football firsts
Accrington Stanley striker Billy Kee talks us through his football memories
First match? My dad took me to Leicester City v Liverpool in the Premier League in 2001 and I think Robbie Fowler scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win. As a Leicester lad, that wasn’t a great first result! It wasn’t the best of days but I’ll remember Fowler’s goals. First hero? I never had a footballing hero when I was growing up. I used to watch and support Leicester, but I never had a hero I looked up to. I used to watch my Dad play a lot of Sunday League football and thought he was really good, but he wasn’t really. First boots? I remember fondly the first pair of boots my parents bought me were the Adidas Predators with the pimples on the front – they were a cracking pair. I thought they were excellent back in the day. They were unreal for me. I’d go back to them now, but I think Adidas have moved on since then. I have fond memories in them for sure. First kit? I was bought a Leicester goalkeeper kit, a green one from a long time ago. I can’t remember which year exactly, but it was probably around the turn of the century. I used to be a goalkeeper when I was younger, so my parents bought me that. I was quite a chunky kid and it was quite a large shirt! First game? I was on loan at Accrington from Leicester back in 2009 and we played against Rotherham at the Don Valley Stadium. I started the match, but it really wasn’t a great game, to be honest, and we ended up losing 1-0. I wasn’t nervous at all really. I think I get more nervous now than I did then. After that, it wasn’t too bad for an 18-year-old. I got nine goals throughout the season, so things definitely got better that year. First goal? It was a winner actually against Darlington, and it was a few minutes from the end. Luke Joyce whipped in a great cross and I just got my head on the end of it and, thankfully, it went in. We really needed the win at that point, so to help the boys get that and for it to be my first goal was pretty special. After it went in, it was just an outpouring of relief. You never know when you might get your first goal and it took me a while to get it. It feels like you’re in the season once you get a goal under your belt. First red card? I’ve only had one red card in my career, so I remember it well. I was playing for Burton Albion when they were in League Two and it was for two yellow cards against Southend. I put in two ‘striker tackles’, in all honesty, and both before half-time, which wasn’t ideal. The fine was two weeks’ wages and I don’t want to get a fine like that again!