QUADE SO HAPPY TO BE HOME
THE weekend of fixtures played a fortnight ago look likely to be the last games in this country for some time. However, the crowd of 2,376 who gathered at Champion Hill for Dulwich Hamlet’s 2-1 victory over Hemel Hempstead were able to witness a landmark of a different kind: captain Quade Taylor’s 150th appearance in pink and blue.
“It felt really good,” Taylor says on reaching the milestone. “I didn’t actually know until after the game, so it felt even better – I was captain, and we won, after I think it was four or five weeks. It was a good feeling.”
Captaining Dulwich, the club whose academy he came through and made his senior debut for as a teenager, is something which Taylor will never take for granted. Having gone higher up the pyramid with Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers, the defender has never forgotten that home is where the heart is.
“It’s a really proud personal achievement for me because if you ever asked me if I was captain material, I would never have thought it to be honest with you – I’m too quiet,” he says. “I just try to be as vocal as I can but at the same time just lead with my performance.”
Joining Dulwich aged 16, one of Taylor’s first experiences was playing in a talented Under-18 team that went all the way to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup in 2011. “I think that’s one of my favourite football moments...we were such underdogs. We won about six rounds, to get to the third round against Yeovil and then to play Newcastle. It was a really good run.”
Several of the members of that side, Taylor included, went on to play professionally later in their careers, with
Ethan Pinnock now a regular starting centre-back at Brentford and Paul McCallum proving to be a prolific National League striker. “It was just a really good team, to be fair, and it’s good to see that everyone got an opportunity to play at a higher level through that hard work when we were younger,” said the 26-year-old.
Achievement
“Over the next six months, I was in and around the first team. I think I was on the bench for about three or four months and I finally got an opportunity in January and played about four or five games. I got my move to Palace by March.”
Taylor spent two seasons on a professional contract at Palace, before signing for Bolton in July 2014. Both of these environments marked a huge step up in his footballing development. “That season was just crazy,” he says of his first year at Bolton. “I started playing and then I was training with the first team a lot, and by the end of the season I managed to make my debut.”
On making his Championship debut, he recalls: “It was surreal to be honest. I didn’t even know I was playing until I was literally in the changing room and the manager said, ‘You’re starting’. It was an unbelievable personal achievement for me.”
Cheering
Managerial changes at Bolton left Taylor out of favour and his path to the first team was blocked by the emergence of Rob Holding, who went on to sign for Arsenal. Taking a loan move to Dagenham & Redbridge, he admits that he lost his hunger for the game, having been at such a high level and dropping back down to reestablish himself.
He considered quitting the game entirely but in striking up old relationships at Dulwich Hamlet, he was able to discover a new lease of life in his career.
“It was a challenging time for me because I knew I wasn’t playing to my best and I was doubting myself mentally, but I had three or four sit-downs with the gaffer and Kads (manager Gavin Rose and assistant Junior Kadi) and they just managed to keep me at it and I’m reaping the rewards now.”
In his first season back, Dulwich went on an FA Trophy run and hosted Macclesfield Town in the fourth round. Taylor is grateful for that opportunity. “We went 2-0 down early doors and then I got a goal to get us back in it,” he remembers.
“I think that was probably the defining moment for me at that time, to know that I’d scored and have that feeling of everyone cheering. I think that’s what made me think that I can get back to where I was a few years ago.”
The following season, Dulwich won promotion to the National League South and Taylor truly felt his love for the game restored. “I won stuff at Under-23s but to win promotion at any level, it’s a great feeling,” he said.
Reflecting on the current situation, he and the rest of the team are doing their best to keep up spirits – and fitness – while uncertainty hangs over them.
“We’ve got a Whatsapp group, so we’re constantly talking in there – not really anything serious but just a bit of banter. In terms of keeping fitness, we’re literally just going for a run and doing a home workout session. There’s not really much we can do anymore. The gyms are closed.
“We’re just trying to keep ourselves ticking over as much as we can but it’s kind of hard with not actually being able to play football.”