Phil Stant, a legendary footballer who went to war at 19 and later became a premier league player narrated his harrowing experience in this video.
When footballers were men, football stepped up to save the nation. The peace, joy, and tranquility we enjoy today were provided for us in blood by our past great heroes, who left everything behind to defend the territorial boundaries of this great nation from foreign invaders. not so sure the same can be said of the overhyped flamboyant footballers of today.
Phil Stant was interviewed by Paul Fletcher MBE, a great personality of the game too.
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Phil talks about football players who went to war with the Footballers Battalion and the gruesome and harrowing experience of war as a 19-year-old.
“I’ve always said when you’re a professional footballer the biggest crime of all is letting yourself down. When you’re in the army the biggest crime of all is letting your mates down,” he says. “As professional footballers, we are very selfish because that’s the nature of the business but, despite the difference, there has always been a close link between football and the forces.
Footballers Battalion formation. (He talked about the formation of footballers’ battalion)
He talked about First battle for the footballers.
And Leicester players were killed during the war.
Phil also talked about other football club players who died in the war
Phil who was bought out of the Army by Hereford United for just £600 in October 1986 – plays for the likes of Cardiff, Mansfield, Fulham, Bury and Lincoln. Stant now works for the Football League where he ensures that the links between the military and football are maintained.
Stant’s remarkable football journey from military to active footballer and football manager
Playing career
1982-83 Reading
1986-89 Hereford United
1989-91 Notts County
1990 Blackpool (loan)
1990-91 Lincoln City (loan)
1991 Huddersfield Town (loan)
1991 Fulham
1991-92 Mansfield Town
1992-95 Cardiff City
1993-94 Mansfield Town (loan)
1995-96 Bury
1996 Northampton (loan)
1996-2001 Lincoln City
2001 Brighton & Hove Albion
2001-02 Worcester City
2002 Dover Athletic
2002 Hayes
2002 Hinckley United
2002-03 Gainsborough Trinity
2003-04 Ilkeston Town
Managerial career
2000-01 Lincoln City
2002-03 Gainsborough Trinity
2003-05 Ilkeston Town
Some war memorabilia on display