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NLP 8 THE NON-LEAGUE PAPER, Sunday, May 3, 2009 Log onto www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com THE LIVING LEGEND: Tony Kempster may only have months to The BIG live, but he’s as interview busy as ever Tony Kempster (Non-League expert/website founder) JEFFERSON LOUIS The Wrexham striker chooses his By STUART HAMMONDS favourite XI, made up entirely of E’S NEVER been a players he’s played with and player, coach or against in his football career manager, and he says his real claim GOALKEEPER How They Line Up: (4-3-3) to fame is running Adriano Basso – H Bristol City the line in a Southern I was going to go for G G G League game at Hillingdon Alan Julian, but McLean Pacquette Borough in the early 70s. Adriano got the nod Louis – he’s a fantastic But log onto the internet and G you’ll find FC United fans wear- keeper and has Boyd G ing Eric Cantona masks chanting proved it since he Kightly his name in a YouTube video and went to Bristol City. G hundreds of forum tributes I played with him at Vernazza describing him as... Woking. His agility G G “An absolute god in the Non- and kicking ability Ricketts G League world” were unbelievable McNiven G “The only person in the G G – he even set me Oliver world who understands the Non- Ashton League system” up for quite a few G “The living legend that is goals. G Tony Kempster.” RIGHT-BACK Basso The reason? A 59-year-old who Scott McNiven – has devoted 11 years of the dot- com age to bringing grass-roots retired football fans all the information I played with Scott at Weymouth – it was easy they need at the click of a mouse Oxford before he dropped to see why he’d been at has just announced his site will down into Non-League Arsenal. I’ve not played be frozen this month. It comes and he was a quality with anyone more intelli- after doctors told him the bowel player. I’ve never played gent and his awareness and liver cancer he has been with a defender who was and passing ability is fighting for almost a year so good going forward. great to play alongside. means it is unlikely he’ll I was so happy for him He should be playing in see 2010. when he played again the Football League but Tony’s English after having testicular has been unfortunate to Football Site – found at be labelled a party boy. www.tonykempster.co.uk cancer. – is his permanent lega- CENTRE-HALF LEFT MIDFIELD cy to the Non-League Jon Ashton – George Boyd – Pyramid. It earned him a Stevenage Peterborough Football Supporters’ Non-League Another one of my old Boydy is absolutely differ- Federation award for services to fans last Oxford mates. Jon’s a ent class. I knew from the year. But who is the man quality centre-half and first moment I saw him at behind it and how did it there’s not many better at Stevenage that he was come about? this level. He came to us going to go far. He’s real- As we sit in his living from Leicester and quick- ly deceiving on the ball – room drinking tea made ly showed how quick and not explosive but has all with the raw goat’s milk strong he was. When the tricks. Posh boss that helps fight his he’s on his game he’s Darren Ferguson rates tumours, he says: “I’ve almost unbeatable. him better than Aaron got my head around the legacy being McLean and Craig fact that I’ve not got long CENTRE-HALF left, and my family and I Mackail-Smith. He will get Luke Oliver – Wycombe to the Premier League have had to stop reading I’ve played with and all the wonderful mes- one day. sages because we were against Luke. It’s definite- so choked. ly better to play with him. STRIKER “We all had tears in He’s huge. I never enjoy Richard Pacquette – our eyes that people playing against him Maidenhead would say such touch- because of how big he is, I’ve got to pick Richard – ing things and I’m very but he can also play the he’s my cousin, but he’s lucky because most left by Tony right way as well. I’m glad in on merit. He’s not as people don’t get to read he’s back in the Football big as me, but he’s really eulogies before they go. I’m get- while managing a team of 30 as results and attendances. I have worse and I feel well now,” he League with Wycombe. strong and powerful with ting all these plaudits for it. sales operations manager for the help on Step 7 from Philip says. “I’m trying to do as much an eye for goal. I’ve got “But I don’t just want to be firm now known as Nestle. Steinson, based in Finland, and as I can but I do get tired. LEFT-BACK the edge on him in the remembered for the site. I’ve “I dealt a lot with IT and when Paul Crankshaw on the Scottish “I’m off to the FA Trophy final Sam Ricketts – Hull City air, but since he’s been in done so much more than that.” the internet came to life, I want- leagues, but I’m usually finished next week, the boys are coming I couldn’t believe it when Non-League he’s really Born and bred in Harefield, ed to create a website,” he says. by eight o’clock on Saturdays. up the following two weeks and Sam dropped into Non- worked on this to improve Middlesex – “I was gutted United “I’d always been interested in the “Tuesday games are updated Stuart’s partner Claire is expect- League with Telford. just missed out on the Spartan ing their second child in June. his game. configuration of league tables, so by 11.30pm and I do the odd hour I played with him at Oxford South Midlands title by one goal I decided on Non-League football. here and there in the week. I’m Then we’ve got a week away in STRIKER last Saturday” – Tony, a Bradford “The site’s got no bells and staggered and overwhelmed by Llandudno planned for July with and he never got a University graduate in Mathe- whistles, and it was only when I how it’s taken off. We usually get friends, all being well. chance, but I knew he’d Jefferson Louis – matics and Statistics, worked for retired in 2003 that I started to 200,000 hits on a Saturday, but “I’ve always been busy. That’s have a good career. He’s Wrexham Post Office Telecommunications develop by looking at the mileage on the last day of the season we why when the doctors told me two-footed, mobile and can I’d love to play in this in Uxbridge. Then he landed a teams have to travel, crowd fig- had almost 300,000.” last year I’d only have six months play at centre-back. I’m team. With the service sales job with confectionery ures and plan what restructuring Discussion on what is easily to live without chemo, it was pleased he’s gone all the from Vernazza, Kightly giant Rowntree in 1973. might look like.” Non-League’s most intelligent such a bombshell. I’m also being way to the Premiership. and Boyd, it would be a Promotion took him to York in Even then, when not taking messageboard has opened very practical, sorting out my striker’s dream. I’ve been 1975, he married Anne the same calls for advice from FA and among Kempsterites on how to affairs so it’s as easy as possible RIGHT MIDFIELD around a bit in my career year and sons Stuart, now 31, league bigwigs, Tony was helping maintain Tony’s English Football for Anne when I go. We’ve actual- Michael Kightly – and know how these Martin, 30, and Ian, 28, followed. raise £1m-plus a year for the Site for future generations. ly been talking about plans for Wolves guys play and that would His legacy, he says, will be a “I’ve spoken to Anne and the my funeral this morning. I’ve Confectioners’ Benevolent Fund I’d love to have played help me get lots of goals. close-knit family, despite his eld- and doing volunteer work as a boys about this and I don’t want chosen who I want to speak as I with Michael. He’s a class know they’ll say good things and est living in Norfolk and Red Cross ambulance driver and anyone to continue my site,” act at Wolves. He was in STRIKER youngest in Croydon. Martin, signalman on the North York says Tony. “I’d love someone to not be over-sentimental. Aaron McLean – start something similar them- “The music’s quite a problem, a Grays team where he who is autistic, lives in a resi- Moor Railways. Peterborough dential home 75 minutes away in “I always liked to watch Non- selves and link it to mine, but I’m though. Do I go religious and tra- was allowed to express Sunderland, but regularly acc- League football,” he says. freezing mine for posterity at the ditional with hymns? Or do I go himself. That brought the I’d love to play up-front ompanies his parents on visits to “Recently, I’ve stayed local – end of the season.” for some classical music? Or best out of him.