He Played Pro Football. Nobody Believes Him | Danny Schweiger | Football for Breakfast

Danny Schweiger's dad calls him the failed footballer. That's because his mate Ashley Ward - who used to be in Danny's house every other day growing up in Manchester - made it as a professional. Danny didn't. Or so the story goes. At 18, Danny went to Zimbabwe. His dad was in the rag trade and suggested he go out before university. Danny said yes without really knowing what he was saying yes to. He ended up working in a factory with 2,000 people, got a trial at Darren Tornadoes of the Zimbabwean Super League - the same league as Bruce Grobbelaar and Peter Ndlovu - signed a contract and played every week in front of 30,000 people as the only white man in the province. He brought a scrapbook to the table. Photos, farewell party pictures, his airfare receipts and a newspaper cutting of his debut at the National Stadium. He hadn't looked at it in years. None of his mates believe any of it. But he was there. In episode five of Football for Breakfast, Jim Johnson sits down with Danny in the greasy spoon cafe to talk about Manchester City, Zimbabwe and what football does to a person when it gets properly under their skin. They start on the Kippax. Danny is old school City - Wednesday nights at Grimsby, dark humour in the Third Division, the Gillingham play-off final where City were two nil down with a minute to go and Danny had already left. He ran back. City won. He traces the club he fell in love with back to Joe Mercer, Malcolm Allison and the 1968 championship team. In the second half Danny talks about a career built on everything football taught him - how to relate to anyone, how to survive, how to lead. From the factory floor in Harare to playing at Highbury for Paul Merson's testimonial because he was Rank Xerox's top salesperson that month. Everything he's achieved, he puts down to football. He doesn't hesitate. This is Football for Breakfast. Cafes. Clubs. Communities. Culture. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:33 Welcome to Football for Breakfast 01:00 Roy of the Rovers - May 1989 and a letter about Spurs 02:00 Danny's earliest memory - smashing a window at age five 03:30 Football's meaning - shaped my life in every way 04:00 Manchester United School of Excellence - training at The Cliff 05:30 Still playing at 54 - the Jewish Olympics and Great Britain 07:00 Playing at Highbury for Paul Merson's testimonial 09:00 Manchester City - the Kippax, Grimsby away and dark humour 10:30 Five one against United at Maine Road 11:00 The Gillingham play-off final - leaving early and running back 13:00 Maine Road gigs - Oasis, Prince, Bowie and the Rolling Stones 14:30 Cheadle Town, Ashley Ward and 17 apprenticeship offers 16:00 OSS Security - presented by OSS Security 17:00 The failed footballer - Danny's story 18:00 Going to Zimbabwe at 18 19:00 The factory and a trial at Darren Tornadoes 20:00 Playing in front of 30,000 as the only white man in the province 22:00 The Sheraton Hotel, the pickup truck and the township 23:00 The happiest people he's ever met who had nothing 24:00 The scrapbook - farewell parties and a debut photo 27:00 None of my mates believe me. But I was there. 28:00 Everything I've achieved I put down to football 30:00 Penalty shootout - five quickfire questions 32:00 The one result Danny will never get over - City vs Chelsea, Porto 2021 34:00 Danny becomes a Good Companion 🎙 ABOUT DANNY SCHWEIGER Danny Schweiger is a Manchester-based entrepreneur with a career built on the values football gave him. He trained at Manchester United's School of Excellence, played professional football in Zimbabwe and has represented Great Britain in the Jewish Olympics since the age of 16. 🔗 LINKS OSS Security: osssecurity.com Newsletter: footballforbreakfastpod.com/newsletter 🎧 Search Football for Breakfast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Football for Breakfast is a production by The Good Companions, presented by OSS Security. New episode every Tuesday morning. #FootballForBreakfast #DannySchweiger #ManCity #ManchesterCity #Zimbabwe #FootballPodcast #FootballCulture #Leadership #BusinessPodcast #GoodCompanions #Kippax #JewishOlympics