Читать книгу To Cap It All - Kenny Sansom - Страница 21

The one and only sending-off of my career came during the 1976–7 season when we were playing away at Coventry City. I can’t remember the score, but that’s not important – what is important is that I acted like an idiot. I was marking Scottish forward Ian Wallace, and it wasn’t too long into the match before he started kicking the shit out of me. I think my attacking game took him a bit by surprise and rattled him. I guess I got pissed off as well because, after one kick too many, I shoved him in the chest and sent the pair of us flying.

The whistle blew and I was shown the red card. But that wasn’t the worst of it: I was given a one-match ban and missed playing against Liverpool at home. I was devastated – and promised myself I would never be shown a red card again.

I was still that boy who didn’t like to get into trouble; still the kid who needed to be liked and loved – getting a red card meant I was naughty and therefore needed to be punished. Phew! Being ejected from the game hit me hard. It felt like rejection. It felt bloody awful.

To balance out these difficult early experiences at Palace, in 1977 I captained the Palace Junior team to the FA Youth Cup. It was another of those very proud moments.

At the same time I was skippering the England Juniors. Even as I write, it sounds quite phenomenal. If I pinch myself any more I’ll be bruised. Yet I guess the fact that I won the first nine of my full England caps while in this fertile atmosphere at Palace, should come as no surprise. I was receiving great coaching, even greater mentorship, and was playing out on the pitch with a terrific bunch of lads.