WEMBLEY, 1984, and a young Les Ferdinand is listening to Southall manager Gordon Bartlett’s team-talk ahead of the FA Vase final against Halesowen Town.
“Before the start of the game,” Ferdinand says, “part of Gordon’s team talk was to say, ‘One of you in here may have the opportunity to come back and play again. Whether that be the Vase or the Trophy, one of you could be back here. But some of you will never play here again. Enjoy the occasion’.
“Everyone’s kind of looking around thinking, ‘Who could that person be?’ Little did I know it would be me playing for England some years later. It’s really surreal.”
Ferdinand, then 18, was to go on and become one of Non-League‘s most successful exports as he carved out a playing career at the top level for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers and the Three Lions.
Ferdinand progressed through Southall’s youth set-up and into the first team when he was 17 with Paul Swales and school-mate Bruce Rowe.
Legend
As he sits down with The NLP to explain why he’s getting on his bike to cycle from London to Amsterdam on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK, Ferdinand recalls those early days.
How Bartlett would pick him up from his painting and decorating job on Harrow Road, scoring three goals in the two-legged semi-final against Wisbech Town, and moving on to Hayes still thinking his shot at a professional career had passed him by.
It was there where he was spotted by Queens Park Rangers, who forked out £30,000 for his services and made him a star.
Hayes later banked a cool £600,000 when he was sold to Newcastle for £6m and duly opened the Les Ferdinand Suite at their Church Road home.
“After the Vase final the Southall team disbanded,” Ferdinand says. “A lot of the boys felt they weren’t going to play anymore because they weren’t well looked after by the club.
“I was sitting at home thinking, ‘Where am I going to go next?’ Then I got the call from George Goode to go to Hayes.
“It was a level up from Southall but I got into the team and started scoring goals. Halfway through the season I was made aware QPR were watching. Before the end of the season they’d signed me.
“I had to give them a month’s notice to work. After a week they said, ‘It’s fine – you can go’.
“I remember my first reserve game for QPR. We played Southampton and I had to ask for the day off at work so I could meet the coach.”
Ferdinand’s 149 goals sees him eighth in the all-time Premier League scorers list and he’s now director of football at the club where his professional career began.
Next June, he’ll take a couple of days away from the coal face to cycle 145 miles over two days in the annual Football to Amsterdam ride.
“I lost my grandfather to Prostate Cancer, my dad’s had it, and I’ve got various uncles that have had it in the past,” he says.
“Apart from my grandad, who passed away, my dad and uncles were all cured so it’s a really personal thing to me. One in eight men are diagnosed with it.
“In the black community it’s one in four men. So the waiting rooms are packed out. This is about raising awareness and seeing how many men we can get looking after themselves a bit better.
Riding High
“Training starts now – Prostate Cancer UK have given me training plans. They’ve said they’re happy with my enthusiasm!”
The NLP are also signing up to Men United and will cycle alongside the Non-League boy done good.
“I saw David Pleat a little while ago,” Ferdinand says. “He said, ‘Les, I’ve got to apologies to you’. I said, ‘Why’s that?’ He said, ‘I’ve done my Non-League Best XI and you’ve not quite made the side – but you are on the bench!’”
Les Ferdinand is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK and is taking part in the Football to Amsterdam challenge from 9-11 June. Join Les in the biggest ride in football by signing up here: www.prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam
