Latest / The PCR Sports Show / The PCR Sports Show - Friday 8th May 2026 - With Sam Edwards, Peterborough Sports and England U23 Goalkeeper

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The PCR Sports Show - Friday 8th May 2026 - With Sam Edwards, Peterborough Sports and England U23 Goalkeeper · The PCR Sports Show

0:16
Welcome to PCR. Sports.
0:18
Well, good evening and welcome once again to Peterborough
0:22
Sports Show, PCR Sports Show here on PCR FM.
0:27
I get that wrong every week. Tonight we've got another great
0:31
guest for you. We've got Sam Edwards,
0:34
Peterborough Sports goalkeeper who has been selected to play
0:37
for Great Britain in Serbia, hot footing it down to the airport
0:43
as soon as he leaves the show here.
0:45
So we're very grateful for Sam to come in and talk to us before
0:49
then. But before we do all that, we're
0:52
over to Neil Ash for the headlines once again.
0:55
Thank you Nigel and let's start with some cricket news And Karen
0:59
Pearl Singh claimed a hat trick as Peterborough Town got their
1:01
T20 Championship campaign off tour winning start on Saturday.
1:06
Peterborough started their NCL campaign with AT20 double that
1:11
was played at Loddington, first beating Geddington by 27 runs
1:14
and then thrashing their hosts by 10 wickets.
1:18
Loddington had no answer to the Peterborough bowling attack as
1:21
they were rushed out for just 37 in 11.5 overs.
1:26
Singh's hat trick saw him end with the figures of four for
1:29
three, while opener Jasica Run Singh claimed 3 for 13.
1:36
Nick Green 25 not out and Josh Smith 12 not out then saw Town
1:40
to A10 wicket win as they knocked off the runs in just 5.3
1:44
overs. Earlier, Smith had led the way
1:47
with 53 from 49 balls to steer Peterborough to 166 for seven in
1:53
their clash with Geddington. The modest total proved to be
1:57
more than enough for victory though as Geddington were bowled
2:00
out for 139 in 19.5 overs. The wind leaves Peterborough top
2:06
of the table after the opening 2 fixtures this Saturday.
2:10
Peterborough on the road for another doubleheader.
2:12
First they head to Billing Rd. in Northampton to take on Old
2:16
Northamptonians in a 10:00 start and then they go to Milton Rd.
2:20
to take on Andeltown, which is a 2:30 PM start.
2:25
In boxing, Jack Hunt student Zain Hussain has advanced the
2:29
semifinals of the England Boxing Schools Championship after a
2:32
composed and assured quarterfinal win.
2:36
Representing pound for pound in the 2012 under 44 kilogram
2:41
category, Hussein faced North Star's Kenzie Phillips amid
2:44
unusual pressure. Only one red corner boxer had
2:48
won in the previous 18 contests. Hussein delivered a polished,
2:53
intelligent performance, controlling the bout throughout.
2:56
The judges returned a narrow 3/2 split decision, not fully
3:01
reflecting his dominance but confirming a significant and
3:04
deserved victory. He now moves into the last four
3:07
with growing momentum and reputation, and despite it being
3:12
the spring stuck coming into summer, the Peterborough
3:15
Phantoms have wasted no time in reshaping their squad for the
3:19
26th, 27th season. The City side finished fifth in
3:24
the National Ice Hockey League in the season just finished
3:27
before bowing out of the playoffs before finals weekend.
3:31
Forwards Ralph Cyrons and Nathan Salim have already left the club
3:36
while attacking star Corey McEwan has retired.
3:40
Salim has already joined Sheffield Steel Dogs but forward
3:44
Ewan Hill has moved to Phantoms from National League rivals
3:48
Romford Raiders, while Slovakian forward Dominic Gabai has left
3:53
another divisional rival MK Lightning to come to Planet Ice
3:59
In rugby. And Peterborough Rugby Club have
4:01
set up a school liaison team with the name of introducing the
4:05
sport to school children. The club will host a series of
4:08
sessions at their Fengate base. Schools will be invited to bring
4:12
pupils to take part in an introductory session to non
4:16
contact rugby. The long term aim is to get
4:20
schools interested in providing rugby as part of their
4:23
curriculum. One session with students from
4:26
Sir Harry Smith School in Whittlesey has already been
4:29
held. There is a session for girls
4:31
arranged for Wednesday, May the 13th followed by a primary
4:35
school session on June the 10th and a session for SEND schools
4:40
on June the 24th. In hockey and Gary Hales to hat
4:45
trick as City of Peterborough won the National Vase over 45
4:49
final at the Olympic hockey venue in Lee Valley.
4:53
City beat third placed Old Williamsons 6 three in a stormy
4:57
encounter over the Bank Holiday weekend.
5:01
And we've finished with a little bit of running.
5:03
Peterborough based athletes dominated the Langtoff 10K
5:07
ladies race on Sunday with Yaxley Runners members putting
5:11
in a particularly strong showing to win the team prize.
5:16
Yaxley's Ellie Picova won the race in a time of 39 minutes and
5:20
24 seconds and Philippa Taylor of Helston Harriers, who clocked
5:24
4030, finish second. Peterborough and Neen Valley
5:29
AC's Hannah Night was 22nd further back in 3rd.
5:33
Yaxley had a further 3 runners in the top ten.
5:36
Gabby Needham was fifth in 42 minutes and 53 seconds, with
5:41
Ross Lutit 6th in 4256 and Lucy Branston 7th with a 4303 time.
5:49
Claire Pearcy also ran well for Yaxley, finishing 19th with a
5:53
time of 4558 just a week after running the London Marathon.
5:59
And those your spotting headlines this week, Nigel.
6:02
Thank you very much, amazing stuff, lots going on as usual
6:05
and I know we're going to be talking football with some a
6:08
little bit later on, but the cricket is really gathering
6:12
momentum isn't it? 2 great wins for Town last week.
6:14
Yeah, much needed in a change to the format of this particular
6:17
competition. It's normally played halfway
6:18
through the season, but they've taken a a step this season to
6:23
play the T20 campaign at the start of the season.
6:27
And looks like Peterborough Town are off to a flyer.
6:30
But they've got a couple of tough challenges tomorrow andle
6:32
Town certainly who they'll be vying for in the main Northants
6:36
ECB Premier League when that commences in a couple of weeks.
6:40
And old Northamptonian certainly won't be a pushover either.
6:43
And you know, Town will certainly want to build momentum
6:45
into this competition. They've done well over recent
6:48
seasons in it and they'll certainly want to maintain that
6:51
reputation and record that they've got.
6:53
Yeah, absolutely. I think you're right.
6:55
A bit of a stiffer test for town this weekend, but a great start
6:58
and fabulous Was talking to David Clark, the captain on on
7:02
our YouTube channel about the format.
7:05
And the way that it's different this year is not only that
7:07
they're playing at the start of the season, it's that it's at
7:10
two different grounds. So they travel to two different
7:12
grounds in the same day, which is fraught with danger, I would
7:15
have thought. But it's it's really refreshing,
7:17
isn't? It it's refreshing and also, you
7:19
know, the the teams, clubs just have to have, you know, one eye
7:23
on, you know, having not just taking 11 players that are
7:26
travelling, but potentially 12 or 13 because, you know, injury
7:28
can occur, a car could breakdown.
7:30
You know, that sort of scenario has happened and suddenly will
7:33
happen in the future as well. So, yeah, clubs just to be
7:36
mindful of that. But you know, cracking start for
7:38
Peterborough Town and let's hope they can get two more wins on
7:42
Saturday which would no doubt cement their place in the
7:46
knockout stages. Absolutely.
7:48
Let's hope so. OK, brilliant.
7:49
We're gonna just go into our first outbreak.
7:52
We're gonna be right back with some Edwards Peterborough Sports
7:56
goalkeeper and should I say Peterborough Sports
7:59
International goalkeeper. We'll be right back.
8:02
You're listening to PCR sports. Welcome back to PCR Sports Show
8:16
and welcome Sam. Great to have you here in the
8:19
studio. Yeah, good to be here.
8:21
Thank you for having me. No problem at all, so very
8:24
exciting. Like I say straight down to the
8:27
airport after this to meet up with the lads tomorrow.
8:31
I think the the rest of the world or the GB Deaf Under 23
8:37
team, they all got that the right way round and off to the
8:39
World Championships. That must be exciting for you
8:42
now. Yeah, it's exciting.
8:44
You know, it's always good to be recognized sort of on an
8:47
international level as well and obviously go play in another
8:51
major tournament abroad. So it's in Serbia.
8:55
I think that's you've played in a few countries for the England
8:59
deaf team, not been to Serbia before, so that'll be all new
9:03
for you. We've got to pick this up first.
9:06
You've been injured for a while, The end of the sports
9:08
Peterborough sports season, you're injured.
9:10
How's that going? Yeah.
9:12
I mean yeah, I took an injured over 5 weeks ago just on the
9:16
Thursday before we played Kindle in on the Boxing Day.
9:20
Been frustrating. Obviously you want to play
9:23
football, that's what you're there to do.
9:24
You pay to do that and yeah, you just want to play football.
9:29
No, Mum and dad have been winding them up all the time.
9:31
Going I want to play football, I'm going no, you can't, you
9:35
know, car school down with Elliot Whitehouse as well.
9:38
And I think he got fed up with me just all the time on the way
9:40
down to training. Going I want to do this tonight
9:43
and then I get there and couldn't but, you know,
9:45
Interstate and but it should all be hopefully all clear by now.
9:48
Very first when we go tomorrow. Excellent.
9:50
So you've had you've had scans I believe in the last few weeks
9:53
and everything's OK for. Yeah, and had the scans
9:58
thankfully. Nothing wrong with ligaments the
9:59
tendon wise, which is what we first thought it was, just
10:02
turned out to be some bone breathing and micro fractures.
10:06
So we've cleared up one to three months depending what it is, but
10:09
mine seem to have gone by now. Fabulous.
10:11
That's that's great news. So the Deaf World Championships,
10:15
then you've got experience of a couple of World Cups with the
10:19
England deaf team. This one's the World
10:22
Championships. How did that come about?
10:24
How were you selected for that? What?
10:26
What does that look like? You So what they do in terms
10:29
like they call it power football and in England and they do all
10:33
these different camps. So I was originally picked up, I
10:36
think about the age of 12. So I got invited to like a one
10:40
day, sort of like trial day where all the power squads sort
10:44
of meet together who were also on trial.
10:46
She got like cerebral palsy, blind, partially sighted and
10:52
sort of players that are in your sort of regional area.
10:55
The mine would Lincoln try to go to Christ Hospital School and
10:58
just sort of have a one day trial session thing.
11:01
And from that I then got a six week trial.
11:03
So it's like on a Monday night, an hour session a week at Christ
11:06
Hospital School and then you get put to the regional.
11:09
So you have a N which was based in Derby and then you have a
11:12
Stafford and where that one was based.
11:14
But it's like 2 days a year. We just go and train.
11:17
I did one of them probably around about 1415 sort of age.
11:22
And then from then I've gone to the NETPS.
11:24
We call it the National Emerging Talent program.
11:27
You arrive on Lilyshaw, you arrive there at like Friday
11:31
night and you'll stay till Sunday afternoon sort of time as
11:36
food into that and you into your sort of your power squad then.
11:41
But I remember at the time it was more foot style based death.
11:45
And I remember saying for mum and dad and stuff I'm going, I
11:48
hate for so I don't like it. So I want to play football.
11:52
So for sometimes at the camps I'd go outside with the so we'll
11:55
palsy players and train with them because it was on the grass
11:58
and rather than doing the foot style because that's not what I
12:01
did. And then think about a year
12:04
after that he'd then trained from deaf foot style to deaf
12:06
football. Is that, I think, what the
12:08
majority of the lads wanted to do.
12:10
And then you're more interested. Yeah, and like 11 aside, 4 might
12:14
have got more of the lads sort of wanting to play and then just
12:18
got into under 21 to think about 15 did a few sessions with them
12:22
and then COVID hit, just did really bad to go to an under
12:25
23's world champ. So I'd have been just turned 16,
12:28
would have been going to that. And then sort of when Kobe
12:32
cleared up, I think the Octobers like the year after I was 16, I
12:36
got my first like senior squad sort of like call up where I
12:40
just went in for one day or thing.
12:42
And then three, three weeks later after that they had a deaf
12:47
Olympics qualifier against Greece and I got taken it just
12:50
like a third choice keeper just from that one session.
12:55
Apparently I've done quite well and so obviously got to go.
12:58
So I got to experience quite early on sort of what a weekend
13:03
away would be for a qualifier game sort of thing.
13:05
And I remember that game. It was it wasn't a good one.
13:09
The Greeks don't have a best reputation in deaf football.
13:13
And yeah, there was not great what some of the stuff that were
13:17
going on from them and that side of things.
13:19
But and then sort of just from there being in the senior squads
13:22
now and obviously then got selected for the World Cup in
13:25
2023 and then the Euros in 2024. So we were saying off air,
13:29
you're, you're an old hand now, you're one of the one of the
13:31
senior players. But thinking back to that first
13:33
time, then you went to that, that weekend as a, as a third
13:37
keeper. What was that feeling like?
13:39
Is was that the end of a journey for you to to get there or?
13:44
No, it was good. Obviously.
13:45
It was like a surprise. I've only had like that one sort
13:47
of session with them. And yeah, so just generally just
13:52
a surprise to have been called up.
13:54
And then I'm just and Andy Smith was the manager at the time.
13:57
Just saying about it and just sort of getting the experience
14:01
in quite early and then just how it's been since then.
14:05
But it was a good feeling. I wasn't expecting it was much
14:07
then. And has it always been football
14:10
for you? Was there any other sports when
14:12
you were younger that we get so many people on here who say all
14:15
that to make a choice between football and cricket or rugby or
14:18
something. What was that like for you?
14:20
I started off with rugby. Actually.
14:23
Started off with rugby and my granddad Mitchell, mum's dad,
14:29
the big rugby fan like with England and stuff.
14:32
So sort of started out with that like tag rugby.
14:35
I think you've probably been about probably 4 to 8 sort of
14:40
eight sort of thing. I played and I think it was like
14:42
the under seven season slash under 8.
14:45
I kind of did like rugby in the morning on a Sunday and then
14:49
like straight after that I go and play a Sunday league game,
14:51
football in the afternoon. And it kind of got to the point
14:54
where like I had to pick one or the other because it was like I
14:57
were playing like rugby in Newark and then having to wake
15:00
up to Scunthorpe to play yourself in.
15:02
So I had to pick one, went with football.
15:05
That was an easy decision for you, was it?
15:07
Yeah. In the end, it was, yeah.
15:10
Fabulous. So let's talk a little bit about
15:13
your hearing loss then. I think it's the the term is
15:18
severe to profoundly deaf in both ears.
15:20
What? What does that actually mean?
15:22
So you've got your different sort of like categories for your
15:25
hearing loss. You've got like mild, moderate,
15:28
severe and profound. So mind more sort of profound is
15:32
more generally you can't really hear anything at all apart from
15:36
maybe like Big Bang, but you're probably going from all to all
15:39
like vibrations that you're picking up rather than sound.
15:43
So yeah, I'm just severe to profound.
15:45
I'm sort of just lingering in there sort of thing, yeah.
15:50
And how has that really affected you in the game?
15:54
How do you deal with being in a because like we, we, we've said
15:57
that you're reserve keeper at sports.
16:00
You've got some game time this week, 5 or 6 games I believe for
16:04
sports. How is that when it's OK, I
16:07
guess when you're in the deaf team because everybody is the
16:11
same and you, you've got this communication, but how difficult
16:15
is it to communicate in, in, you know, it's sports football in
16:19
National League North. Be fair, for me, it's actually a
16:23
bit easier than the League N with sport because like when
16:28
we're playing deaf football, nobody's allowed to hearing aids
16:30
or cochlear implants. So I can't shout to the lad
16:34
saying left shoulder, right shoulder, away keepers,
16:37
whatever. So it's generally it's easier in
16:40
that sense. You know, there's a few times
16:42
where I've had to say to the lads like just let me know if
16:44
you need me to be louder because like sometimes the fun behind to
16:46
be a bit like a white noise or things.
16:49
I'll just say, you know, tell me if I need to be louder or if
16:51
you're hearing me fine. But yeah, that's just generally
16:54
how it is. I think I probably prefer sort
16:57
of like the hearing football side of it's like your National
16:59
League. No, but in terms of like being
17:01
able to communicate with stuff, but in their football ads have
17:04
to wait till they turn and face me to tell them something.
17:07
Or like the big ones like crosses coming into the box.
17:10
So you've got to have like that mutual understanding of the
17:13
centre half will deal with it or I've got to come deal with it.
17:16
So you know, if I see my centre arcs going for it, but I'm
17:19
coming for it, I've got to beat him as well, not just a striker
17:22
to it. Yeah.
17:23
And and how's that gone at sports this year?
17:26
How does that go in training? And that team mates are all all,
17:29
all behind you, aren't they? Yeah.
17:31
Yeah, yeah, it's all been good. You know, like even with like
17:35
the management stuff and that they've all been trying to think
17:37
of different ways that they could support whether that's
17:40
like getting a British sign language interpreter in or
17:43
whether we can get some live captions or like how, you know,
17:46
we've even tried some other different techniques.
17:49
But I've got Bluetooth on my hearing aid know like our
17:51
managers in the stand will will phone like the bench or
17:56
something to try and see if that would work.
17:57
But. OK.
17:58
We've tried all sorts of different things and which is
18:01
good of them. You know, they could just leave
18:02
it and just go. We'll leave and be, see how it
18:05
gets on or whatever. But they've now they've been
18:06
trying to that's all different solution that.
18:09
Good old family club at sports and they'll look after everyone.
18:12
So I know you say that you you you can wear your hearing aids.
18:16
I was very close behind the goal when we were at Radcliffe.
18:19
When you played this day, I noticed that you came out and
18:23
and it was a bit of rough and tumble in the box and you lost
18:26
one. Is that a problem?
18:28
I. Can't remember what it was, but
18:31
one of them came out in the first half and I was thinking,
18:35
Oh dear, that that could end up being kicked anywhere.
18:38
And then I've just, I think we've cleared it and I've just
18:41
sort of looked around on my feet and spotted it and picked it up
18:43
and threw it by the side of the goal.
18:45
But it's sometimes it does happen, especially when it was
18:47
at Radcliffe, it was so wet, like the water can get like into
18:50
the mould a little bit and sort of slides out.
18:53
That's that's absolutely what happened.
18:55
I was there watching it all and, and I we're hearing aids too,
18:58
and I'm really protective of mine because I don't want it.
19:01
And you were just like picking it up off the floor, found it
19:03
and threw it behind the goal and it, you know, it's just amazing
19:06
the way you dealt with that. But I guess that that's going to
19:10
happen quite a lot, isn't it? Yeah, I used to wear a headband,
19:14
sort of keep them in, but just kind of gone away from wearing
19:17
it. And then like that Radcliffe
19:19
game, I think both of them have gone dead by about the 40th
19:23
minute. So it was like a sort of
19:26
second-half of just the one. The one that was working the
19:29
best stayed in, the other one just stayed in the training room
19:31
to drive after the game. Amazing.
19:34
So just finally then before we break off for some more Ads,
19:40
you've had this injury leading up to the the World Def Under 23
19:44
championships. How have you been able to
19:46
prepare? You know what what's training
19:49
looked like and for you over the past four or five weeks?
19:52
Yeah, it's not been your normal routine of your Tuesday,
19:54
Thursdays and then your games and stuff.
19:56
It's sort of been just resting it as much as I can for no one
20:00
of them where you get your scan results through and you're
20:03
reading it and it's all in like the scientific words of stuff
20:06
you've never heard before. So you happen to put it into
20:08
Google to see what it's like for simpler?
20:12
And then you find out what it is like the bone bruise and the
20:14
micro fractures. And now you're Googling like
20:15
what's the average time recovery for it?
20:18
So I've seen one to three months and I'm thinking out there like
20:21
we're three weeks in there, two weeks away from the tournament.
20:25
It's a three month one. That's not going to be ideal.
20:27
So no, I've messaged a few of the management of GB saying
20:32
like, I'm going to have to call it a week before I'm going to
20:35
have to let you know, like I could have to pull out or
20:37
whatever. But it's just been resting it as
20:39
much as I can. And the only sort of session
20:42
I've done was with my dad on Bank Holiday Monday.
20:44
Just gone in the morning, dragged him to the park and just
20:47
doing some kicking with it and some diving and stuff.
20:50
So how it is at a minute, it should be all right, Yeah.
20:53
And how many goalkeepers are are the squad taking, do you know?
20:56
2-2 miles away. OK, So what?
20:59
You and one other? Yeah.
21:00
OK. OK, so quite down to the bare
21:03
bones then. You need to be fit.
21:05
You need to be fit some. OK.
21:07
We're going to break off for some more outbreaks, and we're
21:11
back with Sam Edwards right after these.
21:24
You're listening to PCR sports. Welcome back to PCR Sports Show.
21:33
We're here with Sam Edwards of Peterborough Sports and GB and
21:37
England fame. So we'll get back to the
21:42
tournament. Then over in Serbia it's the
21:44
World Deaf Under 23 Championships.
21:49
What are your expectations of this tournament?
21:51
What what do you think going into there?
21:53
Are you one of the favoured teams?
21:57
The expectation level, we haven't really spoken about it
22:00
as a squad in terms. Obviously you always want to go
22:03
to try and win. Now there's a few good sides in
22:07
there. You've got Ukraine, their senior
22:09
squad, very good, lot of success recent year.
22:13
Same with Turkey as well. You probably say them to up
22:17
there the best in the world and then you've got like Japan in
22:19
2023 World Cup, they have runners up.
22:23
So no, I've seen the seniors God, but it's like, what's the
22:26
under 23's like? You know, you see, you don't
22:29
know who's under 23, who's over. You know, there's obviously a
22:34
few you can tell that are over the age of 23, but you don't
22:38
know who's in their development ranks and all that.
22:40
So you never really know at the minute.
22:43
And what about the the format of the competition?
22:46
Is that out there? Is it?
22:47
Is it usual group and then knockout or is?
22:50
It so you do your usual groups and knockout, but the slight
22:54
difference to sort of like the mainstream World Cup who let's
22:57
say you were to get to the quarterfinals and you got
22:59
knocked out. You would you wouldn't then go
23:01
home. You would play for like
23:03
placement games of 5th to 8th. So it would be like 2 teams are
23:07
knocked out, will play through, the other two will play each
23:09
other and then they're kind of going to like a fifth and sixth
23:12
playoff and like a 7th and eighth playoff sort of thing.
23:16
And they do that all the way down to like whoever is at the
23:19
bottom. I think in the world's it went
23:21
to like 18th and 17th playoff. So you're out there for the
23:25
duration. Yeah.
23:26
And then generally everybody goes and watches the final.
23:29
OK, OK. And what what are crowds like
23:32
when you do these competitions overseas?
23:35
It's good. Like the worst part of it is
23:38
like if you don't make we haven't made it.
23:40
It's like going to the game, you know, when you're watching, it's
23:42
a game like you should, but you should be the one that should be
23:44
playing in the game where it's not.
23:46
You know, like the I remember in Turkey it was France and Ukraine
23:51
in the final and the stadium would just like one that was
23:56
being abandoned, the one being you.
23:58
But it's probably one of the nicest grounds that we've been
24:01
to sort of there. And it's like you want to be on
24:04
the pitch playing that and then you see them all celebrating.
24:07
Yeah, good to watch you. But it was quite infuriating.
24:10
Just want to be on the pitch. Yeah, you should be playing.
24:13
So unfortunately players in this squad have had to self fund
24:20
their their trips. How's that gone for you?
24:22
I think you've had a Go Fund Me page going for quite a while
24:25
now. I'm going to get some to Serbia.
24:27
We were saying at sports from quite a while ago.
24:30
Yeah, so I think about four or five months now and then I think
24:36
that got to about 1 1/2 thousand.
24:38
And then no, Pete of the sports, they're like supporters group
24:41
set up like an Easter raffle which raised me £500 as well.
24:47
So it got me to the total. And then I got a little bit more
24:50
off, like family and friends and sort of thing just to cover if
24:54
there's any excess or whatever. But you know, it's like thank
24:57
you for everyone that thought of donated.
24:59
That got me going there, 'cause, you know, without people
25:02
donating, I'm not going and I'll be at work for the next two
25:05
weeks. Yeah, I know where I'd rather
25:08
be. So yeah, we've said about sports
25:11
being at a family club, they've really got behind you, haven't
25:13
they? And it's a great, it's a great
25:16
thing for sports to be able to say that they're represented out
25:18
there as well and, and you've got a lot of support from the
25:21
club, haven't you? Yeah, that loads of support, you
25:23
know, whether that's been the management, the chairman team,
25:27
the players as well. You know, quite a few of the
25:29
lads have been asking when I've been going into training, you
25:31
know, what's the fundraising that now?
25:33
You know, like Anthony Stewart was a big one for me.
25:37
He was like near enough. Every time I came in, he came
25:39
in, he would come up to and go, what's he looking like now?
25:42
Like you need to promote it more, this and that.
25:44
And then I remember I was in work and I was in like the
25:49
cooking kitchen. The students were just doing
25:51
like learning cooking and stuff. And my phone goes off and it's
25:55
like I can phone words. Reposted your story.
26:00
And like, for me, I remember when I was like 8 years old,
26:02
when I was at Grimsby Town being a bald boy and he's there with
26:05
some Wanderers, like there. And it's like, you know, like a
26:08
little sort of like stuffed at the moment that, you know, like,
26:11
even he'd done it. But like, and he was a big one
26:14
for me in terms of like he was saying like, you need to push it
26:16
more. You need to do more this and
26:18
that. But yeah, brilliant.
26:20
You mentioned that support who's and you mentioned your mum and
26:23
dad quite a lot tonight already. Who, who supported you most on
26:28
that journey through your whole football journey?
26:30
Really. Yeah, it's a mom.
26:32
And dad obviously definitely the the main ones though, you know,
26:35
taking me for say from rugby to football before originally and
26:39
then to football. And then I ended up signing for
26:43
Grimsby under Nines. And I think like before it even
26:46
had a training session with Grimsby, the first game was
26:49
hardly pulled away and it's like it's like straight away they'd
26:53
already sort of committed into it.
26:54
Like Hartley Pool away. It was miles away.
26:56
Remember, I think we left about half six in the morning to get
26:58
up there. And then they used to train like
27:01
I think it was the Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
27:04
then play on a Sunday because the keepers training session was
27:08
like put on a Thursday. But my training was like Monday,
27:10
Wednesday, Friday. But it was like travelling
27:13
everywhere, whether it was up to Sunderland, crossed the
27:16
Manchester Way, like they did all the driving then and, you
27:19
know, rushing home from work to then take you to fly out as
27:21
well. Yeah, amazing.
27:23
And what? What motivates you to keep
27:25
pushing yourself and, and, and where?
27:28
Where do you see your your career going after this well?
27:32
The motivation is that you want to make like the family power,
27:34
defending power, but you also want to play at the highest
27:37
level. You know when you're watching
27:39
football, when you're growing up and you've seen people play for
27:42
like mainstream England or in the Premier League Championship,
27:45
no professional football in general.
27:47
Or that's the aim for everyone who sort of gets into football.
27:50
That's where they want to be and and.
27:52
Do you see slightly personal question maybe, but do do you
27:56
see like you've already got into the first team at sports on a
28:00
few occasions this season? Do do you think that the the
28:04
your disability is going to stop you climbing, going to be a
28:07
hindrance climbing that professional ladder or do you
28:10
see yourself at a league club? No, I don't think it.
28:12
Will be like any a hindrance or anything, you know, I think it
28:16
would just be whether the clubs are understanding the personnel
28:21
that are in them like sports have been, you know, like they
28:24
got me in training last season a few times, just like on a
28:28
Thursday when I cook stuff. So I still training with my
28:30
other team and they've sort of from them sort of started
28:32
building into it. And then even then when I've
28:35
signed, they've still kept trying to thinking of different
28:37
ways that they can have communicate with me on the pitch
28:39
or if we're having a team meet and thought just to help anyway
28:42
to get the message across and. If somebody's listening here,
28:47
who who's got hearing loss and feels that's a real barrier, you
28:52
know, some young footballer, any sport maybe, what would you say
28:55
to them tonight? I think.
28:57
You know, it is a little bit different.
29:00
You're not going to hear everything probably the first
29:03
time. I know this few times in
29:04
training this year where rather than taking a goal kick, I've
29:06
rolled it out in a small sided sort of match play scenario.
29:12
But you know, I remember also just touching on that seeing I
29:16
think it was when sports put a post out about that.
29:19
I was playing against Wales the day after Rycliffe and I saw one
29:22
of the comments was a parent saying that like, his son
29:26
refuses to wear his hearing aid. So it was good like seeing
29:29
myself playing with both of them in both ears.
29:33
And that's sort of a bit like, you know, hopefully, you know,
29:36
being a bit of a more role model even just to that one person.
29:39
But it is possible to play at the highest levels and push to
29:44
try and play at the highest level despite having hearing
29:47
loss. Absolutely that that.
29:49
Must give you a really warm feeling when you you see stuff
29:51
like that, that you you are that role model to to people.
29:55
And there's probably. Lots more out there.
29:58
So how do you hope this experience, then this whole GB
30:02
thing experience will progress that professional career?
30:06
You obviously want to stay in football as long as you can.
30:10
You see that happening? Yeah, I.
30:12
Want to play football for as long as I can.
30:14
You know, we have talking to like keeper coaching and stuff
30:17
for England and that stuff. And now you got like the caps
30:20
wall at Saint George's Park and you see people with 50100A-150
30:24
plus and it's like motivation on that.
30:27
You know, if I've got to play until under the 15 years, I'd be
30:30
36 to get 50 caps or 100 or whatever.
30:34
You want to play as long as possible, but also, you know, if
30:37
you're better than the next generation coming through, you
30:40
want to keep playing as long as you can and you know, like the
30:42
keepers, you can play that little bit longer and what?
30:46
Does the what does the landscape look like?
30:50
You're playing under 20 threes in this tournament.
30:53
Is the next thing the senior deaf squad is is there?
30:56
Is there one of those? Is that where you're heading?
30:58
Yeah, so. The Great Britain have just had
31:01
the Deaf Olympics last year in November and I went to the
31:06
original trial days for it and was sort of selected and stuff
31:09
and money. But the dilemma I had was just
31:12
signed for sports and if I go away for 3-4 weeks for that
31:18
tournament, you know, they have to bring another keeper in that
31:21
when I come back they might go your third choice.
31:23
No, not second choice. Or, you know, if Cookie had got
31:27
injured or whatever, then that was sort of my chance to get a
31:31
game in. And I think during that period,
31:34
it was when I played that Oxford City game in the FA Trophy, so
31:39
and. And what does it mean to you to
31:43
be part of that community that I I guess when you go away, you're
31:48
you're obviously really close knit group when you go away, but
31:51
there's that whole community, isn't it the deaf community in
31:54
sport? What's it like to be part of
31:56
that? Yeah, it's good to be.
31:57
Part of it I've not really been in like the wider deaf community
32:02
in terms of like outside of football.
32:04
I've just sort of stuck to the football part of it.
32:07
But you know, everyone's all good to be around.
32:10
You know, there's no like bad people in there or a thing.
32:13
Everyone's thought of everyone wanting to know like what's
32:17
happening and what the next thing is and stuff.
32:19
But everyone's like good in terms of the deaf community and
32:23
and. Just the flip side to that, I
32:25
guess I've got to ask, have you experienced any discrimination
32:28
at all in in any sport you have? I remember like when I was
32:32
playing at college, you know, we were playing, I think there's
32:36
one or two nil up and the balls come over the tops come all the
32:38
way through to me and I've made the striker have to come and
32:41
basically come all the way to me before I picked it up.
32:44
And you know, he called me something def something on the
32:48
line, whatever. And then, but I haven't realized
32:51
that I'm too. I've sort of just laughing at
32:53
him sort of being angry anyway. And then at half time the lads
32:57
were like, oh, you've called you this.
32:58
I'm like, oh, was he? And you know, there's, I don't
33:02
know whether I've had anything from any fans, you know, this
33:06
season as such. And I'm not going to say I have
33:08
or, but I know like, I don't know.
33:12
OK, OK, I don't hear it. Like the shouting and stuff.
33:16
Like, you know, if anybody is shouting, like it doesn't bother
33:19
me. I remember we'd gone to one up
33:21
against Hornchurch and I've always said this season they
33:23
were like my favorite group of hands around the goal.
33:26
So I remember I was sipping, having to drink my water and you
33:28
know, you got 30-40 fifty year old blokes flying middle fingers
33:33
out here and stuff and sort of laughing.
33:34
I remember the end of the game. My water bottle was gone,
33:36
couldn't find it. There's also reached over and
33:38
took it off me, but and and and I.
33:41
Guess that there's there's always banter at all levels of
33:44
football between the keeper and the crowd behind the goal.
33:47
But I guess National League NA lot of the grounds there you're
33:50
you're very close to the crowd. So I, I guess there's a lot of
33:52
that that goes, yeah, there is no member.
33:55
Blackburn played Southport and they were two and up against us.
33:59
And I've turned around and like, I've always felt like none of
34:02
them would give me any abuse. Like I was a bit disappointed
34:06
with it. And I think there was like a
34:08
young girl that was sort of in the standards just stood there
34:10
waving at me like up against the barrier.
34:13
And it's like different contrasts.
34:14
I'm going like horn trucks the weekend before everyone's
34:17
slipping you off to then the next week a little girl was just
34:21
waving and all the fans would do quiet and stuff.
34:24
Amazing. And.
34:25
What a night that was at Southport, wasn't it?
34:27
What a great night that was. OK, we're going to go for some
34:31
more breaks. We're going to come back with
34:32
some. We're going to talk about more
34:34
about his paper sports career. We'll be right back after these.
34:39
You're listening to PCR sports. OK, welcome back to PCR Sports.
34:54
We're here with Sam Edwards. And Sam, we're just going to
34:57
talk a little bit now about Peter of sports.
35:01
What's it been like this season being second choice goalkeeper
35:04
at Peterborough? And I know you've had a little
35:07
bit of game time, but quite opportunities to play are quite
35:12
limited, aren't they? Yeah, so.
35:15
We're now obviously in the summer of speaking with Luke
35:18
Steel and Gashi. You know, that was always the
35:21
role I knew coming in I'd be second choice sort of thing.
35:24
That's that's what I've signed to be, you know, and 1st sort of
35:30
things they were saying to me. Would you know, the 1st 8910
35:33
games sort of be on the bench watching Cookie and then we'll
35:36
see about going from there possibly, you know, a few loans
35:39
or whatever. But I think it probably after
35:41
about 8-9, ten games, we've obviously had the manager change
35:44
where Phil Brown come in, which obviously then I think Crooked
35:50
just had his knee injury then for a few weeks and I've been
35:54
selected for chosen to play that Hornchurch game and that was
35:57
Phil's. First game, wasn't it?
35:59
And you were in. Yeah, yeah.
36:00
So I remember. When we had that Wellingborough
36:03
game and someone mentioned to me that it could be him and
36:09
everyone was saying, you know, he can be a bit of a hard guy to
36:12
sort of be with, but you know, when he's, when he's on your
36:14
side, you want him on your side. When you're against him, you
36:17
can. It's not the nicest to be up
36:20
against. But you know, for me since then,
36:23
you know, he spoke, had a good game against Hornchurch and he's
36:26
had this sort of rule of, you know, once you get the shirt you
36:29
keep it sort of thing. And he said that a lot didn't.
36:31
He Yeah, and. Obviously I played that
36:33
Southport a way that Len got called off and then obviously
36:39
Crooked came back in for that Harbour FA Cup game again.
36:43
Yeah, I mean. What would can you remember your
36:46
overriding emotion when you heard that at Wellingborough
36:49
then that it could be somebody of the calibre of Phil Brown
36:51
that was coming in? What?
36:52
What did you feel? You're always a bit apprehensive
36:57
because you don't know if they're going to come in and
37:00
especially someone that Phil Brown has got your contacts at
37:03
all, know who to bring in or be able to contact other clubs to
37:07
bring anyone anyone in. And I think after a few weeks,
37:10
you know when. So if you've seen them bringing
37:12
in outfield players and you know they're not looking at bringing
37:16
any keepers and you start So I feel a bit more confident and
37:19
think, right, you know, he's he's sticking with me.
37:22
It's like the second choice. He's not bringing anyone else in
37:25
or bringing anyone in for a trial session to see what
37:27
they're like. So so.
37:29
So with all that opportunities being quite limited to to
37:36
actually play, how do you stay motivated and match ready and,
37:39
and you know, you're just training every week, How do you
37:42
keep that focus sort of you? Know for me, you know, I step
37:46
seven last season to be your put Step 2 this season sort of
37:50
already a big achievement in itself.
37:52
So even if it's second keeper, even it had been third choice or
37:55
whatever, you know, to be up at this and be able to say, you
37:58
know, I've been at this club or whatever, but it it has been
38:02
good to know training, you know, the high level players and
38:06
almost like when you're playing with people who play high level,
38:09
it almost raises your game as well.
38:11
So it's like, as much as, you know, I probably got all the
38:14
game time at step 7 and step 6, you know, you're coming up
38:18
against, you know, like Mac Booth, Luca Miller, Pat
38:20
Mclintock, who if they want to put it in the bottom corner,
38:24
they'll put it in the bottom corner.
38:25
You know, you've got to be quicker decision making.
38:28
They're striking it better, more accurate than, you know, what
38:30
I've sort of faced before in previous year.
38:33
That then generally brings your game up and like the tactical
38:36
side of it. You know, you're like say, Phil
38:39
Brown, even gassy and steely sort of like their knowledge on
38:42
the game and what they've done in the game sort of stuff.
38:45
It's like tactical side of it understanding the game more as
38:48
well and crooked of. Course, it's great to have you
38:51
#1 is so somebody so experienced as him?
38:54
Yeah, no, he he's. Been good all season as well,
38:56
you know, like even when I when I've played, he's still been
38:59
good. And I think it was after the
39:02
Darlington game, he was sort of saying to me, you know, like it
39:04
happened to everybody. You know, he he's you know,
39:07
everybody has games like them, and so I'm saying like I've
39:10
played more game last season or the season just gone then the
39:15
keeper before played. So it's like saying, you know,
39:18
although you've the games or whatever limited, we still got a
39:23
few in, which was three more than I was expecting originally
39:27
and I think. You're quite, quite close to
39:28
Crook here, aren't you? I think you're you the friend.
39:30
There's a friendship there, isn't there?
39:32
I know sports go away every now and again on the Friday and stay
39:36
overnight. And you, you always room with
39:38
him, don't you? And it's is that goalkeepers
39:40
union or? Yeah, it must have.
39:42
Been. I remember the first, the first
39:44
one, I think it was Chester away.
39:46
Yeah, Chester away. The first one we've stayed out
39:49
and we got into our room and it was boiling hot and turned out
39:53
we couldn't turn the radiator off.
39:55
There was no way the nozzle was off and like the air con machine
39:59
wasn't working. So it was like we've been in the
40:01
room for about 10 minutes and we were sweating loads already.
40:04
And then but we joke about it all the time saying about oh we
40:07
hope it's not as bad a chest or whatever.
40:09
I think everyone else was fine. It's just to think of just our
40:11
room should have got unlucky with the radiator wouldn't turn
40:14
off all night. That's potluck for.
40:16
The rooms, isn't it so? So How important then is is
40:19
patient and patience and mental strength than to be a second
40:24
choice keeper because you've got to keep that mental strength
40:26
going. I'm going through the season,
40:28
yeah, to go. Now to go be ready for the
40:31
opportunity sort of thing like put them for that horn Church 1.
40:35
I wasn't generally expecting it, but you know, Ryan who's to keep
40:38
coach at the time just messaged me when I was on my way home and
40:41
training the same like you're starting Saturday, be ready sort
40:44
of thing. And then obviously we've won
40:47
that game, played well and Cookie just coming back in from
40:52
back in from his injury training again.
40:54
And Ryan sort of messed with me on the Thursday again before the
40:57
Southport game saying no playing you again sort of thing.
41:01
So, you know, you just got to be ready for it.
41:03
Like, you know, it's going to happen at some point, hopefully,
41:06
you know, you don't know whether you know, Cookie gets injured or
41:09
sent off or whatever. She just got to be ready for it.
41:12
I know there's like a few times where Cookie gone down the
41:15
season as well and you sort of hesitating at the end of your
41:17
seat whether you need to run down the touchline.
41:20
You know, you start sprinting down there and then he gets
41:22
something out. Brilliant.
41:25
But. Yeah.
41:26
You just, you just got to be ready for it.
41:27
You don't know when the opportunity is going to come and
41:29
you've got to stay in it and and sometimes.
41:31
That comes quite late, doesn't it, in, in the day.
41:33
I know that that was one of Phil's traits, wasn't it?
41:35
Not naming his team until quite late a lot of times.
41:38
So you know the, the like you say, you've got to be ready.
41:43
So how looking back on your time at sports and obviously not over
41:47
yet, you're contracted for next season.
41:50
How do you think that's helped you?
41:51
Do you think that's been an important stepping stone in your
41:54
career? Is it a good club to be
41:56
involved? Good one.
41:56
Because you know, at the start of the year, you've got the the
41:59
one year deal to the end of the season and Phil Brown come in
42:04
and it would just be probably a few weeks before the Oxford
42:08
game. He just him and Tim had just
42:10
pulled me into the his office and just sort of said, like, you
42:14
know, we want to give you next year as well sort of thing.
42:17
And then, yeah, you know, basically coming from Philburn,
42:22
I've already talked about his contacts and, you know, he could
42:25
have got anyone in and, you know, he was one of the ones
42:28
that was pushing to sort of keep me on for next year as well.
42:31
Obviously another sort of confidence boost as well and
42:34
that's. In in the world of of non league
42:37
football, that's quite a Phillip, isn't it?
42:40
For you to actually get that support and get that extra year
42:44
because it it gives you that time to to perform, doesn't it?
42:47
Yeah, it gives you that. Time and obviously, you know, it
42:51
just shows at the club from chairman Tim to the management
42:55
staff that you know, they're trusting you to perform.
42:59
So it's always good to sort of get that contract and them to
43:03
show their belief in me that way as well.
43:05
Amazing. Look, it's been really
43:07
fascinating talking to you, Sam. Congratulations on the GB.
43:11
Very best of luck for the next few weeks and let's hope that
43:16
we're speaking to you again back end of the summer and you can
43:22
bring the medals in. How about that?
43:24
Yeah, Hope for alcohol trophy. Yeah, that's outside.
43:27
Brilliant. Thank you for coming in this
43:29
evening. Like I say, very, very best of
43:31
luck in the Great Britain Under 23 World Championships.
43:35
We'll be plotting your progress and we've even been known to
43:40
check in with people with guests on the show when they're
43:43
overseas. So maybe that's something we can
43:45
do with you as well on the on the phone on on Zoom or
43:48
something like that. But in the meantime, thank you
43:51
very much for joining us again. It's been another great show.
43:54
We'll be back next Friday. Once again, 6:00 and thank you
43:59
for listening. We'll see you then.