ALAN GOODALL

By Phil Tooley

This article first appeared in the matchday programme of the Rotherham match, in which Alan bagged an injury time winner.

Born in Birkenhead on 2nd December 1981 Alan was a schoolboy at his home town club Tranmere Rovers but, he explains; "They let me go at 16 and I moved straight into open age football with Cammell Laird."

Goodall enjoyed some success with Birkenhead based Laird's who were then in the West Cheshire League. Champions in 1999 and again in 2001 and they also won the Cheshire Cup against Vauxhall Motors at the Deva Stadium.

He remembers his time there fondly; "It was good, I enjoyed it there. It gave me a lot of experience playing open age, when I went there I was only used to playing with lads of my own age and I got much stronger and better at coping with the physical side."

And when it wasn't so good he could always turn to his opposite full back on the right, one Chris Goodall; "He's my older brother, he played on the right side midfield or full back with me on the left, he's not playing at the moment which is a shame, he was just as good as I was."

Alan was invited back to Tranmere for a trial period in the summer of 2001 and he played a few games for them; "I went back to Tranmere Rovers under Dave Watson on a trial and they wanted to sign me but they didn't quite have the funds at the time which was disappointing. When I was there I played against Bangor City and that's how things came about going there."

He joined League of Wales club Bangor City that. Ex Forest, Man United and Middlesbrough man Peter Davenport was Manager there; "Peter was at Cammel Laird's with me as a player and he took me to Bangor. He had some ambitions and ideas about what he wanted to do but I always wanted to come into English League football."

In his first season at the Farrar Road club, he played in the Welsh Cup final picking up a runners-up medal in a defeat against Barry Town played in Aberystwyth.

He was also part of the team that lost narrowly in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup against FK Sartid (Yugoslavian), who were knocked out by UEFA Fair Play winners Ipswich Town in the following round and he played in the 2003-04 Intertoto Cup losing to Gloria Bistrita (Romania).

City lost in the 2003 League Of Wales Cup final, on pens after a 2-2 draw with Rhyl after being 2-0 down. Current Welsh International Owain Tudur-Jones equalised for City and Clayton Blackmore, previously with Man United and a Boro semi 97 semi final man against Chesterfield, also played.

He showed he had some nerves; "I did take a penalty and scored. Owain was a good lad, we called him lofty due to his height. Clayton was a great lad too, always some one to look up to. His technique and skill was unbelievable.I was captain there in my last season and won the Player of the Year award, I enjoyed that season. "

On the European games, after beating Sartid City were 2-0 down in the second leg in search of an away goal; "We should have won that game, we only needed an away goal but it just wouldn't come but it was a great experience for me."

Against the Romanians he was red carded ten minutes from the end of the second leg meaning he's still suspended from European competition! "Dodgy refereeing" was his verdict on the red!

Towards the end of 03-04 he had a trial spell at Wrexham where Denis Smith was manager; "Denis was a great guy. When he told me he wasn't going to sign me he just put his thumb and finger together and said I was 'just this far away' from being signed. I asked him to take a chance on me but he didn't but I soon signed for Rochdale."

"Peter Davenport recommended me for a trial game for Rochdale against Accrington Stanley, I played one half and the following day they went away to a pre-season tournament and I went on that. When we were away Steve Parkin pulled me on one side and told me he was offering me a year and it all started from there."

His league debut came on the opening day of 2004-05 at Scunthorpe. Dale lost 3-1 and Alan was booked, as he was in game 2 and game 3! "That's what I'm like, I like to get stuck in. I try and get all of my tackles in, you don't want to make it easy for an opponent do you. You have to make them know you're there!"

He bagged a couple of goals that season at Yeovil and at home to Lincoln in a game that saw team mate Ernie Cooksey concede a penalty and see red, though Dale went on to win 3-1.

"I always like to score even though I'm a full back. I've scored some scrambles and some rockets."

On Cooksey, who sadly passed away recently he recalled; "Ernie was a great lad, we had some good times on the pitch, and some bad ones as well. He was really frustrating to play against but when he played in front of me he was so determined, went for every ball, every header. He was a good friend."

Great experience came in an FA Cup game at Charlton, though the Londoners won 4-1; "It was my first game against a side that was in the Premier League and the first time I'd played againt quality like that, I really enjoyed it. I got Luke Young's shirt at the end of the game, I've still got it."

During that season Chester City made a cash offer; "It was nice to know a side was willing to pay money for me in my first season as a professional footballer. It helped my career because Rochdale gave me an extra 2 ½ years on my contract."

2005-06, again a regular, goals in both games v Orient also against Macclesfield and lots fewer yellow cards after nine in his debut season and he won the Most Improved Player award.

"By then I'd started becoming used to the professional game and I was just so pleased to be playing football for a living, it was unbelievable working at doing something I loved."

In 06-07 he was ever present and bagged three goals in bizarre games, Darlington 0 Dale 5, Lincoln 7 Dale 1 and Stockport 2 Dale 7.

On the Stockport game, the match that followed County's League Record for winning consecutive games to clean sheets he remembers; "They'd won loads of games without conceding, we went out and hit them early-doors, got a couple of goals. We played really well and from Christmas onwards the lads were brilliant. I played a few games at centre half, including in the win at Stockport County when my goal came from a corner."

In June 2007 Goodall signed for recently relegated League One side Luton Town on a two year contract. Kevin Blackwell was Manager and he scored on his debut in a 2-1 victory over Hartlepool United - he scored the 84th min 2nd after Darren Currie had scored the opener.

"It's always nice to score but scoring on your debut after stepping up a league settles your nerves. I was hoping the season would be successful but it wasn't."

With quality team mates like Matt Spring, Stephen Robinson, Chris Perry, Don Hutchison, Paul Peschisolido, Paul Furlong what went wrong? "Up until November we were doing OK, we hadn't set the league alight but we were mid-table, 10th or 12th by the time we went into administration. There was just too much stuff going on behind the doors and you couldn't get focused on what was going on and it all went downhill from there and we went down."

He received another red in a 3-1 loss at Brighton (Darren Deadman ref!); "It was two yellows, just a couple of mistimed tackles, it wasn't one of the better times in my career!"

The highlight of his time at Kenilworth Road came in two FA Cup games with Liverpool.

Luton 1 Liverpool 1 with Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Alonso, Babel, Couch, Kuyt, Torres, Mascherano in the squad. Ahead of the replay Blackwell announced he was leaving and the game was lost 5-0, 41446 were at Anfield, Stevie G got a hat-trick and Alan pplayed dentre half against Torres. "Those kind of players are unbelievable, that was a great experience, playing against Torres."

Things started to go array for him at Kenilworth Road when Kevin Blackwell left their hot-seat and Mick Harford came in; "The new manager came in and didn't fancy me from the word go, we didn't exactly see eye to eye really, these things happen in football but it was the first time it had happened to me. It wasn't very pleasant for me because I hadn't come across anything like that before."

Despite things going pear shaped off the park at Luton, Goodall and his colleagues were still being paid and, with having the security of an extra year, at least he knew the mortgage was going to be paid; "Of course, that side of things was OK even though the club was in administration but I wouldn't want to be there, or anywhere, just to pick up the money, I'd rather play."

And play he is after getting a two-year deal here at Saltergate. Welcome to Town Alan.

PHIL TOOLEY