DARREN GARMSTON: Dunkirk and Basford playmaker- an appreciation...

Taking the Michaels

2010-11 and Darren Garmston, once Dunkirk’s sinewy, skilled midfielder, possessing smart feet, an ability to deliver at dead-ball situations and often scorer of some memorable goals from distance, was distraught at Boldmere St Michael's, where evening games begin earlier to give local residents some respite from the floodlights. His team had trailed by three preventable goals at the break, despite Garmston’s promptings, corners and energy. He was not at his best, I’m sure he would agree, but he received scant support from youngster Elliott and the drifting Gregory, who seemed to be off the pace and chasing floodlit silhouettes. Gregory was responsible for errors preceding the final two goals and Garmston must have noticed...

The Boatmen prepare to sink with no trace...

The forwards had once again flattered to deceive, only one effort at goal being worthy of note, when Lavell White’s near post shot was touched past the near post by home goalie Butler. Dunkirk had been scandalously pierced three times between central defender Beck and left-back Frawley, who had replaced late arrival McCaughey, presumably delayed by work commitments, or finishing a fag... Each time, no offside flag was raised, correctly, I assume, leaving the defenders and goalie Want, who lacked confidence anyway, to shoulder the blame. The Boatmen were mastered in midfield, however, by Petty, Kirk Smith and Lewis, who were simply too knowledgeable and industrious for a disparate visiting outfit.

And yet Garmston was withdrawn at half-time, sacrificed and by inference, deemed responsible! I was shocked and saddened but the introduction of the quick Westcarr failed to prevent four more goals beating Want and a deflated Dunkirk team managed just a grub of a shot by the replacement, in response. Abject performances by Westcarr during the second period, the returning Grant, White, Elliott and in particular, Frawley and Gregory, left Garmston seething on a terrace, after the final whistle had blown. He felt that being substituted was ‘taking the piss’, complaining that he always made it to games that others couldn’t get to, or maybe didn’t want to, yet only for a desultory payment of £20 for turning up regularly. Other teams offered more than that, up to £100, he reckoned and he was so agitated that I felt that he had had enough of the club. I saw his point. As we spoke, manager Dave Harbottle strode past us, with no word or flicker of recognition and drove away from the car-park, with his players presumably still removing their boots. Interesting, I thought.

Darren Garmston, right of picture...

I felt so sad for ‘Garmo’ though, yet he has two more unusual entries in my file of non-league memories, plus several fine goals. Firstly, after a late skirmish during an FA Vase game against Dinnington and their inebriated fans, he was dismissed and then in anger, volleyed a corner-flag with his left instep, uprooting it from its hole and thumping it better than he had struck his earlier goal. I told him so… He missed hitting the drunk though, who had threatened just about everybody in the ground that day. Shame. The other moment to savour was one I rue not picturing, after Dunkirk had been awarded their championship trophy at the end of the 2009-10 season and having humiliated rivals Gedling Town. The players had retreated with bottles of fizzy alcohol to the dressing-rooms but as I strolled to my car, Darren was sitting alone on a wall outside, wearing just his shorts. He was smoking a cigarette. I chatted with him and he looked chilled and contented.

At Boldmere that night though, he seethed and had been discontented in the extreme. There was an unlit bonfire behind the dugouts and I’ll bet he felt like the Guy. It’s what players do. He actually left Dunkirk for a short while, returned to his dad’s team Radford but was persuaded that Dunkirk was a better level to be playing at and he duly returned to the Boatmen. Later he joined Basford United and has been recovering from a nasty operation for some time, I believe. Maybe I’ll bump into him again but I won’t take the piss…

Cheers, Gamo...

Gamo in better days, standing, 3rd from the right...