David Jones, born in Brixton, January 1947, plied his trade as a footballer for The Burnt Ash Juniors Football Team in late 1950's in Bromley, Greater London. Already at that time he has been recognised as a "reasonable player" by his teammate Max Batten.
However, as the maximum wage at that time was barely above the average industrial wage, it seemed unlikely he would get rich making a career out of football. Therefore, as he also had been a member of the school choir, he decided early to pursue his career outside of the game. And alas, unfortunately, there was not to be any filmed material of his magic on the football pitch.
Joining the local Bromley Technical High School he took up studying art, music and design. And this is where he later made his breakthrough. Evolving from a "good and steady worker who should do well" as described in his school reports, he improved further and later became a superstar in his field that could be compared with the superstars of the green fields like the Pelés, Maradonas, Messis and most Ronaldos.
Not meant to be a football star
At the age of 18 young David decided to change his last name to avoid confusion with another David Jones, "Davy" (musician, soon to be member and frontman of the Monkees). And the rest is history.
In addition to a number of (quite successful) music albums he played in several films. And as if that was not enough, he turned out to be a technological visionary, too. Most probably he did choose a more successful way of life than he could find on the pitch.
I am pretty sure he would have made a decent creative midfielder in the early 1970's alongside likes of Trevor Brooking. But as for football, he hardly looked back except for just a few fleeting quotes in his lyrics, and a number of gigs at football stadia.
Lines like "Your family is a football team" (Dancing with the Big Boys on Tonight, 1984), and "Valentine told me who's to go, feelings he's treasured most of all, the teachers and the football star" (Valentine's Day on The Next Day, 2013) are rare references to sports in his songs.
Besides the sport of his youth he flirted with baseball in his song Slip Away: "Oogie waits for just another day, drags his bones, to see the Yankees play" (on the album Heathen, 2002).
His musical material was also used for commercial purposes on several occasions, including a football related spot for sugary beverages before the World Cup 2014.
A career only a few can match
Leaving now the earth and reaching for the stars like Major Tom in Space Oddity, his musical testament covers over 50 years and around 30 albums. His career lasted far longer than his era in football could have, and thus he also avoided any serious footballing injuries caused by wreckless tackles from his opponents that could have cut his career short. Almost fifty years on the top - you could hardly equal that just playing ball.
This is Ground Control
to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
and the papers want to know whose shirt you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule
if you dare
This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
and I'm floating
in a most peculiar way
and the stars look very different today
Though I'm pastone hundred thousand milesI'm feeling very stilland I think my spaceship knows which way to goTell my wife I love her very muchShe knows
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead
there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you...
Here am I floating
round my tin can
far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
and there's nothing I can do
(Space Oddity, 1969)
Also the footballing world has today paid their tributes to the man.
Ashes to ashes. Rest in peace, David Bowie.
P.S. We would still like to know whose shirt you did wear. Anyone out there who could tell?
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