Slip plays on

Ray “Slippery” Albert has played for Dartmoor Football Club over three decades and, at 50 years of age, he has no intentions of stopping.

Thank you to Ray Albert, Bev Albert, Dartmoor Football Club and Tom Greenaway.

TRANSCRIPT

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

RAY “SLIPPERY” ALBERT: You got to keep the club going, and I just love playing the games there. Just love going out there with the boys and kicking a few goals. That’s about all it is.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I get called some funny names. You know, great old bastard, and fossil, and things like that. But it doesn’t worry me. You get a hard time when your lining up for a goal or something. And you like to bloody kick the goal and say, well, there you go, smart-ass. Get that up ya. [LAUGHS]

Me wife’s had a few digs at me about giving the game away, but I don’t think she was real serious about it.

[MEN SHOUTING]

[WHISTLE BLOWS]

BEV ALBERT: From the very start, it was football. Football’s just part of your life. Yeah. I often say he’d give up me before he’d give up sport. [CHUCKLES] I hope not.

He’ll keep doing this for as long as he wants to. And I’m happy with that, I guess.

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

[CROWD CHEERING]

RAY “SLIPPERY” ALBERT: I’m 50, and the youngest blokes playing in the seconds would be about 16, I think. So you just try and teach the young fellows some of the tricks of the trade, I suppose. And go back yourself and just have a go.

[PLAYER TALKING TO TEAM IN LOCKER ROOM]

Basically doing the same things I was doing when I was 15 or 16. Just try and get in front and lead hard and try and get the ball. And you know, I can’t kick any further than 40 meters. I never could. And start in the 10-yard square, and soon as you see an opening, just go. And if they deliberately hit you on the chest, well and good. You’ll get it for yourself.

BEV ALBERT: I have nagged at times. But my main worry is injury. I worry that he might have an injury that’s not going to get better. That’s my basic concern, really. It’s the only reason why I’d like him to stop. But still, he wants to keep going, so if that makes him happy, it makes me happy.

[CROWD CHEERING]

It’s getting the side out on the ground and just enjoying the game the footy. Helping one another out. That’s most of it, I think.

And there’s a few blokes playing in the seconds that say, well, Slippery’s still playing? Well, I’ll keep playing meself.

[CROWD CHEERING]

You’re a long time retired.