NO disrespect, but Dale Belford was a goalkeeper more accustomed to dealing with semi-pro Southern League sloggers like me than Bulgarian legends like Dimitar Berbatov.
The Tamworth manager still reminds me of the stunning catlike save he made from one of my headers in a Bracknell Town v Sutton Coldfield Town game, but he’s trying to rapidly forget the time he came up against the Fulham striker as part of an Aston Villa Old Stars squad.
“I had to flee the country in embarrassment,” says Belford of his trip to Sofia to play in a game to raise funds for sick children in Villa’s leukaemia-suffering captain Stiliyan Petrov’s home country last month.
“I had the misfortune of having to come on as an outfield player marking Berbatov. He nutmegged me with a backheel to set up one of their goals, and because the game was shown live on TV, everywhere we went that evening it was replayed about 500 times!”
The Bulgarians – featuring Barcelona great Hristo Stoichkov – won 4-2, with Berbatov netting twice, ex-Manchester City and Bolton midfielder Martin Petrov once and ex-international Petar Mihtarski netting the other.
Martin Carruthers scored twice for Villa, who included Lambs midfielder Lee Hendrie, ex-Daventry boss Mark Kinsella and former Forest Green winger Tony Daley in their side.
“There was around 10,000 at Bulgaria’s national stadium, and it was a great experience,” says Belford.
“We actually did OK – not that I could remember because I was dizzy from being turned inside out so much. I felt like one of those spinning tops you used to get with a piece of string!”
