THERE’S STILL LIFE IN LORRAINE
SIX years ago, Paul Lorraine was told it was likely he would never play football again – but after defying the odds he’s now searching for one last opportunity.
The experienced centre-back captained Ebbsfleet United, Woking and AFC Wimbledon in a proud and successful career which has spanned almost two decades.
But it almost came to an abrupt end in 2014 when playing for Whitehawk as a season-ending injury threatened to be a defining one.
“I remember the physio at the time, Paul Baskin, a wonderful man, rang me up and said ‘I don’t think you’ll play again’,” the 36-year-old recalls.
“I sat in my front room with my wife and cried that day. Steve King had signed me, you know you’re a good player when you get a call from him, he watches so many games. We were six unbeaten, six clean sheets, we were playing Bath away and my ACL snapped. It was the most painful thing I’ve had in my life.
“Paul saved my career by getting me in touch with a fantastic surgeon in Brighton, Dr Robin Turner. Whitehawk were phenomenal, they really looked after me. Steve King was outstanding, he really stood by me and the boys were excellent. I worked my socks off to get back.”
Lorraine’s career didn’t deserve to be ended so cruelly and he eventually returned after 14 months out before joining Cray Wanderers as playerassistant manager and then took the same role with Punjab United in the Southern Counties East League, where he’s been for the last three seasons.
He’s now in the final straight and admits he may have played his last game already unless the right chance comes along.
Nevertheless, Lorraine, a fans’ favourite wherever he played, has plenty of highs to look back on, which started with promotion at Braintree Town under George Borg in 2006.
Lorraine left the club for Justin Edinburgh’s Fisher Athletic but broke his wrist in his first game and when he returned went on loan to AFC Wimbledon.
“My first game for Wimbledon was Staines away on Boxing Day and then I played every game until we lost in the play-off semi-final at Bromley,” Lorraine remembers fondly. “Dave Anderson was the manager, a great man. I was an instant fans’ favourite.”
Lorraine was quickly making a big impact on the Non-League scene and his next move was into full-time football with a two-year contract at Woking.
He had been studying at Greenwich University to become a PE teacher – he has since graduated with a 2:1 degree – but agreed to put his studies on hold.
After his first year in Surrey, manager Frank Gray departed and was replaced by the unheard-of Kim Grant, who was sacked after only seven matches and replaced by Phil Gilchrist and then Graham Baker.
Three managers in one season inevitably ended in disaster and the club was relegated out of the Conference after 17 years, but Lorraine was one of few that came out with credit.
Hot property
“Kim Grant was a surprise choice. The pre-season he did… It was six days training, every day rolled into the same day, you didn’t know if it was a Sunday, a Wednesday or a Saturday, it was the toughest pre-season I’ve had but I’ve never been as fit or as strong and that helped massively. I think I was probably the best defender in the Conference that season.”
Lorraine picked up all of the club awards at the end of the season, a regular theme throughout his career. He hails Gilchrist as a ‘father-figure’ during that time as he became a hot property in the division and attracted interest from above.
Chester, Rushden & Diamonds and Gateshead made contact, and at one point a move to Brighton looked likely, but they didn’t materialise and a return to AFC Wimbledon under Terry Brown came instead.
“I have mixed feelings about my second spell there, I was disappointed with it,” admits Lorraine. “I had real trouble with my groins where I couldn’t train and I was just playing games. I ended up getting released by Wimbledon and I got my groins checked out – I had grade five tears in both.
“I paid £5,000 out of my own pocket for surgery after just being released.
That was the time when I thought I wasn’t sure whether football full-time was for me. It was very challenging.
“When I left Woking, my stock was high in Non-League football. I needed to have a strong time at Wimbledon but one indifferent season affected my whole career really.”
Lorraine went back to university and signed for Liam Daish at Ebbsfleet, which turned out to be some of the golden years of his career.
He played 55 consecutive games after surgery as they won 4-2 in the play-off final at Farnborough to reach Step 1, again claiming end of season awards, but a dream move into the Football League proved elusive.
“That was one of my favourite teams I played in. I felt I’d got myself back to where I was but I didn’t have anyone to guide me off the pitch. I had an agent who could have been better; I was still only 25, I could have pushed on.
Proactive
“I really wanted to test myself in the League. I’ve played with players who have gone on to have good League careers and they weren’t miles better than me.
“I’ve never been on trial anywhere, I’ve never picked up the phone and asked to play for a club, really you’ve got be a bit proactive. Maybe I should have asked my agent to get me a trial at a Yeovil or a Leyton Orient.
“I spent four fantastic years at Ebbsfleet. I love the club. The supporters got me and I got them.”
Good times followed at Cray Wanderers and Punjab, where he even stepped up as manager on occasions, a role he is open to pursuing. But Lorraine, a secondary school teacher by day, believes he still has something to offer on the pitch for now.
“I still feel I can play. It needs to be the right opportunity for me. If I get managed right, you can get a good Paul Lorraine for another season.
“I’ll see what other opportunities present themselves. If they don’t, then I’ll retire. There’s so many lows and a few highs but the resilience needed in football has rounded me as a person.”