Football

[hollins]

Thank you Bri Roberts and Hugo for sharing those amazing memories of Man Utd. It is much appreciated from a novice supporter!

[Hugo]

The year that I was thinking about was prior to the air crash in 1958 so they must have come down to Llandudno more than once.
I saw Utd in the Cup Final in 1963 when they beat Leicester 3-1 and got the tickets through my Uncle who was a groundsman there. Wonderful experience.
That experience that you had in the Palace Hotel in Manchester was incredible and I bet that you can remember it quite clearly. Fantastic memories Bri

[Bellringer]

Re the Fifa debacle.

So Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland did not back England and Scotland's stance to have the presidential election postponed and along with 183 other countries, voted Blatter a 4th four year term.

Well, who thinks Blatter is now going to change and make FIFA a transparent and better organisation (sorry, family), as he says he will??  Certainly not me.

[Trojan]

Did you go to Old Trafford in the 1980's Bri?  ;

Yes, with the gentleman who used to take you there and back in a blue minibus in the early eighties.  

Ah, the minibus was primarily for mid-week evening games.

There were three coaches traveling from the area in the eighties - Norman Owen's from Llandudno, Eddie Mansell's from Abergele and Bill Griffith's from Colwyn Bay.

There was quite a coach load on the Llandudno coach which departed from the Carlton at around 10:30am: Norman Owen   Big Lee from Abergele   Steve "Hendricks" Byrne   Daz Twitchett   George Ollerton   Dave "Chunks" Williams   John Gregory   Dave Pierce   Dave Farr from Junction   Glyn Morris   "Toffo"   "Chunky"   Ian Gadd   Kevin Higgins   Tony Elliott   The Elliott twins, Gary & Terry   Nicky Caroll   Bob Jones   Robert Jones   Shaun "Saucy" McSorely   Steve "Rico"   Ray Brassington & Sons   Matt "Bianco" Stewart   John "Weasel" Breeze   Steve Caine   Alfie Roberts   Brian Roberts   Ben Casey   "Beef"   Ron Atherton Jnr   Marcus Walker   Mike Morris   Ralph Morris   Chris "Crunch" Hughes from Bill's coach   and Russell Redpath from Eddie's coach   to name but a few.

We would normally buy cans for the journey from Victoria Wines in Vaughan St  Z** before making our way to the Carlton to board the coach. Extra passengers would be picked-up along the way in the Junction, The Bay, Rhyl, Flint and Bagillt before our customary stop for lunch  Z** at the Ferry in Queensferry.

We would arrive in Manchester around 1:30pm - 2:00pm in plenty of time for a few jars  Z** in the Dog & Partridge, before grabbing a burger from the American Burger stand.

Then at around 2:45pm we would be Walking down the Warwick Road.....to see Matt Busby's Aces!

Around 7:00pm dropped off at the Links  Z** before going home to get changed.

We would then meet back in town  Z** then maybe, just maybe get a taxi to the Old Hall  Z**











  

[DaveR]

Colwyn Bay FC have been rocked by the shock decision of the Cartwright family, who have run the club since 2007, to step down just weeks after the Seagulls won promotion to the Blue Square Bet North.

It follows a stormy club AGM last Monday and chairman Geoff Cartwright announced that after considerable reflection and with much regret, he and his two sons, managing director Darren Cartwright and Matchday Operations Director Martin Cartwright, have decided to step down from the board.

All three are directors of The Bay Management Team Ltd (TBMT) which has run the club on behalf of Colwyn Bay Football Club Ltd.

In a statement they said that the current relationship with some of the club's existing directors, who were re-elected by shareholders at the AGM, was: "no longer a tenable or workable prospect, mainly stemming from an apparent lack of shared vision and trust."

Geoff Cartwright performs his last duty as chairman by attending Saturday's Blue Square Conference AGM at the Celtic Manor, with his resignation effective from tomorrow (Sunday).

That leaves the club needing to appoint a new chairman with the new season, which presents a huge new financial challenge for the club, only nine weeks away.

Club President Roger Skinner said the news had come as "a complete shock". He added: "The remaining board members will now have to meet to discuss where we go from here."

Player-manager Dave Challinor said: "The timing of this is obviously not ideal and hopefully things will get sorted out sooner rather than later in terms of moving the club forward."

The North Wales-based Cartwrights, as TBMT Ltd, took over the management and operation of Colwyn Bay Football Club in 2007, with the support of shareholders, after an appeal for boardroom support, and they implemented a five year plan aimed at achieving Conference level football for the club within five years.

Back to back promotions in 2009/10 and 2010/11 have seen that achieved.

The statement from TBMT Ltd says: "The tenure has also seen a stadium development plan drawn up, which provides a tangible vision and goal to work towards in the coming years. Wtih average match attendances up, season ticket sales increasing year on year, record sponsorship deals secures, TMBT Ltd are set to leave the board feeling vindicated in their aims and ideas for the club.

"TMBT Ltd would like to wish the club, the supporters, volunteers, sponsors, its management team and playing staff every success in the future, building upon the vision set in motion both 'on' and 'off' of the pitch."

[Bri Roberts]

There was quite a coach load on the Llandudno coach which departed from the Carlton at around 10:30am: Norman Owen  Big Lee from Abergele  Steve "Hendricks" Byrne  Daz Twitchett  George Ollerton  Dave "Chunks" Williams  John Gregory  Dave Pierce  Dave Farr from Junction  Glyn Morris  "Toffo"  "Chunky"  Ian Gadd  Kevin Higgins  Tony Elliott  The Elliott twins, Gary & Terry  Nicky Caroll  Bob Jones  Robert Jones  Shaun "Saucy" McSorely  Steve "Rico"  Ray Brassington & Sons  Matt "Bianco" Stewart  John "Weasel" Breeze  Steve Caine  Alfie Roberts  Brian Roberts  Ben Casey  "Beef"  Ron Atherton Jnr  Marcus Walker  Mike Morris  Ralph Morris  Chris "Crunch" Hughes from Bill's coach  and Russell Redpath from Eddie's coach  to name but a few 

Trojan, I certainly wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of one or two of those characters.

I didn’t know there was another Brian Roberts in town supporting Man Utd.

Nevertheless, it sounds they were really good days-out for a very long time I suppose until such time as Norman Owen gave up running his 'bus' to join up with Bill Griffiths and then I suppose it was just the one pub stop at the Plough on Aston Hill.

Would you believe the first time I ever met John Gregory and Marcus Walker was walking down the Ramblas on the afternoon of the 26 May 1999 when our group of four stopped a small group of Man Utd supporters carrying a Draig Goch and asked then where they came from? 

[Hugo]

Would you believe the first time I ever met John Gregory and Marcus Walker was walking down the Ramblas on the afternoon of the 26 May 1999 when our group of four stopped a small group of Man Utd supporters carrying a Draig Goch and asked then where they came from? 

When John Gregory was a very young boy, I took him and my younger brother Bryn to watch Man Utd play at Old Trafford. We sat in the old stand and John who was a very keen supporter  was soon waving his wooden rattle about but  got carried away in his excitement and wacked a young Utd supporter on the back of his head with this heavy wooden rattle.
Luckily I was there to calm him and the other supporter down.   

[Trojan]

There was quite a coach load on the Llandudno coach which departed from the Carlton at around 10:30am: Norman Owen  Big Lee from Abergele  Steve "Hendricks" Byrne  Daz Twitchett  George Ollerton  Dave "Chunks" Williams  John Gregory  Dave Pierce  Dave Farr from Junction  Glyn Morris  "Toffo"  "Chunky"  Ian Gadd  Kevin Higgins  Tony Elliott  The Elliott twins, Gary & Terry  Nicky Caroll  Bob Jones  Robert Jones  Shaun "Saucy" McSorely  Steve "Rico"  Ray Brassington & Sons  Matt "Bianco" Stewart  John "Weasel" Breeze  Steve Caine  Alfie Roberts  Brian Roberts  Ben Casey  "Beef"  Ron Atherton Jnr  Marcus Walker  Mike Morris  Ralph Morris  Chris "Crunch" Hughes from Bill's coach  and Russell Redpath from Eddie's coach  to name but a few 

Trojan, I certainly wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of one or two of those characters.

I didn’t know there was another Brian Roberts in town supporting Man Utd.

Yes, when Tony Elliott and "Weasel" took their false teeth out you knew there was going to be trouble. 

"One Brian Roberts, there's only one Brian Roberts.....YOU. (Actually there was a Brian Roberts from Kings Road, but his Dad went more than he did).

[Trojan]

Would you believe the first time I ever met John Gregory and Marcus Walker was walking down the Ramblas on the afternoon of the 26 May 1999 when our group of four stopped a small group of Man Utd supporters carrying a Draig Goch and asked then where they came from?  

When John Gregory was a very young boy, I took him and my younger brother Bryn to watch Man Utd play at Old Trafford. We sat in the old stand and John who was a very keen supporter  was soon waving his wooden rattle about but  got carried away in his excitement and wacked a young Utd supporter on the back of his head with this heavy wooden rattle.
Luckily I was there to calm him and the other supporter down.    

Marcus' family used to run the riding stables at the foot of Bryniau (Cwm Mountain)

John Gregory was a good guy. He used to come down to London with us if we went by car and I'd always end up driving the rental as I knew London quite well.  ^*^0

[Trojan]

Would you believe the first time I ever met John Gregory and Marcus Walker was walking down the Ramblas on the afternoon of the 26 May 1999 when our group of four stopped a small group of Man Utd supporters carrying a Draig Goch and asked then where they came from?  

Do you remember a dark haired guy with dark, shoulder length hair wearing jeans and a denim jacket with a United scarf around his neck, looking like a Stretford Ender from the 70's with the group? He most definitely would have had a few.  Z**

That would have been Steve "Hendrix" Byrne from Winllan Ave. His wife became worried because he didn't retrun home after the game, but it turned out that he stayed celebrating in Barcelona for a week afterwards.  

[Trojan]

When John Gregory was a very young boy, I took him and my younger brother Bryn to watch Man Utd play at Old Trafford. We sat in the old stand and John who was a very keen supporter  was soon waving his wooden rattle about but  got carried away in his excitement and wacked a young Utd supporter on the back of his head with this heavy wooden rattle.
Luckily I was there to calm him and the other supporter down.    

There's a blast from the past  

http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/06/21/satans-instrument-the-vuvuzela-and-noisemaking-in-world-football/

Though appearing as early as 1900, the rattle became the ubiquitous din to football matches in Britain after the world war. They had been popularised during the war as a way of warning people of gas attacks: their simple noise making capacity saved many lives. Holding the handle and spinning the rattle made a loud clacking noise, and this was soon transported to the terraces.

[Jazz]

Does anyone know much about this football club.
Played in the European cup winners cup 1963.
Talking to a man in the pub-I think his name is Derek Boulton who played for them.
He would like photos\video's if there is anything available.
Can anyone help with info.

[Bri Roberts]

You will not find much better than this link managed by Gwyn Hughes from Deganwy to which I once contributed to.

http://www.soccerscrapbook.co.uk/Borough/index.html

Unbelievably, I began a scrapbook myself at the very beginning of that successful 1963-64 season.

So what I have still in my possession is fairly unique.

I attended the 30th anniversary in 1994 hosted by Stephen Houghton at his Bryn Morfa Caravan Park.

Steve went on radio and TV in the North West and Midlands and found most of the players who came down, visited the old Nant-y-Coed football pitch and travelled around in an open top double-decker bus.

Later in the evening, there was a civic reception for them and the BBC provided a recording of one of their European games.

How is Derek Boulton keeping these days?

I am sure he came over for the 1994 Reunion so will certainly appreciate the video?

It is hard to believe we are only three years away from a possible 50 year reunion.

[Bri Roberts]

Correction – My scrapbook starts at the beginning of the highly successful1962-63 season and follows through to Borough United playing in Europe during the 1963-64 season.

[Jazz]

Thanks Bri,
Derek is well and playing golf nearly every day. He is a member of Wolstanton Golf Club.
I see him regularly at the Cricketers pub in Wolstanton, Newcastle, Staffs.
He was there for the reunion. I saw him on the video.
I will give him the information & am very grateful for your reply.
No doubt he will be looking forward to your 50th.