On trial

I've always been a goalkeeper, from my earliest years through to my early 40s, and my one sporting claim to fame is having a trial at a professional football club, Colchester United.
I was about 15, I was definitely still at school as I remember the school keeper getting the hump about it. I never played for the school, I never got the chance, it always seemed to be a bit of a closed shop, kind of like, if you face fits.
I went over to the trial with one of my mates from school. We got off the bus at the train station, which as it turned out was an appalling move. Neither of us had been to Layer Road before, and as it turned out, my friend still wouldn't have after our trip.
We walked for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably only an hour or so. We walked along the Avenue of Remembrance to the very top where the road forks, it was at this point that we thought, we will never find the ground, I've just googled the directions and it turns out the way we was going was about 4.5 miles.
I returned home, a slightly disappointed would be professional goalkeeper, but also slightly relieved. Relieved due to the fact that I was incredibly nervous, more nervous than I had been and indeed ever would be.
How did you get on? Mum asked, when I got back home.
Didn't find it, I said, didn't look hard enough, was what I should have said.
She told me to get in touch with Colchester and inform them of this fact, which i duly did.
I got another chance a few weeks later, I didn't take my mate to this one!
I found it the next time and boy was I nervous, again. I was to be disappointed, on 2 counts as it happens. Firstly, the Layer Road pitch was unavailable on the day of our trial, there was a first team home game later in the week. We had to play at the garrison ground, which is across the road and a short walk from the ground. We used the changing rooms at Layer Road and took the short stroll to the pitch.
There was, what seems like now, hundreds of young would be stars there, and I was one of a good few keepers.
We was split in to 4 teams, plus some others who were substitutes, a couple of which were goalkeepers. I was put into a team and we took to the pitch, for the first stage of trying to impress a coach. Now if your waiting for the happy ending, and are easily disappointed I suggest you leave now. It didn't go well, it seemed to me that the team I had been put in was the best side on the day and therefore not much action at my end. Nerves eventually got the better of me and I had to come off after about 30 minutes or so, my stomach was in knots. I didn't hear anything after from Colchester, and to tell you the truth I wasn't overly surprised, but I gave it a go, and failed miserably!
I carried on playing, Sunday league stuff mostly which I always enjoyed.