CONSETT v HEBBURN T
THEY ARE best friends and twin brothers – but in tomorrow’s 2019-20 FA Vase final they will be enemies.
Amar and Arjun Purewal will become the first British South Asians to face other at Wembley for north-east rivals Hebburn Town and Consett.
The 31-year-olds are well known in the region having played at the likes of Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Blyth Spartans, Whitby Town and Durham City between them.
Ahead of the final, The NLP sat down with Hebburn forward Amar and Consett captain and defender Arjun to hear their story.
Arjun: It was a big game anyway but now it’s probably even bigger in terms of our family and with my brother playing as well. It should make for a great occasion, it’s a big north east final which is great for the region but it has the added spice. I’m really looking forward to it.
Who holds the bragging rights at the moment?
Amar: I think it’s maybe 2-0 to me from when you were at Blyth. We’ve discussed this game at home, our family is sitting on the fence apart from our wives who want us to win! My mum, my brother, my sisters, I think they’re just going to enjoy the spectacle, whoever wins, wins and that’s just the way football is.
Arjun: At first we didn’t realise Amar was going to be registered, then they decided two new players could play. Then we knew in the semi-final if we both won we’d be playing against each other so it added a bit of pressure because you’re thinking you don’t want to miss out on the final.
Amar: I see it as a win-win situation. One of us is going to be a winner at the end of the day. It’s definitely unique.
And if you do lose Amar, you might be heading back to Wembley in a few weeks in this year’s FA Vase!
Amar: It’s everyone’s dream to play at Wembley but to do it twice in three or four weeks would be incredible, stuff dreams are made of. But one step at a time, we’ve got to get this one out of the way and over the line, then after that our attention will turn to Warrington Rylands.
Has it always been competitive between you?
Arjun: It was always competitive but we were always on the same team so it wasn’t against each other. It was only when our dad used to race us around the streets to see who could get back first! That was the main competition we had. Generally we were together and shared our success.
Amar: We don’t want to out-do each other. When I was at Darlington, it’s a big club with a big fanbase, sometimes it looks as though you’re doing better but at that time Arj was at Whitby and two leagues higher up. But because of the fanbase it looked as though I was playing for a better team. We always try to support each other. If he does well I’ll tell him and vice-versa.
Arjun: Yeah, at Darlington they were winning every week and trophies. At Whitby we were mid-table and didn’t really do anything. But I’d stepped up and it was a tough challenge. The record they had at Darlington was fantastic, it was parallel success. He’s won a few trophies which is really good for him. After every game we ring each other and see how we got on.
Amar: We’ve always loved football. We liked playing cricket and we still watch it all the time. But we had a choice where the football season overlaps with the cricket season and then overlaps at the start of the football season, we’d always finish the football season and start it, it was always towards football.
‘I see it as a win-win situation. One of us is going to be a winner at the end of the day. It’s definitely unique’
You went your separate ways when Amar went to Newcastle’s academy and Arjun to Darlington but then reunited again…
Arjun: When we both got released, we were playing Non-League together for a good few years. I think it was at Darling-ton at that time when I left and he stayed and I think that’s when we really haven’t played together for a good few years apart from for the Panjab FA.
I enjoy playing with him but at the same time I don’t think it’s a really big deal. Obviously, subconsciously he’s your brother but you’re just worried about playing the game and it doesn’t really matter who’s on your team.
You almost won the CONFIA World Cup with Panjab in 2016, how was that experience?
Amar: That was very close to being my best experience in football. We just gelled together. The further and further we got in the competition it was unbelievable. In the final with rows full of people and scoring in the final was just surreal.
Your family was able to cheer the same team that day! Will it be harder to watch for them tomorrow?
Amar: They’re at that age now where they don’t actually come and watch anymore! It’s more checking on Twitter and they know the result when you get in. If it’s a final they’ll come and watch but obviously they can’t get into this one so they’ll be watching it on TV.
Arjun: They’re immensely proud. My mum still rings us now after every game to see how we did, even when we’ve lost and we probably don’t want to speak! My mum has supported us since we were little and always took us to games and always made sure we were wanting to play. It’s been her mentality as well to push us as far as she has.
It will be a proud day for the South Asian and Sikh community too…
Arjun: We’ve got this platform, it’s about people watching and following suit. It’s mainly the fact we’ve got there and we’re still playing and being dedicated and motivated that should be enough to say to other people they can do it and try it. We just try and play and enjoy the game, I think we’ve always done that and you get your success along the way.
‘It’s a big thing for us because if they see us playing it might help out Sikhs on the map. It’s a big thing for the Asian community’
Amar: You don’t hear much of Asian and Sikh footballers. There’s Yan Dhanda at Swansea and Hamza Choudhury at Leicester but other than that I can’t really think of any more. It’s a big thing for us because if they see us playing it might help put Sikhs on the map and see they can do it and people from grassroots can do it as well. Hopefully it’s a big thing for the Asian community.
So who’s going to win? Or at least come out on top in a 50/50 tackle?!
Arjun: It’s got to be me all day long! If there was a 50/50 on the floor I think he’d be clever enough to run out of the way. In the air I think he’ll go for it, he’s good in the air to be fair, we’ll have to see.
Amar: They’re a good team, there’s no doubting it, they’re there for a reason. We’ve got the experience and if we play our best I firmly believe we’ll come out on top.
Arjun: It’s so tough to call but it will be a memorable day.
