MATCHDAYS sees Dave Noble still putting on his tracksuit and football boots, even though he is at an age when most people are looking for a gentler lifestyle.
The 69-year-old, from Droylsden, is a member of the coaching staff at Northern Premier League, Premier Division leaders Matlock Town.
“There is nothing to beat being in the changing room on a matchday,” explained Dave who added the buzz is still as intense as it was 55 years ago when he began his playing days.
It has been a remarkable journey in terms of longevity as well as the experiences which have enriched his life.
There was a successful career in local and non-league football, a dabble at management before deciding coaching was his niche.
And in 17 years’ coaching at Manchester City’s academy, the list of boys he coached who went on to have successful careers reads like a who’s who of football with Phil Foden the finest young player he has had dealings with.
It is a great accolade bearing the players he coached in City’s Under-12 and U13s, the likes of Kieran Trippier, Daniel Sturridge, Nedum Onuoha, Ben Mee, Neil Taylor, Adam Clayton, Ched Evans, David Brooks, Tosin Adarabioyo and Jeremie Frimpong.
Then at a time when he ought to have been winding down, Dave was enlisted to help his nephew Paul Phillips who was kicking off his managerial career following a successful playing career.
Dave has been at his side at Ashton United, where they reached the NPL play-offs three times, losing each with two cruelly on penalties, Stalybridge Celtic, Glossop, Buxton and latterly Matlock Town.
Though Dave was a full back for most of his playing days, he began them as a little winger who had spells at both Manchester United and neighbours City having been spotted appearing for Failsworth-based Brook Vale, one of the area’s top junior sides at that time.
He recalled being a late starter to football aged 14 as he was a pupil at rugby-playing North Manchester Grammar School.
Dave, whose father was an inside forward and semi-pro for Droylsden, was initially at United who, after several months, discarded him for being too small before he spent two-and-a-half years at City where he played for the B team alongside Ron Healey and Phil Henson who went on to have successful careers.
City of that era was far removed to the present as Dave explained: “There were times when we trained on the car park at Maine Road.
“I would catch two buses to the ground and then sometimes we would often go by coach to train at Trafford FC or Cheadle Town.”
When Dave failed to get a contract aged 18, he had a short spell pre-season at Stalybridge Celtic where George Smith was his manager and mentor.
He said: “Celtic played in the Cheshire League which was huge in those days with teams like Macclesfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Altrincham.
“I was a 5ft 6in full back and quickly realised I was not going to make the squad so went to play in the Manchester League for Salford Amateurs, forerunners to today’s Salford City.”
Dave spent nine years with Salford Amateurs winning titles and trophies including the Lancashire Cup. They initially played at The Cresent, but he was with them when they moved to their current home at Moor Lane which hosts City’s games in Sky Bet League Two.
He then moved to Curzon Ashton after they joined the Cheshire League and remained for seven years during which time they became founder members of the North West Counties League. The highlight was helping them reach the semi-finals of the FA Vase.
Dave captained the side and played alongside winger Steve Wigley before he moved to Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest and goalkeeper Eric Nixon who joined Manchester City.
And he recalled one pre-season friendly when Curzon hosted Wigan Athletic whose side included Bobby Charlton who was a director of the club at the time and manager Larry Lloyd, the Liverpool legend. The Curzon side had former Manchester City and England winger Mike Summerbee guesting as he was a friend of club director Maurice Ruben.
Dave also recalled playing for Curzon against Winsford United whose side included Neville Southall who would later become one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
Alongside Saturday, Dave also turned out on Sunday in the Gorton League for Haddon Hall which became The Bay Horse where he played alongside Peter Wragg who went on to become a legendary non-league manager at local clubs Stalybridge Celtic and Hyde United as well as at Macclesfield Town, Leek Town, Chorley and Halifax Town.
Dave also captained the Manchester county team to victory in the northern counties championships and played at both Old Trafford and Maine Road in Manchester Cup finals.
He later had a short spell managing Curzon which did not work out well as at that time they did not pay, an exception among clubs at their level, and he had to “scrounge” players. He also managed New Mills before accepting he was not cut out for management, realising coaching was his niche.
The launch of his coaching career, which began by helping Springhead win the Manchester League title, coincided with a change of career in his mid-forties.
Having worked in the textile industry for 25 years – he began as a laboratory technician at Clayton Aniline – he became a PE teacher employed by Tameside Sport Development as he was a qualified coach. He recently calculated he has taught in 55 schools in the borough, primarily primary but also some secondary.
And the beauty was that it was not simply football which was only one of nine sports as diverse as gymnastics, hockey, netball, volleyball, basketball and athletics.
Dave’s growing reputation as a coach saw his offered the chance in 1997 to join Manchester City’s academy where he replaced Gordon Hill, the former United and England winger.
He accepted despite being a lifelong United fan and coming from a family of Reds. The first big match he attended was the 1963 final of the FA Cup at Wembley when they beat Leicester City.
And through his 25-year association with City, Dave said: “It is difficult not to have allegiances for them.
“I get stick off my family, but I must one the few who support both Manchester clubs.”
One of his jobs at City was helping warm-up schoolboy goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, latterly a Premier League title winner with Leicester City, before games while at the same time City also had Wayne Hennessey, who also went on to star in the Premier League and for Wales.
Dave added it has been rewarding to play a part in the development of young players who have gone on to have great careers.
He said: “Daniel Sturridge was the best finisher I have ever seen, Tosin Adarabioyo also stood out, Jeremie Frimpong was very, very quick and while Adam Clayton was never the best player, he always wanted to be a footballer and has had a very good career.
“The best one I have coached has been Phil Foden who had everything as well as the best attitude of any player I have dealt with.
“I remember going to a competition and he was sick on the bus all the way down to where we were going. We didn’t start him because of that, and he was really annoyed as all he wanted to do was to play.
“We also went to a Futsal competition in London and played against many of the top clubs in Europe.
“And though Phil was only 11 or 12 years of age at that time, the players from Real Madrid and Barcelona all wanted their pictures taken with him.
“Our U12 and U13 players were also ball boys for first-team matches and Phil was such a big City fan he was still doing the job when he was aged 14.”
In those days, City’s facilities were limited. They had only two grass training pitches at Platt Lane so Dave’s sides played at venues including Whalley Range High School, the Armitage Centre which is part of the University of Manchester’s sporting complex and at St Bede’s College.
When City moved to their new Etihad training complex in 2014, City wanted all the coaches to become full time.
Dave decided, aged 62, he was too old though he stayed on to do scouting for the club alongside his work in schools.
The work at City involved scouting players at other academies, though that ground to a halt when Covid-19 struck. He still does some local scouting for City alongside continuing to work with his nephew Paul, who began his career at Manchester United as a midfield but later became a goalkeeper for the Reds and Bury where he was understudy to Republic of Ireland international Dean Kiely and later played more than 500 games for Droylsden.
Dave said: “When Paul was new to management, I offered to help him as I had been there and done it.
“I don’t do as much as I used to do, but still help individual players and assist Paul on matchdays which is more advisory.
“I still get to put my boots on and enjoy it. I love being in the dressing room.”
Dave has also previously done some scouting of opposition teams for Dagenham and Redbridge when John Still was manager and at the time when they were in the National League and were promoted to the EFL for the first time in the club’s history.
Dave also revealed his father could well have become a top player.
He said: “Dad and his best friend John Aston snr were both invited to Manchester United for trials when they were young.
“His dad would not let him go saying football was no career in those days. John attended and went on to have a great career with United and for England. Who knows what might have happened had he gone to the trials?”
Dave was also a cricketer, a batsman/wicketkeeper who played for Clayton Methodists in the Ashton League for 35 years.
When they folded, Dave began watching Woodhouses, the club where former England captain Michael Atherton began his playing days.
When they were short of players, Dave made his second-team debut for them aged 59 and went on to play for three years in the Lancashire County League.
Dave is still heavily involved and serves on the cricket club’s committee and helps look after the ground.
Away from football, Dave has another skill as he is an accomplished drummer who was once in a cabaret band and has appeared on the same bill at The Tremeloes, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Tom O’Connor, Cannon and Ball.
Dave, who at that time was asked to go professional as a musician, has also been drummer in a pipe band for the last 20 years.