Warren meets... Tommy Rowe

As a budding Sports Journalist, the more interviews you do, the easier it gets.  Pre-season is a time when the bigger sides bring the bigger players down and, after a bit of arm twisting I got to have a few words with Peterborough United's number 14, winger, Tommy Rowe.

WL: Tommy, you began your career at Manchester United. As a United fan, that must have been a great experience for you?

TR: Yeah it was. Everyone's boyhood dream is to play for the club and at the time I was a massive United fan so yeah, it was a brilliant time for me.

WL: How was the experience there? Have any players you played with gone on to greater things?

TR: There's players that are still in the United squad; players like Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, I played in the same team as them and they were fantastic so to see them doing so well I'm delighted for them.

WEL-CLEVER!: Both have played a part at United

WL: From there you went to Stockport County. It must have been brilliant for you being at such a young age and being able to play plenty of games and still being local.

TR: Yeah it was. It was closer to me than what United was so it was a decision that I could make and still stay around with my family and enjoy my football and at the same time they were some of the best years of my career so I'm very thankful to Stockport for their time.

Tommy during his Stockport days

WL: Soon after, they had financial difficulties and you soon moved to Peterborough where you've been for three seasons now, was it a difficult decision to move south?

TR: It was at first. With a young family at home it's always difficult to uproot them and take them away but it was a decision I made on a football basis and for my career at the time and thankfully it has shown me the right path right now.

WL: So how often do you return up north?

TR: I think the first year, I was going home quite often but as soon as you get settled in an area it's a once-a-month thing, not even that sometimes.

WL: You've now made over 100 appearances for Posh, was it hard to make that step up from League 1 to the Championship?

TR: Yeah, it's a massive step up. The quality is totally different but with a good squad and a good manager, it's easier for teams to develop and we've developed into a competitive Championship team so hopefully next season - it will be hard but it will also be enjoyable.

WL: Posh went up through the play-offs two seasons ago, you scored the opening goal in the final (against Huddersfield) at Old Trafford, that must have been a memorable moment?

TR: It was yeah! The best moment of my career most definitely. I always say it's a bit of luck but, you need that bit of luck sometimes and luckily it came for me.

THE GOALSCORERS: Rowe, centre, got the first

WL: Your brother Danny plays for Stockport at the moment. Can we expect to see him in the Football League sometime soon?

TR: Definitely. He's got the capabilities to play at the highest level, I've always said that. Mentally and physically, he's strong enough to play at any level. He just needs the right manager now to look after him like I was looked after at his age and it should see him develop.

WL: As you've said, you began at United, who was your footballing idol. I guess that as a left winger, a United fan it only goes to one man?...

TR: Yeah! Ryan Giggs at the time and he still is to be fair!

WL: So what happened off the field hasn't changed your view on him?!

TR: No, nothing! You take the right things out of his career, what he did right. He was brilliant as a footballer and he still is.  He's a great role model on the field. Off the pitch, I will look after myself and I should be OK!

IDOL: Giggs

WL: So we're back in pre-season now, are you a player that looks forward to getting back playing games and banter with the lads or do you dread the seemingly constant running that it has to offer?

TR: It screws! It's not nice getting fit again but we're professionals in sport so you've got to be professional about it and go about it the right way. It's important to get a load of games under your belt and important to do and play the best that you can. If you put 100% effort it now, it will stand you in good stead for the beginning of the season.

WL: Recently you've been playing left back, is that a position you'd like to take to a bit more or are you happy with your left wing position?

TR: I've always said I'll play anywhere so long as I get games under my belt, it's good for my develop which means that at left back or left wing I'll be happy to fill in.

Rowe (blue) battles with Alex John-Baptiste of Blackpool

WL: Which of Posh's new signings has impressed you the most?

TR: I wouldn't like to single any of them out. They've all been very good. We've had quite a few of them so it's been difficult to see individuals coming through but all of them have made massive impacts in training so yeah, it's been good.

WL: On today's game, how do you think it went for you (Lee Tomlin mocking TR!)

TR: Yeah, it went alright... Lee Tomlin's got a bad haircut! No, no, it was a good game but it was one of them where they've played four games before us so they were at nearly peak fitness so hopefully, the next game, with a few more minutes things will get better.

TOMLIN'S HAIRCUT: Good or bad? You decide!

WL: Finally, where can we expect to see Tommy Rowe in five years time?

TR: Hopefully, the highest level that I can. I'd like to be playing in the Premier League and I'd make that my ambition. It'd be quality to play at the highest level and in my eyes, where I want to be, the Premier League is where it is!

Me and Tommy

Many thanks to Tommy for his time and to Phil Adlam, the Peterborough United Media officer for sorting the interview out.

Rampant Reds Punish Posh

It seemed ages but had come up so quickly.  I'm of course talking about my last Crawley Town game; a memorable day up in Accrington, Lancashire which saw the Reds clinch promotion to League 1, thanks to a solitary Scott Neilson goal.

Much had changed at the club since 5th May.  For one, the "new" manager had come in, and then gone. Also, players had been released and new members of the team had been recruited, a standard procedure for any club, unless you're Portsmouth.

Anyway, after having to miss the first three friendly games, I was eagerly awaiting the visit of Peterborough United, the second season in a row that Darren Ferguson (Son of Alex) had decided to bring his side to the Broadfield Stadium.

With "new" manager Sean O'Driscoll leaving the club late on Thursday night, Reds had a spot to fill on the touchline; this spot filled, once again, by the man who at the end of last season, led us to the third tier of English football, Craig Brewster.

O'Driscoll's reign didn't last long

Posh included two former Crawley stars in their matchday squad; Michael Bostwick, who came to the Reds as a 17 year-old loanee from Millwall was named on the bench, as was last season's forward Tyrone Barnett, sold to Peterbrough for a record fee of a reported £1.4m.

Also on the bench was new signings Danny Swanson and Nathaniel Knight-Percival who joined the club from Dundee United and Wrexham respectively.

Onto the game, Reds started the brighter side, Billy Clarke, after only three minutes beat his man before whipping in a dangerous ball that was hacked clear by defender Gabriel Zakuani.

Clarke was again involved as he controlled a pass from Gary Alexander only to slice his right-footed shot wide of the target.

Peterborough then had their first chance as roaming midfielder Paul Taylor tried to curl past his former Posh team mate Paul Jones, making his home debut for Crawley, only to see his bouncing effort fall straight into the gloves of the stopper.

Minutes later, Crawley found the opening goal as Alexander, wearing the captain's armband once again, picked up the ball, opened up his body and curled an effort past Bobby Olejnik and into the top left-hand corner.

Alexander scored the solitary goal

Posh went for the jugular; Tommy Rowe burst forward from his left back position, evading a number of challenges before seeing his drive flicked over by Jones.

From the resulting corner, Rowe then saw his header cleared off the line by another Reds new boy, Mat Sadler.

Another chance then came for the away side moments later as the transfer listed midfielder Grant McCann let fly only to see Jones hold on to his stinging effort.

The visitors attempted to turn the screw and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, a recent signing from Wolves, had two chances, both sent well wide of Jones' goal.

Crawley then had their own flurry of chances as the first half was coming to an end; Alexander had two more chances; firstly turning Zakuani only to see his effort curl just wide before heading a Nicky Adams' free kick at the near post into the corner only to see Olejnik beat the ball away.

Olejnik had a fine game

Claude Davis started his first pre-season game and saw his bullet header palmed away by Olejnik; the big Austrian keeping his new side in the game.

As the referee blew for half time, the sprinklers came on pre-maturely which saw one of the cameramen drenched, his laptop, possibly, in ruin!

A number of substitutes from both sides saw the once entertaining spectacle break up with not as many chances created by both teams.

Two substitutes combined as George Boyd found a way into the box before picking out Swanson lurking at the back post, only to see his toe-poked effort trickle wide of the post.

Clarke had yet another effort as his direct free kick went over the wall before being comfortably caught by former Torquay United custodian Olejnik.

Posh had a free kick of their own soon after but another sub, this time Daniel Kearns could only pummel the ball into the wall.

Reds then went up the other end of the pitch, in counter-attacking style and, despite having options around him, Alexander tried an audacious outside of the boot strike which was once again, down the throat of Olejnik.

An effort for both sides then occured late into the game as first, Boyd waltzed past two before letting fly, seeing his effort clawed away by Jones once more.

THREAT: George Boyd

Finally, former Posh ace Sergio Torres got past his man but his fizzed cross was sent high and wide by the stretching Morgan Ferrier, a trialist from Watford.

An entertaining game. Good to get back into the swing of things football-wise.

Also a nice change seeing us play some pretty football.

After the game, I conducted interviews with Peterborough winger Tommy Rowe and former Posh striker (Now at Brighton) Craig Mackail-Smith.  These interviews will be typed up on here later and (If I can find out how to do it) I will put the actual audio on here too so keep a look out!

Some photos courtesy of www.crawleytownfc.com