The new SCEFL season begins this weekend with nine matches and at the Steve Cook Stadium where Punjab United welcome Bearsted, a striker who is starting his 25th season is looking to score career goal number six hundred and forty-nine.
He is Paul Vines and he’s been talking to KSN.
Vines who has played for a lot of his career around Kent for sides including Bromley, Chatham Town and now Punjab United. “It’s been a long old stint” admitted the thirty-nine-year-old who is forty in September.
“I think it’s coming to an end now and it’ll be good to get another season out of the legs though!”
“I had a rough idea of what the total was after a fan at Tooting told me that I’d scored one hundred and twenty six in two hundred games in four seasons and beyond that it depends in your seasons, I had a rough idea of what the figure was and the someone else I know a few years back made a big statement about scoring his tally of goals, and that got me started as I told my brother that I was going to do a countback!
“When we realised the number, it was a question of what number can I pursue. As a striker it’s your main job and it’s what you’re there to do for yourself and your team and its kinds of give up the challenge of keeping certain standards and that’s what keeps me going I suppose.”
“I’ve been playing three times a week since I was seven and last year got twenty-four for Punjab, so I feel that there is still something there to offer. I’ve got a little target that I’d like to get to and once I’ve done that, I’ll probably find it easier to walk away rather than when I’m not sure if I’m ready yet.”
Vines who helped Punjab to win their first major Trophy last season when they beat Deal Town to win the Kent Senior Trophy continued, “I’ve scored six hundred and forty eight competitive goals in the twenty-five years, so the short term aim is to get to six-fifty first and there’s a new “little” one but I’m keeping that to myself for now. There’s only been one year that I haven’t broken twenty, there have been two years of forty plus and multiple thirties so when you add it all up its right up there.”
“People ask me why I keep doing and I tell them that it’s what I know, it’s difficult to explain what football gives you as a player; I suppose it’s my outlet and my relief if things are going badly at work or at home! I think for a lot of us that you find something extra that you need to propel.”
Vines’ older brother Joe was a central defender in his playing days and is now assistant manager at Lewes. “He probably thinks I should have scored more, but as a family we follow each other’s football and the successes and failures and we’re always there to encourage and help each other where we can!”
“So, fingers crossed we can finish on a high again, and I can break that mark then fantastic and then I guess it’ll be some young upstarts turn to take up the mantel wont it.”
“I’m not really one to shout too much in advance but last season we had a chat before the season as a management team and we said we wanted a top ten place and some silverware. We got tenth and won the Senior Trophy and so we’ll have a sit down before the kick off on Saturday and write something down and we’ll see where we come, but we’re definitely not here just to make the numbers up.”