This week I’ve been thinking about promotion, what with Blues in the playoffs and all, and I noticed that Fleetwood Town have been promoted from the Conference having scored 100+goals and accrued 100+ points. As it happens, there is a Blues old boy playing for them so I thought I’d take a look at his career after leaving St Andrews.

Peter Till

I wonder how many people remember Peter Till playing for Blues? If you can’t remember him, I wouldn’t feel too ashamed; despite being with the club for three years plus, Till only played 5 minutes of first team football at Blues, in a league cup tie away at Scunthorpe United in September 2005.

That game bought him more than just a first team appearance; it secured him a move into first team football as Scunthorpe’s manager at the time, Brian Laws was clearly impressed with the young winger, taking him on loan for a month a couple of weeks later. Till played at the League One side for ten games until injury and illness curtailed his loan in January 2006.

However, Till went back out on loan a week after his return from Scunthorpe, joining Lincolnshire rivals Boston United for the remainder of the 2005/6 season. He played sixteen games for the League Two side, scoring his first league goal of his career against Bury.

The next season saw Till out on loan again; initially out at Leyton Orient for a month where he played five games until he returned home injured, and then to Grimsby for a month. Unfortunately for Peter it looked like he wasn’t going to make it at Blues, and with that in mind I think he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal for the Mariners in  January 2007. Judging by this fan-written player profile, he was well liked at Blundell Park. Till made 80 appearances for Grimsby, including one at Wembley for the 2007-8 Johnstones Paint Trophy final which Grimsby lost 2-0 to MK Dons.

However, his Grimsby experience turned sour in its final year, and he spent the last six months of his contract out on loan to Chesterfield where he made sixteen appearances. Till returned to the West Midlands for the 09/10 season with Walsall, vowing to up his game and relaunch his career after admitting that he “coasted” during his time at Grimbsy. However, despite making thirty appearances for the Saddlers Till was released at the end of the season once more.

Till then dropped to the Conference National, to sign for York City for the 10/11 season, signing a year-long contract. The winger made forty-five appearances that season (the most he’s ever managed in one year), and finished the season with four goals. However, he decided not to renew his deal and moved on to Fleetwood, signing a two-year deal.

Peter didn’t make his debut for the Lancashire club until November due to injury, and has been restricted to twenty-two appearances for this year’s Conference champions, scoring one goal. However, I’m sure he’s looking forward to being a Football League player again next season and seeing how much further Fleetwood can take their winning form.

Whilst its hard for young players when they’re told that they won’t make it for their club it’s stories like this that prove that there are chances for players to make a success of their careers. I’d like to congratulate Peter and the Fleetwood team on their achievements and wish them luck for their inaugural Football League season in August.

Tags: Peter Till