Memories of an ode'un

[seriouspie]

We can always remember the past but we can only opinion-ate on the future.

I often wonder where the local Nottinghamshire leagues went to. At one time of day we had a proper local pyramid that seemed to work well. From memory we had in ascending order - the Youth league, the Notts Minor league, the Notts Realm league, the Notts Combination league, the MAA and Spartan league and finally the Notts Alliance. Semi pro football then started with the Central Alliance and then the Midland league who at one time included Notts and Forest reserves and Peterborough United.

I remember playing in the Alliance senior division with Bestwood Colliery, Boots and Gedling Colliery who all had good grounds and like all Alliance grounds had to have showers. Player's on Aspley Lane was a great pitch but Basford United's Mill street ground, Parliament St Meths and Raleigh's pitches weren't so good.

Gedling Colliery and Eastwood Town were the kingpins in the late 50's early 60's and would you believe that when Gedling played Bishop Auckland and Pegasus in the old Amateur cup, 3-4000 packed into Plains Road to watch.

Also the Football Post carried a short report on all senior Alliance games, including the line-ups. Some bloody good footballers about then, especially from the Meadows (Albion) area. Anybody still alive to remember these days please comment.

I'll get back to me bath chair!

[Pies4u]

Wow! Two of my relatives played in that great Gedling Coll team, they went to be the managerial duo when I played for them in the 70's. Walter Kirk was the right back and Eric Martin, my dad's cousin, was the left winger. Eric, of course, played cricket for Notts, scoring a ton against the touring Aussies.

Walter & Eric presided over the team or many years but we had little success. Rainworth, Thoresby & Clipstone dominated, along with the Police, Boots and even good old Thorneywood Athletic! Iwent off to Univ and played a bit of Northern Prem and then returned to the Midland League with Kimberley Town for 2 seasons. It makes me smile now to see turnstiles & floodlights now at Gedling Colliery - the Club Sec used to go round with a box if more than a dozen folks turned up to watch in the 70's. The football was a far higher calibre then too, the Alliance was a top class League, one rung below Midland League.

[seriouspie]

Wow! Two of my relatives played in that great Gedling Coll team, they went to be the managerial duo when I played for them in the 70's. Walter Kirk was the right back and Eric Martin, my dad's cousin, was the left winger. Eric, of course, played cricket for Notts, scoring a ton against the touring Aussies.

Walter & Eric presided over the team or many years but we had little success. Rainworth, Thoresby & Clipstone dominated, along with the Police, Boots and even good old Thorneywood Athletic! Iwent off to Univ and played a bit of Northern Prem and then returned to the Midland League with Kimberley Town for 2 seasons. It makes me smile now to see turnstiles & floodlights now at Gedling Colliery - the Club Sec used to go round with a box if more than a dozen folks turned up to watch in the 70's. The football was a far higher calibre then too, the Alliance was a top class League, one rung below Midland League.

Well I'll be buggered Pies4u ........ you are spot on, which I'll add to a little further - hopefully not to bore!

Firstly Wally was the best amateur right back this county has - or ever will have. Legs like tree trunks and as hard as nails. Wally was an electrician as I remember at the pit. When he retired from football after 21 consecutive years with the colliery he wanted the coaches job but didn't get it. He went instead to coach Netherfield Albion if I remember correctly but may have returned later. I know this because an old school friend Alan Jennings, poached me from Boots Athletic to take Walts place. Alan played in goal but mostly in the reserves but up to a year ago was still helping the club out as gateman and told me Walt had died about a year before. The team was in decline when I played but I still had the pleasure to play with Eric who perhaps was the last of the great team. Eric was a good player (although he missed that penalty against the Bishops!) and was an opening batter for many years with Steetley CC in the Bassetlaw league although I believe he finished his career with the colliery. Just out of interest we had a wing half called Des Berresford who played in front of me and I understood Des had connections with Kimberley. Happy memories of that bloody slope on the Stag Inn ground!!

Just to close... I remember a Mr Harrison (complete with blue blazer and tie) being the secretary at Gedling.

To all the other posters....thanks - your memories are great.

[justincast]

Well I'll be buggered Pies4u ........ you are spot on, which I'll add to a little further - hopefully not to bore!

Firstly Wally was the best amateur right back this county has - or ever will have. Legs like tree trunks and as hard as nails. Wally was an electrician as I remember at the pit. When he retired from football after 21 consecutive years with the colliery he wanted the coaches job but didn't get it. He went instead to coach Netherfield Albion if I remember correctly but may have returned later. I know this because an old school friend Alan Jennings, poached me from Boots Athletic to take Walts place. Alan played in goal but mostly in the reserves but up to a year ago was still helping the club out as gateman and told me Walt had died about a year before. The team was in decline when I played but I still had the pleasure to play with Eric who perhaps was the last of the great team. Eric was a good player (although he missed that penalty against the Bishops!) and was an opening batter for many years with Steetley CC in the Bassetlaw league although I believe he finished his career with the colliery. Just out of interest we had a wing half called Des Berresford who played in front of me and I understood Des had connections with Kimberley. Happy memories of that bloody slope on the Stag Inn ground!!

Just to close... I remember a Mr Harrison (complete with blue blazer and tie) being the secretary at Gedling.

To all the other posters....thanks - your memories are great.

My old boss and great Friend Trevor Smith also played for Gedling in some of these FA Vase games. He was a centre half and also played for Bourne Town & was still playing for Netherfield Albion in his 50's. He often used to tell me about those games with several thousands at the game which sounds amazing for lower pyramid non-league.

[Pies4u]

Eric Harrison was centre half in the great team of the 50's. Don't think he was ever Secretary, but he was kit an, tea man & everything else when I played. He was the 3rd member of the management team with Walt & Eric M.

Eric Martin did return to play for the cricket team, some time after I'd finished in my early 20's! He was in his mid 50's by that time but could still bat a bit!

[seriouspie]

My old boss and great Friend Trevor Smith also played for Gedling in some of these FA Vase games. He was a centre half and also played for Bourne Town & was still playing for Netherfield Albion in his 50's. He often used to tell me about those games with several thousands at the game which sounds amazing for lower pyramid non-league.

Without being pedantic justincast ....... those great days were played in the Amateur Cup where the final was at Wembley in front of a full house. This was well before the Vase came into being. Bishop Auckland won it several times, as did Pegasus I believe. Kingstonian FC from a London league were also prominent.

Trevor Smith I can't remember but Jack Harper (Iron head Jack) was the regular centre half who later played for Netherfield Albion before finishing his career with Burton Joyce in the Spartan league. Again from memory, because the great team was before I joined Gedling, names I remember were Ron(?) Salvin in goal with Walt, Eric, Terry Day, Joey Kay, John Riley and 'Clack' Barkes. Still down memory lane a and in my time - Joe Boucher was one of the best centre forwards and played for Arnold along with Roger Rann, Bobby Tait and a young Arthur Oldham. Other two good players I remember were Denis Stainwright and Arthur Vicarstaff both of Aspley Old Boys.

Yep them woz the days!

[magpie_mania]

Without being pedantic justincast ....... those great days were played in the Amateur Cup where the final was at Wembley in front of a full house. This was well before the Vase came into being. Bishop Auckland won it several times, as did Pegasus I believe. Kingstonian FC from a London league were also prominent.

Trevor Smith I can't remember but Jack Harper (Iron head Jack) was the regular centre half who later played for Netherfield Albion before finishing his career with Burton Joyce in the Spartan league. Again from memory, because the great team was before I joined Gedling, names I remember were Ron(?) Salvin in goal with Walt, Eric, Terry Day, Joey Kay, John Riley and 'Clack' Barkes. Still down memory lane a and in my time - Joe Boucher was one of the best centre forwards and played for Arnold along with Roger Rann, Bobby Tait and a young Arthur Oldham. Other two good players I remember were Denis Stainwright and Arthur Vicarstaff both of Aspley Old Boys.

Yep them woz the days!

Joe Boucher was my first footballing hero when he was at Arnold. Used to go to every home game - George Smith (ex Notts) in goal and Peter 'Shonky' Burton on the wing.

Great books from Roger Rann 'Kings of the Recs' and 'When Marys were Kings!'

[Vladpie]

We can always remember the past but we can only opinion-ate on the future.

I often wonder where the local Nottinghamshire leagues went to. At one time of day we had a proper local pyramid that seemed to work well. From memory we had in ascending order - the Youth league, the Notts Minor league, the Notts Realm league, the Notts Combination league, the MAA and Spartan league and finally the Notts Alliance. Semi pro football then started with the Central Alliance and then the Midland league who at one time included Notts and Forest reserves and Peterborough United.

I remember playing in the Alliance senior division with Bestwood Colliery, Boots and Gedling Colliery who all had good grounds and like all Alliance grounds had to have showers. Player's on Aspley Lane was a great pitch but Basford United's Mill street ground, Parliament St Meths and Raleigh's pitches weren't so good.

Gedling Colliery and Eastwood Town were the kingpins in the late 50's early 60's and would you believe that when Gedling played Bishop Auckland and Pegasus in the old Amateur cup, 3-4000 packed into Plains Road to watch.

Also the Football Post carried a short report on all senior Alliance games, including the line-ups. Some bloody good footballers about then, especially from the Meadows (Albion) area. Anybody still alive to remember these days please comment.

I'll get back to me bath chair!

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

[RedBasie]

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

I can remember playing on West Bridgford Park when a lad's leg was broken. It seemed an eternity before the ambulance came. Someone had to run to a house outside the ground to telephone one and when it eventually came it was pitch dark and the game had to be abandoned. The pitch has now been planted with trees .

[i961pie]

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

I can understand that.
I played on the old race course ground one evening in the 70s, the grass was that long my studs got stuck in the ground and I tore my ankle ligaments.
It was one hell of a struggle to get me from the pitch to a waiting car to get me to hospital. I was out of action for 3/4 months.