From facing Pele to Bath City FC - meet the 80-year-old assistant manager

"It was one-on-one, maine against Pele," recalls erstwhile goalkeeper Jim Barron astir nan events astatine nan Yale Bowl, New Haven, Connecticut, successful 1977.

"I made nan save."

Barron was playing for nan Connecticut Bicentennials - named aft nan bicentennial day of nan founding of nan United States - who attracted their biggest ever crowd, pinch 17,302 fans successful attendance, for their location opener against nan New York Cosmos, external 47 years ago.

Pele's Cosmos won 3-2 but nan three-time Brazilian World Cup victor did not score.

"There's a image of maine successful a newspaper catching nan shot and Pele jumping complete me," Barron tells BBC Sport.

"It didn't matter who it was against, I ever took awesome pridefulness stopping anyone from scoring."

From playing against a Brazil shot fable successful nan North American Soccer League to caretaker-manager spells pinch Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, Barron has had a agelong and distinguished profession successful nan game.

Now aged 80, his emotion of shot burns stronger than ever.

At slightest doubly a week, Barron makes nan 172-mile information travel from his location successful Binfield, Berkshire, to Bath City, wherever he is adjunct manager.

The Romans play successful nan sixth tier of English shot and are managed by Jerry Gill, a erstwhile defender who helped Birmingham triumph promotion to nan Premier League successful 2001-02.

Barron turns 81 connected 19 October and will people nan juncture alongside Gill - who he coached astatine Birmingham - erstwhile Bath sojourn Hornchurch connected his day for a National League South game.

Before that they are astatine convention rivals Salisbury connected Saturday successful nan 3rd qualifying information of nan FA Cup.

Barron mislaid a digit successful an mishap while moving connected an lipid rig during a little spell distant from coaching successful nan 1980s and suffered a collapsed lung, external while successful complaint of Cheltenham successful 1989.

How is he emotion arsenic he nears his 81st birthday?

"I've sewage aches and pains, 1 of my wrists is not truthful bully and I've sewage arthritis successful a mates of fingers," he adds. "Apart from that I consciousness ok.

"I'd beryllium saturated without football. I've been paid each my life for thing I'd do for nothing.

"Since leaving schoolhouse I've been beautiful overmuch progressive successful shot whether that's playing, coaching, managing aliases scouting.

"In that respect it's been a bully life. I've been lucky."

Barron was 20 erstwhile he marked his first elder quality for Wolves pinch a cleanable expanse successful a goalless First Division tie against then-champions Everton astatine Molineux successful 1963.

His first salary packet was £13 positive a crowd prize of £1 if nan gross was much than expected.

The boy of erstwhile Blackburn goalkeeper James Barron went connected to play for Chelsea, Oxford United, Nottingham Forest, Swindon Town, Connecticut Bicentennials and Peterborough United.

After a playing profession stretching 400-plus games, Barron had coaching spells successful Saudi Arabia and Iceland, arsenic good arsenic Everton, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Wycombe Wanderers and Northampton Town.

He moreover managed Aston Villa for 1 crippled successful nan Premier League aft Ron Atkinson was sacked, external successful 1994 - 7 months aft winning nan League Cup.

"I was Ron's adjunct and erstwhile he went I was asked to return complaint against Tottenham while they searched for a replacement," says Barron.

"We won 4-3 astatine White Hart Lane. Soon aft that they appointed Brian Little and I left. As acold arsenic I cognize I'm nan only Aston Villa head pinch a 100% winning grounds successful nan Premier League."

Barron signed former Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton striker Andy Gray, external erstwhile head of non-league Cheltenham Town and encountered Terry Venables and Peter Osgood during his 1 play arsenic back-up goalkeeper to Peter Bonetti astatine Chelsea successful 1965-66.

But it was facing nan legendary Pele that provided nan autochthonal of Tantobie, County Durham, pinch a profession highlight.

Barron was 33 and successful nan autumn of his playing profession erstwhile he was offered nan chance to subordinate Connecticut Bicentennials. , external

It was an connection he did not person to deliberation agelong about.

George Best (Los Angeles Aztecs), Rodney Marsh (Tampa Bay Rowdies) and Gordon Banks (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) had already made their measurement complete to nan United States to play and Barron was eager to get a sensation of nan action successful nan North American Soccer League.

"There was a batch of razzmatazz," he adds. "I retrieve a crippled successful Dallas wherever location were skydivers landing connected nan transportation earlier kick-off.

"It was conscionable different and very enjoyable. We played successful Minnesota connected Independence Day and location were almost 50,000 wrong nan ground.

"The announcer said thing like, 'we've sewage players from 9 different countries playing successful this game, could you please show them your appreciation', and it made your hairs guidelines connected extremity because 50,000 group stood up and started clapping.

"They conscionable kept connected clapping passim nan game. That's what it was like."

Barron has been adjunct astatine Bath City since nan summertime of 2023, external erstwhile Gill asked if he would measurement up from scouting domiciled pinch nan non-league club.

"I replied, 'Gilly, I'm vanished pinch coaching. I'm astir 80 and it's a adjacent region from wherever I'm surviving successful Berkshire'," he reveals.

"In nan extremity I went and met nan players. The measurement Gilly runs it is arsenic good, if not better, than a batch of full-time clubs. In my sentiment he should beryllium managing astatine a higher level.

"It's each done connected a very constricted budget, they're a awesome group of lads who activity their socks disconnected and listen."

Gill says Barron is 1 of nan astir progressive assistants he has had during his 7 years successful complaint of Bath.

"Jim has nan activity ethic of an enthusiastic 21-year-old," Gill, who astatine 54 is 26 years younger than his assistant, adds.

"I honestly forgot really aged Jim was erstwhile I went to nan committee to get support to name him.

"My president said, 'you do you realise he's astir 80'.

"But this isn't immoderate 80-year-old who is sat successful an armchair. This is simply a feline who is highly active."