JUSTIN FASHANU joined Isthmian League Division 2 South club Southall for the last 2 months of the 1990-91 season at the age of 30, writes Lenny Mainwaring.
Club chairman Jim Loftus wanted a well known quality player to increase the club’s media profile and help with the promotion push and Justin fitted that bill.
Justin was appointed player/coach alongside first team manager Keith Chamberlin. This was considered a major coup for the club. He was at Southall for the home match v. Newbury Town on 9th March but his registration wasn’t cleared in time for him to take part in that match and he made his debut in the following game at home to Maidenhead, a 0-0 draw in front of what at the time for The ‘all was a large crowd of 237.
The very next match saw Justin get his first goals for Southall, a 4-1 victory away to Leatherhead in which he and Clevere Forde scored two goals each. The same pair were on target again in the next match at home to Hungerford Town on 23rd March in a 2-1 win. The winning run continued at Petersfield United, this time by 4-1, with the goals being shared around; Fashanu and Forde again on the scoresheet alongside Jeff Hamlet and Steve Fraser.
The late Justin Fashanu was inducted to the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in Manchester on February 19, 2020. Justin's Southall FC number 9 shirt and a letter from the club was presented to his niece Amal Fashanu. Southall were represented at Justin's induction by club officials Dave Considine and Gary Drew.
Disappointment followed on 2nd April at Maidenhead, the home side getting the only goal of a game in which Southall were well worthy of at least a draw. They bounced back in fine style in the following game at home to Bracknell Town, winning 5-1 with Justin scoring alongside Carlton Mitchell, Rod Shearer, Ian Bascombe and Steve Fraser.
Further disappointment followed with a 2-0 defeat at lowly Feltham, for which Justin was named as a sub and the team put in a really poor performance.
Justin Fashanu's Southall FC number 9 shirt and a letter from the club was presented to Justin's niece Amal Fashanu at his induction at the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. Amal is pictured with Dave Considine and Gary Drew.
It would appear that Justin didn’t take part in any of the four remaining league matches and unfortunately for Southall decided to try to get himself back into the Football League, spending the summer at Toronto Blizzard before going on to have a trial at Newcastle United and finally signing for Torquay United. Southall ended the season in sixth place.
From what I’ve heard from people involved with Southall FC at the time Justin was a very generous and kind man and proved to be a real uniting force amongst the players, who, prior to his involvement, weren’t necessarily always on the same wavelength. Southall’s loss was undoubtedly Torquay’s gain.
Justin Fashanu is pictured with the Southall team at Western Road in 1991