NEWS LETTER NO. 5 MAR 2017 Welcome to the latest edition to Bignell and it was good to get a members and non-members alike. If chance to talk to them about old you enjoy reading this can you please times. pass it on to anyone who may not be aware of what the Association is all TRAVEL about. First of all I would like to say a big SOCIAL EVENTS well done to all of my fellow committee members for their superb effort in organising the 15 coaches that went to White Hart Lane. We recently held our Annual Dinner in the Caledonian (Vere) Suite and an It was a great team effort to match excellent evening it was. As well as that of the players and management our invited guests, Gareth, Dobbo on the day. An occasion to be proud and Roger Mott, it was good to see of all round. There are just three tables involving the Club and Trust more away trips as the season draws Boards and also the Ex-Players to a close, although there could be Association. On the former were extra ones if we reach the play-offs. Messrs Andrew Howard, Alan Cecil, The next two are two of our closest. David Cook, Nigel Kingston and First up it is Leyton Orient on Trevor Stroud. On the latter were Saturday, 1st April. Vince Faulkner, Keith Samuels, John Maskell, Alan Hutchinson and John NEWS LETTER NO. 5 MAR 2017 We depart Adams Park at 12 o'clock first match, he does recall going to and the cost for adult members is Doncaster in 1955 for the Amateur £14, senior members £13, junior Cup semi-final in which we lost 1-0 to members £12, while it is £18 across Bishop's Auckland. He goes on to say the board for non-members. that he cannot claim continuous support, as he was a player himself Then it's Barnet on Easter Monday, for several years and also having a 17th April. Coach(es) leave at 12. 30 young family. Thankfully both of his pm with all prices £1 lower than sons have grown up being Blues those for Orient. Lastly, it is our through and through, so he obviously weekend at Morecambe. We do now did a good job there! have enough booked to warrant running, although there are still Don't forget please contact me with plenty of places available. Why not your history of support. This is your see the season out in style! Please newsletter so why not see your note a second coach will run on the details in print. day of the match. All travel details are available on our website, at ON THE FIELD www.owwsa.co.uk. What a difficult period it has been MEMBERS WITH LONGSTANDING since my last newsletter. After the RECORDS OF SUPPORT euphoria of that wonderful afternoon at White Hart Lane (I Ron Monk informed me that he saw honestly thought Thommo's header his first game at Loakes Park in had won it for us) we have certainly September 1945 after coming out of been brought down to earth and lost the Army, but can't remember the our play-off position, as well as a opposition. chance of a Wembley visit in the League Trophy. Unfortunately, six I also had an Email from John Bartlett, consecutive Tuesday night matches who has over 60 years of support. have taken their toll and we are back Although he cannot remember his to the first few weeks of the season NEWS LETTER NO. 5 MAR 2017 with a lengthy injury list. The biggest R. I. P. blow being Scott Kashket. Apart from the Tottenham game, there was a It has been a sad time recently. superb defensive effort that Following on from the death of protected our lead to gain a first-ever Monty Seymour three of our ex- Football League win over Portsmouth. players have passed away. First of all, Otherwise it has been a struggle and Jackie Tomlin, who was 88. He joined we have had to rely on the Big Fella us at the start of the 1952/53 season too much. We did show glimpses of from Oxford City and played his last our old self in the second half at game in the 1960/61 season. In total Grimsby but then gave a tepid he played 221 competitive games, display against Blackpool. Thankfully, scoring 71 goals and was a regular in Jamal Blackman came to the rescue the side that won the Isthmian with his penalty save at the end. By League title in 1955/56 and 1956/57. the time that you read this we will That latter season also saw an have played our friends from appearance at Wembley Stadium in Plymouth. Hopefully we will have the Final of the FA Amateur Cup, obtained a good result for us. which we lost 3-1 to Bishop Auckland. He was a good cricketer as well and I During this period the following got to know him when, in my last appearance milestones have been year at school in 1966 I scored reached: for High Wycombe CC, for whom he was playing. He also played 14 times for Buckinghamshire in the Minor Counties Championship. Then when the Ex-Players' Association was formed he became their President and was still attending games at Sam Wood 200 Sido Jombati 100 Michael Harriman 100 Adams Park until just shortly before Well done to each of those. his death. NEWS LETTER NO. 5 MAR 2017 Next, it was Paul McCarthy, aged just 1961, whilst playing regularly for the 45. He had made 223 appearances reserves (remember them!). His for Brighton before joining us at the debut was in a 2-1 Isthmian League start of the 1996/97 season. His defeat at Bromley on 27th October debut was in the opening League 1956. His son, David, also played for game of that season at Shrewsbury, a the Club making 6 first team game that finished 1-1. A no appearances in 1983/84. After nonsense defender he went on to leaving us Ken went on to have a make 259 appearances, scoring 19 long association with my second club, goals, turning out to be, by far, Alan Flackwell Heath, first as a player then Smith's best signing. His last game as Chairman. I would often see him was in a goalless draw at on my midweek visits to Wilks Park. Huddersfield on 8th February 2003, Ken was 84. where he came on as a substitute for Craig Faulconbridge. His finest WHERE ARE THEY NOW? moments were during our amazing FA Cup run in 2000/01. He finished as Several of our ex-players have been our leading scorer in the tournament amongst the goals recently and you that season with five goals, including may be aware that Junior Morias the first at Leicester, which has been came on as substitute and scored overshadowed by Roy Essandoh's twice for Peterborough in a 3-0 win winner. After leaving us, he went on over Port Vale. Junior, one of our to play for Oxford United, youth products, was always a lively Hornchurch and Ebbsfleet. At the and enthusiastic character but just time of his death, he was the couldn't make that breakthrough as a Chairman of Jarvis Brook Juniors in regular. He actually made 32 the Crowborough League and was appearances for us, but only started living in the town. twice before dropping into non- league football with Boreham Wood Finally, it was Ken Crook, also a and St Albans. He regularly got defender, who made 29 appearances amongst the goals at both clubs for the first team between 1956 and before signing for the Posh (who NEWS LETTER NO. 5 MAR 2017 have a great record of giving non- FOOTBALL MATTERS league players the opportunity of League football). Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are mine and You may not be aware of the next not of the Association. player doing well and I only found out as I often buy the Non-League Proposed changes to football- Paper on a Sunday. When Andy Sandell played for us it was as a left- Abolishing offside, abolishing back, although he did have a knack of penalties and replacing them with a scoring from free-kicks and in the player starting from 25 yards out and 2010/11 scored twice at home to having 10 seconds to run at goal and Barnet and again at Lincoln. After 50 try to score, more than three appearances he sustained an injury substitutes to be used, games to be the following season that kept him played in quarters not halves. The out for a long while and he then left ramblings of a complete outsider you to join Newport. I actually saw him may think? No, from one of the play against Woking in a Conference World’s greatest players, Marc van game on my first visit to Rodney Basten. Okay, just another ex-player Parade in October 2012. He was still with crazy ideas? Then you discover at left back and scored! However, he has just been appointed Technical two goals from another Wycombe Director of FIFA!! I presume he favourite, Kevin Betsy, gave the realises that if games were played in visitors a 3-2 win. Since leaving quarters then each one would last 22 Newport, he has found himself at and a half minutes! Also just to Chippenham Town in the Southern contradict himself about penalties he League Premier Division, where he advocates doing away with extra plays as a striker and scores for fun! time and deciding all cup games with He is fast approaching 30 for the a penalty shoot-out! He also season and may well have reached advocates top players playing less that total by the time you read this.