Not for the first time, Boreham Wood captain Mark Ricketts and Bournemouth boss Scott Parker’s paths will cross when the pair meet in the FA Cup this weekend.
Ricketts, now 37, started his career at Charlton but, while he was cleaning toilets as part of his apprenticeship, Parker was thriving in the club’s first-team.
Parker would go on to play for Chelsea and England, and he has followed his glittering playing career by moving into management. As for Ricketts, his career has taken a different path as, after leaving Charlton in 2006, he has had spells at non-league sides Ebbsfleet United, Woking and now Boreham Wood.
“Charlton gave me a real grounding for my football going forwards, especially back in those days,” Ricketts tells Standard Sport.
“You would do jobs in the youth team - cleaning toilets, cleaning out the cafeteria after the team has gone home, putting goals away - and it was a lot of work to earn the respect of the first-team.
“I was there with Scott. I played a couple of reserve games with him and trained with him at times. Then a few years after I left Charlton, I ended up at Woking with Harry Arter, Scott’s brother-in-law.
“We played together for a season and Scott came down to watch a few of the games. He was an unbelievable player and at the time, he was the main man at Charlton.
“Moving on from there it has maybe gone slightly downhill for me from what I would have liked! But it’s still been a pretty special career for myself.”
Ricketts has enjoyed success in his career, winning the FA Trophy with Ebbsfleet and the Conference South with Woking, but this FA Cup run is in his eyes the highlight.
Non-league Boreham Wood are into the fourth round and are dreaming of a scalp against Championship promotion contenders Bournemouth after beating League One side AFC Wimbledon last time out.
“The win over Wimbledon was the highlight of my career. I’ve never experienced a feeling it,” says Ricketts. “I think when you are younger, and you are that age, you think everything will be happening.
“You take it all for granted. But as the years pass by, especially as you get older and older, you start thinking about when you’ll get another chance like this. You make the first round, second, third and now this, it’s really, really special.”
Ricketts is aware that he will have to one day say goodbye to football and he has almost finished an Open University degree in Computer and IT with Business.
“This is my sixth year because it’s part-time,” he says. “It’s been very tough going, especially trying to fit it in and around the kids and family. It’s something I almost wish I didn’t start, but I am glad I am near the end now!”
On the day anything can happen, that will be the view of the players.
Ricketts doesn’t know where the degree will take him and, right now, he is letting his mind focus on an FA Cup run instead of university modules.
Boreham Wood have defied the odds to get this far and victory over Bournemouth on Sunday would be the latest chapter in a remarkable journey.
“Going down there you think, maybe they’ll rest a few? Obviously their focus will be promotion to the Premier League and all that brings,” says Ricketts.
“On the day anything can happen, that will be the view of the players. We will go there with belief, especially with the way we’ve been playing recently, and try do something special on the day.”
