Ashley Young joining Inter Milan in the summer. Interesting move - one last pay day and a new experience.
In reference to this https://www.not606.com/threads/where-are-our-ex-players-and-staff-now.230436/page-73#post-13463753 I posted about Gurney, the butcher who used to run onto the pitch in the late 1940s to dribble the ball placed on the centre spot by the ref ready for the second half, down to one end of the pitch and score to huge cheers before returning the ball to the spot and running back into the crowd to watch the second half... Anyway, my Dad was looking at this https://www.thehornetsshop.co.uk/gifts/gifts-souvenirs/books/2424_THE-WATFORD-TREASURY-VOLUME-2.html and on page 71, there is a picture of Gurney, with other Watford fans, at Rotherham. He is named and it points out which one he is. Dad couldn’t believe it! And he has showed me several pictures of Mickey Benning with whom he went to Chater School. Those of you who have this excellent volume, might like this extra ‘colour’ to that page. I really recommend these books, btw, they’re incredible. As I’ve said, Dad’sbeen going for at least 75 years, and he says there is masses he didn’t know. He was wondering if anybody knew where ‘Croxley Park’ is, because we trained there once apparently, and he knows of no green space by that name, then or now.
I grew up in Croxley and there was nowhere of that name in the past. I have just looked it up and it appears to be the site of Dickinson's Mill by the canal to the west of Croxley proper. How the area could have been used for training is beyond me, unless it was for cross-country running. Perhaps there was a less rugged space near Tolpits Lane.
Ah. This was Dad’s only explanation. He said that Dickinson’s paper mill used to have a club where there were some football pitches, but he said he didn’t think it could’ve been there because he said he was sure that was only ever for the mill’s club use. Thanks, NZ, I’ll let him know. BTW Mickey Benning lived in Croxley, near Dad. I think he said Mickey lived on Warwick Way, off Links Way.
Micky Benning used to live in Baldwins Lane, I would guess at about number 82. it was over the road and a few doors down from my grandparents'. He was also related by marriage to someone I went to primary school with.
Maybe they should have a little celebration of the 1970 team that reached the semi finals of the FA Cup for the first time as it will be 50 years? Like they did for the play-off final team of 99 and FA Cup final team of 1984. I guess bit like this year's final we might have to forget about the actual result! Be interesting to see where many of the side from May end up at the end of their careers - probably not many in England! Although Troy and Ben Foster will probably be managers at some point if they fancy it...and Mariappa.
I went to the same school at the same time, just, as Freddie Bunce who was on the left wing with Benning on the right. Freddie was playing for Hertfordshire schools team, and on one day the school arranged to take some coaches to see them play at the old Millwall Den. It must have been around 1953, and The Den had a fearsome reputation, but for a schoolboy game all was peaceful. He was just about as fast as Benning, but didn't always remember to take the ball with him. He spent a number of years in South Africa and then Australia where he died at only 53 years old.
The other day I was looking through the WML Where Are They Now page. http://www.wfc.net/watn.htm I was surprised at the number of ex players who died young. I have no idea but it did seem a disproportionate number.
Yes.. He was a stalwart in the early games of my wfc supporting. I went to school with the son of jim and Harrowell. Incidentally my grandma used to work in Bunces sweet shop in Pinner... I wonder if there was any link
Long chat with Dad. He used to know a lad called Anderson, who lived on Warwick Way, and he’s now wondering if he’s mixing up where Mickey and this Anderson lad lived. In fairness to Dad, he’s pointing out this is going back to the 1940s! But he says he remembers it was in that area and is sure you are right. The Dickinson’s Mill club pitches were off Barton Way, to the west of Barton Way, “not the rec” to the east. Dad said you used to walk along a long track and it would take you to the pitches. I read what you said, ofh, about Freddie Bunce. Made Dad laugh in recognition!! He knew he’d gone to South Africa, but didn’t know about Australia. Dad has really enjoyed all this, thank you. He remembered mid-chat “Wait a minute, I think I played for the cubs there once! Yes! I did! It’s all coming back now!” Clement Attlee would’ve been PM, to give this some context! Thank you my lovely Hornet mates.
Next time you speak to you Dad, see what he remembers about John Meadows who joined us in 1951. His Dad used to write popular songs of the day, his most famous being "Oh my, what a referee". He was a very good wing half, but somehow got caught up in some match fixing. One of the big personalities of the 1950's was Roy Brown who was one of very few black players in the game. He played as a centre forward or centre half, and I still swear that he had springs in his boots as he could outjump almost anyone. Another one who your Dad should remember was Frank Mitchell the club captain for a number of years. He was large and didn't exactly rush around, but was a very good reader of the game. During the summer months when he was not getting paid by Watford he played County Cricket for Warwickshire, and when he hung up his football boots continued to play cricket and became a coach in that sport.
Will do, ofh. I know ‘Mitch’ was my Dad’s favourite already, though. I’ll get back to you with what he says to the rest of your post.
John Meadows. “Oh, yes, a really decent half back, on the left I think, but I may be wrong. Didn’t do anything flash, just did everything simply and well. Could be relied on to stay fit, play match after match at a consistently good level.” Roy Brown. “The first black player for Watford [don't know if Dad’s right, there]. A really nice guy, Roy. He got sent off against Gillingham, which was unusual, but a player for them, think his name was West, called Roy a ‘black bugger’, so Roy put him down [Dad’s language for a solid chinning!]. Very unexpected, because he was a lovely man.” Frank Mitchell. “Well, he was my favourite. So comfortable on the ball. He would sort of glide through the game. He would put his foot on the ball and look around as if he was saying ‘Who wants this? Ah, yes, he does’ and then play a great ball to them. I knew he played cricket for Warks and even after he finished with us, but didn’t know he coached.” Dad has really enjoyed these remembrances, and asked to thank you and NZ for your time with these posts.
Sorry I can't be more helpful. I only started watching Watford in the mid-sixties. I can tell you all about one of the best goals I saw scored at the Vic by Charlie Woods in a reserve game, or when Micky Walker played the best goalkeeping performance I've seen by anyone at Oxford United's old ground. I'm not sure if that was the game where the wall collapsed behind the goal.
I was there when the wall collapsed and was also removed from the ground by mr plod, mistaken identity obviously.
Sad news for one of our ex defenders from the 80s. Son dies tragically young, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...tballer-25-dies-unexpectedly-hours-match.html 25 years old - no age at all.