Valley Celtic meet their match

WoodhillWinger

In the 1960's Valley Celtic were a seemingly invincible Sunday afternoon football team playing at Charlton Park in the Metropolitan Sunday League. They used to draw biggish crowds and were well supported even by players of teams playing in the morning section.
However I can remember them playing a team at Charlton Park from the Sportsman League which I think was around the Wandsworth area; this must have been a London Cup fixture and to everyone's dismay VC were beaten. The victory was well earned as they were a formidable team but I can't remember their name; my memory seems to tell me they might have been called Midway or something similar. Anyone else remember this?

Isawlearyplay

Cannot answer your question, but welcome the thread. Sunday afternoon football in SE London thrived at all levels in the 60's. As you say Valley Celtic attracted a good sized crowd - rarely a space on the touchline. Mottingham Social similarly attracted a large following. Quality of football was high - mainly because the amateur game which was played on a Saturday featured players who in later years would have been attached to teams in the Conference and the like. Essentially though the amateur game was at that time in a steep decline - most of the larger clubs such as Bromley always paid generous expenses, and the switch to professionalism was both inevitable and welcomed as a means of cleaning up the sport, where money had become the competitive driver. A few of the larger Sunday clubs paid expenses, but mostly the players sought to be attached to an outfit where they could enjoy themselves. Just occasionally a professional would turn out and I once saw a full English International playing against Mottingham Social. Little wonder Sunday afternoon, was often the highlight of the football week. On a personal note I recall playing for Fairyhill Athletic against VC in a cup match - we scored first against as they say the run of play and then conceded eight ; it could have been more.

Henry Irving

No idea but @killerjerrylee is a director of the London FA and if you can narrow down the dates he might be able to ask their archivist to check

WoodhillWinger

Isawlearyplay said:

Just occasionally a professional would turn out and I once saw a full English International playing

Thanks for your interesting comments Leary. Back in the 60's when I was playing for Beaumont FC in the Metropolitan League we played a team called Evening Standard (after the paper). They had two ex professionals from Millwall in their team, Dave Harper and Joey Broadfoot but we managed to beat them.

WoodhillWinger

Henry, thanks for your help. Unfortunately I cannot narrow it down but it must have been post 1963.

nth_london_addick

Probably the best thread I have read in ages

Elthamaddick

Joe Broadfoot ran the bar at the Old Roan club for quite a few years in the 90's

Tutt-Tutt

My earliest memories of going to football, are of Sunday Football. My old man was old school. Charlton or Millwall on alternative Saturdays, Met League football on Sunday mornings, with Catford or Charlton dogs also in the mix. (If Charlton dogs were on the same night as a game, he'd nip in at the final whistle to see the last race).

I remember a Sunday cup final at the old Cray Wanderers ground, which must have been 65-66 season, when I was five years old, and another Cup Final at Charlton Park, with hundreds at the game. His team was Eltham Hill, who played at The old Greenwich Borough ground. I remember Brian Kinsey playing for them in midfield after he had finished at Charlton. Plumstead Maybloom are a name I remember from my early days. Lewisham Engineers is another name, they played their home games at Ladywell Park, although I'm not sure if they were Met League.

Great thread.

Covered End

Elthamaddick said:

Joe Broadfoot ran the bar at the Old Roan club for quite a few years in the 90's

Joe Broadfoot was in my year at school, Roan 73-80. was this him or his dad ?

Davo55

Tutt-Tutt said:

My earliest memories of going to football, are of Sunday Football. My old man was old school. Charlton or Millwall on alternative Saturdays, Met League football on Sunday mornings, with Catford or Charlton dogs also in the mix. (If Charlton dogs were on the same night as a game, he'd nip in at the final whistle to see the last race).

I remember a Sunday cup final at the old Cray Wanderers ground, which must have been 65-66 season, when I was five years old, and another Cup Final at Charlton Park, with hundreds at the game. His team was Eltham Hill, who played at The old Greenwich Borough ground. I remember Brian Kinsey playing for them in midfield after he had finished at Charlton. Plumstead Maybloom are a name I remember from my early days. Lewisham Engineers is another name, they played their home games at Ladywell Park, although I'm not sure if they were Met League.

Great thread.

Similar memories here. My uncle, Nobby Foster, was a good player for Woolwich Borough/Greenwich Borough on a Saturday and Eltham Hill on a Sunday, during the 60s. He also played for Grays for a while if I remember correctly. Spent many a saturday afternoon and sunday morning down at Harrow Meadow cheering him on.

My brother (John Davis) was a good player too. Started as a junior (as did I,although I didn't progress to a high standard) at Bromley Athletic who played just off Footscray Road - and Brian Mason mentioned in the other thread was a senior player or player-manager there. John went on to play with uncle Nobby for Greenwich Borough and Eltham Hill, and also turned out for Crockenhill, Alma Swanley and Dartford in his time.

I recognise many of the names mentioned in the other thread - in fact i think Robert Deadman was in my year at Eltham Green - but don't know many personally.

Great memories.

Tutt-Tutt

Another team the Old Man would watch was called Two-Seven-Nine, which I think was named after one of the warehouses in the Docks. I think they did well in the FA Sunday Cup when it was introduced in the early 70's. not sure what league they played in, but I remember going to Deptford Park to see them play a couple of times.

WoodhillWinger

Tutt -Tutt I played for Woolwich Town in the Metropolitan Sunday League Premier Division and in 1970-71 we did the double, winning the league and the league cup. The team we beat in the cup final was Two Seven Nine and I think the score was 4-2. They weren't a bad side but as we were unbeaten in the league that year (drew 3 and won the rest) I assume we must have done well against them there too. Our big (and local rivals) were Woolwich Argyle and Greenwich Borough; other rivals were Eltham Hill and I think Mecca.

Acab

WoodhillWinger said:

In the 1960's Valley Celtic were a seemingly invincible Sunday afternoon football team playing at Charlton Park in the Metropolitan Sunday League. They used to draw biggish crowds and were well supported even by players of teams playing in the morning section.
However I can remember them playing a team at Charlton Park from the Sportsman League which I think was around the Wandsworth area; this must have been a London Cup fixture and to everyone's dismay VC were beaten. The victory was well earned as they were a formidable team but I can't remember their name; my memory seems to tell me they might have been called Midway or something similar. Anyone else remember this?

Hi WW. There is/was a big club from the Wandsworth area called "Battersea Ironsides". They had their own ground between Trinity Road and Garret Lane wandsworth/ It could be the team you where thinking of.

kentaddick

Acab said:

WoodhillWinger said:

In the 1960's Valley Celtic were a seemingly invincible Sunday afternoon football team playing at Charlton Park in the Metropolitan Sunday League. They used to draw biggish crowds and were well supported even by players of teams playing in the morning section.
However I can remember them playing a team at Charlton Park from the Sportsman League which I think was around the Wandsworth area; this must have been a London Cup fixture and to everyone's dismay VC were beaten. The victory was well earned as they were a formidable team but I can't remember their name; my memory seems to tell me they might have been called Midway or something similar. Anyone else remember this?

Hi WW. There is/was a big club from the Wandsworth area called "Battersea Ironsides". They had their own ground between Trinity Road and Garret Lane wandsworth/ It could be the team you where thinking of.

my old man played for their rugby team

Acab

Davo55 said:

Tutt-Tutt said:

My earliest memories of going to football, are of Sunday Football. My old man was old school. Charlton or Millwall on alternative Saturdays, Met League football on Sunday mornings, with Catford or Charlton dogs also in the mix. (If Charlton dogs were on the same night as a game, he'd nip in at the final whistle to see the last race).

I remember a Sunday cup final at the old Cray Wanderers ground, which must have been 65-66 season, when I was five years old, and another Cup Final at Charlton Park, with hundreds at the game. His team was Eltham Hill, who played at The old Greenwich Borough ground. I remember Brian Kinsey playing for them in midfield after he had finished at Charlton. Plumstead Maybloom are a name I remember from my early days. Lewisham Engineers is another name, they played their home games at Ladywell Park, although I'm not sure if they were Met League.

Great thread.

Similar memories here. My uncle, Nobby Foster, was a good player for Woolwich Borough/Greenwich Borough on a Saturday and Eltham Hill on a Sunday, during the 60s. He also played for Grays for a while if I remember correctly. Spent many a saturday afternoon and sunday morning down at Harrow Meadow cheering him on.

My brother (John Davis) was a good player too. Started as a junior (as did I,although I didn't progress to a high standard) at Bromley Athletic who played just off Footscray Road - and Brian Mason mentioned in the other thread was a senior player or player-manager there. John went on to play with uncle Nobby for Greenwich Borough and Eltham Hill, and also turned out for Crockenhill, Alma Swanley and Dartford in his time.

I recognise many of the names mentioned in the other thread - in fact i think Robert Deadman was in my year at Eltham Green - but don't know many personally.

Great memories.

Hi, Al, good post. I Remember Nobby playing for Eltham Hill. Big crowds at Harrow Meadow Sunday morns 500+. I do believe he worked at Tate and Lyle with my dad during the sixties.
Good times at BAFC also. Remember when our dads run the youth team for one season.
Are u in the East stand Saturday. havnt seen you around for some time. We can talk about you impending 60th. ho ho.

Davo55

Acab said:

Davo55 said:

Tutt-Tutt said:

My earliest memories of going to football, are of Sunday Football. My old man was old school. Charlton or Millwall on alternative Saturdays, Met League football on Sunday mornings, with Catford or Charlton dogs also in the mix. (If Charlton dogs were on the same night as a game, he'd nip in at the final whistle to see the last race).

I remember a Sunday cup final at the old Cray Wanderers ground, which must have been 65-66 season, when I was five years old, and another Cup Final at Charlton Park, with hundreds at the game. His team was Eltham Hill, who played at The old Greenwich Borough ground. I remember Brian Kinsey playing for them in midfield after he had finished at Charlton. Plumstead Maybloom are a name I remember from my early days. Lewisham Engineers is another name, they played their home games at Ladywell Park, although I'm not sure if they were Met League.

Great thread.

Similar memories here. My uncle, Nobby Foster, was a good player for Woolwich Borough/Greenwich Borough on a Saturday and Eltham Hill on a Sunday, during the 60s. He also played for Grays for a while if I remember correctly. Spent many a saturday afternoon and sunday morning down at Harrow Meadow cheering him on.

My brother (John Davis) was a good player too. Started as a junior (as did I,although I didn't progress to a high standard) at Bromley Athletic who played just off Footscray Road - and Brian Mason mentioned in the other thread was a senior player or player-manager there. John went on to play with uncle Nobby for Greenwich Borough and Eltham Hill, and also turned out for Crockenhill, Alma Swanley and Dartford in his time.

I recognise many of the names mentioned in the other thread - in fact i think Robert Deadman was in my year at Eltham Green - but don't know many personally.

Great memories.

Hi, Al, good post. I Remember Nobby playing for Eltham Hill. Big crowds at Harrow Meadow Sunday morns 500+. I do believe he worked at Tate and Lyle with my dad during the sixties.
Good times at BAFC also. Remember when our dads run the youth team for one season.
Are u in the East stand Saturday. havnt seen you around for some time. We can talk about you impending 60th. ho ho.

Hi Steve - yep, I'll be there, wearing my tin hat and anti-stab vest. Got 9 months before I hit 60 and it's all wild, wild, wild til then!!

Isawlearyplay

Agree 'Nobby Foster' was a lovely player to watch -always alert / quick in the tackle. We attended the same school - it was always thought then that Nobby would go down the professional route. These are good memories being raked up.......good life then as a kid - Saturday morning : school or district / Saturday afternoon : Valley one week the Den the next / Sunday morning : club team / Sunday afternoon scamper around to find one of the elite sides (where this thread started). What strikes is the estimated number of people who would trek to often distant Parks and Recs to watch good football and good players. And finally does anyone recall Colin Colishaw - I think that was his name. he played Saturdays for Cray Wanderers and I think Waring was his Sunday outfit. A big and assertive centre forward, who could rile a crowd, and frighten referees - even in those days he had a sort of cult status for all the wrong reasons.

WoodhillWinger

Acab said:

WoodhillWinger said:

In the 1960's Valley Celtic were a seemingly invincible Sunday afternoon football team playing at Charlton Park in the Metropolitan Sunday League. They used to draw biggish crowds and were well supported even by players of teams playing in the morning section.
However I can remember them playing a team at Charlton Park from the Sportsman League which I think was around the Wandsworth area; this must have been a London Cup fixture and to everyone's dismay VC were beaten. The victory was well earned as they were a formidable team but I can't remember their name; my memory seems to tell me they might have been called Midway or something similar. Anyone else remember this?

Hi WW. There is/was a big club from the Wandsworth area called "Battersea Ironsides". They had their own ground between Trinity Road and Garret Lane wandsworth/ It could be the team you where thinking of.

Hello Acab, thanks for suggestion. Ironsides doesn't ring a bell but Battersea in this connection might (or is it just that my nan and granddad grew up in Battersea?). Anyway I appreciate your help in this. I remember this game as we were so use to seeing VC win.

Starinnaddick

Some real names from the past on this thread.
Plumstead Maybloom had Jimmy Paris who played for Walthamstow Avenue and Roy Passey. Brendan Greatorex was in their team when he was only fifteen. Woodlands had Micky Harrington and Colin Johnson . Mottingham Social had a real tough midfielder Alan Basham. However Valley Celtic were the best. Players like Ray Hutchins, Peter Bonner, Patsy Meagan, Bert Howe. Teddy Saunders, Terry Carter, Gerry German, Dennis Sauce, Bobby Dack, Coughlan, Rolls and others they really put on a show.

WoodhillWinger

Who remembers Brian Moore who played up front for Woolwich Argyle? He was a class player who I played against but by then he was past his prime but still a very good player. I can remember a Plumstead Maybloom centre half from the 60s/70s who was also a classy player but can't recall his name. He had ginger hair, was very slim and used to play with a comb tucked in one of his socks and drove an MG sports car.

Starinnaddick

Brian and his brother John were both very good players. The centre half could have been Bobby Finch.

Isawlearyplay

Good to hear this roll out of names. Alan Basham ( Mottingham Social ) was a wonderful player, and features throughout ' The Bromley Boys -The True Story of supporting the worst football team in Britain' by Dave Roberts - Amazon £8.49. Page turner / very very funny...highly recommended to those who watched a lot of football during this era, and indeed to anyone who loves the game.

The two Stevens brothers also played for Mottingham Social - Johnny who was full of tricks and Bomber who could really strike a ball. From memory Teddy Saunders ( VC ) played for Maidstone on Saturdays - he had both tricks and a fearsome shot.

MrOneLung

Had never heard of the FA Sunday Cup until this thread.

Just googled it and surprised only 134 teams entered this year.
Would have thought would be more popular than that.

WoodhillWinger

Starinnaddick said:

Brian and his brother John were both very good players. The centre half could have been Bobby Finch.

Star, that's the one, Bobby Finch. Well done mate. Another old timer who was a good player was when I had a season at British Ropes (Saturday League of some description) and his name was Denis Day. He had a brother named John who died young (playing football?) and one of the trophies that we played for on a Sunday was The John Day Cup, named in honour of him.

paulbaconsarnie

Used to watch eltham hill on Sunday's in the early 80s. They had a lot of the greenwich borough Saturday side playing for them. Phil waghorn, Johnny Davis, John dunning, Steve kirby and Steve Barry are some names I remember. (Some may have been borough players only).
They played in yellow and green stripes like west broms old away kit.
Remember them playing 2-7-9 at what is now flamingo park and returning to the borough club to find a plane had crashed in sutcliffe/roan playing fields.
There was also a side that played at the borough called battersea Celtic.

Acab

Davo55 said:

Acab said:

Davo55 said:

Tutt-Tutt said:

My earliest memories of going to football, are of Sunday Football. My old man was old school. Charlton or Millwall on alternative Saturdays, Met League football on Sunday mornings, with Catford or Charlton dogs also in the mix. (If Charlton dogs were on the same night as a game, he'd nip in at the final whistle to see the last race).

I remember a Sunday cup final at the old Cray Wanderers ground, which must have been 65-66 season, when I was five years old, and another Cup Final at Charlton Park, with hundreds at the game. His team was Eltham Hill, who played at The old Greenwich Borough ground. I remember Brian Kinsey playing for them in midfield after he had finished at Charlton. Plumstead Maybloom are a name I remember from my early days. Lewisham Engineers is another name, they played their home games at Ladywell Park, although I'm not sure if they were Met League.

Great thread.

Similar memories here. My uncle, Nobby Foster, was a good player for Woolwich Borough/Greenwich Borough on a Saturday and Eltham Hill on a Sunday, during the 60s. He also played for Grays for a while if I remember correctly. Spent many a saturday afternoon and sunday morning down at Harrow Meadow cheering him on.

My brother (John Davis) was a good player too. Started as a junior (as did I,although I didn't progress to a high standard) at Bromley Athletic who played just off Footscray Road - and Brian Mason mentioned in the other thread was a senior player or player-manager there. John went on to play with uncle Nobby for Greenwich Borough and Eltham Hill, and also turned out for Crockenhill, Alma Swanley and Dartford in his time.

I recognise many of the names mentioned in the other thread - in fact i think Robert Deadman was in my year at Eltham Green - but don't know many personally.

Great memories.

Hi, Al, good post. I Remember Nobby playing for Eltham Hill. Big crowds at Harrow Meadow Sunday morns 500+. I do believe he worked at Tate and Lyle with my dad during the sixties.
Good times at BAFC also. Remember when our dads run the youth team for one season.
Are u in the East stand Saturday. havnt seen you around for some time. We can talk about you impending 60th. ho ho.

Hi Steve - yep, I'll be there, wearing my tin hat and anti-stab vest. Got 9 months before I hit 60 and it's all wild, wild, wild til then!!

Look out for me sat. i'll be hanging around the cider stall up the slope, I might even treat ya.