The amalgamation between Rangers and Town in 1964

[NorwayBTFC]

During my trip to England a couple of weeks ago, I, as usual, spent a day in the British Library to get my hands on some historical "stuff"... and I did, so expect more old stuff surfacing the coming weeks on the norwegian website...

 

And I discovered something from the 60's I didn't knew, it's not mentioned in the history-section on the official website either, and that's the amalgamation between the two clubs Billericay Rangers and Billericay Town, which took place during the summer of 1964.

 

I discovered this reading the Billericay Times & Recorder from 1964, when I first saw some match reports from Billericay Rangers matches, and just a few from Towns.

 

It looks like both teams actually played in the Mid-Essex League division one, but after the amalgamation Town played in division three?

 

Does anyone now if this is correct? Or was it our "B" team who played in division three?

 

I also would like as much information about Billericay Rangers as possible, I haven't found ANYTHING about them on the net. How old was the club? Does anyone know?

 

Got my hand on a team picture from 1931, and one from 1964, plus some pictures of ground work at Archer Hall in 1965. I will try to scan them, but they are taken from photocopied newspapers, so the quality would not be good. Maybe I can fix them up in Photoshop, we'll see!

 

Looks like I soon will get my hands on all the league tables from the period we played in the Mid-Essex league, that could be interesting stuff as well...

[Paul J]

My Dad played for BTFC in the 60

[Bill of Shenfield]

All I cn remember was watching them play on the pitch where the swimming pool is now.

[finisterre]

Good find. Looks like the history blurb may need a rewrite. I look forward to hearing more about this.

 

I wonder which team we inherit the blue kit from?

[NorwayBTFC]

Thanks Paul J for interesting input!!!

 

After reading more thoroughly it looks like Billericay Rangers ended as runners-up in the Mid-Essex league season 1963-64, and in 1964-65, after the amalgamation Billericay Town played in the premier division. The team in the third division probably was the reserves or something.

 

The captain of Billericay Rangers, Len Whiskin, also got to be captain of Billericay Town after the amalgamtion.

 

The team picture I got from 1965 shows them in white shirts with dark collar (blue or black?) and white shorts.

 

You can see the picture here (I haven't made it available on the website yet, this is only a direct link to the scan):

http://www.btfc.no/images/old/team1965.jpg

 

[finisterre]

I'm surprised. I didn't think all that "Premier Division" crap had started as early as the sixties.

 

Bring back Divs 1,2,3 & 4!

 

Love the way old team photos only ever had 11 players in them.

 

By the way, what newspaper is that picture from?

[NorwayBTFC]

Originally Posted By: finisterre

Bring back Divs 1,2,3 & 4!

I'll agree on that one!

The picture is taken from the Billericay & Basildon Times & Recorder, wednesday april 21 1965.

I have more "new" stuff from 1965, 1964, 1931 and 1928 to put up on the website soon.

[Brightside Bloke]

Originally Posted By: NorwayBTFC

The picture is taken from the Billericay & Basildon Times & Recorder , wednesday april 21 1965.

It would seem that not just the Football clubs were doing this amalgamation lark way back then, Obviously well before my time.

[NorwayBTFC]

Originally Posted By: Brightside Bloke

Originally Posted By: NorwayBTFC

The picture is taken from the Billericay & Basildon Times & Recorder , wednesday april 21 1965.

It would seem that not just the Football clubs were doing this amalgamation lark way back then, Obviously well before my time.

:-)

I'm not an expert in local newspaper amalgamations, but in the 30's and 40's Billericay Times excisted, and I think somewhere in the late 50's they where amalgamed (?) with the Basildon Recorder.

Then, in the 20's we had the Wickford Gazette which later got to be the Billericay and Wickford Gazette and at last became the Brentwood, Billericay & Wickford Gazette...

[NorwayBTFC]

And, while on the subject, does anyone know what locak newspaper which wrote about Billericay and sports from 1880 to 1920?

 

The first time I took a dive into the newspaper archives in the British Library, I spent four hours going through the first five years of a newspaper called Essex Herald, without finding anything...

 

Billericay Times didn't excist at the time.

[GazzaBTFC]

All these old memories and reminisces. All I can remember is pitching up at Sun Corner with my father on a couple of occassions (maybe more than a couple - it took the "bug" a few years to set in though). Where Quilters School building is now there used to be some wooden building (I remember it as a bit of a shack) where the players used to change (this was a long time ago and I was 8 or 9, so my memory may not be doing this justice).

 

Anyone remember the Archer Hall? That used to be where the Emmanual Church is now. To be honest, that was a bit run down but I liked it. Saw a couple of bands play there and performed in a couple of panto's. I believe Uriah Heep and Status Quo played there in the late sixties before they became popular.

 

[NorwayBTFC]

Originally Posted By: GazzaBTFC

Where Quilters School building is now there used to be some wooden building (I remember it as a bit of a shack) where the players used to change (this was a long time ago and I was 8 or 9, so my memory may not be doing this justice)

Take a closer look at the Blues Cafe next time you're on the ground. That may be the "shack" you remember! It was built in 1957/58 and used as changing rooms until the club moved to New Lodge. They took with them the building (it was built with pre-fabricated elements) in 1972...

[NorwayBTFC]

Originally Posted By: GazzaBTFC

Anyone remember the Archer Hall?

Here's a picture from an awards night/dinner inside the Archer Hall in 1957/58...

http://www.btfc.no/images/photoalbum/album_1/photo_11.jpg

[GazzaBTFC]

Ahhh, those days of innocent youth...Where the expectations, successes and disapointments of our adult years where not even a "twinkle" in my eye...

 

Actually, yes...I heard mention that the Blues Cafe was "the shack"...I just forgot. Thanks P-H.

[The Town Crier]

Originally Posted By: NorwayBTFC

Originally Posted By: GazzaBTFC

Anyone remember the Archer Hall?

Here's a picture from an awards night/dinner inside the Archer Hall in 1957/58...

http://www.btfc.no/images/photoalbum/album_1/photo_11.jpg

Now that's what you call a good turnout

[GazzaBTFC]

In the words of Dick Emery... "Ooooooo....you are awful..."

[Steve U.]

I think the wooden changing room you refer too was moved to New Lodge and is now our current tea bar. Also, when I was working at Acors Press, I came across some tickets we printed for a Hawkwind gig at the Archer Hall.

 

[GazzaBTFC]

Hawkwind played there!!!

 

Bloody hell...I can't imagine the WI "rockin'" out on that night!!! Betcha Lemmy appreciated the local appreciation of his talents.

[NorwayBTFC]

Aah, Lemmy! This is very off-topic, but my first interview as a journalist, back in 1985 for a local radiostation, was with Lemmy!

 

I remember it very well: When I came into the room where the press conference was held, I had a table with hamburgers from a catering firm to the left, and six-packs of beer to the right. I just had to grab a couple of burgers and some beers and sit and wait until it was my turn...

 

Then Lemmy winked at me and pointed to the six-packs, so I took a new one with me and placed it between us. Then we started to talk until I after 10 minutes noticed that the cassette recorder wasn't running and we had to start all over again...

 

He looked at me for some seconds and then he laughed and we started again. A great guy and probably one of the nicest persons I've ever interviewed!

 

[Nitetime Neil]

Originally Posted By: NorwayBTFC

The team picture I got from 1965 shows them in white shirts with dark collar (blue or black?) and white shorts.

You can see the picture here (I haven't made it available on the website yet, this is only a direct link to the scan):
http://www.btfc.no/images/old/team1965.jpg

From my rapidly fading memory (and I must have been standing side by side at Archer Hall with Gazza and our respective dads!) I always recalled us wearing yellow shirts with blue shorts - maybe those are yellow shirts in the photo ??