| |||
|
Peter Stephens has responded to our request for news of former City players:-
Dates played: 1977-78
Position: Centre back
News about yourself: Living outside Maidstone. Running a commercial property group.
Current involvement with football: Little contact with the sport apart from following Chelsea and the local clubs.
Names of players who played in the same City team: Dave Bostock, John Young, Dale Walton, David Graham, Dave Huddart, Ron Bayliss, Brian Gambrill,Gordon Walton (Assistant Manager), Mike Buscall, Dave Elliott
Memorable games: FA Cup ties v Sheppey and Gravesend. Opening games v Folkestone in the 1977-78 season.
Contact: peter@gapfree.co.uk
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Peter Wildman has also got in touch
Dates played: 1956-1959.
Position: Half back/forward.
News about yourself: Retired. Spend a lot of time in the garden. Get down to Bridge to see the current team whenever possible. Armchair critic on the current game.
Names of players who played in the same City team: Bill Lloyd, Bob Morley, George Roelich, Walter Brockie, Roy Evans, Jimmy Hernon, Les Devonshire, David James, Jackie Henderson, Billy Walsh, Bobby Veck, Henry Brown, Don Dobson.
Memorable games: City played a Fulham side in the Metropolitan League during the 58-59 season, which included Jimmy Hill. We also played a Chelsea side in the same league which included Shellito, Bradbury and Block, who went on to play for the Chelsea First Team.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
John Adsett writes:-
I was on amateur forms with Canterbury City from 1965 to 1968, playing for the Reserves, mainly at half back. At the time the Reserves were playing in the "old" Kent League, which included Reserve teams from Gillingham and Hastings and First team sides from Sittingbourne, Herne Bay, Chatham, Deal and, at one stage Snowdown Colliery Welfare. So I played at most of Kent's "senior" grounds but one regret is that I never played at Priestfield because the Gills Reserves played at the United Services GroundI
Some of the guys I played against at that level went on to better things - Ed Smith (Gills) ended up at Swindon and a certain Carl Gilbert (father of City's current player Matt) was a "big money" (£17,000) striker who later played for Bristol Rovers and Rotherham (then in the old Second Division) and ended up back in Kent and eventually City
At the same time Harry Haslam (later Fulham, Luton and Sheffield United) managed Tonbridge and in 1967 I played against a full back called MacDonald - Malcolm MacDonald who Haslam took to Fulham and converted into a centre forweard.
I previously played for Ramsgate but moved to City after training there for a few weeks pre-season and Ike Clarke and coach Charlie Ridge invited me to sign on.
I recall Charlie taking over as manager when the club parted company with Ike.
My football career ended when I wrecked ankle ligaments playing for City in a match against Hastings. I never played seriously again, although I was asked to coach the local schoolboys side in the FA Schools Cup and the team did well until beaten by Barking, which was then the West Ham nursery side!
I have fond (?) memories of training by running up and down the stand at Kingsmead Stadium!
The players I can recall from the era were Mel Hopkins, Tommy Dick, Gordon Walton (I knew him when he had hair) and Cyril Jeans.
Contact: jadsett@dialstart.net
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Barry Burden writes from Australia
I came to live here in 1971. My last game of football was at Kingsmead for the Hammers (4) v Royal Marines (3) in the Kent Amateur Cup Final. I also have a Kent Junior Cup winners medal (Hammer 7 Old Colyers 1). The final was played at Gravesend.
I spent many hours watching Canterbury City play, especially in the Kent League. The start of the demise was joining the Southern League.
I also went to Canterbury Tech. where my PE Master was Peter Vandepeer. My father (Peter Burden), who still lives in Hersden, was a Kent League referee.
It's good to see the club re-formed and having some success, but I find it difficult to see the connection. Firstly you play in Bridge and the original colours were green and white. I realise Kingsmead closed down but surely there is somewhere in Canterbury to play. It appears to be more like a village team than a city team.
I hope you have started a revival and who knows: Canterbury City v Margate...great games.
Contact: barry.burden@varianinc.com
____________________________________________________________________________________
|
|||
