IN MY amateur football days, it seemed to me the role of captain involved little more than screaming a lot.

Well, that and clapping your hands while repeatedly bawling 'Let's get stuck into them'.

Hardly Bobby Moore territory, I think you'll agree.

Those memories returned on Saturday as Graham Branch hobbled off the field to be replaced by Mark McGregor.

The former Wrexham defender was thrown the armband to become the fourth player to hold down the honour this season.

Branch, David May and Mo Camara - in a terrific gesture at former club Wolves - have also skippered the side at some stage.

I began to wonder if maybe the aforementioned 'honour' was actually not that great or meaningful.

After all, the casual fan only usually notices the skipper as he trots up for the toss, has his picture taken with a large furry mascot and then chooses which direction his side will attack in the first half.

After that, they merge into the background as it seems every player can be seen permanently cajoling one another and urging 100 per cent effort and commitment.

And it's not as though you are going to jump to the orders of the one wearing the armband and ignore the comments of another team mate, is it?

So I thought it was time to ask Branch himself if there was still genuine prestige, pride and responsibility in being made captain.

Was it really a more important role than it sometimes looks to an outsider?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer was in the affirmative - both on and off the pitch.

During the week, the captain serves as a crucial go-between from manager to players - chairing team meetings, passing on information and generally assisting both parties.

When the whistle blows, Branch must then become an extension of Ternent himself. A playing representative to encourage, organise, demand and dish out the necessary rollockings.

The choice of captain is equally vital in terms of personality. The manager needs to know he can rely on someone able to keep one eye on everyone else and perform all those functions, yet remain fully focused on his own game.

Not all players fill those criteria.

So when Branch surrendered the armband last Saturday at Sheffield United, McGregor was HIS choice because the departing skipper knew he was playing in the right area to keep his eyes peeled, while being possibly the most vocal person out on the pitch.

There are exceptions, like the throwback to bygone days in honouring Camara at Molineux, which does absolutely no harm for individual or team morale.

Branch restored my faith. I had thought I was witnessing an era when the captain was slowly becoming just another cog in the machine.

Thankfully, the armband still means far more than that.