RETURN TO FOOTBALL - THE MIDDLESEX FOOTBALL FAMILY

[Savagebee]

49 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

Savagebee - Were you at Church Road in 1999/00 for the FA Cup Second Round tie with Hull City on Saturday 20 November 1999, it was a thrilling 2-2 draw and Hayes narrowly lost the replay 3-2 at Boothferry Park after extra time almost winning it in the ninety minutes. It was hearbreaking as the draw for the Third Round had been made and the winners were at home to Chelsea ?:

 

 

No I wasn't at those games for some reason.

Hayes FC striker Lee Charles on the front of that programe. Ex QPR FC as well.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Savagebee

[Rhodes]

Savagebee - How about when Hayes also reached the FA Cup Second Round, in 1972/73 when they drew 0-0 at Elm Park only to lose the Replay 1-0 at Church Road, that's Reading's goal by Les Chappell. It was obviously the season Sunderland won the FA Cup and Reading went on to meet them in a Fourth Round tie almost beating them at Roker Park before losing a replay at Elm Park and the rest is steeped in history with Jim Montgomery, Ian Porterfield, Bob Stokoe and Bobby Kerr:

[Savagebee]

1 hour ago, Rhodes said:

Savagebee - How about when Hayes also reached the FA Cup Second Round, in 1972/73 when they drew 0-0 at Elm Park only to lose the Replay 1-0 at Church Road, that's Reading's goal by Les Chappell. It was obviously the season Sunderland won the FA Cup and Reading went on to meet them in a Fourth Round tie almost beating them at Roker Park before losing a replay at Elm Park and the rest is steeped in history with Jim Montgomery, Ian Porterfield, Bob Stokoe and Bobby Kerr:

Nah way before my time Rhodes.

But I was at Hayes v Cardiff City (@Brentford FC) and Fulham v Hayes in the very early 1990s ?

[Rhodes]

10 hours ago, Savagebee said:

Nah way before my time Rhodes

Savagebee - Okay, I wonder whether Agamemnon3 was there then on Tuesday 12 December 1972 as he came to London in 1972 from the North East to make his fortune, he said that the first ground he wanted to visit was Denbigh Road having watched Hounslow Town lose 4-0 to Crook Town in the FA Amateur Cup Final Replay at Ayresome Park in 1962 so I guess Church Road was on his radar too.

Edited January 21, 2021 by Rhodes

[agamemnon3]

No, is the simple answer to your question.

In my early years in London I was heavily involved with independent cinemas, and so spent most of my time sitting in the dark watching films, rather than standing in the rain watching football.  I didn't get along to Church Road until April 1980, when I watched Hayes win an Isthmian League game against Dulwich Hamlet 2-1.  I liked Church Road a lot, and was very sorry to see it disappear.  Having said that, I quite liked the original Warren, at Yeading, as well, and was never really sure why the two Clubs wanted to merge in the first place.  Was it a genuine 'merger', or was something much murkier going on ?  I recall being at Hampton one night, and one of the Club officials there suggesting that 'two or three dubious gentlemen' had made 'a great deal of money' out of the supposed 'merger'.  But it was a long time ago, so what do I know ?

I still haven't been to the new Hayes & Yeading ground.  One for the future perhaps, if indeed, football has a future.

Incidentally, I didn't come to London to seek my fortune, but came to visit a friend.  I had intended to stay for just a weekend, but somehow never managed to find my way home. 

  

[Rhodes]

On 06/10/2020 at 16:33, agamemnon3 said:

The FA Amateur Cup Finals of 1912 plus replay, 1921, 1922, 1928, 1935, 1954 2nd replay, 1956 replay, and 1962 replay were all held at Middlesbrough, along with numerous Amateur Cup Semifinals.

Agamemnon3 - Ayresome Park is, or rather was, my favourite League ground, there was something about the place, you may like these photographs. I believe Middlesbrough moved into the newly built Ayresome Park for the 1903/04 campaign so, as you interestingly said above, all of those Amateur Cup Finals will have been played there:

Edited February 3, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Savagebee - Some more nice photographs of Church Road and a 2009/10 Blue Square Conference fixture between Hayes & Yeading United and Salisbury City on Monday 31 August 2009, maybe you were in attendance, Salisbury City won 4-3:

Hayes & Yeading United v Salisbury City 31/08/2009 (3-4) | Flickr

Hayes & Yeading United FC: The Official Website (hyufc.com)

[agamemnon3]

Some fine views of Ayresome Park there, thank you for posting.

I assume that most of the photographs are from the final league game, in 1995, against Luton Town.

The one that probably means most to me is photograph 29, as that is the entrance I used on my first ever visit, and also the one I walked past almost every day.

My last visit was in January 1983 for the third-round FA Cup game against Bishop's Stortford, a game that Stortford were unlucky not to win.  A long time ago now.

And, because I know that you're just dying to know, no, I've never been to the Riverside.  I don't see that it has any relevance to me, or my life, no moreso than perhaps the Etihad, or the King Power Stadium.  In another lifetime perhaps...   

[Rhodes]

12 hours ago, agamemnon3 said:

the entrance I used on my first ever visit, and also the one I walked past almost every day

Agamemnon3 - I thought you meant this iconic entrance with the gate that was brought over to the Riverside when the Club moved but it's surprisingly not in any of the photographs:

[agamemnon3]

The entrance with the gates in your photograph was on the far side from where I would approach the ground.  People regularly refer to 'the iconic gates', but they were only really used by the players, the visiting team, the directors and the match officials.  In common with most Middlesbrough supporters I suspect, I have never actually been through those gates.

Walking away from the football ground, from the entrance I first used, (photograph 29), at the end of the road there is a small terrace of shops, and among them there used to be a cafe/coffee bar.  My parents were getting a divorce, and my father had moved out and was living over on the other side of town, and so on match days I would meet him in the cafe and we would walk to the ground together.

Often in the cafe there would be a young boy, clearing tables and such, and just helping out.

The cafe was called 'Rea's Ice Cream Parlour', and the young boy clearing tables was Chris Rea.    

[petethegreek]

8 hours ago, agamemnon3 said:

The entrance with the gates in your photograph was on the far side from where I would approach the ground.  People regularly refer to 'the iconic gates', but they were only really used by the players, the visiting team, the directors and the match officials.  In common with most Middlesbrough supporters I suspect, I have never actually been through those gates.

Walking away from the football ground, from the entrance I first used, (photograph 29), at the end of the road there is a small terrace of shops, and among them there used to be a cafe/coffee bar.  My parents were getting a divorce, and my father had moved out and was living over on the other side of town, and so on match days I would meet him in the cafe and we would walk to the ground together.

Often in the cafe there would be a young boy, clearing tables and such, and just helping out.

The cafe was called 'Rea's Ice Cream Parlour', and the young boy clearing tables was Chris Rea.    

Is this it?

https://www.facebook.com/MemoriesofMiddlesbrough/posts/who-remembers-reas-ice-cream-parlour-on-linny-road-/404600649603747/

[Rhodes]

PetetheGreek - You really seem to be into your music, I'm impressed, I thought you would only know about Demis Roussos and Nana Mouskouri, Demis sadly died in 2015 didn't he and Nana is 86 now.

[petethegreek]

1 hour ago, Rhodes said:

PetetheGreek - You really seem to be into your music, I'm impressed, I thought you would only know about Demis Roussos and Nana Mouskouri, Demis sadly died in 2015 didn't he and Nana is 86 now.

 

Πρέπει να κάνετε καλύτερα από αυτό.

[agamemnon3]

'Is this it ?'

Yes it is, Pete, but at the same time, no it isn't.

There were three Rea's Ice Cream Parlours in Middlesbrough, one out toward the south of the town, where the football ground was, and two in the town centre, and a lot of the posters on that facebook page are getting them mixed up.

The one where I would see Chris helping out, (because he lived upstairs), was the southern one, referred to by some of the posters as 'Albert Park'.

The one in the photograph, to the right of the red and white bus, was one of the two town centre ones.

So, yes and no.

[agamemnon3]

Pete --- I don't know how to post links, but here it is.  It's in the background of picture 13.

gazettelive.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/teesside-ice-cream-kings-14966796

 

[Rhodes]

42 minutes ago, agamemnon3 said:

Pete --- I don't know how to post links, but here it is.  It's in the background of picture 13.

gazettelive.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/teesside-ice-cream-kings-14966796

Agamemnon3 - Brilliant, thanks, perhaps PetetheGreek's Christmas song should be 'Driving Home For Christmas' from now on except that he doesn't drive. Chris will be seventy years old on 4 March and must be a very wealthy man, he is refreshingly still with his wife Joan who he met in 1968 and they have two daughters, you wouldn't recognise him in the picture would you:

Teesside ice cream kings - Teesside Live (gazettelive.co.uk)

[Rhodes]

Just to get the topic away from Middlesbrough, does anybody recognise these names from a 2016/17 FA County Youth Cup Semi Final tie between the Oxfordshire FA and Middlesex FA, played at Thame United FC on Sunday 26 February 2017. The Middlesex FA won 7-2 with Keegan Cole scoring a hat trick and they went on to beat the Cornwall FA 2-1 in the Final played at Barnet FC. Is Callum Coulter related to Lea Coulter out of interest, I'm sure some of the players went on to join and play for SSML Club's:

2017 02 26 Oxf FA vs Middx FA | Flickr

2016/7 FA County Youth Cup Semi Final | Flickr

 

[Savagebee]

On 10/02/2021 at 12:38, Rhodes said:

Just to get the topic away from Middlesbrough, does anybody recognise these names from a 2016/17 FA County Youth Cup Semi Final tie between the Oxfordshire FA and Middlesex FA, played at Thame United FC on Sunday 26 February 2017. The Middlesex FA won 7-2 with Keegan Cole scoring a hat trick and they went on to beat the Cornwall FA 2-1 in the Final played at Barnet FC. Is Callum Coulter related to Lea Coulter out of interest, I'm sure some of the players went on to join and play for SSML Club's:

2017 02 26 Oxf FA vs Middx FA | Flickr

2016/7 FA County Youth Cup Semi Final | Flickr

 

Lewis Todd and Keegan Coles names ring a ?

Vince Purdue is a ex Hanwell Town and North Greenford United coach.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Savagebee

[Rhodes]

On 06/10/2020 at 16:33, agamemnon3 said:

When I came to London, in 1972, having seen them at Ayresome, Hounslow Town was one of the first non-league Clubs I wanted to visit. A lovely old ground

Agamemnon3 - Here's a test of your vast football knowledge, what team is this ?

[agamemnon3]

This is probably the pre-season photograph for the 1971/72 season.

Back row:  Gates, Smith, Moody, Boam, Whigham, Hickton, Maddren, Vincent.  Front row:  McMordie, Stiles, Downing, Mills, Spraggon, Laidlaw.

Goalkeeper Willie Whigham sadly died, last Thursday, in Scotland, at the age of 81.

Apart from being probably the best keeper I've ever seen, Willie was a real character.  It was no secret around town that Willie liked a drink, and he was often found in the early hours asleep in a shop doorway or a bus shelter.  No-one phoned the papers, or the television, or took photographs, but instead quietly notified the police, who would come and collect him and drive him home to his digs.

A throwback to the days when footballers were genuinely loved by the communities in which they did their work.  And Willie certainly was.