" and in his first 2 games he scored 5 goals for us!
Probably the Gym games, because Gym spent 10 years at the top, a great team, great club, great players and were beaten by a bunch of young pretenders coming in, so probably the Gym game or the Horringer - maybe Horringer as we were the underdogs and we were absolutely fantastic that day!
DK: Each season Ferals have gone up an extra gear and have improved on that, would you agree with that?
AC: I think so, the standards have changed every year with the Ferals since we've gone to men's football. The first season of Division 3 we did well, even though that season we lost 5 players to university so with the grabbing of brothers, younger brothers coming to play for us and a copule more mates joining us and having people like Harvey Addison and Cam Nicholls rejoin us, because don't forget they were Ferals a few years ago.
We kicked on again in the second division and then got promoted to the first division, once again more younger brothers coming into play - like the Glover's, the Waterson's, the Stobbart's helping us out last year.
This year, once again you lose another 2 to university which you're not expecting, all of a sudden Newdick decides he's going to university so I lost him and he's there every week one of our great players! We managed to get a copule more players because we were a bit short. Young Jordan Barber who's only sixteen come in and played really well bless him and he was a Moreton Hall youth player when he was around under-8s, we get them but they're mainly youngsters.
OK we got Craig Defew this year for a bit of experience, as our average age is around 21, well the oldest one is 21, Defew comes in at 28. Once again he played for Moreton Hall many years ago as well, so we try not to get too old but Defew's certainly the oldest one we've got this season, apart from one other, who made one guest appearance but we won't talk about that!
Steve Nicholls, we had that last season as well. We had Steve Nicholls and Cam Nicholls playing up front together for a half, which was great! Steven, he probsbly won't like me for saying this, but he was 48 but you know what a feeling to actually play in the same side as your son, must be tremendous!
I've done three times to be fair, I came on as a sub against Brandon in our first season in the men's league and I came on for fifteen minutes of the game as we were 6-0 up and then 2 years ago I played the last 10 minutes in a pre season friendly once again we we were 6 up. The Tostock one was a little bit different, I haven't started a game for the best part of 30 years and I don't care if its another 30 years before I start again either but it was alright, it was enjoyable!
The funny thing is the same referee has been on the middle for all 3 games I've played, Tebbutt, he's refereed all 3 games and the first time he wasn't going to let me on, but now if I go out there he just laughs!
DK: Must be your lucky or unlucky omen depending on way you look at it?
AC: To be fair Tebbs reffed us when we were youth, on a Sunday, Lewis used to play a couple of years younger for Moreton Hall so Tebbs used to help us out and referee a game for us now and again, so he knows most of the boys and they go back a long way with Tebbs.
DK: What would you say is the best Ferals team performance?
AC: If we go back to the youth it was probably the semi final over a Woodbridge EJA side when we beat them 3-2 to get to the final of the (Suffolk) FA U13 Youth Cup, that was one of our best performances. The game against Horringer (Sunday men's football), we absolutely smashed them 5-1 and they never had a kick. Also when you think, no disrespect my 1-11 in those days was very strong but my bench was quite weak compared to where we are now. Any game we've played against Gym as well, whenever we've played Gym it's a highlight - they're a good side.
DK: How did it feel this season to be unbeaten in the league?
AC: We start every season and I get a couple of comments from friends who say "we're going to beat this team by such and such" and I'm like if you win every game 1-0 you win the league. There were still some tough games to go to be fair, we still had Brandon away, we still had Gym and we still had Tostock, which are 3 sides that can quite easily turn us over. However we can quite easily turn them over 5-0.
I wasn't surprised we went so well to be fair, some games you look at the team and you think "nobody's going to live with us" and you scrape out a 2-1 win and then another you think "oh I haven't got a very good side" and then you go out and win 9-1, so there is no rhyme or reason for it, it just depends on how they prepare themselves the night before.
DK: Well we all know at Sunday League you can play the same team 3 games in a row and win one, draw one and lose the other.
AC: Absolutely, that lot you just know what sort of mood they're in when you get to the changing rooms. You can hear them talking in the changing rooms - so I know what mood they're in, but you're right you never know which sort of Ferals will turn up to be fair. On their day they're unplayable or totally awful.
There's been a couple of games this season nowhere we've been very good, we've grounded out results. It's about the good players staying fit as well, we lost Glover at Christmas - it's a big miss. We lost for the last 3 years Fred and Sam to university, they're two massive players for us, I know they've came back but they've not played that many games.
We've got Dongray back, he's a massive player in every sense of the word, we lost Palmer for a year with his head injury. Aston is probably the most underrated goalkeeper in Bury, but he's unbelievable. What you've got to remember about Aston is that he's never been coached, all he's ever had is my s#*@ coaching so he's never actually had proper coaching!
If he had the coaching that some of the goalkeepers around here have had he would be playing for Bury Town first team without doubt. His agility and shot stopping is unbelievably tremendous, he just needs a brain! He's got too hot of a head at times but he's a tremendous goalkeeper!
That goes for most of the Ferals, they've all got brains bless them!
DK: What was the best moment of this season?
AC:The best moment of this season when I was playing in goal against Tostock after 70 minutes and I saw Aston run past the back of my goal with kit on because I was struggling at that point!
They were lucky (saves). Well I bought some new gloves at the beginning of the season as I was coaching the Lakenheath goalkeepers so luckily I had a decent pair of gloves to hold onto the ball.
It was alright when Elliott turned up, I thought I was safe but then Brad gets injured so I'm back on again!
When I saw Aston I was spent, I said to George I don't think I can last much longer and then he (Aston) rocked up.
After the game the boys said that "you could play a bit in your day," so it was nice for them to see that I could actually play a bit. Everytime I made a save, if you looked at George Palmer's face he was cracking up laughing.
I know how they can play and can tell them how to play, but the thing is they've never seen me play, I don't think there's many people alive who has to be honest. The greatest compliment was my dad afterwards, my dad is 86 now and he said to me afterwards "you're mental," and I went "yeah, yeah." He goes "did you you enjoy it?"
I said "yeah I loved every minute!" He said "you did alright," and for him to say that is probably the great compliment I can have! He did tell me he was jealous, and I did say that there's no way I'm signing him on as well!
DK: Do you have any targets for next season?
AC: Get 11 players out on the pitch every week, never set targets!
We'll be alright, got a couple of new players coming, it's just letting the boys go and enjoy themselves and win more games than we lose, if we win the league - we win the league. If we win a cup, we win a cup. To be fair, we love a cup final, it's a great day for our sponsors - Paul sponsored us for 11 years and Matt (Waterson) has sponsored us now for the last couple, it's good for the sponsors and the lads have a good time.
We go to Bury Town in the right manner, we all dress up, I wear a suit, they wear the tracksuits, we look the part and we go and enjoy it - win or lose. As long as the boys all enjoy themselves that's all, but it's just get 11 on the pitch, have a good season, meet our old friends again and to be fair I'd like to see how far we can go in the county Cup for a change.
The problem with the county Cup is that the first round is always in the first week of the season when my lot are all in Ibiza or Spain, so we never get a side. Hopefully we can miss that first round this year.
We'd like to win it (the league), yeah of course, but I'd like to get a team first that's the main thing! We don't go out to lose, we go out to win every game, as long as we enjoy ourselves, play good football, we make lots of friends - we don't make friends with everybody but we seem to get on with most teams - play the game in the right way and then the trophies will happen.
It will be a bit of a job to follow Gym to win ten (league titles) in a row but there you go.
DK: If you had to pick one of the Ferals to be quarantined with, other than George, who would you pick?
AC: I wouldn't pick George to go into quarantine at all! I'll say Matt Waterson.
DK: Who's the joker in the team?
AC: Well (Cam) Nicholls winds me up the most if that's what you mean? I don't know that one, that's a good question! They're all crazy in their own way. Harry Hughes used to be the funniest one of the team by a mile, but he's no longer with us.
DK: Out of the Ferals who's your favourite player?
AC: I haven't got one to be honest. I started the team for George, Fred and Sam, and I'm extremely proud that we started the side with those 3 and 13 years down the line they're still here! We've had our ups and downs, I can remember some chats with Sam, him getting so upset and me and Fred have had our moments but they're here after 13 years, I love them to bits!
Sam is my greatest footballing achievement, he came to me, he was a tall lad who's muscles weren't strong enough for his body, he used to get very frustrated and he's turned out to be a fantastic player, those three are the ones I've set the side up for, they mean the world to me. Don't get me wrong I like all the boys, if I didn't like them they wouldn't be there.
DK: What would be your Ferals 5 a side team be?
AC: It'd be me in goal, Aston hasn't got a chance! No, I'd have Aston in goal, I'd have to have George and I'd have to have Dongray as well - just for the simple reason that he's a beast!
I'd have Nicholls as he'd just shoot from everywhere and I'd have Fred as well because he's a ba#&@*% and everyone hates playing against him.
DK: What about your all time professional 5 a side team?
AC: We'll go for Banks, because he was the main man! At the back, you're going to be surprised that all of these are Stoke players, I'm going to have Mark Muniesa who played for Stoke in the Premier League - curtailed by injuries for most of it, tremendous player who played for Barcelona.
In front of him well go for Steven N'Zonzi who played in the Premier League for the mighty Potters as well, beside him we're going to go for Alan Hanson, who was the most gifted player I've ever seen play football, how he got two caps for England god only knows.
Then I'm going to go for snake himself, Marko Arnautovic up front. He was unplayable on his day.
AC: My league XI:
Goal, can’t split Frank Gammon (Brandon) or Dan Stobbart (Tostock) both great keepers
RB, Matt Morton (Gym), saw him play the Paulo Maldini role with gloves on!
LB Teddy Webster (Brandon) good younger player who comfortable on the ball
CB, Karl Saffrey, very good positionally, strong in the tackle and air
CB, Ben Virtue (Tostock) Solid
M, Casey Underwood (Brandon) underrated but a good player
M, Lewis Kemp (Tostock) never gives the ball away
M, Craig Nurse (Gym) class.
F, Robbie Priddle (Gym) always scored a Worldy against us
F, Sean Avis (Brandon) always scores against us!
F, Andrew Gardener (Wetherden) good get for a big lad and gave us all sorts of problems
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