As featured in the Daily Mirror's list of the 50 coolest websites (believe it or not).

Updated September 3rd. See latest news for details - also, new Worst of the Week added.

A lengthy explanation of what RubbishFootballers.com is all about follows. However, for the attention deficient, click here for a clue...

ON one side of the pitch stood Paolo Maldini, Gino Gattuso, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Del Piero.

On the other, Seth Johnson.

For most Englishmen, Johnson’s inclusion in an England squad was another depressing sign of our inability to find 23 international class footballers, a feeling that the appearances of Ray Parlour and Kevin Phillips in the same game did little to dispel.

But, as I watched what some would call an ’experimental’, others would call ’shit’ England team outplayed in the Stadio Delle Alpi the germ of an idea hit me. Paying homage to those footballers who struggle on despite being patently out of their depth.

Admittedly, it has taken a while for the idea to be turned into anything more concrete - that's what extreme laziness does for you - but finally the site is up and running.

As a Gillingham fan who has lived in Macclesfield, Preston and Swansea, it has been suggested that I have seen more than my fair share of rubbish footballers. However, the point of this site is not to simply slate those honest pros plying their trade below the Premiership. The aim is to highlight those players who receive nothing but boos from their own fans, those players who only ever get on for two minutes at the end of matches and those players whose careers stumble from one disaster to the next.

Every club has their rubbish footballers and it the aim of this site to 'out' as many as possible. Sat here, watching Property Ladder Revisited, I can easily think of plenty of examples of rubbish footballers.

There's former Arsenal defender (if that isn't abusing the Trade Descriptions Act) Gus Caesar, who had six transfers in his career for a grand total of nought pounds. At Gillingham, Christian Lee's lumbering efforts up front marked him out as one to watch (albeit through slightly parted fingers) even in a team including Brian McGlinchey and Mick Galloway. To sum up Lee's career to date, he has had 11 clubs despite being only 28. Only one of those clubs has ever paid a fee for his services, unfortunately for me that club was Gillingham.

My personal favourite, though, is Tommy Mutton - the player who convinced me that no good footballer ever has a meat-based surname (Barry Venison, Frank LeBouef, Mick Lambert). Mutton remains the only player I've heard booed on his debut.                                                                                              But,
But, believe it or not, there is a serious side to this site. I am not without a heart and so there are times when the plight of the rubbish footballer makes me cry. I want to reach out and grab them, to tell them that they need to retrain as a plumber for as footballers they are doomed to fail. Theirs will never be a life of roasting or high jinks in La Manga, instead they'll work their way through an A to Z of shit towns, never managing a squad number below 25.

The best they can hope for is the odd press cutting and to shine when Match of the Day comes a calling on FA Cup First Round Day. Once, when Aidan Newhouse (bulky centre forward, no goals in 17 games during a two-year stint at Swansea) scored two on his debut for Brighton I thought the unthinkable would happen. I was wrong, Newhouse played a dozen more games, didn't score again and was promptly released just four months after his debut. Ho hum.

This site's aim is to be a much-needed outlet to laugh at the rubbish footballer, because if you see one in the street you should have only sympathy. Don't laugh, heckle or point your finger - they get enough of that in their job - instead gently ruffle their hair, pat their back and place a few coppers in their hand.

For the rubbish footballer is a precious person. As football fans we have all seen the greats and have regular exposure to their moments of brilliance.

Pele's attempted lob from 70 yards, Marco van Basten's wonder goal against Russia, Gazza tormenting Scotland at Euro '96 and Roberto Carlos lashing in a 45 yard freekick against France. Thanks to replays, these are gems witnessed by all, there's no longer a 'wow' factor in having seen something uniquely amazing.

It's a topsy turvy world where in order to see something special you have to see something shit. Millions of people have seen Ronaldo play, but how many have been fortunate enough to watch Karl Munroe in full flight?

And so if you ever get the chance to witness a rubbish footballer, don't moan about their lack of quality, simply relax in the knowledge that, like a wide-eyed traveller gazing over the Grand Canyon at dawn, you are truly privileged.

All that this site asks is that if you do see a rubbish footballer, please let us know. This site's aim is to name and shame every rubbish footballer who ever dared kick a ball. It's a wholly impractical, ridiculous idea and, fittingly, it's doomed to fail. However, please don't let that put you off contributing!

Cheers, Jon.

Seen a rubbish footballer? Email the site here.