George Switzer tells the M.E.N. that, like his illustrious United Class of 92 team-mates, he is still enjoying his football 20 years on
George Switzer in action for Monton Amateurs in the Manchester League Twenty years ago today, the Reds Class of 92 was born. Its been two decades but George Switzer, Uniteds left-back on May 15, 1992, says he still remembers every minute of the FA Youth Cup final against Crystal Palace.
He recalls going for a pre-match meal with his mum before playing in front of nearly 15,000 fans at Old Trafford and being the butt of one of now City coach Brian Kidds wind-ups after winning the final 6-3 on aggregate.
I was in the changing rooms and Brian Kidd came over and said someone wanted to interview me, says Switzer, now 38.
So I walked up and I stood there for a bit until the guy said What do you want?
I turned around and Kiddo is laughing his head off at the bottom of the corridor. The interviewer didnt want anything to do with me.
The significance of that final only became apparent years later. A youth team will usually yield one first team player, two if its an exceptional group.
Uniteds Youth Cup-winning side in 1992 included four players Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Nicky Butt who formed the core of Sir Alex Fergusons treble-winning side in 1999. Seven others Keith Gillespie, Kevin Pilkington, Ben Thornley, Chris Casper, Simon Davies, John OKane and Colin McKee played for the first team.
Robbie Savage, a substitute in the final, never broke through at United but went on to win 39 caps for Wales. Paul Scholes didnt even make the bench!
At the time, when we won it, it wasnt really that big a deal, recalled Switzer. It was the first one United had won for 28 years and it was a big thing for the club but I dont think any of us realised how big it was. At 17, 18 you dont realise and it was only ye! ars afte r that I realised how big that cup final was.
Switzer was first spotted by United as an eight-year-old playing for Barrhill Lads Club in Salford. Ron Atkinson was in charge when Switzer joined the Centre of Excellence, but he was sacked and replaced by Ferguson in November 1986.
His arrival from Aberdeen had such a big impact that Switzer still calls him the gaffer.
When I first started it was Ron Atkinson who was there and we never saw him, he says.
Hands-on
But as soon as the gaffer came he wanted to know everything about you, all the ins and outs. He took the training, him and Archie Knox. We used to have training every Tuesday and Thursday night at The Cliff and he used to join in. Straight away he was hands-on.
Wed have the first session and then the next session hed remember your name. There was about 40 or 50 of us training and youd think Wow, he remembers me. My family would watch training and hed go over and introduce himself and ask if they wanted a brew, things like that. At that age, it makes you feel special. Youve got the manager of United wanting to know about how school was going and who we were playing on Sunday. He wanted to know everything.
Even at 16, when Switzer left school and became an apprentice, he insists it wasnt obvious he was playing with a group of future internationals.
There was, however, one team-mate everyone thought would make it.
Nicky Butt, he says. And I dont think Im the only one whos said that. When we left school and became apprentices some of us played for the A team and some of us played for the B. We were mixed up and it was only that year we won it that we all played as a team.
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After winning the Youth Cup, Switzer signed a professional contract and spent a season playing in the reserves. But he never made the breakthrough at Old Trafford and joined Darlington the following summer.
I was happy to get offered a pro contract at United but I was a little bit disheartened because I thought I deserved two years, says Switzer. I thought I was doing okay. When I left, I remember that the manager said Ill always be your boss. I always remember that. He helped me out and told me which club he thought was best for me. He was good about it.
Like Giggs, Beckham and Scholes, Switzer is still playing as they approach their 40th birthdays, combining his day job as a courier with playing on a Saturday for Monton in the Manchester League.
Im coming up to 39 and I cant give up, says Switzer. The season has just finished and God knows what Im going to do on a Saturday. I dont go out on Fridays, I get my kit ready so Im not rushing about on a Saturday. Thats how sad I am.
And even though his career hasnt taken the same path as some of his famous former team-mates, Switzer is left with nothing but good memories of his time at United.
Im not one to say Ive done this and Ive done that, I get embarrassed, says Switzer.
My son gets bored of it. Hell say all right, they know you played for United. All his mates know and when it gets mentioned hell turn around and go not again.
But its nice that people remember. I was delivering a parcel the other day and two kids, probably about 14, shouted Youre George Switzer, you played for United. I said, Mate, I tried.
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He recalls going for a pre-match meal with his mum before playing in front of nearly 15,000 fans at Old Trafford and being the butt of one of now City coach Brian Kidds wind-ups after winning the final 6-3 on aggregate.
I was in the changing rooms and Brian Kidd came over and said someone wanted to interview me, says Switzer, now 38.
So I walked up and I stood there for a bit until the guy said What do you want?
I turned around and Kiddo is laughing his head off at the bottom of the corridor. The interviewer didnt want anything to do with me.
The significance of that final only became apparent years later. A youth team will usually yield one first team player, two if its an exceptional group.
Uniteds Youth Cup-winning side in 1992 included four players Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Nicky Butt who formed the core of Sir Alex Fergusons treble-winning side in 1999. Seven others Keith Gillespie, Kevin Pilkington, Ben Thornley, Chris Casper, Simon Davies, John OKane and Colin McKee played for the first team.
Robbie Savage, a substitute in the final, never broke through at United but went on to win 39 caps for Wales. Paul Scholes didnt even make the bench!
At the time, when we won it, it wasnt really that big a deal, recalled Switzer. It was the first one United had won for 28 years and it was a big thing for the club but I dont think any of us realised how big it was. At 17, 18 you dont realise and it was only ye! ars afte r that I realised how big that cup final was.
Switzer was first spotted by United as an eight-year-old playing for Barrhill Lads Club in Salford. Ron Atkinson was in charge when Switzer joined the Centre of Excellence, but he was sacked and replaced by Ferguson in November 1986.
His arrival from Aberdeen had such a big impact that Switzer still calls him the gaffer.
When I first started it was Ron Atkinson who was there and we never saw him, he says.
Hands-on
But as soon as the gaffer came he wanted to know everything about you, all the ins and outs. He took the training, him and Archie Knox. We used to have training every Tuesday and Thursday night at The Cliff and he used to join in. Straight away he was hands-on.
Wed have the first session and then the next session hed remember your name. There was about 40 or 50 of us training and youd think Wow, he remembers me. My family would watch training and hed go over and introduce himself and ask if they wanted a brew, things like that. At that age, it makes you feel special. Youve got the manager of United wanting to know about how school was going and who we were playing on Sunday. He wanted to know everything.
Even at 16, when Switzer left school and became an apprentice, he insists it wasnt obvious he was playing with a group of future internationals.
There was, however, one team-mate everyone thought would make it.
Nicky Butt, he says. And I dont think Im the only one whos said that. When we left school and became apprentices some of us played for the A team and some of us played for the B. We were mixed up and it was only that year we won it that we all played as a team.
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After winning the Youth Cup, Switzer signed a professional contract and spent a season playing in the reserves. But he never made the breakthrough at Old Trafford and joined Darlington the following summer.
I was happy to get offered a pro contract at United but I was a little bit disheartened because I thought I deserved two years, says Switzer. I thought I was doing okay. When I left, I remember that the manager said Ill always be your boss. I always remember that. He helped me out and told me which club he thought was best for me. He was good about it.
Like Giggs, Beckham and Scholes, Switzer is still playing as they approach their 40th birthdays, combining his day job as a courier with playing on a Saturday for Monton in the Manchester League.
Im coming up to 39 and I cant give up, says Switzer. The season has just finished and God knows what Im going to do on a Saturday. I dont go out on Fridays, I get my kit ready so Im not rushing about on a Saturday. Thats how sad I am.
And even though his career hasnt taken the same path as some of his famous former team-mates, Switzer is left with nothing but good memories of his time at United.
Im not one to say Ive done this and Ive done that, I get embarrassed, says Switzer.
My son gets bored of it. Hell say all right, they know you played for United. All his mates know and when it gets mentioned hell turn around and go not again.
But its nice that people remember. I was delivering a parcel the other day and two kids, probably about 14, shouted Youre George Switzer, you played for United. I said, Mate, I tried.
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