Mickey Thomas writes EXCLUSIVELY for Red Passion

I’ve been having a great time recently. The highlight has been the Soccer Sixes in London. It was an over-35s tournament and I was playing for Chelsea. It was great to see all my old mates again. It was played indoors so it was pretty hard work. But I was in the sin-bin for half the time so it didn’t really bother me as much. Chelsea played two games. We lost 4-2 to Charlton, but we beat Arsenal 2-1. It was great to beat Arsenal 2-1 again. I scored from another 25-yard free-kick as well…There were some strong sides out though. Charlton had Alan Curbishley and Paul Walsh in their squad; Arsenal had Frank Stapleton, Liam Brady, Brian Talbot, Brian Marwood and Paul Davis in theirs. Chelsea had a good squad out as well: me plus Gary Stanley, Nigel Spackman, Clive Walker and Peter Bonetti. Bonetti’s 57 so it’s a good job he was playing in goal. Each game was eight minutes each way - long enough I can tell you. The whole tournament lasted an evening and was televised by Sky. The age of some of the players though, I bet it was like watching in slow-motion. I met so many big names again at the Soccer Sixes. Waddle was there and also Hoddle. I said hello to Glenn. I also shook his hand and squeezed it a bit tighter than usual. I love these tournaments though. I love them because you meet all your old mates and if you’ve got any vendettas left from the end of your career you can really sort them out. I went down to the tournament with my mates from Stoke: Clive ‘Wiffa’ Smith, Anton Booth, Sammy and Ben. Great guys - tremendous. They were in stitches all evening. I also took my daughter Jade down and she enjoyed it too. I think there’s an international over-35s tournament planned soon. Me, Joey and Rushie will be up for that. I’d love to play for Wales again. I think this competition is going to be at the NEC, Birmingham. Joey played for Liverpool in another over-35s tournament only recently.

I bumped into Oliver Hyde, the BBC Wales soccer presenter in Aberystwyth the other day. He said he’d seen my column in Red Passion. He told me actually that he was really impressed by it. I think he thought I couldn’t write…

Me, Joey and Scoot and a good night in Cardiff recently. We were doing an after-dinner event down there for Carl Dale’s benefit. I really enjoyed it. It’s not always easy you know - North Walians going down to South Wales - but we all got on well. I saw a few old friends: Eddie May, Frank Burrows and George Wood. All in all it was a good do. I think our next after-dinner event is Queensferry on 1 May.

I’ve also been doing more work for MUTV. I’ve got interviews planned with Steve Bould and Lee Dixon of Arsenal. I knew Steve from my time at Stoke. He made his debut while I was there and I suppose he’s not had a bad career since he moved to Arsenal…I also went up to Sunderland on MUTV business. I saw the game against Bolton. I was in Peter Reid’s office for most of the time and I also met up with my mate Peter Williams, who’s the goalkeeping coach there. They really looked after me. I’ve been up to Newcastle to interview Gary Speed as well. He wasn’t feeling too good when I arrived there but he made the effort to turn up and do the interview. Top man. I played with him at Leeds. He’s gone on to captain Wales and I really rate him. He’s a local lad as well - Queensferry.

By the time you read this, Wales will have played Switzerland. I think they’ve got a chance in that game and they certainly need to get a result. Switzerland isn’t a great nation of footballing talent, so it’s got to be our best chance of qualifying for a while. Wales have got a crop of decent youngsters. I particularly like the look of that lad Mark Hughes. Now there’s a good young player…Chris Coleman, I think, has done well for Wales and John Hartson has lost some weight. As everyone knows, he’s just gone for £7m, but he’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Big fellas upfront have their uses though. As a midfielder myself, I know that more than most - often they can offer you a good get-out ball. And then there’s Robbie Savage - nice hair, shame about…no, I won’t say anything. I know he and Bobby Gould get on very well. I met Savage recently actually at the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year event. I’m sure his hair’s an advantage really. It makes him stand out for the rest of his teammates. As regards England, I think Keegan had a decent win first off, but to be honest I thought it was a fairly poor Polish side.

As regards Wrexham, it’s obviously a terrible shame we didn’t make Wembley. But the important thing is that Brian’s turned the league form around. That’s crucial - Wembley would just have been a nice bonus. Brammer’s gone obviously. He’s a good bloke and a good player. He’s also young and, without being disrespectful to Port Vale, I thought he might have ended up somewhere better. Vale are a club quite similar to Wrexham and are at about the same level; after all, they could be playing each other next season in Division 2. In a way I thought he could have moved on to better things. Brammer has many qualities. He works hard, he’s got a thumping shot and he’s always looking for the ball. He’s only got two failings: he’ll never have a left foot like mine and he’ll never shag as many women as me. Even though Brammer’s had a great season, my player of the year would be Carey. He’s been the best performer for me. He’s a good captain, he’s very consistent and he just gets on with the job. He doesn’t get a lot of publicity but mark my words - he’s solid. Brian’s made a few signings recently and he’s obviously building for next season. The team have had their shaky patch but they’ve come through it and they’ll do better next season - I’m confident. And Joey will make sure of that. He’s brilliant, a great motivator and he really gets people going. But overall I don’t think anyone can complain. Brian’s had no money at all and I’d say he’s done a miracle job - simple as that.

I’m still turning out for Amlwch. I’m chuffed to be involved there and I like playing still; I’ve also told the management team there that I won’t play for anyone else. I’m suspended at the moment though - a few too many bookings I’m ashamed to admit. But I’m a hard tackler and I suppose bookings are unavoidable.

I’m bemused about all this Holywell business. I went to watch Holywell recently; I was cold so I sat in the dugout; and the next thing I know I’m bloody assistant manager! Well, I can tell everybody who reads Red Passion that the whole story about me and Holywell is a load of crap. I’m quite friendly with the manager at Holywell, but I’m certainly not his best mate - well not anymore! All that stuff about me becoming assistant manager there is rubbish. It was in all the papers but it's just not true. I went to watch one game and suddenly everybody starts talking. Absolutely crazy. Anyway Holywell look as if they’re going down - so no thanks.

My son Aaron is doing well with Bangor City at the moment so at the moment I’m watching him a lot. He scored for Bangor the other day. I’m his father - but it was a tremendous goal. I’m not biased honestly; it was a great goal and I was dead chuffed for him. People have been great with him. The manager at Llandudno helped him a lot and at Bangor, in a better league, I hope he does the business. He’s 18 and a bit of a late developer really. But he’s playing now in the League of Wales and I really hope he can make the grade. He’s a striker, but he can also play on the left-hand side if required to. He’s just been picked to represent the North Wales Coast against a Scotland side, so again that’s a big boost. He’s also played recently at Hampden Park and scored his side’s equaliser. I was there watching him and that was brilliant. Tremendous. He just lobbed the keeper dead coolly. So his career has had a decent kick-start. Joey’s also said he can come and train with the lads at Wrexham - so that will do him good as well. When he was growing up, Aaron always loved football. I never pushed him though. He went his own way really, but in the past couple of years he’s knuckled down. He’s been excellent really and he’s making steady progress now. People ask me whether he’s like his dad. Well, he doesn’t tackle as hard as me - even if he has got a bit more pace! All I can say though is that he’s dedicated to the game and he’s got the right attitude. If he makes it I’ll be dead chuffed.

I noticed that Eifion Williams got a hat-trick in his first game for Torquay. He’s done very well for himself. I saw him a few times when he was playing for Barry Town and he scored some decent goals. Not bad for that level. The transfer to Torquay can’t be a bad move. If he survives at that level he’ll have done very well. And with Mark Delaney moving on to Aston Villa as well, it’s been a good few weeks for Welsh players.

My Marcher Sound predictions are coming on as well. I got two out of six right one week - and five out of six the next. Steve, the presenter, is a Villa fan so I’m always giving him stick. He’s gutted all the time at the moment. Every time I see him he’s almost crying. The form Villa are in I think they could go down…

Cheers,