Journeyman Paul Hall satisfied with professional career
PAUL Hall may not have paraded his skills on the high-profile and glossy stages of European football. But, for sure, he has been through the maze of the British leagues. according to Wikipedia, the former Jamaica international has racked up an impressive 685 matches and 138 goals with 15 clubs — a journeyman feat that spanned more than 20 years.
At 48 years old today, Hall started his professional career as a teen with non-league Torquay United in 1990.
Since then, his football pilgrimage has undulated through various levels of the UK professional game, culminating at Mansfield Town in 2011.
Even though Hall has put value on every leg of his football journey, it was with Portsmouth, Rushden and Diamonds, Chesterfield and Tranmere Rovers that he appeared to have scored most success in terms of appearances, performance, and goals.
Hall — a striker in the main, but versatile enough to have been deployed as winger on occasions — says every club he has represented “have a special place in my career for different reasons”.
“[I love] Portsmouth because I lived in the city, and the fans and I had a special connection. The feeling of playing in front of such a passionate crowd was memorable,” said Hall.
The Manchester native, whose father hails from Bamboo, St Ann, shared his love for Rushden and Diamonds, where he played alongside a local-bred legend of Jamaica’s football, Onandi Lowe.
“Rushden was a very unique set-up, [as] the owner put a lot of money into all the facilities, staff, teams, and players’ families. We were very successful there and the culture at that club was amazing. Something I would like to emulate. “Chesterfield was like going back in time. It is a club with a long history, old traditions, and an even older football ground. I enjoyed playing for them and was around some good senior players,” he noted.
Hall, who has taken time off from his substantive role as head coach of Queens Park Rangers’ Under-23 programme to join the Reggae Boyz as assistant coach for the Concacaf Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying campaigns, says Tranmere “was a fantastic club”.
He played there with former France’98 World Cup teammates Ian “Pepe” Goodison and Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore.
“The fans were passionate and that was another place I had a tremendous connection with the supporters of the club. I was, of course, joined by Pepe and Tappa in what was a successful season for the club, where we just missed out on promotion,” Hall recalled.
The former West Bromwich Albion man had a taste of English Premier League football, with Gordon Strachan’s Coventry City 19981999, but struggled to win the coach over.
In a show of determination and will, Hall declined a move offer to Port Vale and decided to stay at the west Midlands club and fight for his place.
Even though history may not recall the Coventry experience as Hall’s shining moment, it was a teaching moment as player and now as coach.
“I’ve loved every club I have played for, and like to think I gave them 110 per cent commitment. Your career is your career and I’ve learnt a lot at all of the clubs which I have taken into all of my coaching roles,” he said.
Hall, who formed a formidable partnership with Deon Burton during Jamaica’s final round of World Cup qualifiers back in 1997, says he did not have a dream club.
“I think playing for your country outweighs that [a dream club],” was his retort.
But having grown up in Manchester, he would have inevitably fallen under the spell of Old Trafford heroes as a boy growing up.
“From Manchester United [there were] Ray Wilkins, Bryan Robson, and Viv Anderson, who were all players of note at what was truly a global club. To see these players in the town was really something else,” Hall said of players who have left an impression on him.
Hall’s sons — Paul Jr (born 2000) and Corey (born 2002) — while having demonstrated football ability, have drifted into other areas of interests.
“I have two talented sons who both have great touches on the ball. However, they have chosen more traditional career paths, and I am very proud of them.
“They are very excited, as of course they were too young to remember my career with Jamaica, so this makes this appointment [as assistant Boyz coach] even more special,” Hall concluded.