Blackburn Rovers winger Craig Conway talks us through his football memories
First match? My first game in a stadium would have definitely been a Celtic game and I think it would have been when I lived in Kilmarnock. I was a Celtic fan when I grew up there and used to go to games. I think my earliest memory was when Celtic beat Kilmarnock 6-1. Players like Paolo Di Canio were there at the time. I had a season ticket for about seven years and saw some great players like Henrik Larsson, who was probably the best. Back then, Celtic were a top, top side and you were expecting a 3-0 or 4-0 win every week. First hero? It was probably Paolo Di Canio. He was an old-style striker and I remember he was one of the first players who wore white boots. I used to look up to him and try the things he tried. He was only at Celtic for a year but he became a cult hero because he was just so different. He was out there and the Celtic fans really took to him. First boots? I played for a team called Kilmarnock Portland and went to the shop with my grandfather and bought a pair of boots the morning of a game. They were nothing special, just out of Woolworth’s, and I remember my mates slagging me for wearing them. First kit? I think it was actually a Scotland strip. Either that or Celtic, but I think it was Scotland. There is a photo my mum and dad have in their house and I am in a Scotland shirt. I am pretty young in it, so I think it would have been that. We travelled over to France 1998 and were at Italia 90 for the World Cup, too, which probably shows the last time Scotland were qualifying for World Cups! I was only five at Italia 90, so it was probably that. I now have my debut Scotland shirt that I wore against Japan framed in my house, so it’s special to me. First game? One of my first starts was for Ayr United away at Alloa Athletic in September 2004 and I scored two goals. I will always remember that. It was brilliant. Going away to those sort of places when you are a teenager was the biggest stage you could imagine because you are used to playing youth football in front of five people. That gave me the belief that I could play against better players. My first game was against Inverness at home the year before and I came on for the last three minutes or so, but I always go back to that clash at Alloa. First goal? I was happy with the one goal, but to score two against Alloa was a brilliant feeling and I got loads of texts and calls afterwards. We won the game 3-1and we had a wedding to go to after it, so I remember people telling me how they’d heard I had scored! The first was quite decent, too. I was playing on the right. I cut inside, beat a couple of players and put it in the far corner. The second was a one-onone and it was an unbelievable feeling. First red card? This was only last season, at Sheffield Wednesday. I had scored about three minutes before and, to be honest, I don’t think it was a sending off. It was not like me to really make challenges and tackles. I am normally on the other end! I thought I could get the ball after a bad touch, but I mistimed it. I never actually touched the player and it looked worse than it was. I can see why the ref sent me off as it probably looked bad, but the boy played on.