Ex-Player Joey interview on sky sports
- Thread starter Ox4Eva
- Start date
sideshowrob
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
- Year of First Game
- 1968
To be fair, the M25 puts off most people.
Marked Ox
Level: Mickey Lewis
(351 Apps, 7 Gls)
I enjoyed the YouTube link for some of his goals in the article.
MJB
Level: Les Phillips
(224 Apps, 15 Gls)
Mental health is a battle for nearly all of us - particularly young men who are expected to just get on with things.
Itsthehopethatkillsyou
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
West Ham flop Joey Beauchamp gives his view on his ill-fated Irons move
Joey Beauchamp didn't think that he was at fault for his ill-fated move to West Ham.
www.footballfancast.com
Ox4Eva
Level: John Aldridge
(141 Apps, 90 Gls)
Everyone faces mental health issues in their personal and professional life at some stage and I have no problem admitting I have been through it a few times. I don't think it came across that it was the issue at that time. If I take a job in another city then I would be expected to either commutte or move. It's not exactly that far away, we have players now that come from up north etc.
Always found his attitude to it a bit ridiculous, great player in his day of course!
Itsthehopethatkillsyou
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
What a player he was, really sad he didn't make it to the highest level as he would have been the best English left winger in the Premier league (at that time).... But it was wonderful having him back in the yellow and blue of Oxford - we were so lucky to have him.
Golden Dr Otto
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
The correspondent for sky sports is also a contributor on here and a very pleasant fellow.
The thing about Joey (and others like him who make it to the very top) is that TV pictures don't do him justice. Live, you could see just how special he was...untouchable on his day.
Belgium Yellow
Level: John Aldridge
(141 Apps, 90 Gls)
Two best memories for me were that goal against Blackpool and the game when he gave promoted Barnsley the run around.
Marked Ox
Level: Mickey Lewis
(351 Apps, 7 Gls)
The moment that always sticks in my mind is when he flicked the ball over his marker and turned, ran past him then controlling it 1st time to get free. Couldn't say who it was against but on the Beech Road terrace side attacking the London Road iirc.
MJB
Level: Les Phillips
(224 Apps, 15 Gls)
The Wolves game (when we were on TV I believe) not longer after we were promoted to Division One is the game I always think of first. He was sublime and so direct. An absolute pleasure to watch.
- Year of First Game
- 1980
I remember him absolutely skinning Julian Dicks on the touchline in front of the Beech with one touch from a pass putting Dicks on his a**e and left Joey heading towards the Hammers box. Wonderful piece of skill.
Presuming that West Ham’s training ground back in 1994 was in Chadwell Heath, it would have been a 160 mile round trip every day to training for Beauchamp. Google Maps says 1hr 37min in present traffic. Whoever told him that was do-able is a fool and Joey is culpable for the debacle for not looking into it himself. I wouldn’t do it. You’d have to move.
I do wonder if in an alternate universe that a PL side like Chelsea or QPR – or even a club further away that would have forced him to move – like Leeds or Sheffield Wednesday would have come in for him ahead of West Ham, whether it would have catapulted Joey to the stardom that his footballing ability deserved. West Ham was surely the worst choice in the 1990s for someone fairly introverted, quiet and (let’s face it) not the sharpest tool in the box having to face up to big personalities like Billy Bonds, Harry Redknapp, John Moncur, Tony Cottee and Ian Bishop.
I can see how he wouldn’t be able to fit in. Look at how players receive the right level of support when moving to new clubs now and you see a different world to the early PL days of he 1990s. Mental illness was seen as mental weakness (the jibes about West Ham failure Marco Boogers from the media are testament to that) back then and I think Joey just mentally disintegrated. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to be at West Ham and was given a shedload of bad advice and then little support in dealing with the situation. This sort of bungled move is far less likely to happen nowadays.
All in all, Joey was a homebird who just wanted to play football for Oxford United. A move to Forest broke down during his second spell with us so I guess it was just never meant to be for him. All good for us, but it leaves me with a sense of ‘just what if …’ at times.
EDIT. A neat digestible summary of the saga here.
I do wonder if in an alternate universe that a PL side like Chelsea or QPR – or even a club further away that would have forced him to move – like Leeds or Sheffield Wednesday would have come in for him ahead of West Ham, whether it would have catapulted Joey to the stardom that his footballing ability deserved. West Ham was surely the worst choice in the 1990s for someone fairly introverted, quiet and (let’s face it) not the sharpest tool in the box having to face up to big personalities like Billy Bonds, Harry Redknapp, John Moncur, Tony Cottee and Ian Bishop.
I can see how he wouldn’t be able to fit in. Look at how players receive the right level of support when moving to new clubs now and you see a different world to the early PL days of he 1990s. Mental illness was seen as mental weakness (the jibes about West Ham failure Marco Boogers from the media are testament to that) back then and I think Joey just mentally disintegrated. He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to be at West Ham and was given a shedload of bad advice and then little support in dealing with the situation. This sort of bungled move is far less likely to happen nowadays.
All in all, Joey was a homebird who just wanted to play football for Oxford United. A move to Forest broke down during his second spell with us so I guess it was just never meant to be for him. All good for us, but it leaves me with a sense of ‘just what if …’ at times.
EDIT. A neat digestible summary of the saga here.
Last edited:
Lincoln.yellow1
Level: Chris Maguire
(79 Apps, 22 Gls)
Undoubtedly one of the best players to come through the ranks at Oxford United, similar to Callum who would have been one of the first on our team sheet if he would and could have stayed with us for another one or two seasons...
Joey was a match winner with a single jink, he had a cross in the box to die for. The way he ran at defenders and just before crossing he would nutmeg the defender and be running inside the box was sublime, he did it time and time again but still the fullback didn’t know wether to stick or twist.
His near post corner routine with Matt Elliot flicking on with a header and one of three or four players steaming in at the back post to score was one of the reasons we were promoted in 1995/96, we scored lots of goals from that position.
Joey is in our history and always will.
Good luck to him for the future...
Joey was a match winner with a single jink, he had a cross in the box to die for. The way he ran at defenders and just before crossing he would nutmeg the defender and be running inside the box was sublime, he did it time and time again but still the fullback didn’t know wether to stick or twist.
His near post corner routine with Matt Elliot flicking on with a header and one of three or four players steaming in at the back post to score was one of the reasons we were promoted in 1995/96, we scored lots of goals from that position.
Joey is in our history and always will.
Good luck to him for the future...
SwissYellow
Level: Chris Maguire
(79 Apps, 22 Gls)
To be fair to Joey, London isn't an hour away. I've worked in West London for 12 years now and the drive from Oxford is usually 2 hours plus into Brentford but can top 3 and a half hours. The last 6 days running, I've left Oxfordshire at 6 and been at my desk just after 9. Out East, I go to the London Stadium and Olympic Park a few times a month and that's 3 hours too on a good day.
London is an hour away at "certain times" that's this side of the capital
He was given assurances that he could live in Oxford and commute and he didn't have the experience to know how a journey like that can affect you and Christ it affects you... You can criticize him for not knowing or you can feel for a young man, wanting to do his best and getting himself into a crap situation.
Joey could have moved to Villa, Southampton, Coventry, Notts Forest all easier to drive to than West Ham. He just didn't know.
London is an hour away at "certain times" that's this side of the capital
He was given assurances that he could live in Oxford and commute and he didn't have the experience to know how a journey like that can affect you and Christ it affects you... You can criticize him for not knowing or you can feel for a young man, wanting to do his best and getting himself into a crap situation.
Joey could have moved to Villa, Southampton, Coventry, Notts Forest all easier to drive to than West Ham. He just didn't know.
Peterdev
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
Remember so many of his games. Two against Reading in the 2-1 at the Manor.
His brilliant performance 3-0 against Millwall where their players were less than human at times. Joey emerged with his shirt torn from top to bottom.
On his day excellent to watch. Jimmy Carter had class when he was down on loan from Arsenal, but Joey is of course one of our own.
And of course his best goal against Swindon on his return in the 3-0 win
His brilliant performance 3-0 against Millwall where their players were less than human at times. Joey emerged with his shirt torn from top to bottom.
On his day excellent to watch. Jimmy Carter had class when he was down on loan from Arsenal, but Joey is of course one of our own.
And of course his best goal against Swindon on his return in the 3-0 win
Foley
Level: Colin Harrington
(260 Apps, 30 Gls)
I would say he was the best player to come.through the ranks and had an impact at the club (Matk Wright was the most successful and Les Taylor had a great career).
I dont think that it is an exaggeration to say that he could have played for England.
I am delighted he came back to Oxford. I have rarely seen excitement on a football pitch live as I had watching Joey play.
The Forgotten Highlander
Level: Billy Beechers
(7 Apps)
Joey was still very young at the time and he was painfully shy. Had West Ham managed him until he was comfortable and settled then they could have had a legend in the making. Their loss and our gain...........
- Year of First Game
- 1980
He was easily as good as Darren Anderton who was a youngster at Pompey at the time, he won loads of caps.
Ox4Eva
Level: John Aldridge
(141 Apps, 90 Gls)
Before moving years ago I always got the train and commutted every day, which used to work out about 1:30 to 1:45 each way but of course depends on where you are going in the capital. Oxford is a commuter town these days but back then it was not so easy. He was just stupid I guess, but whoever his agent was obviously was just interested in making a few quid.
SwissYellow
Level: Chris Maguire
(79 Apps, 22 Gls)
Yeah, when I used to live in Kidlington and worked in central London, you could just about do it in 1:45 on the train, now with Chiltern, easily in 1:15.
Joey wouldnt have got the train to training, He'd have driven. M40, M25, M11 or M40 and then North Circular. Both journeys in the 90s would have been 3 hours each way. For a young man thats too much no matter what you're paid.
I wouldnt say he was stupid tho, inexperienced and a bit naive yes.
Didn’t know ? It’s his fault if he couldn’t be arsed to do 10 minutes research into travelling distances. If I was after a new job one of the first things I’d do is calculate my new travelling time and expense. Beauchamp doesn’t come across as the sharpest knife in the drawer.
MJB
Level: Les Phillips
(224 Apps, 15 Gls)
You bet.
Ox4Eva
Level: John Aldridge
(141 Apps, 90 Gls)
Yep he was working in a bookies last I heard
bert
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
Wow, I'd personally hate that job. He's had 2 bouts of depression and probably sees people going through it regularly working in that type of environment.
Itsthehopethatkillsyou
Level: Jack Midson
(68 Apps, 15 Gls)
Yup, Joey was a natural left footer too whereas Anderton was one of many an England left winger who would beat his man, get to the byline... and then (sigh) undo all the good work by cutting the ball back to deliver with the right foot. Joey would have been an England regular for sure.
Archieyellow
Level: Chris Maguire
(79 Apps, 22 Gls)
Joey was a top player for us unplayable on his day, his move was for the love of oufc as we needed the money, he made it back to us within no time for 75k thanks joey for the memories
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