Nevin Saroya
Encyclopedia
Nevin Saroya is an English
semi-professional footballer, who plays as a central defender
for Conference South
club [Maidenhead United F.C.|Maidenhead United]].
He made one appearance in the Football League
for Brentford
. Saroya also played for non-League
clubs Hampton & Richmond Borough
, Yeading
, Hayes & Yeading United
, Godalming Town
and Maidenhead United
. He also had a spell with Brisbane Premier League
club Redlands United.
as a youth player and after completing his apprenticeship
, he signed a professional
contract for the club. He made his debut for Brentford
in their 1–1 draw in the Football League Second Division
with Oxford United
on 22 April 2000, replacing Gareth Graham as a substitute in the 46th minute. After Brentford manager-owner Ron Noades
released Saroya in 2001, he admitted he became "disillusioned" with football and stopped playing, despite interest from Conference
clubs. Saroya was unemployed for six-months, until he was asked by Wally Downes
to help the actors in Mean Machine with their fitness and skills; saying "I had always got on well with him [Downes], so he asked me if I would come down here to Yeading and help the actors get fit and show them a few ball skills". Saroya also appeared in the film, and says the other actors and Vinnie Jones
"pushed him" to get back into football before an old school friend invited him to train at Yeading
.
After a spell at Hampton & Richmond Borough
, he signed for Yeading
in the summer of 2001. In 2003, he captained Yeading in the Isthmian League Cup and a year later, to win the Isthmian League Division One North. Saroya played in Yeading's lucrative FA Cup
third round tie against Newcastle United
on 9 January 2005 at Loftus Road
. Yeading were defeated 2–0. He signed an extension to his contract in May 2007, after double-hernia
operation. Following the merger of Hayes & Yeading United
, Saroya started the clubs first season, in the Conference South
before being released in December 2008. He joined Maidenhead United
in December 2008, after a spell at Godalming Town
.
Saroya left Maidenhead United in April 2010, to play for Australia
n club Redlands United in the Brisbane Premier League
for six-months, having found out about the opportunity after joining a group
on facebook
.
football, Saroya also worked as a courier
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
semi-professional footballer, who plays as a central defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
club [Maidenhead United F.C.|Maidenhead United]].
He made one appearance in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
. Saroya also played for non-League
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
clubs Hampton & Richmond Borough
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C.
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. are an English football club based in the suburb of Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. They were founded in 1921 and formerly known as Hampton F.C. until 1999 when they changed their name in an attempt to draw a wider support base from around the...
, Yeading
Yeading F.C.
Yeading F.C. were an English football club from Yeading in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London.-Club history:Their roots trace to a youth club formed in Yeading in 1960. However, there was a Victorian amateur team by the same name which folded in the 1920s, so the club's history can be...
, Hayes & Yeading United
Hayes & Yeading United F.C.
Hayes & Yeading United F.C. are an English football club based in Woking in Surrey. They were formed in May 2007 following a merger of Hayes and Yeading. They play at the Kingfield Stadium agreeing a groundshare with Woking-History:...
, Godalming Town
Godalming Town F.C.
Godalming Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Godalming, Surrey, England. They were established in 1971 and currently play in the Isthmian League Division One South. The reserves play in the Suburban Football League.-History:...
and Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
. He also had a spell with Brisbane Premier League
Brisbane Premier League
Brisbane Premier League is the first tier of senior football league in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, run by Football Brisbane . After a 26 match regular season, the top 6 teams on the league table qualify for the finals series...
club Redlands United.
Career
Saroya started his career at BrentfordBrentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
as a youth player and after completing his apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
, he signed a professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
contract for the club. He made his debut for Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
in their 1–1 draw in the Football League Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
with Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
on 22 April 2000, replacing Gareth Graham as a substitute in the 46th minute. After Brentford manager-owner Ron Noades
Ron Noades
Ron Noades is an English businessman who has a strong connection with investments in football clubs. In his time, he has been chairman of Southall, Wimbledon, Crystal Palace and Brentford between 1981 and 1998.-Crystal Palace:...
released Saroya in 2001, he admitted he became "disillusioned" with football and stopped playing, despite interest from Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
clubs. Saroya was unemployed for six-months, until he was asked by Wally Downes
Wally Downes
Walter John "Wally" Downes is an English former football player and manager, he is currently a first team coach at West Ham UnitedHe is the nephew of former world middleweight boxing champion Terry Downes.-Playing career:...
to help the actors in Mean Machine with their fitness and skills; saying "I had always got on well with him [Downes], so he asked me if I would come down here to Yeading and help the actors get fit and show them a few ball skills". Saroya also appeared in the film, and says the other actors and Vinnie Jones
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter "Vinnie" Jones is an English film actor and retired Welsh footballer.Born in Hertfordshire, England, Jones represented and captained the Welsh national football team, having qualified via a Welsh grandparent. He also previously played for Chelsea and Leeds United. As a member of the...
"pushed him" to get back into football before an old school friend invited him to train at Yeading
Yeading F.C.
Yeading F.C. were an English football club from Yeading in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London.-Club history:Their roots trace to a youth club formed in Yeading in 1960. However, there was a Victorian amateur team by the same name which folded in the 1920s, so the club's history can be...
.
After a spell at Hampton & Richmond Borough
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C.
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. are an English football club based in the suburb of Hampton, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. They were founded in 1921 and formerly known as Hampton F.C. until 1999 when they changed their name in an attempt to draw a wider support base from around the...
, he signed for Yeading
Yeading F.C.
Yeading F.C. were an English football club from Yeading in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London.-Club history:Their roots trace to a youth club formed in Yeading in 1960. However, there was a Victorian amateur team by the same name which folded in the 1920s, so the club's history can be...
in the summer of 2001. In 2003, he captained Yeading in the Isthmian League Cup and a year later, to win the Isthmian League Division One North. Saroya played in Yeading's lucrative FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round tie against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 9 January 2005 at Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
. Yeading were defeated 2–0. He signed an extension to his contract in May 2007, after double-hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
operation. Following the merger of Hayes & Yeading United
Hayes & Yeading United F.C.
Hayes & Yeading United F.C. are an English football club based in Woking in Surrey. They were formed in May 2007 following a merger of Hayes and Yeading. They play at the Kingfield Stadium agreeing a groundshare with Woking-History:...
, Saroya started the clubs first season, in the Conference South
Conference South
Conference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
before being released in December 2008. He joined Maidenhead United
Maidenhead United F.C.
Maidenhead United Football Club is an English football club in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The club was founded in 1870 and moved to their current ground at York Road the following year...
in December 2008, after a spell at Godalming Town
Godalming Town F.C.
Godalming Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Godalming, Surrey, England. They were established in 1971 and currently play in the Isthmian League Division One South. The reserves play in the Suburban Football League.-History:...
.
Saroya left Maidenhead United in April 2010, to play for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n club Redlands United in the Brisbane Premier League
Brisbane Premier League
Brisbane Premier League is the first tier of senior football league in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, run by Football Brisbane . After a 26 match regular season, the top 6 teams on the league table qualify for the finals series...
for six-months, having found out about the opportunity after joining a group
Facebook features
Facebook is a social networking website, founded in 2004. This is a list of features that can be found on the Facebook website, as well as technology features on the website.-Chat:...
on facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
Personal life
Whilst playing semi-professionalSemi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
football, Saroya also worked as a courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Mean Machine | Prisoners footballer | Barry Skolnick |