Facing the father of all battles

WHEN the sporting gods handed out footballing talent, certain families benefited more than others. There were cousins Clive, Paul and Martin Allen who followed Clive's dad, Les, into the game.

Of course, the Charlton brothers, Bobby and Jack, were England heroes in 1966. Jimmy and Brian Greenhoff played for Manchester United, Ron and Alan Harris played together at Chelsea, Peter and Roger Morgan represented Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham. The list goes on.

Today, in the Premiership, Jamie Redknapp, Nicky Summerbee and Stephen Clemence are emulating their fathers.

But spare a thought this summer for one young man for whom things are not working out and whose struggles are only worsened by the fact that his dad was one the greatest players the world has known.

Patrick Jennings is the 20-year-old son of the Northern Ireland legend, Pat, and third-choice goalkeeper with Cardiff. Tall, big hands and immeasurably polite, Jennings jnr looks and talks just like his old man and exudes the same quiet self-assurance.

But Jennings jnr does not know if he will have a career in football next season. He started this season without a club before joining the ranks of non-League football. Then, four months ago, Cardiff signed him until the end of season.

Now, however, things look bleak. Recovering from injury at his family home in Hertfordshire, he explained: "Frank Burrows, the manager who signed me, was recently sacked and Roy Ayres, his replacement, obviously has ideas of his own.

"Plus the club are skint and relegated to the Third Division.

They may not be able to afford to keep on a third keeper."

Sadly, this is not a new scenario for Jennings jnr.

He was a junior at Spurs but the club released him when he turned 16.

Wimbledon immediately snapped him up but, after breaking into the reserve team, they, too, decided he was surplus to requirements.

"I was shocked. I was playing for the reserves even though I was only 17, and felt I had done really well - they even told me they were impressed. But, once I became too old for the youth team, they said they couldn't afford to keep me on."

The keeper turned down an approach by Bristol City after receiving an encouraging approach from QPR.

He began training with the first team at Loftus Road but, once more, purse strings were tightened and as the third-choice senior keeper, Jennings jnr was seen as expendable - again.

"I just slipped the net, and was left without a club. I ended up in non-League football, training with Dagenham & Redbridge and playing for Chesham in the Ryman Premier League.

"It was hard. With all due respect, the standard at that level is not great, especially as I was used to the facilities at Spurs.

"I used to get a lot of stick from the fans as well, when they saw the name Pat Jennings on the team sheet for a non-League side they just laughed.

I would get stick throughout the game.

Whenever I made a mistake I would hear things like: 'You'll never be as good as your father'.

"But I just worked hard and trained in my spare time to make sure my fitness was at a professional standard. I used to watch professional keepers and I knew I was as good as them."

The struggles which Jennings jnr has had to face contrast with the manner in which his father flourished as a goalkeeping teenager. Signed by Watford at 17 from Newry Town in County Armagh, Pat Jennings snr played every game in his first full season for the Hornets, then in the old Third Division.

His performances soon attracted the attention of Bill Nicholson's Tottenham and he embarked on a career that spanned 22 years in the top division and brought 119 appearances for Northern Ireland.

"I didn't really want my lad to be a footballer," he said. "I knew that he could be twice as good as me and never get the credit for it.

I know how much more difficult it is for him. If you have a famous dad you're always being compared to what he's achieved.

"But I always explained that this was something he was going to have to live with, and that it wasn't going to be easy. So it is not as if he wasn't aware of the situation.

"Patrick just has to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to come along, that's all a young keeper can do. At least now he's playing regular football and getting full-time training.

"I can hardly ever go to watch Patrick - because it wouldn't be fair on him. If people see me standing in the crowd, then straight away it creates an extra pressure for him.

"I used to tell Patrick to take up golf. He was a natural. We played a fair bit when he was younger and I just couldn't live with him.

But he always said: 'No, I want to be a footballer'."

Despite Jennings jnr's struggles, his ambition has not diminished.

"All I can do is hope that a scout has seen me playing recently and liked what he saw. But, yeah, I am still determined to make the grade. I know I can do it.

"I don't think of the fact that I'm Pat Jennings' son as a pressure.

I'm really proud of my dad and everything he achieved in football. His career isn't a burden.

It motivates me."

Time will tell whether Jennings jnr can prove that his confidence is well placed.

Copyright 2000
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