An amazing journey.

In compiling the most recent ‘They Played for Both’ – played-for-both-peterborough-united – one name immediately caught my attention, that of Pasquale Fuccillo, more commonly known as Lil.

As a teenager I, like many, had footballers that we looked up to, one of my heroes was Lil Fuccillo.

Lil, born in Bedford, joined Luton Town straight from school and the box-to-box midfielder soon established himself in the first team.

Indeed, as he got more appearances under his belt, talk emerged that, through qualifying through his parents, he might be called up for international duty with Italy.

Sadly, it did not happen with fate dealing Lil a cruel blow.

In a game against Brighton & Hove Albion, Lil suffered a badly broken leg, but after making a recovery, fate dealt Lil the cruellest of blows when, in a youth match, during his comeback, his leg fractured again.

But showing his resilience, Lil made a return to the first team and was part of the squad that won the Second Division in 1982.

However, behind the scenes, all was not well and Lil left in 1983 after a failure to agree to a new contract.

His career, as a player, at Kenilworth Road, had ended after 160 league games in which he had scored 24 goals.

After leaving Luton Town, Lil played for the Tulsa Roughnecks and Southend United, before joining our opponents this weekend, Peterborough United.

Between the period 1985 to 1987, Lil was to make 82 league appearances, scoring on 3 occasions for the cub affectionately known as ‘The Posh’ before leaving to join the Maltese side Valletta.

But once his playing career came to an end, the story took another twist.

Entering the managerial arena, Lil became the caretaker manager, for Peterborough, in 1986, returning in 1992 to take on the role permanently until 1993.

But fate was not finished with Lil and in 2000 he was appointed in a managerial capacity by Luton Town, a role he left in 2001, after taking over from the axed Ricky Hill.

I have some wonderful memories of Lil, as a Hatter, but what are your memories of the midfielder?

Please feel free to share them in the comment facility beneath this article.

COYH

Huddersfield Town v Luton Town?

Huddersfield to Win!

Luton Town to Win!

A Draw!