What can you say about Nathan Jarman?
A prolific striker, a star car washer, a title winner, a Wembley winner, a talented coach, an up-and-coming broadcaster, the original king of a failed Panenka penalty. The list probably goes on.
Jarman has served Barnsley, Bury, Worksop Town, Grimsby Town, Corby Town, Alfreton Town, Chester, North Ferriby, Gainsborough Trinity, Mickleover Sports, Lincoln United and Frickley Athletic and he’s taken plenty of memories from each one.
Jarman has started a Non League podcast called The Striker’s Tackle with former North Ferriby team-mate Tom Nicholson so his Non League Journey is a sneak preview into some of the stories to be expect in the coming weeks and months.
This is Nathan Jarman’s Non League Journey
Barnsley
“When I was 16, Guðjón Þórðarson had just taken over as manager. I think some money from Iceland had come into the club. But when he took over as manager he took me straight into the first team and I was training with them.
“Lee Crooks was around. He was a big guy who had a good career and he went into the army after he left football. A guy called Steve Haywood who was a centre-midfielder, was there. Rory Fallon, a big tall striker, was there. Allan Pearce. Dave Mulligan. Then you had the local lads – Anthony Kay, Neil Austin, Robbie Williams.
“Paul Hart (Þórðarson’s replacement) was serious and when he took over I was 17. One day he asked me if I would clean his car for him in front of the rest of the lads. Being a bit cocky I said ‘I’ll speak to my advisors and get back to you’. I was just having a laugh. I got called into his office and he said ‘just to let you know you’re cleaning my car this afternoon and you’re not getting paid for it’. He had the biggest Range Rover ever. It was a Range Rover Vogue and back then they had only just come out. So I ended up cleaning it and it took me about three hours. He’d had his dogs in the back of it as well.
“We had an academy manager called Barry Wagstaff before Stuart Watkiss came in. I was a first year under Barry and he’d come in and wipe his finger across the top of the boot room rack and if there was any dust on it he’d say ‘right, do it again lads’. It was horrible because you’d end up staying longer.”
Promotion
Barnsley won promotion under Andy Ritchie after the winning the 2006 League One play-off final after beating Swansea on penalties
“I wasn’t in the squad but I travelled down to Millennium Stadium. I made 11 appearances that season in the league. We came from nowhere to win promotion. We had a run towards the end of the season where we just kept winning and going into the play-offs we were the form team. I did get involved in the celebrations. I think there was four of the young lads who went down – there was me, Tom Harban, Ryan Laight and Nathan Joynes – and we all got on the stage afterwards and bounced around. We got involved in the celebrations back home too. I also remember going to the Town Hall steps with Barnsley and seeing loads and loads of people from the balcony so I have great memories.”
Loan Spells
Bury (2005/06)
Jarman spent a month on loan at Bury, but only played twice due to a red card on his debut against Northampton
“I wasn’t a bit of a lad, but I was a bit over-exuberant. I don’t know if you’re seen it, it was probably a red card as I did lunge in. I took a corner and it hit the near-post man who headed it back out towards me and a massive winger called Josh Low. I thought ‘I’m going to have to go for this as he’s going to jump into it’. Anyway I got a straight red. It was a disastrous debut, but I didn’t go out and do anything stupid like shout at the ref. I didn’t let myself down completely, I mis-timed a tackle. Chris Casper was okay about it and I still trained with Bury. I was on loan for a month and I played one more game after my suspension finished.”
Worksop Town (2007)
Jarman scored a spectacular overhead in an early game on loan at Worksop
“I do remember the overhead kick. I think the ball went out for a corner and it got cleared and then put back in. I was playing with a striker called Ben Saunders and he headed it and I caught the ball with an overhead kick and it flew in. We were 2-1 up in that game and I got fouled for a penalty in the last minute. I took the penalty and I ran up and dinked it down the middle – a little Panenka. The ‘keeper just stood there and caught it. They then went up the other end and they hit the crossbar from that attack so we only just got the win. It could have been really bad! The Panenka got laughed off and I just said I’d never do it again and I haven’t done it since.”
Grimsby Town (2007-2010)
“I had three years at Grimsby and I loved it. There was a lot of young lads so it was a young team, but I really enjoyed it. I used to love going in and training with the first team every day. I’d train with the youth team in the afternoon as well.
“My first League goal was away at Bury and I scored two against Exeter in the same game. I scored against Port Vale and set one up so the best memories are scoring in the League. Because I never scored for Barnsley it was nice to finally score in the league.”
Izzy Iriekpen
The former Scunthorpe United defender who was jailed in 2016 for three years and three months for wounding
“There was a big centre-half called Izzy Iriekpen who played for West Ham and Swansea. He went to Scunthorpe and he was playing for their reserves when I was at Grimsby. He was shielding the ball so it went out of play. I pushed him over and even on his knees he was up to my head. He said something to me and I grabbed him around the face and pushed him back to the floor. Everyone piled in and the referee got in between us. Izzy Iriekpen went ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’. I went ‘go on then’. He literally physically shoved the referee out of the way and smashed me with a headbutt right on the nose. I didn’t go down, but it sent me back a few steps. It was just before half-time and (Scunthorpe manager) Nigel Adkins came in at half-time and apologised and told us that he was never going to play for Scunthorpe again and he was true to his word. My dad is a bit of a handy guy and he was in the crowd. My dad told me he went down to the tunnel and waited for him. He said ‘as he got closer he was getting bigger and bigger and I said ‘what did you do’. He said ‘I let him walk past’!”
Departure (2010)
“The year we got relegated Woodsie the youth team manager took over the first team and I came on for the last ten minutes of a game against (relegation rival) Macclesfield. Some of this does fall on me, but it wasn’t all my fault. I smashed someone and Sean Hessey has grabbed me by the throat after the tackle. I grabbed him and we both got sent off and we drew 1-1. Afterwards Woodsie said ‘I can’t trust you’ and I ended up training with the youth team so it ended on a sour note. There was a reserve game and I thought I’d be playing in it, but then he told me that he didn’t want me playing in it. It was the only time I did it, but I put on Facebook ‘as if not being allowed to train with the first team wasn’t bad enough – now I’m not allowed to play for the Reserves’. It blew up because a lot of Grimsby fans saw it.
“Towards the end of the season someone got injured in (first team) training so I got asked to come over to train in this eleven versus eleven session. The (opposition) goalkeeper Nick Colgan, who was with me at Barnsley, shanked the kick to me. It only went about 40 yards and I first time volleyed it and it flew into the back of the net. All the lads were laughing and giggling and I was sort of saying ‘that’s what you could have had’. That’s when Woodsie said ‘I know you’ve got another year left, but we’re going to sort out a pay-up and get rid of you’.”
Corby Town (2010-11)
“It was between Harrogate and Corby as to who I would sign for. I played for Harrogate against North Ferriby in a friendly and did well. But Simon Weaver said the chairman (Bill Fotherby) which wasn’t his dad at the time wants to see me play before he sanctions it. I said no because Corby had waited and waited and I had played in three or four pre-season games for them and scored in all of them.
“I seemed to get on really well with the Corby manager, a bloke called Graham Drury. He offered me a really good contract and he said ‘come down and enjoy it and I won’t stand in your way if anyone comes in for you’.
“We actually played Harrogate on the opening day of the season and Martin Foster who I am pally with now; I’d played for Harrogate with him the week before and from the kick off he elbowed me off the ball. He smashed me straight in the chops and I thought ‘welcome to Non League’. I’ve asked him about that, but he says he can’t remember it.
“I played over half a season for Corby, but we missed a quarter of the season as it was really bad snow that winter. There was loads of games to catch up and Alfreton came in for me. They were top of the league by about ten points with a lot of games-in-hand. Graham said ‘they have offered good money for you and they want to take you on on the same contract plus another year’. So I went to Alfreton and got a league winner’s medal.”
Alfreton Town (2011-12)
“I remember going to Alfreton and they had Nathan Arnold, Daryl Clare, Paul Clayton, Anthony Wilson and Liam Hearn and thinking ‘why have these signed me’? I went to training thinking I was going to be fifth or sixth choice striker. But Nicky Law wanted to change things and he went to a 4-3-3 formation and he played either central if Clays couldn’t play or on one of the wings so I played near enough every game in the following season in the Conference. I finished top goal-scorer so it worked out well. I remember us being second bottom (of the Conference) at one stage and beating Stockport County 6-1 and I got a hat-trick. We then started getting results and we finished well out of the relegation.”
Nicky Law (the former Alfreton manager)
“He knew me as someone who could take it and give it and he came in and said ‘what’s up with you you haven’t held the ball up once today’? I said ‘it was hard with you on my back all day’. He turned round and said ‘oh, f**k off’. Anthony Church moved down to Chelmsford and he had a good Non League career, but he’s well into his finance and he was a banker in London. But he could do brilliant impressions of Nicky Law and even a year after I’d get little voicemails from him saying ‘oh, f**k off’.”
Chester FC (2012-13)
Jarman spent one season with Chester, helping them lift the National North title at a canter
“It was stupid how we run away with the league. We lost once in something like 30 games. It was brilliant and everything run like a professional team. I had played with Gary Jones the assistant manager at Grimsby and he ran me to see I fancied going there and it worked out really well.
“The atmosphere for every home game was fantastic and the crowds were up to 3,000. I remember playing Bradford (Park Avenue) and we got booed off and I was going mad. We had drawn 1-1 and Bradford were hanging on for dear life.
“We had some good players, don’t get wrong. We had Antoni Sarcevic who is still playing and captain at Bolton now. He was a young lad then. We had George Haran who was captain and brilliant. The goalkeeper was John Danby, we had Wes Baines, Mark Williams, Ben Mills – who had the season of his life as everything he touched went in. But I finished off top goal-scorer so I was happy again.
“We didn’t over-achieve as we had 19 or 20 players and everyone could play. There was no thinking ‘I’m guaranteed to start’, it was ‘I’m going to have to play well or I’m not going to play’. I said this the other day; Neil Young was brilliant because he’d call three or four of us into his office to tell us if we’d start. He’d say to you ‘you’re going to start tonight, but I want you to play on Wednesday against Guiseley’ for instance. In your head you were like ‘I’m not going to kick off because I want to play on Saturday’. He was really good in terms of man-management.
“I remember the games I scored in. There was away at Bishop Stortford and me and Antoni Sarcevic both scored worldie’s. I remember away at Corby where we won 2-0 – I scored in that too. Stalybridge away is another one I remember. We absolutely annihilated them – 6-2 I think it finished, but we could have ten or eleven. There was a left-winger called Iain Howard who scored a hat-trick that game.”
North Ferriby (2013-2015)
“In the first season we lost in the play-offs and got to the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy. We played Gosport in the quarter-finals and we were thinking because we had never heard of them that we’d batter them. We ended up going out and I think we ran out of steam when we got to the play-offs. We’d had such a good Trophy run and such a good run in the league we ran out of legs. We played Guiseley in the play-offs and ended up losing.”
Second Season (FA Trophy victory at Wembley)
“Personally the first season was better as I scored 30 goals, but before the second season Ant Wilson left. He was one of the best players I played with and I don’t know how he didn’t play in the Football League. When he was on it he was ridiculous and he could bully defenders. We went to Colwyn Bay and we won 3-0 and he scored all three. He won it single-handly for us. He was big, strong and powerful and he could finish. I really enjoyed playing with him, but he left to go to Barrow.
“Then it left me and Ryan Kendall and Tom Denton. I was never one to get in behind off a striker. I’d have to play with someone who could hold it, but someone who could also run in behind like Ant. So when Dents came and I was expected to be the one to run in behind it didn’t really work. I only got 12 goals that season. I also missed a big chunk of it. I got injured scoring against Gloucester away. I put the ball in the net and their ‘keeper and defender landed on my knee. I was out for six or seven weeks and I only came back two weeks before the FA Trophy Final. I came on as sub against Hednesford in the league and I came on as sub in the Final and I scored a penalty in the shootout.”
The FA Trophy Final
Ferriby beat Wrexham on penalties after drawing 3-3 after extra-time. Ferriby were trailing 2-0 at one stage
“It is the best day of my career. The whole weekend was brilliant. We watched England on the Friday night and saw Harry Kane make his debut. We trained at West Ham’s training ground on the Saturday and played the final on the Sunday. It was just amazing and the best feeling you could have. We got given these souvenir DVDs and I have only watched it once and I felt brilliant watching it. It is something that will only happen to you when you play at our level and Ferriby, as much as I would like them to, it is unlikely they’ll win that trophy again.
“The penalty got us back into it, an unbelievable penalty from Kingy (Liam King) to make it 2-1. Then Kendo scored the equaliser. In the first half of extra-time Kendo scored again and we were winning 3-2. So we ended up drawing as Louis Moult scored. I remember going round the lads before the penalties saying ‘this is our day, we’re going to win’. I didn’t have any other thought in my head and we did win. Kingy went first and I went second. I was always on penalties until I got injured and that’s when Kingy started taking them. He scored some big penalties during that run.
“Three or four of us took our missus down and we went out and had some food. It was surreal and I remember laying on the bed in the hotel getting ready to go out. The medal was in a presentation box and I was saying ‘I can’t believe what we’ve done’. The hotel looked out onto Wembley and the arch was green and white and it is surreal now looking back at it.”
Gainsborough Trinity (2015-18)
For Gainsborough stories, have a listen to The Striker’s Podcast
“I really enjoyed Gainsborough, I got on with everyone and I wouldn’t have a bad word to say about anyone there. It is a nice family club and I still go down there now as Frickley train there. I didn’t want to leave, but at the time when Dave Frecklington got sacked and Lee Sinnott took over, unfortunately I didn’t see eye-to-eye with Lee Sinnott.
“My first manager there was Steve Housham and I loved him and I went to Lincoln United with him. I still speak to him once a week. Dom Roma then took over and then it was Dave Freck.”
Mickleover Sports (2018-19)
“Mickleover, I did enjoy it, but it wasn’t quite working in the first five or six games. They played a really possession-based game and it really frustrated me at times the way the ball would come to the right-winger and the right-winger would go back to the right-back who would then pass it to the centre-back. It was passing for passing’s sake. That’s fine because it is the gaffer’s philosophy and I got on well with Macca (John McGrath), but things came to a head when he rang me when I was out shopping on a Sunday. He said ‘look you can go, I know you want to be closer to home’. I said that was fine and if he could sort a payout I won’t be stupid. But he said ‘you’re not getting paid up and you won’t be playing’. I said ‘that’s fine, but I’ll be ready to play if you need me’.
“On the Thursday I trained and trained really well. Then for the Saturday he rang me and said ‘don’t bring your bag, you don’t need your boots, you won’t be involved’. Anyway I took my bag and boots and he went to put Clinton Morrison on the bench. Clinton Morrison just said in his way ‘nah, I’m not having that, you’re not putting me on the bench so you can spite Jarmo’. (Assistant) Steve Taylor came up and said ‘Jarmo, you’re on the bench’. We got a few injuries so I came on and set the goal up and we drew 1-1. The next game I was on the bench again and put me on at 0-0 and I scored a worldie and we won 1-0. From then on he (John McGrath) was my best mate again. We got to January and lo and behold I got sent off again and I got injured in training so I couldn’t play again for them.”
Lincoln United (2019-20)
Player/assistant manager to Steve Housham
“We didn’t do it for long as the budget was cut. We thought with the original budget we could compete and we did. As always happens the club said they were struggling to find sponsorship so they cut it by £500. Then after another week another £300 was cut and then after another few weeks it was cut by another £300. We played Frickley and we told the lads that it was our final game. We lost that game 5-0, but we couldn’t give the lads much (money).”
Frickley Athletic (2020-present)
“I know I did come on a couple of times for Lincoln, but I didn’t play a season so I didn’t know if I was going to play again. I know Paul Grimes and he was at Winterton and he said ‘you won’t get the money you’re used to and maybe should get, but come down and enjoy it’. It was after the first lockdown and I absolutely loved it under Scott Hellewell and Grimesy. I scored three in the first pre-season games and Frecks messaged me and said ‘I didn’t know you were still playing, would you come to Frickley’? I said no, but then I went down to training and I signed.
“It is a nice love and has a familiar feel to Gainsborough so it is a family club and you feel part of it. I don’t know what’s going to happen next season. Frecks may have other plans so who knows what will happen? But I’m pretty sure I’ll play somewhere next season.”
Podcast
“I had the idea about five or six weeks ago and I mentioned it to Tom as I’m really close to him and godfather to his son. I asked him to be the co-host and he jumped at the chance. It has gone really well and my phone, Twitter has been going crazy since the Podcasts have gone online. The Podcast will have people in and around Non League and we’ll be talking about stories in the dressing room.”
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams. When we properly return to ‘action’, our work will play an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.