He's moved from captaincy to treasurer and now to manager so with all that power it's Pete's turn to feature in our monthly Player Profile!
Name: Pete Ransom Position: Winger to wingback to centre back as I get older! Year Joined: 2013 Home Town: Manchester Favourite Team: Liverpool
Why did you join Falcons and what can you remember about your first experience with us?
My first experiences of Falcons were actually playing against them for Village Manchester. It was a bit of a mixed bag as I remember Conal saving my penalty in a shoot-out in 2011 but I scored a decent volley when we won in Budapest in 2012.
I knew a few of the guys before I moved down to London from Manchester in 2013 and there seemed to be a good social side to the club. They also seemed to have a real competitive edge about them which I really desired when choosing a new football club. I seem to remember just playing Titans teams relentlessly for the first few weeks at the club but I settled in really quickly and was pleased I joined the club.
Which professional footballer do you most resemble or admire? (Footballing and non-footballing reasons!)
I’ve always thought a lot of Didi Hamann. Not the flashiest player ever but he had a great footballing brain and his sense of danger meant his positional play was terrific. Just look at the impact he had when he came on for Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final. I wasn't born with enormous skill or pace so I've had to settle for trying to be in the right place at the right time.
On the pitch, I also adored watching Xabi Alonso play and Luis Suarez was just outstanding in his final season with Liverpool. Off the pitch, Coutinho’s pretty nice and I wouldn’t say no to a bit of Hector Bellerin or Jack Wilshere either!
What is your favourite Falcons memory on or off the pitch?
There’s a couple that stand out from my first season. We had a 4-1 win against HotScots where things started to click for me and I got a goal and a couple of assists. I also remember coming back from 2-0 down against Phoenix and scoring in the last minute to win 3-2.
That said, everything has been eclipsed by this season. I’ve not enjoyed playing football so much in years. It’s been really nice pass and move stuff and we have a tremendous set of guys here now who are deeply committed to the club and are there every week - even if Alex does turn up shitfaced from the night before!
Off the pitch, a trip to Leeds in 2013 is right up there for total carnage. The image of Juggs squaring up to a trashed Richard Cowell in Birmingham earlier this year also makes me laugh!
Worst memory?
The GFSN Cup Final this year. We’d done so well to reach the final and it just wasn’t our day. It was such a one-sided affair but Mersey rode their luck, defended well and then pounced when they had their opportunity. A real sickener.
Most annoying team mate and why?
Kieran used to be the obvious choice because of our arguments on the pitch over the years. However, we seem to have mellowed a bit this year. I need to pick out Francesco, though. We all love him to bits but sometimes instructions get a bit lost in translation and I have to tell him 3 or 4 times where to play. He also looks at me so sadly when he doesn't start - it feels like I'm kicking a puppy dog!
It would be remiss of me if I didn't make mention of Alex too. There's nothing like the dread I feel when I wake up on a Sunday morning and see he's been sending video messages to the whole team of how much he loves Falcons... while he's absolutely hammered at 3am on the day of a game. Ballsy!
Why should someone join Falcons?
We’re a completely different club to when I arrived here. There’s such a positive vibe running throughout the team and it’s translated into good performances on the pitch and a good set of friends off it too. There’s a genuinely lovely set of guys at this club that I look forward to seeing on Tuesdays at training, on Sundays to manage and at various other points during the week as well. If you’re looking to get back into football then I strongly recommend you get in touch!
Falcons train every Tuesday evening at Kennington Park. Get in touch by emailing info@londonfalcons.co.uk