Sixties Nostalgia

[Richie]

Having first visited Stonebridge Road in 1967 when the club was virtually on its knees, I can bear witness as to how the 'Fleet went from weakness to strength. I'm not sure how many of you can refer back to the '67 - '72 era (other than Dave H and Chas W) but I enclose some of my memories of players past other than the more obvious ones such as Kenny Burrett, Derek Mansell, Colin Murphy, Roy Hodgkin and Dave Bostock.

 

Does anyone else have any memories about these players or others of that crucial era?

 

Tommy Hake: He scored against Canterbury City for my first visit to Stonebridge Road and for the Fleet’s first win of the dire season in 66/67. I think he managed Chatham Town a few years ago in the Kent League.

 

Eddie McAlpine: Hard working goalkeeper-manager who was on a hiding to nothing inheriting “a shell of a club” after the ‘Fleet had almost gone to ground (whitebucket), both trying to sign good players and save the side from even more humiliating defeats with his amazing keeping.

 

Alan Crudace: Seemingly ever-present right full back who spanned that era from near extinction to future promise under Ackerman’s era. His work effort would have been the envy of Andy Ford and I seem to remember he became something of a penalty king during those far-off late 60s days.

 

Ray Corney: Crudace’s left back partner. A tough tackling defender who hailed from Woodford Town via Chelsea reserves I believe.

 

Pat Brady: A brilliant and balding Irish midfielder and captain during that era when Fleet were finding there feet once more. He and brother Ray played for Millwall before both being transferred to QPR in the mid 60s. I believe Liam of Arsenal and Ireland fame was a younger brother.

 

Gus Simmons: A then elder statesman and full back signed from Tonbridge I believe. He fought hard but was a little out of his depth at a time when the club tried hard with local amateurs and elder pros.

 

Brian Hughes: Ex Margate goalie who succeeded McAlpine. He was brilliant as I recall although he needed to be with the team in front of him in those days.

 

Eric Pearce: Big balding winger brought in by Stan Aldous. I’m not sure of his pedigree but he was a fighter, and I remember him scoring a blinder against Chatham Town in the KSC.

 

Johnny Platt: An excellent performer who played midfield and as an inside-forward. I recall a fabulous equalising goal against Bath City in ’67.

 

Alan Brown: A former Kent fast bowler with one England cap I believe. Now sadly deceased, the former Notts miner mixed his county cricket with Winter soccer spells with Canterbury City and then the ‘Fleet. I recall he was a little too old for the footballing demands even in Southern One. That said I would not volunteer to be up against him were I a defender.

 

Billy Harber: A hirsute winger who possessed great ball-playing skills matched by Steve Brown a few years later. He was one of the few bright sparks during that sad late 60s era.

 

Johnny Burton: A fair-ginger haired inside forward. I think he was recruited from the local leagues and was never fast and strong enough for Southern League soccer.

 

Eddie Newton: Balding with dark hair and long sideburns he was a superb inside forward, ex Banbury I believe.

 

Peter Carey: Blonde curly haired mid-fielder who became captain during the Ackermann revival.

 

Tim Soutar: A tall and skinny centre forward signed from Ashford Town. He seemed to spend forever over his thro-ins.

 

Mickey Moore: Diminuitive midfielder also from Canterbury City I believe. I remember him being a fighter if nothing else.

 

Alan Jones: Ex Canterbury City centre forward who scored regularly

 

Brian Keats: Ex Canterbury once again. A long serving winger who gave his all to the club.

 

Peter Allwright: Another winger who starred during the Fleet’s promotion campaigns around 1970.

 

Younger supporters please note, in 1967 we were about number 10 in non-league Kent football circles, whereas now are number one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Hempstead Gaz]

Who can forget Ray Buckley. He of the "Pancho Villa" moustache.

The first porn start lookalike to don the red shirt!!!

[Guest]

Yes, he was a great player, ex Tonbridge I believe.

[Hempstead Gaz]

When you think back , we DID have some quality players in the 70's and 80's.

Now to the competition they announced over the tannoy which will be in next week's programme.

Smelt

Idle Burrett Sitford Lamb

Brown Cotter Jacks Woolfe

Bostock Portway

 

Any advances?

[Stu M]

What competition was that Gary...?

[Alan W (GNFC)]

The best 11 players you have seen at Stonebridge Road - they announced it to "allow people some time to think about it" !!

[redowl]

Who remembers Jimmy Robinson one of the best left wingers we ever had.Sadly he broke his leg down by the holy grail the silence that followed was a tribute in it self to a great player.

[jc]

The problem with a concept like 'best ever XI' is that there are now very few people who have watched the Fleet since the very beginning in 1946, and so inevitably the end product will be a side made up of more recent players. In that sense, it's very hard to produce a definitive list - for example, I'm not really in a position to comment, since I only have experience of watching three of the players (Portway, Cotter, Lamb) in Gary's suggested list above.

[Stu M]

A team of each decade would be good comparison... but would that involve the club offering six prizes...?!

[Hempstead Gaz]

I think they are splitting it to fans over and under 25. That should give 2 fairly different "best" teams.

Dunno who will be on the judging panel though.

[Jimmy]

Alan Parker is on the judging panel.

[Bernard]

I just cracked open the Golden Jubilee book to remind myself of the records for certain players, and caught sight of the classic picture of Ken Burrett scoring against Bromley. He is the only Fleet player in the picture, but is accompanied by 9, yes, 9 Bromley players!

[Guest]

I don't think Kent fast bowler Allan Brown played much in the first team and he was pre mid sixties anyway. He scored heaps of goals in the reserves but rarely got a first team shirt as far as I recall.

I remember the 59-69 period very well, the era of Jackie Bridge, Harry Macdonald, Jimmy Robertson and, later on, Jim Towers and Chris Palethorpe, Peter Newcombe and John Finnegan etc etc.

 

They held the side together like glue, in tough times.

[redowl]

How about Brian Skingly the centre forward, ball keeper and himself would all end up in the net.(aka)The Brewers Horse. All that for two points.Happy Days.

[David Holden]

Alan Brown played 43 matches and scored 22 goals.

 

With that Striking rate, he should have played more perhaps.

[Guest]

Skingley was really a defender but manager Billy Lane hit on the ruse of using him as a centre forward of nuisance value and he proved a real surprise packet, catching the more professional league clubs out with his unorthodox 'style'

 

Later he was to prove nowhere near as effective in league games or Senior Cup games against more mundane opposition.

 

I always remember Skingley as being caked in mud from head to toe as he really got into the spirit of the occasion!!! haha

[Guest]

There's a profile of Alan Brown on my Margate site...

Alan Brown

 

...looks like there's a bit of a difference in his Gravesend goal tally ! Maybe my figure's right including reserve team goals ?

 

A few of the other players mentioned in this thread also played for Margate...

 

David Bostock

 

Brian Hughes

 

Micky Moore

 

...Brian Woolfe has a page too but it's not up to much yet, updating it very soon.

 

Didn't know Micky Moore played for you - could somebody tell me when and his stats if possible ? Any ideas where he went next ?

[Guest]

Bostock was a bit of a boozer as I recall.

[Guest]

Wonderful stuff from the Margate site

 

I stand by my opinion that despite all those goals, Allan Brown was not a great striker in first team football, at least not at the level Gravesend played at in those days, the Premier Division of the Southern League, or before it took on a lower division, just plain Southern League.

 

He scored a hatful in the reserves and maybe those other Kent clubs were of a lower standard than the Fleet had been in the early sixties?

 

I watched Brown bowl quite a bit too and he had a loping delivery stride, similar to Graham Dilley if I recall.

 

He was always a popular figure at Stonebridge Road but the attack in those days was very strong with Jimmy Fletcher, Jimmy Scarth and many others making it hard for him to break through.

 

I think he moved away from Northfleet to get first team football and he probably coped far better with the Kent League and lower division of the Southern League than he had in the higher standard of the G and N team.

 

Some trawling through the Reporter archives might throw more light on the Brown era but I doubt many would have the time to visit their offices, if they even have copies going back that far for inspection...

[Hempstead Gaz]

Quote:

Anonymous said:
Bostock was a bit of a boozer as I recall.

Bloody good striker though. Would have cut it at Conference level, I reckon, but we'll never know.