A true Barbarian is about ot hang up his boots so let's learn more about the longest serving manager in TML's History.

Name: Fred Delsaux
Nationality: French
Team: Barbarians FC
Position: All… over the last 20 years! From Striker (hmm…) to goal-keeper (bigger hmmm)
Number of years in the TML? 15 I think, don’t remember, too old! There used to be a tall grey-hair geriatric Brit running the league…

What do you like about the TML? Providing the possibility to play football, in a country not easy to perform outdoor collective sports.

Which player would you compare your style to? Nobody can be compared to me… and not sure I ever had a style!?!? Let’s say Deschamps to stay French.

Have you ever played for any other TML teams? If so who and how did you end up playing for Kanto Celts..? ?  Kanto Celts and after Real Celts… In the early days of TML, the number of match was less for one team, so was looking to play with other teams to try to keep the fitness…

What is the highest level of football you have played at?  Junior with Racing Club de France, Coupe Gambardella in my early days.​

What makes your club special?  Nothing really, except the fact that it’s a nice bunch of Japanese guys all loving to play football, win or lose.

Where was your first ever TML match and what are your memories?  Must have been on the infamous Oi Futo dirt pitch or potato field at Misato… We were in the first season and finished last of course, moving from the “other league in Tokyo” to join a young and virgin TML league with 10 teams and 1 division I think.  

Favorite TML venue and why?  Played only once there, but the grass pitch at Todoroki… Over the years, YCAC was always good thanks to the bar and being able to cool down after a game with nice facilities. Moving to astroturf was also the right decision to improve playing conditions.​

Best player you have played with?  A few… Nick Cederwell for his vision of the game / Shinji Arai for his goal scoring skills / and of course Andrew Ferguson in the early days before he get injured and had to quit the beautiful game.​

Best player you have faced?  Many many… was not difficult to be better than me!!! ​

Who is your best mate in the team? Over the years, Andrew Ferguson… We played so many games together in central defense.​

Funniest moment before, during or after a TML match?  When one of our player was red-carded after calling the ref a “cxxt”, while the ref was giving us a free kick!!! We had to finish the game with 10 guys, but was quiet funny when he realized he was sent-off for arguing the right call.!​

Tell us some amazing facts or interesting experiences you have lived through? Being able to manage a team for 20 years is still amazing me, although in recent years I was more a spectator/coach than an active player.

Any other comments?  It is good to see that the quality of the pitch the league selects is improving… better for the players and reducing injuries, less difficult for the guys (or their missus) washing the kit! Keep on the trend of improving the league and making most of us happy. And all the best for the future.