One Of Our Buses Is Missing.

One Of Our Buses Is Missing.

One of the most memorable days in Corby Town’s FA Cup history was on October 16th 1982 when the Steelmen travelled to high flying Kidderminster for a Third Qualifying Round tie. This game occured during the infamous reign of Colin Clarke as Player/Manager. An inspired move by the board of directors, getting Clarke to leave Kettering smacked of ambition. A charismatic figure, bellowing like a bulldog, he certainly added a bit of colour to the place. Assembling a half decent team, Corby gained promotion to the newly reformed Premier Division and the crowds were improving all the time. 

Player/Manager Colin Clarke bellowing once again..

The Kidderminster game came about as a result of knocking out Halesowen Town and Bedworth United and with only one defeat all season this game caught the imagination. A good following from Corby was guaranteed, on the day hundreds made the trek across to the West Midlands. Corby folk have never been slow to recognise when a good day out is in the offing. Buses were chartered by several watering holes around the town and with kick off approaching the Corby crowd were doing their team proud. Topped up with ale, the Corby choir was in fine voice with various renditions of popular songs booming out of the cowshed of a stand. Two young police constables, obviously inexperienced, panicked and nearly lost control. Although there was a lot of noise there was never a hint of any trouble but unfortunately one of the young officers couldn’t see that the crowd was only extracting the urine. Common sense happily prevailed and once the game was underway everybody calmed down and concentrated on the game. With Billy Best away on holiday Corby’s team showed one change with Richard Paterson taking his place.  Team; Dick Dighton, Derek Walker, John Peacock, Andy McGowan, Richard Paterson, Colin Clarke, John Flanagan, Cass ‘Hamish’ Knight Roy Clayton, Elwyn Roberts and Charlie McGowan.

Dick Dighton showing how he became known as The Flying Postman.

The game was only three minutes old when Kidderminster caught Corby cold, Phil Mullen heading home after Clarke twice fumbled attempted clearances. Far from dampening the spirits of the travelling fans the noise intensified as Corby fought back. Efforts by Andy McGowan, Clayton and Paterson went agonisingly wide while Dighton was only called upon about twice. Advice was being given to the Corby team by many of the fans singing ‘Pass the ball down the left hand side’ - their version of of a reggae hit at the time. It was a reference to get the ball to John Flanagan and his famous left leg. At half time, the score remained the same with Kidderminster having a 1-0 advantage. During the interval the talk was about the number of fans who had travelled from Corby. Remembering this was the year of the Falklands War, a famous quote from a newsman was “I counted them all out, and I counted them all in”, referring to the number of Harrier jets leaving an aircraft carrier. A similar line was mentioned at Kidderminster which referred to the number of buses to have left Corby. One was missing! It was during the half time break the biggest cheer of the afternoon went up when the rogue bus turned up. Apparently there'd been a misdemeanour in a Market Harborough Off Licence en route which caused the delay.

The second half got underway with the Corby support bolstered by another 50 or so supporters. Corby fought hard for the equaliser which duly came in the 66th minute. A free kick on the edge of the area usually resulted in a goal when John Flannagan was about and this was no exception as a beautifully dipped shot from Flanny sailed over the wall and the keeper. 

John Flanagan wins the raffle, a fortnight in Mablethorpe

Just four minutes later Kidderminster keeper Parry fumbled an Elwyn Roberts shot and Cass Knight prodded the ball home to give Corby the lead and send the visiting supporters into raptures.  The atmosphere was electric and the game was boiling up by the minute. Two minutes from time the game did finally boil over. Harriers’ John Horne climbed all over ‘Hamish’ Knight and they both went down in a tangle of arms and legs. The referee took drastic action and sent them both off. It was soon forgotten though when a Charlie McGowan thunderbolt rebounded off keeper Parry and Roberts swept the ball home to kill the game stone dead. Corby triumphed 3-1, a memorable afternoon that had everyone singing in the rain.

'Hamish'

On the following Monday there was an announcement that had ominous undertones. ‘Board members Arthur Pitcher and Mick York are seeking re-election at tonight’s AGM at the Supporters Club’.

But the main topic was; ‘How to trim the expenditure’, ‘How to cut back on expenses’ and ‘how to improve on the £14,000 accumulating deficit’. After the next round of the FA Cup was over ( the disastrous Holbeach game), we were all to find out. 

Elwyn Roberts

And so was Colin Clarke…

Trains and Boats and Planes..in 1965/66

                                                  Trains and Boats and Planes 1965/66

George Jagger firing a shot at Luton's goal in the Cup replay

Though no automatic promotion existed, the Southern League Premier Division was the stepping stone into the Football League. Clubs could apply to replace the bottom clubs on the league ladder who it seemed was always Hartlepools and Chester, but a ‘closed shop’ policy did ensure that any upstarts would be kept out which caused much resentment as you can imagine. Didn’t deter an annual parade of non league clubs trying to gatecrash this select band’s circle and hard to believe nowadays, even the Steelmen applied a couple of times! All to no avail as you would gather! More an exercise in bullshit if truth be told. Only chance was if a club went bust as happened with Accrington Stanley in 1962 who were replaced by Oxford United. Over time of course this would change and and just occasionally the door would open and in stepped Cambridge United, Hereford United and Wigan Athletic from the Northern Premier League which had grown in status to parallel the Southern Premier. It would take a lot longer before automatic promotion became normal.

The summer of 65’ was memorable for South Africa playing England in the cricket series, basking in the glory of Corby's promotion and listening to some great music. The Beatles in their prime, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Byrds providing a great soundtrack. Protest songs were in vogue as the Vietnam War escalated. Barry Maguire’s chilling ‘Eve of Destruction’ struck a chord and if we were all still carefree, this and Hedgehoppers Anonymous’ ‘Its Good News Week’ gave us a dose of reality and fear. 

The number one record at the start of the season was ‘Help!’ by The Beatles. Quite an appropriate choice for the Occupation Road DJ to kick the new season off, as ‘Help’ is what the Steelmen would need if they were to make an impression. 

New faces were required for the upgrade to Premier status which manager Tommy Hadden realised and once again he scoured the country for recruits. Disappointing for Corby fans though was the departure of John Rennie to our rivals Kettering who had gone in the opposite direction to us and been relegated which made the news even more of a surprise and I can imagine it was a move John maybe later regretted.

Arthur Hukin and Tommy Crawley also left for pastures new which was a worry with our source of goals gone, a worry which can’t be overstated as these prolific marksmen scored goals for fun. 164 between them in just a couple of seasons. 

Most teams in the Premier Division boasted a number of stars, many ex internationals. In the early part of the season Norman Deeley (Wolves & England), Eddie Clamp (Wolves & England), Peter McParland (Aston Villa & N.Ireland), Hughie Barr (Coventry & N. Ireland) all added some glamour to Corby’s fixtures. That didn’t brother us though, we had Janos 'Johnny' Haasz, signed from Cambridge United. What was the big deal? Well Hungarian Johnny had actually played with the great Ferenc Puskas! Yes the ‘Galloping Major’ of Honved, Real Madrid and of course the Magical Magyars of the 1950s. Deeley, McParland and co couldn’t match that for all their endeavours! 

It was something of a coup for Tommy Hadden to get Johnny and arriving at the same time came some experience with Tony Needham from Scunthorpe, Chartlie McGlinchey ex Nottingham Forest, Alan McBain from Luton Town, Bob Riley from Leicester City. And we still had ex Republic of Ireland full back Dick Whittaker in our team. Nothing to fear then.

First up was Kings Lynn away and a disappointing start in many ways for despite losing 3-2 the Steelmen lost stalwart defenders Barry Parsons and Whittaker through injury. Three days later the first of the so called ‘glamour clubs’ came to Occupation Road, Yeovil Town. For supporters of a certain age they would remember the Glovers as one of the great ‘giant killing’ sides of F.A.Cup history, their reputation sealed with a famous Third Round 2-1 victory over Sunderland back in 1949. They came crashing back to earth in the 4th Round however with a 8-0 thrashing at Manchester United. But that was a long time ago. Meant little and the Steelmen enacted their own thrashing on Yeovil, 4-1 with McGlinchey helping himself to a hat-trick. Wellington Town were next at the Occy Road ground and two more goals from McGlinchey saw them off 2-1.

The Imp

It’s interesting looking at the programmes, both home and away, and discovering or recalling some of the anecdotes. In the Worcester City Midland Floodlit Cup home game it was announced that Mr Fulton of Rockingham Road had won a Hillman Imp in a Supporters Club draw. And that night they were having a re-draw for another car that hadn’t been claimed. Surely you would have known, or heard from someone that you had won a car! Maybe not.

Carnival Queen Joan Floody hands the keys over to Mr Fulton.

Corby’s directors continued to bemoan the lack of support, indeed interest in the club and highlighted a headline in the weekly ‘Pink Un’ which noted that Bedford’s attendance against Cambridge City in the Midland Floodlit Cup, was ONLY 2273. ‘Bedford Fans Snub Floodlit Football’. ‘Oh how we would like to say that 2273 was our highest gate of the season!’ Chairman Andy Logan groaned.

Yeovil’s programme was always worth reading and in the Corby programme they noted that back in 1945 Kilmarnock’s left half White had taken a penalty SIX times in a match against Partick Thistle. The referee had ordered a re-take after each penalty because Partick's goalkeeper had moved. Finally at the 7th attempt, the referee appeared to be satisfied, White stepped up again, and the goalkeeper saved it! 

Never a dull moment north of the border.

The Steelmen’s form was steady in the early months and unbelievably by the end of October we were sitting on top of the league! Maurice Goodall was fast becoming a hero, a hat-trick against Dartford a week before a 4th Qualifying F.A.Cup game against our old foes from Kings Lynn setting him on the path to legendary status. We dreaded this lot, Kings Lynn, they seemed to be a pain in the arse every time we played them. This time though we turfed them out of the cup, 2-1, much to the delight of everyone. Things were looking up regarding interest in the club with local butcher Jimmy Lees ‘very kindly giving us a supply of sausage rolls and Scotch Pies for the game’. The re-draw for the raffle and that car mentioned earlier was won by Mr McKimmie of Sulgrave Drive, another Hillman Imp. And, according to the programme, yet another Imp was up for grabs in the next raffle. Sounds like they couldn’t get rid of them! And would you believe it..the following week they announced - ‘Yes! SIX brand New Motor Cars in Jackpot Competition’. You’ve guessed it. More Hillman Imps! Tickets for the raffle were only a 1/-. A bob, or 10p in todays language.

The draw for the 1st Round Proper was something of a disappointment when we were drawn against fellow Southern Leaguers Burton Albion. We all wanted a league club! Burton probably felt the same.

As it turned out, it's gone down as one of the greatest games in the club’s history.  ‘Nine goals, a hatful of thrills and incidents galore made this F.A.Cup Tie one of excitement and tension right to the very last kick. Nearly 4000 people saw a game that simmered and eventually reached boiling point. They also saw some wonderful entertainment that was a credit to non league football’ enthused The Steelman in the Evening Telegraph. A 6-3 victory saw us in the Second Round of the F.A.Cup for the first time ever, and rewarded with a home tie against Luton Town who were cup finalists just six years previously. And they had a danger man up front in goalkeeper Tony Read! Tony who was on loan at Corby the previous season to cover the injured Alan Alexander and Larry Wealthall. Converted to centre forward, Tony scored a hat-trick for Luton just a week before the Corby game.

The town was buzzing with cup tie fever but my main memory is of getting a job as an office boy in the Steelworks Engineering Shop on the Friday, starting work on the Monday and as events unfolded, having to ask my boss Allan McBride if I could finish work early the next day so I could get a lift to Luton for the replay after the Hatters had robbed the Steelmen of victory on the Saturday with a dubious penalty to make it 2-2. McBride too was caught up with the fever thankfully, but then again with Steelmen manager Tommy Hadden also working in the Engineering Shop, he could hardly say no to me, could he? Nice bloke was Mr McBride! What a night Luton was. Memory blurs over time, for years I couldn’t remember who’s car and who I was with that famous night...until just a few years back when I got talking to an old pal who had returned to watching the Steelmen at Steel Park. Roy ‘Clanger’ Edwards was telling his pal about the time 'we went to Luton'...I couldn’t believe it. Hadn’t seen Roy for donkeys and he's filling me in on who went with us in his car 40 odd years back. Along with me and Clanger was Stan ‘Snowball’ Watkinson and Ian ‘Bomber’ Wilson. Both characters who were well known in local soccer. Stan as a referee, blind as a bat believe it or not and Ian as a midfield destroyer in the local  amateur leagues. Over 13000 were at Kenilworth Road to watch the replay and see a giant killing act that would live forever for the Steelmen fans who were there. Maurice Goodall bearing down on goal to smash the ball past Luton’s keeper Tinsley to win the game 1-0 sent the Corby supporters into ecstasy. Though we all held our breath when Luton's O’Rourke headed over the bar from a corner in the last minute. What a feeling that was when the ref blew his whistle! 

'Maurice Goodall scoops the ball past Luton keeper Tinsley only for the goal to be disallowed for an infringement'

Incidently, the team played in a different kit for the Luton game, because of the colour clash we borrowed the kit, a sort of yellow with a maroon band in the middle of the shirt reminiscent of Motherwell, from Stewarts and Lloyds. Superstition or not, it was decided to retain the gear for the Plymouth tie for good luck, which obviously didn't work! 

For the first and only time Corby Town were in the Third Round of the F.A. Cup, in the hat with Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and the rest. Who did we get? Plymouth Argyle away! Not exactly what we wanted but a good day out was promised whatever the outcome. 

Celebrations after the victory at Luton

Its hard to recall the thrill of this, we would actually be on the BBC Football Results teleprinter! 

Such was the demand, a ‘Football Special’ courtesy of British Rail was organised, hundreds made the trek by rail, road and even airplane! ‘Trains and Boats and Planes’ a massive hit this year for Billy J. Kramer was an apt song for the Steelmen fans! Our support was also boosted by a bunch of sailors, submariners as it happened, who were in port that weekend. I know this because one submariner ended up as a postman at Corby many years later. Alex Rae hailed from Dundee I think, might have been Aberdeen, forget, but Alex who was as funny as hell, a right comedian, overheard me and Cliff 'Yozzer' Hughes talking about the Plymouth game one morning and butted in to our conversation. 'I was at that game!' he said. Unbelievable. Anyway, for all that, we were hammered 6-0! And a milkman called Bickle scored a hat trick against us. What would have happened if George Jagger's shot in the first minute had gone in instead of hitting the post was a question often posed in the aftermath. Well in all honesty all I can say is they would have probably beaten us 6-1! What people wouldn’t remember about this day though, I doubt it anyway, is that we went out of the Cup at the same time as the holders Liverpool who were beaten at home by Chelsea. Good quiz question I would hazard. 

The 'Football Special' racing through Taunton Station. 

Coinciding with the Plymouth weekend were a couple of events of note. The Saturday morning was the final shift of the Bessemer Plant in the steelworks, which was a sad day for my dad and many others who worked there. Dont know why but in such awful and lousy conditions it's the comaraderie they'd miss I supposed. The Bessemer was replaced by the new 'modern' BOS (Basic Oxygen Steelmaking) Plant which for all the modernisation was equally as manky. Grim place I recall. I worked in the BOS Plant for a day when I was with contractors Shanks and McEwan a few years later. Concreting a platform or something. Forget what it was. It was a shit hole anyway.

Also that weekend, local band The Size Seven released their latest single ‘In Time’. Didn’t make a dent in the charts but it was still an achievement and momentous occasion for the boys, Brian Dowell, George Cumming, Jack Stewart, Billy Geary, Alan Black and Ian Murray. I know, there’s only six names there. Female vocalist Alice Reilly wasn’t required for the recording. 

Both the Luton and Plymouth games have been well documented by club historian David Tilley down the years in features he has wrote for various publiucations. If you can get hold of them they’re well worth reading.

Following the cup run was always going to be tough and the season petered out into something of an anti-climax. Four defeats in the next five league games put an end to any aspirations of league success. Players left, players came, someone called A.N.Other featured regularly, used to confuse us when we were kids, who's that? Funny name! Some made an impact like Jim McNamee, who came and left Occupation Road as something of an enigma. Nobody seemed to know who he was, where he came from and then when he left, to our bewilderment, a few months later he showed up at Tranmere Rovers! He scored a few goals for Corby, including a hat trick against Wisbech and he was in the team at Plymouth. Decent player I remember. Monty Brown a forward from Scunthorpe also promised to be a good signing but then went off the boil. Billy Stark from Luton was another who showed some craft at inside forward before his enthusiasm drained. Tommy Hadden was a fan of Billy's, enthusing in the programme about the former Rangers and Celtic youth player, Carlisle, Colchester and Luton forward; 'He certainly knows where the goal lies.' As one goal in seven appearances testified. Others disappointed like winger Terry McQuade of Millwall and Queens Park Rangers fame. Much was expected of Terry, we'd seen him in the Charles Buchan's Football Monthly.

Local youngsters given an opportunity and impressed included goalkeeper George Flecknor and centre forward Neil McWatt. George ended up in Australia and Neil subsequently ended up 'returning' to Scotland.

Johnny Haasz

And Johnny Haasz? What became of our Hungarian star and pal of the great Puskas? Johnny suffered with injuries, his appearances were intermittent, 32 in all, though he did feature in the cup run, most memorably and unfortunately conceding the penalty, which was deemed 'harsh' by The Steelman, in the 2-2 draw with Luton.  Johnny, had scored 40 goals for Cambridge United the previous campaign, his 8 goals for Corby was a disappointing return from what was expected but his injuries didn't help.

A thrilling campaign it had been and thoughts soon drifted towards the following season. How could you follow that? One of consolidation was the general concensus. One thought in my mind was starting shift work in the Tubeworks C.W. Mills and earning some decent money, £11 a week. And I also have to confess, give us, my mate John Wilson in the Club Shop, Wilf who was a shunter on the steelside, some money to broaden our horizons, and start travelling in earnest to follow the Reds, Liverpool F.C. around the country.Another chapter in our lives. Funny how things go full circle. 50 odd years later, we are back where we started! 

Who Needs Cup run anyway! Promotion!

1964/65 

Corby team that clinched promotion with victory over Deal Town.

This was my last year at school. Didn’t have a clue where I was heading. Without an inkling of what I wanted to do the steelworks was beckoning at the end of this term but meantime there was still much fun to be had. Football on Studfall Green was still a priority though numbers were dropping with some of the boys having already left school and entered the big bad world. We all had our dreams and Bip Wetherell’s was to be an entertainer. Bip fancied himself up there on stage belting out soul classics, which he achieved when joining a band called The Bent Society. None of us, less so than Bip, would have dreamt that 30 years down the line Bip would become chairman of the Steelmen. As far removed as me dreaming of being a rock singer with Zeppelin or.… the Bent Society! We were intoxicated with the music scene, the Beatles, Stones, Kinks, ‘Ready Steady Go’, which led us astray with the realisation of the attractions of the opposite sex. Our loins were stirring. The girls were hovering, hanging around and eyeing us all up as we kicked a ball around on the Green. Obviously we were aware and some posing would be done. But more about that later…

Fantasising is all part of growing up and if we were imagining what might be in store for us with the ladies we were still fantasising too that the Steelmen might finally achieve their goal of getting promoted out of the Southern League First Division!

On that front the ‘Boot Room’ had been a hive of activity during pre-season with shopkeeper David Yates being promoted to first team trainer with Donald Johnson taking over the affairs of the second string. 

Tony Read v Kettering

As it was, the omens weren’t good. Goalkeeper Alan Alexander was injured in a pre-season friendly which sidelined him for a couple of months, giving Larry Wealthall an opportunity to establish himself, and then Larry was taken off at Tunbridge Wells with an arm injury which effectively ended his Corby career! A temporary goalkeeper in the form of Tony Read from Peterborough came in to cover for Alan and Larry and it has to said, proved to be more than adequate. A superb goalkeeper, top class. He returned to the Posh and later signed for Luton Town, as centre forward - and became a prolific goalscorer!

The bulk of the team from the previous year started the campaign with just a couple of new recruits, one of whom made his debut at full back, Jim Walker from Bradford. Three defeats in the first four games didn’t bode well. Goalscorer Arthur Hukin was dropped and then promptly reminded Tommy Hadden he wasn’t finished by scoring a hat-trick for the reserves against Rothwell. They still lost 8-3 for all Arthur’s efforts. Bobby Laverick was an early departure, swapping places with Dick Whittaker at Kings Lynn. Dick was a former Republic of Ireland international full back with Chelsea and Peterborough. His experience would prove invaluable and he was soon elected club captain. Also added was inside forward Terry Curran from Kettering.

One of the most anticipated fixtures on the calendar was the league game with the Poppies. Although there had been many various cup games with Kettering down the years, the sides had only ever

played each other twice in the league which seemed remarkable. The first game came in September at Rockingham Road and a large contingent of supporters travelled over.

Tony Read making his debut was outstanding, Curran scored against his old team and Jagger rounded the afternoon off with a cracking shot from the edge of the area to send us Steelmen fans delirious. 2-1 to the Steelmen! Apart from that my best memory is a rather disgusting one really. Belching out loud, right into the ear of a Kettering fan, not intentionally I’d like to add but the chap turned round, with a runny egg sandwich dripping out of his mouth and muttered something indecipherable! Couldn’t make it out. He wasn’t happy. Course, everyone cracked up laughing! He moved away, with a less than favourable impression of us Corby fans!

An interesting game this season came with the newly elected to the Southern League, Wimbledon. The Dons were the outstanding amateur team of the era and proved to be too hot for most of their opponents this season. It was no surprise the way they developed and eventually gained league status and all that occurred later. The first game took place at Plough Lane on October 3rd and they were too strong for the Steelmen, defeating us 5-2.  The reporter on hand was in eloquent mood describing Corby as being trounced. Describing Corby’s first goal he expressed; ‘Tommy Crawley, as tenacious as a lone Indian seeking a breech in a well protected wagon train chased hopefully after a ball running loose near the Wimbledon area. The Don’s keeper Kelly missed it completely, (he was probably bored by the sound of things), and Tommy bundled the ball into the net’.

Describing Gerry O’Rourke’s goal for the Dons; ‘O’Rourke jumped joyfully as a surprised election winner as a strong close range header eluded Tony Read’. 

If the game was a reality check regarding the prospects of promotion a cup run was on our minds again after beating Arniold 2-0 in the 4th qualifying round. We were given another ‘plum’ draw, this time against league side Hartlepools United. Given that they were perennial strugglers in the Fourth Division, hopes were high of a giant killing act. They did have some class in their team with goalkeeper Ken Simpkin, a Welsh Under 23 international even if he was carrying a bit of timber. Up front they had a Republic of Ireland international, Ambrose Fogerty, so it wasn’t worth getting too carried away. 

Confidence was high for all the esteemed guests and, checking the report - you cant expect me to remember all the finer details of these games, I’m not that good - Corby should have had a two goal lead inside the first twenty minutes. Tommy Crawley, that renowned goalscorer of all types of goals, ‘miskicked with only Simpkin to beat in the Pools goal’.

Simpkin saves point blank from Tommy Crawley

Oh well. Tommy did score more than he missed..something I do remember. Anyhow, against the run of play, our North Eastern friends took the lead when ‘Thompson prodded the ball home in the 26th minute.’ If heads went down, just before half time we were back in the game when left half Brian Wright smashed home a shot from all of 30 yards to draw us level. Half time it was 1-1 and boy did the Bovril taste good! Even now, when I sup a Bovril from Baxter’s Bistro at Steel Park, served by convivial hosts Mags and Sue, memories of the Hartlepools cup tie come flooding back. Well maybe I’m overstating it there but you can’t beat a bit of corn can you.

Simpkin can only watch as Brian Wright's howitzer flies into the net

The second half began with Corby pulverising the Pool - ‘they had Hartlepools in trouble’. But then, would you believe it, ‘in the visitor’s first dangerous attack of the half, the Steelmen conceded a penalty’. John Rennie was the unfortunate Steelman who gave it away, deemed by the ref to have handled the ball when he couldn’t get out of the way, much to the disgust and outrage of everyone  and Fogerty stepped up to place the ball in the back of the net with minimum fuss. The goal knocked the stuffing out of the Steelmen and ten minutes later ‘Entwistle prodded home number three for the visitors’. Does sound like Hartlepools were hoachy, and I do recall the feeling of abject disappointment that we couldn’t beat this lot but maybe the full time fitness was a factor. Did make me wonder though, is that how they scored their occasional goal? A prod here and there? 4511 was the official attendance and the windfall of cash may have softened the blow of defeat for the Steelmen directors, but apparently, no, it didn’t. In the next game’s programme, the following week against Crawley Town, they revealed; ‘Many of our visitors to last week’ game may think that we make a fortune out of such games. The attendance of 4511 brought in receipts of £470. Match expenses (Police, Advertising, Printing etc) totalled £134 (over which was Hartlepools Travel and Hotel Expenses) leaving a net balance of £336. The F.A. took 4% (£13) giving Corby £161 and Hartlepools the same! Taking into account the loss suffered in playing at Arnold in the previous round where we got little more than our Coach Travel, it can be truly said that the Cup brought little if any financial gain for Corby Town F.C !’

Embittered or not, we had to get our heads down again and go for that promotion to the Holy Grail of the Southern League Premier Division. And things weren’t all bad, there was still the opportunity to once again win a ‘Free Car’  in the ‘Jackpot Competition’ run by the Supporters Club. This time it was a brand new Ford Anglia. Seems to be a theme here, looking back I do remember now and again a car being driven round the pitch during half time at games but funny thing, I’ve failed to come across any report or acknowledgement of any winner. Not in the newspapers, not in the programmes. Did anyone actually win a car? The Anglia wasn’t the first car, there was the Austin A40 or whatever it was a year or so before, not casting aspersions here but.. well, make your own mind up. Or was it simply the winner didn’t wish to have any publicity? Couldn’t drive the thing or something? Or were the cars heaps of shite?

Fresh blood was introduced to the Steelmen ranks with the signing of the cultured wing half George Armour from Kettering, the inclusion of local youngster Maurice Goodall, affectionately known as Mo or Maureen to the fans and the signing of schemer Alex Garden from Ashford into the forward line. Maurice was destined for immortality a year later when scoring the goal that knocked Luton out of the F.A Cup but for this season when he replaced the injured Arthur Hukin, his 12 goals proved to be vital come the end of the campaign. 

The draw for the car took place at the Kettering game in February, which ended 2-2 and had the directors moaning again about the poor turn out, only 2000 supporters. In the match programme the club stated ‘The Car Must Be Won!’ Whoever the lucky, or otherwise recipient was, believe it or not, such was the success of this competition, a month later in March, it was announced that there were TWO cars to be won on the next Steelmen Raffle! 

Makes you think, maybe we could introduce a competition like this today. Who knows what fortunes it could bring to the coffers. Anyone know of any bangers going cheap? Can think of a few possible offers from some friends in the Rockingham Arms, ‘The Rock” but they may only have a month MOT or a couple of good wheels, a bald tyre, dodgy exhaust, cracked headlight, dent in the wing but if nothing else, we can promise you a car going cheap! Just the job for a raffle I’d say. 

Rockingham Arms, residence of a few 'Arthur Daley's'

Anyhow, back to the football. The return fixture with Wimbledon was an obvious special attraction, they were pushing for promotion alongside us and a goal from Mo exacted revenge for the 5-2 stuffing they handed to us previously. 1020 were overjoyed with the result.

There were still a number of ex pros plying their trade in non league which should have been a bonus for football fans and Worcester City seemed to have their share. When we travelled to play them in the Midland Floodlit Cup they boasted former F.A.Cup winners Norman Deeley (Wolves) and Peter McParkland (Aston Villa) in their ranks. They promptly hammered us 7-1!

Maurice Goodall challenging the Burton keeper lines to a cross.

Still, regarded as a ‘tit’ competition it didn’t really matter, the league was the main thing and as we approached the end of the season we were well in the running. A game that sticks out was against Sittingbourne at Occupation Road on Grand National Day. Only 375 turned up to watch the Steelmen race home 5-0. For those who sat at home watching the race on the box, they witnessed a horse called Jay Trump first passed the winning post at 100/6.  14 horses out of 47 completed the course. 

Excitement was increasing by the week, Garden was proving an astute signing, the defence was solid, forgetting the Worcester game that is, the team was responding and won 9 out of 10 games, including a 7-1 demolition of Burton Albion  to seal the coveted promotion spot alongside Hereford, Wimbledon and our old friends from the south coast, Poole Town. Deal Town had to be overcome to clinch the promotion and buoyed on by a crowd of 1650 they had no chance. At the final whistle, the fans were delirious, running onto the pitch to congratulate the heroes. Alexander, Whittaker, Pollard, Armour, Rennie, Jagger, Grassam, Garden, Goodall, Crawley and Stenhouse. Missing from the line up due to injury was the unfortunate Barry Parsons, a stalwart for over ten years at the club. Thus the versatile John Rennie, his best mate, was at centre half the game. 

One slight irritation for three of us on the night, myself, Nigel ‘Pop’ Portman and Dick Dighton was the pestering and interruptions of our ‘night to remember’ by three young ladies who were vying for our attention. We couldn’t believe it when they followed us to the match and stood behind us. Lovely they were but sorry girls, we were more excited by the Steelmen! How sad is, or was, that! We were only 15 though! And no, we didn’t walk them home afterwards. Can’t remember what the hell we did to be honest.

Part 7 Lot of Robin goin’ on..63/64

                                                         Lot of Robin goin’ on

                                                            
                                                                    1963/64

Bristol City players checking out the Occupation Road  quagmire before the F.A.Cup Tie

1963 is best remembered for the infamous Profumo Scandal involving Christine Keeler, Mandy Rice Davies, Tory MP John Profumo and the other participants in the sordid affair which brought down the Conservative Government. Commanding the headlines was also Dr Beeching's ‘Axe’ which wiped Corby off the railway map. Then there was the JFK assassination which stunned the world.. and Corby Town hosting Bristol City in the F.A.Cup. Two weeks before the start of the football season there was the Great Train Robbery. With all these events going on it makes you wonder how one could concentrate on sorting out a football team. Tommy Hadden was one manager who faced the task and Tommy was off on his travels again during the summer months with his trusty News of the World Annual in his pocket 

First stop was Barnsley where he picked up wing half George Jagger.  George had a beard, not fashionable at the time. Only beard you saw those days was on the sailor on a packet of Players Cigarettes. Next stop on his journey was Glasgow where left winger Hugh Curran had been released by Third Lanark. Heading south again Tommy picked up former Hereford full back Davy Pollard. To round his trip off he then headed for Bedford where he signed the prolific goalscorer Arthur Hukin. Nice shopping trip you might think, don’t suppose it was like that for a minute really but it was a productive summer for Tom nonetheless. Pollard would become a huge favourite with his robust style of play, fair to say most wingers he faced cacked themselves. Arthur was a great foil for Tommy Crawley and the two of them became known to the fans, us lot anyway, as The Tommy and Arthur Show. Both sort of clumsy, scored goals anyhow or which way for fun. Arthur didn’t lack confidence, telling Tommy he’d guarantee him 30 goals this season. In fact, he was under selling himself, he scored 43! Hadden was confident going into the start of the season with his new look team and showing an element of his tactical genius, he switched Jagger and Curran with great success. George haring down the wing, beard bristling was a great sight. ‘Zigger Zagger, this is Jagger’ was a chant that resonated around Occupation Road from the fans behind the goal as he left another full back for dead. Curran with his sleeves rolled up, barrel chested, slick hairstyle could have been a rock star. Striding forward he was majestic. Formerly a youngster at Manchester United he was heading in the right direction again after his release from Third Lanark and would soon catch the attention of league scouts. Hugh eventually ended up playing for Wolves and Scotland. All thanks to Tommy Hadden

Hugh Curran

you could argue. So with all the enthusiasm and optimism flying around, we then promptly lost the first two games of the campaign against Folkestone and Canterbury! Some tinkering needed done and the next game, again against another Kent team, Deal Town saw the Steelmen return home after thrashing  The Hoops 5-1. Yes, that is their nickname. I’ll leave it there…Burton 3-0 was next before a Monday night return fixture with Canterbury that would long live in the memory. Barry Parsons was missing from the team which caused some consternation for the fans but reserve Frank Will proved an adequate replacement and had the easiest game of his career. The Steelmen won 9-0! Bobby Laverick and Hukin getting four apiece. The other was an own goal. For some reason I can still remember the City full back, a guy called Crombie, having a nightmare against the beard. Jagger ran him ragged and we laughed all night as George went past him time after time. It was the look on his face. Petrified. Laverick was another favourite, his class stood out a mile. 

By this time the fans were getting really excited and using toilet rolls as streamers every time the steelmen laid siege to the opponents goal. Dick Dighton, who would later become a Steelmen star in the 80s recalls: “We were at the Boys School and every Friday or the day before a game we would go round all the toilets in the school and nick the bog rolls. After a time suspicion grew with the caretaker who was scratching his head as to what was behind his disappearing Izals. These were the modern toilet rolls, a step up from the quartered Daily Mirror or Evening Telegraph hanging on a nail on the door in the outside toilet. And long before the more comfortable and softer Andrex. The Izal was the best. Hard as hell on your ass but great for streamers. The trick was to hold the last piece and hurl it on to the pitch or the back of the net. It did get on the club’s tits after a while and a watch was put on to get the culprits. Great fun it was.”

At the Boys School at the time was Frank McGregor, a strapping centre half, head and shoulders above everyone else, literally, he was a big lad. Frank was signed up by Manchester United. Matt Busby thought highly of him but as it turned out, he only lasted a season before after many warnings by Busby, he was released. It later emerged that Frank was ‘keeping the wrong company’, which included a young Irish guy called Georgie Best.  So the story goes.

A game that sticks in the memory was against Barry Town, how many times have I said that. This time it was all about the referee Roger Kirkpatrick. Roger was from Leicester, a squat slightly bald figure resembling Mr Pickwick a character out of a Charles Dickens novel, the Pickwick Papers. Comical he may have looked but he could run backwards faster than you could run forwards,

Roger stepping in between Liverpool's Tommy Smith and Leeds' Billy Bremner

amazing to watch. It was his enthusiasm that caused one of the most bizarre incidents Ive ever seen on a football pitch. Crouching down by the edge of the area for a Corby corner he suddenly choked, nearly keeled over and left everybody watching bemused. What had happened? Corby’s trainer wee Donald Johnson was summoned out of his dugout, hared across the pitch and found a distraught Roger choking on his pea! Well, actually he had bitten the end of his whistle off. You couldn’t make it up.

Roger recovered, a new whistle was found and the game carried on. He was destined for the top and a few years later I was witness at a game when he robbed Liverpool of the League championship at Highbury. Drawing 0-0 with the Arsenal John Toshack scored for the Reds with minutes to go. Enough to win the league. The scousers were ecstatic, until Roger blew his whistle and cancelled the goal out! He claimed Toshack was offside. The scousers went berserk, including our lot, John Wilson, Alan Clarkson, Pat Devlin, Dennis Taylor. Jeff Stewart was also at the match with his mates and recalled spying Roger on the train home afterwards. Having approached and chastising him, polite way of saying things, Roger made an escape to hide in the toilet. And the funny thing is, many years later, during the 90s, Jeff met up with Roger when Jeff was chaperoning a tour of sports people around in South Africa. And asked him if he remembered that night! I’m pleased to say there was good will and laughter all round.

This was by far the best start to a season for a long time and hopes were high of a decent cup run and reaching the first round proper for the first time in a decade. The last time was in 1954 when I was four, so it was before my time but Watford came along and knocked us out 2-0. Lockheed Leamington, nickname The Brakes, away in the 4th qualifying round had Corby fans dreaming of getting through and drawing a league team out of the hat in the first round. Had me dreaming too, so much that I booked a seat on the supporters bus even though I dreaded coach travel. Years of being sick on busses going to Wales had ingrained in me a fear of these charabancs. But, I took the bull by the horns, was on my own come to think of it, where were all my pals? And lo and behold, the relatively short trip to Leamington saw me spewing my guts up again! I recovered in time for the match and we managed to scrape through for a replay, 2-2. By the time of this, the draw had been made, Monday dinnertimes those days on the radio. essential. Another piece of magic Sky TV and the FA have managed to dispense with.

We were drawn at home to Bristol City! Wow. The Robins. They included former England

John Atyeo

international centre forward John Atyeo. I had a picture of him in a football book! Big J promised to give Barry Parsons a real test that was for sure. If we beat Leamington in the replay that was. Tension was appreciable. To make matters worse Tommy Crawley was missing with a thigh injury obtained at Leamington. Jimmy Stanley stepped in. A crowd of over 3000 turned out to see a nail biting encounter until Alex Stenhouse fired home after Laverick set him up. The jitters only intensified as Lockheed fought for an equaliser, taking their foot of the brakes you might say. Shorthose and Straw failed with only Alexander to beat and then they had a shot that crashed against the bar. I don’t remember this to be honest..I read it in the Telegraph when I was looking this up! Not long before the end a defender scored an own goal to make it 2-0 to the Steelmen and the men from the Brake manufacturing company of Lockheed were beaten. Worn down. Thats the best pun I can come up with but the final whistle was the cue for a pitch invasion which I do remember!

So to Bristol City. Cup fever hit the town big time. Programmes were printed and sold around the

pubs the week before the game, rosettes,  hundreds of them it seemed, were made and sold by some entrepreneurial wise guy. A daily bulletin of injuries and updates on City was posted in the press. One downer for the Steelmen fans was that Bobby Laverick would be missing due to suspension after being sent off a month before at Trowbridge. It was a feeling akin to when Roy Keane missed out the European Cup Final for Manchester United in 1999 under similar circumstances. Well OK might be getting carried away there but you get my drift. Laverick was an experienced former league player, saw service with Chelsea, Brighton and Everton, pure quality and to have him missing the most important Corby game for years was almost disastrous. Young Jimmy Stanley, who was having trials at Leicester City once again stood in. 

Incidently, the music being supplied by Harold Sturgess at BBS Records in the Town Centre for the Steelmen featured a whole swathe of sounds from the Merseybeat phenomenon. The Beatles were the sensations but at number one the week of the Bristol game was a record that would become iconic and the all time football anthem. Gerry and the Pacemakers with ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Have to say that the faithful behind the Occupation Road goals weren’t singing this though. The repertoire which was usually led by our pal Frank Clayton included ‘Daisy daisy, give me an answer do…’ ‘Zigger zagger’ or as Frank preferred, ’this is shagger, this is shagger..’ and the old chestnut ‘A Steelman for me..’

Frank 'cheerleader Clayton pictured fourth from the right on back row of the Corby Boys School team 1963

The pitch was a typical Occupation Road quagmire. The middle resembling Skegness beach. Makes you smile nowadays wondering how some of the superstars would cope on a pitch like that.  A crowd of over 6000 crammed in, spectators even clambered up the floodlights to get a better view. When Barry Parsons led the team out, the roar deafened even the noise from the steelworks! Real cup stuff this was. The Steelmen tore into the Robins, headers from Crawley and Hukin grazed the bar before the place went wild when Tommy Crawley fired Corby into the lead. Bristol with Atyeo battering away up front, a feller called Jantzen Derrick on the wing, an England Under 23 international gathered their composure and before the half time whistle was blown, City were 2-1 up! The second half was similar to the first, Corby working tirelessly for the equaliser. Jagger, Stenhouse, Hukin, Stanley, Crawley all had efforts turned aside by Gibson in the Bristol goal. With time running out, Clark nailed it for City with the third goal two minutes from time. That was the dream over, but what an exciting game it was. Thats the magic of the F.A.Cup. Or was.

                                                         Jimmy Stanley goes close against Bristol City

After the disappointment of the cup exit, form dipped temporarily and it took until january to get things back on track in the league. Two 6-0 victories over Tunbridge Wells signalled the Steelmen were back. Disappointing for the fans though was that Hughie Curran was being tracked by a host of league clubs and it was inevitable when he left to sign for Millwall. He was converted to centre forward at The Den, moved on to Norwich and then Wolves, scoring goals everywhere and being  selected to play for Scotland in the Home Internationals. Funny the memories people have of players and one that George Bradshaw has is of Hughie Curran having a pint in the Raven the night before the Bristol City game. “Shouldn’t you be at home resting up for tomorrow?” George asked him. Curran looked at George, replied with two words and carried on with his darts match. 

Promotion was still the target and to bolster the team Tommy Hadden signed up a couple of players, wing half Brian Wright from Bedford, who would create his own bit of folklore for the Steelmen a year later, and a former Celtic forward, Jim Sharkey, who had been traipsing around England’s non league clubs before ending up at Wisbech, which is where Tommy Hadden signed him from. Jim made an impact right away, if not on the pitch, but off it. He regularly turned up for matches attired in his bowler hat! Bit of a poser but it went down well with the piss taking Corby crowd, which Jim undoubtedly loved. My memory of Jim was that he started off well, scoring twice in a 5-1 rout of Gravesend, and then got slower and slower. Like a slug in the end. Could be why he had so many

Jim Sharkey

clubs. 

The fight for promotion continued and was going well until a trip to the seaside at Clacton put a big dent into it. Around the time there was an outburst of fighting between so-called Mods and Rockers at Britain’s seaside resorts. The scooter brigade against the motorbike boys.  Clacton featured and though there was no connection with the football, there could have been a riot this night thanks to the referee. Arthur Hukin had two goals disallowed and was was then sent off by this gentleman when he thought he should have been given a penalty. In a game fractured with robust play by the hosts it was said the Clacton goalkeeper had the game of his life as his side won 2-1.

The Beatles had released their latest record ‘A Hard Days Night’ whilst Corby were striving to achieve their goal of promotion. You can assume if it was played on the radio on the return journey home this night, the players would have seen the irony.

After this, it was a deflated Steelmen that saw the season peter out. Folkestone were feted as the Champions. Corby trailed in 5th, their best effort since the early 50s. The Tommy and Arthur Show had produced some great entertainment, scoring 77 goals between them. Alex Stenhouse with his rocket shots added another 20 and Bobby Laverick chipped in with 19. 

The promotion so desired was as elusive as ever though and Tommy Hadden was determined to deliver it sooner rather than later. He would be waiting with anticipation for the News of the World Annual to come out in the summer! Bargain hunting again!

Part 6. The End of the World’ - not the U.S. Soviet contretemps - Peter Kearns leaving!

‘The End of the World’ - not the U.S. Soviet contretemps - Peter Kearns leaving!

The Steelmen had been making steady if not slow progress since they entered the Southern League in 1958. Could the trend continue and promotion to the Premier Division be achieved in the 62/63 season? This was Tommy Hadden’s first full season in charge and he had already shown a ruthless streak by saying goodbye to ten players from the last campaign. The search for new players began with the aid of a publication that all football fans waited for every summer. The News of the World Annual. Not only did it have the forthcoming fixtures but also all the stats you needed about players, their appearances, goals, if they had been released, where they were born, a real almanac for football fans, and football managers alike. Tommy Hadden told me he regarded it as his Bible. So, in the beginning…after the Exodus of so many players…he signed goalkeeper Alan Alexander from Bradford Park Avenue. Full back Scott McLuckie was poached from Albion Rovers, John Richards, a premature grey haired fellow was signed from Aldershot. He looked older than what he was, I remember thinking he looked like my granddad in a football kit. He was faster than that though, even if he wasn’t easy on the eye. Another signing was a wee fellow with an appropriate name, David Short. Snapped up on his release from Bedford, Davie must have only been about four feet tall! He played on the wing, was a bit of a whippet and Hadden obviously thought the little guy would prove to be an asset as he slipped between defender’s legs.

Whilst Tommy was flitting around the country looking for players, the Occupation Road ground was being given a facelift with a new roof on the Westfields Road grandstand, the surrounds of the pitch given a lick of paint in club colours, the centre of the pitch dug up for new drainage, new turf laid and last but not least, a new brick built tea kiosk to replace the old wooden shed at the Occy Road end of the ground. And in case Maw Broon was looking on in envy from the kiosk that was her domain in the stand, this too was given a makeover. Not that we noticed much. When she opened the shutters, clouds of steam would still belch out and envelop you. Don’t know what the renovation was, maybe they had a new tea urn or something. The cost of the whole revamp was £1760, ‘paid for by supporters, officials and directors, including 21/- from Gateman Tommy Edwards.’ who if I remember right, was the miserable chap who commandeered the gate at the top end of the ground, and scowled at all of us youngsters who he thought were trying to sneak in. We avoided him best we could. To be honest this was all part of the fun. Climbing up the Poplar trees at the Welfare End to scramble over the wall, crawling through hedgerows behind the Westfields Road stand, sneaking through gardens and climbing over garden fences at the Occy Road end. And trying to steer clear of the eagle eyed Tommy!  

Excitement was gripping us lads in the street. A group of us set about making banners for the coming season. Wood, nails, tins of paint were sought out from sheds or the back of shops. We painted slogans on the banners, ‘C’mon the Steelmen’, ‘The Steelmen For Me!’ The day of the opening game against Barry Town, we trudged off, six of us, carrying these wooden banners, noisy rattles, a hooter, all the way down Occupation Road like a band of CND marchers. Women looked out of windows to see what the racket was. It wasn’t ‘Ban the Bomb’ or “Get out of Vietnam!’ we were hollering, it was ‘Up the Steelmen!’

By the time we were settled on the half way line, perched on the perimeter pipe, we were knackered! Our enthusiasm drained. Great fun it had been, but at the end of the match, which Corby won 2-1, we dumped the banners. We couldn’t be arsed carrying the things home again! 

The Corby 'Ultras'.

The season was off and running again. Sittingbourne away was the next match and a rude awakening and bruising encounter it was. Jimmy Kelly was sent off for retaliation, Scott McLuckie was stretchered off with a head injury and we were down to nine men, holding our own despite the handicap, and then Alan Alexander was fouled as he attempted a save in the last minute, the referee turned a blind eye, the goal stood and the Kent boys had won it 2-1.

The Steelmen dressing room looked like a casualty ward. 

Niggles and aches would cause an early season selection crisis which wasn’t helped when wee Davie Short was stung on the back of his knee by a wasp! You couldn’t make it up. Could have been the reason why the Steelmen struggled to gain some rhythm in the early matches but they still managed to negotiate their way through the early rounds of the F.A.Cup though manager Hadden was clearly unhappy about things. Despite defeating St Neots 1-0 he described the game as pathetic. Tommy might have been losing some sleep over the football but worldwide there was a crisis brewing that threatened to to make everyone lose some sleep. The Cold War was being ramped up with the Cuban Missile Crisis after the Soviet Union had sent warships carrying their cargo of nuclear warheads towards Cuba. The world was on the brink of Armegeddon. U. S. President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Kruschev were playing a game of poker with the survival of the planet at stake. The world held its breath as they negotiated a way out of the crisis. The fears were real. The tension great. Even as a 12 year old I can remember the worry that this was going to be our last day on earth. Fears not eased with a huge hit by country star Skeeter Davis being played relentlessly on the airwaves. ‘The End of the World’. Was that coincidence or exploitation to get a hit? Sounds dramatic and a tad over the top but whatever, you had to be there. 

When Kennedy and Kruschev sorted things out we got our heads down again at school. Not that I was an academic by any stretch, I was more interested in getting into the school football team to be honest. Charlie Kluk was holding trials and so I asked him if I could turn up. “What position do you play Smeez?” I told him, thinking that not many would claim they wanted to be a defender, that right back was my preference. The trial at the Studfall Infants School ground, where the Boys School played their games, went well, Charlie picked me for the first game at the Our Ladys School, and I played in every game we had that year! Not at right back though I hasten to add. I’d made a balls up in the last minute of that game when we were drawing 2-2 and tried to dribble the ball out of the area after our keeper Robert ‘Nick’ Nicol was left stranded. My mucker Danny Coyle took the ball off me and scored! Couldn’t believe it! And I’ve never forgotten to call him ever since. Anyway Charlie moved me into the inside left position, I scored a couple against Hazel Leys in a 5-2 win, then a few more against the Grammar School, 10-3 that was against the rugby minded lot and a few more against other schools. In the team were future Corby heroes Gordon Hall and John Fyfe and future Corby Club Shop star, my old pal John ‘Wilf’ Wilson. 

Anyway, away from all that, Jimmy Kelly had meantime left for pastures new at Wisbech with the Fenmen’s Tommy Huckstepp coming the other way. Tommy was a barnstorming centre forward, whatever that was meant to be. Never have heard of anyone storming a barn but that was the term they used. Memory does have him as more of a wrecking ball but I guess he complemented Tommy Crawley who picked up the pieces. Larry Wealthall remembers Tommy Huckstepp's arrival. "His first game was in the reserves, and the shorts were all in a heap, first come first served basis. Tommy was left with the baggiest shorts. 'F--- me!' he said in his cockney accent. I know there's a lot of Jocks at the club but I didn't know we played in kilts!'"


David Short had been released at his own request, never quite got over being stung by that pesky wasp! Two significant moves occurred prior to Christmas. One was Peter Kearns, the popular inside forward inevitably leaving and signing for league club Aldershot, just a few weeks after he’d scored four goals in an 8-0 demolition of Tunbridge Wells and had signed off with a brace in a 3-0 win at Burton Albion on Boxing Day which brings back fond memories for winger Gordon Anderson. "I vaguely remember a bottle of whiskey kindly supplied at half time by Burton which was happily devoured with our tea. Can't remember the half time score  but I think the drink worked the opposite way Burton thought it might!"
There were a lot of sad faces around when it was announced but Hadden had already lined up a replacement and in came a guy who would become over ther next decade, a Steelmen legend. Alex Stenhouse from Bedford. Alex had one of the fiercest shots in football. Forget Bobby Charlton, Peter Lorimer. When Alex lined up a shot, you could feel the excitement and intake of breath. BANG! Wilf in the Club Shop was such a fan of Alex he would be shouting 'SHOOT!' as soon as he appeared out of the players tunnel.

'Hot shot' Alex Stenhouse 

Everyone will associate the Cold War with the relations between east and west in those early years of the 60s but in the winter of 62/63 there was another Cold War to contend with. The freezing and horrendous weather that consumed the country. Snow began on Boxing day and never let up until three moths later. The country was at a standstill. Only a handful of football matches were played. A Pools Panel of former professional players and a referee was set up to help the millions of punters who placed their bets on the football matches every weekend. Unfortunately the cold weather didn’t prevent us from going to school! On the upside though, you could make slides a 100 yards long on the paths and have fun crashing into each other and garden hedges. Old people whinged about it and threw buckets of salt over the slides to spoil the fun but we just made another one! Best fun of all was standing in the Boys School playground on the corner of Pen Green Lane and James Watt Avenue with all the other kids and cheering and laughing at everyone coming off their bikes as they tried to round the corner. Especially the teachers. There weren’t many had cars those days. If they did they were old bangers. The favourite was a loathsome teacher called Parker, if he fell off his bike he got the biggest cheer of the lot. His idea of punishment was standing on one leg with arms outstretched for half an hour. If you began to wilt he’d be there with his cane. Dispicable bloke. 

As we headed into 1963 shivering, coal fires and paraffin heaters going into overdrive, a lighter note came with the emergence of a Liverpool band that came to have a seismic effect on the music world and life in general. The Beatles! Suddenly the austerity and dullness of the post war years were canned with the Beatles in the vanguard of a revolution. When we got back to football and the weather had released its hold on the country, the Merseybeat sounds of the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J.Kramer and co were on the play list for the Occupation Road pre-match entertainment, a breath of fresh air from the Frank Ifields, Anne Sheltons, The Temperance Seven. At last the 60s were beginning to swing!

Hardest working man at the club had to be groundsman Fred Loak who had the unenviable task of clearing the snow at Occupation Road but finally the Steelmen were back on the road, away to Cheltenham to give Alex Stenhouse his debut. He scored too, in a 3-2 defeat. Don’t know if he bust the net but he scored nonetheless. 

By all accounts the Cheltenham fans weren’t too enamoured with Corby’s performance, described as robust to say the least. Cheltenham suffered a few injuries but it was Corby’s first game for months so you can put it down to being a bit rusty I suppose. They still won 3-2 anyway!

Steelmen on their way to Kent. Goalscorer Tommy Crawley behind the wheel. "We had to haul him out of the seat, he wanted to drive the bus!' - Gordon Anderson

It took a while to get going again, and it was a couple of trips to Kent that saw us back on the winning trail. 3-2 at Tonbridge and 4-1 at Tunbridge. Then a week later we drew 3-3 with Tonbridge in the return league fixture and then stuffed Margate 6-2, which was an unusual 4pm kick off due to the clash of the Grand National on television. 971 still showed up. Those who preferred to stay at home saw Ayala at 66/1 win the race. Happy days. For those who had a couple of quid on it! 

Interestingly, for those historians amongst us, the day after the Tonbridge 3-3 game was when the infamous Dr Beeching announced his plans for the destruction, reorganisation, call it what you will, of the British Rail network. Hundreds of stations were to close, including Corby’s. Devastating news felt by towns all around the country. Dr Beeching’s axe they called it.

Back on the football pitch, barnstorming Tommy and Rocket shot Alex were among the scorers against Margate as was Gordon Anderson, one of the promising young reserve players that Tommy Hadden had signed on semi professional terms. “Tommy signed me on for £6 a week plus £2 win and £1 draw in the steelworks engineering shop”, Gordon recalls, “he was the mechanical fitter who taught me my trade. As an apprentice fitter I was earning about £15 a week. Happy days. My football money paid for a new Austin 1100, £18 pounds 19 shillings and 11 pence a month!”

A significant signing the week of the Margate game, who went on to win the league, was Bobby Laverick from Coventry City. The former Everton and Brighton forward oozed class and quickly became yet another big favourite with the Occupation Road faithful. Promotion was back on the cards but the tailback of fixtures thanks to the terrible winter we had, derailed the challenge.

Many youth team players were making their mark, Larry Wealthall had tasted first team football but with the more experienced Alan Alexander joining up was now his understudy, Anderson had progressed into the first team and two others had been snapped up by league clubs. Norman Dean at Southampton and Mick Moran at Manchester United. Maurice and Mick Goodall would also go on to carve out successful careers at Corby and Kettering. 

Stars of the youth team taking a winter break on holiday in Blackpool.
Larry Wealthall, Gordon Anderson and Dave Halsey.

The promotion challenge fell at the latter stages of the campaign, similar to the previous season but there was still two games to whet the supporters appetites before the finish. First was the final of the Northants Senior Cup which truthfully speaking was of little interest until we knocked Kettering out in the semi finals to obtain a fixture, at home, against a strong Northampton Town team who had been crowned champions in the Third Division of the Football league. The Cobblers were on a remarkable journey that would take them all the way to the top division before immediately sliding all the way back down again. So, even though the Cobblers, fielding their strongest team, may have taken the game lightly, the Steelmen didn’t. And that man Stenhouse again, with a rocket shot from the wing, and I was right in line with it, sent the Corby fans into raptures when he fired us in to the lead. A David Laird goal secured a 2-0 victory and the cup, the first trophy the Steelmen had lifted for seven years. Proudly held aloft by skipper Barry Parsons in front of a crowd of 2760.

Manager Tommy Hadden "Goodbye Tommy and John!"

The second game of note was a testimonial game against Aldershot for stalwarts Barry Parsons and John Rennie with the added attraction of seeing the return of fans favourite Peter Kearns in the Shots team. 1650 turned up to witness Peter score one of their goals in a 2-1 win but the night belonged to Rennie and Parsons, two of Corby’s finest ever servants. 

The season had stretched well into May and we eventually finished up in 7th place which again was impressive, stable and it seemed that every year, under Tommy Hadden, our hopes of gaining promotion were growing a step nearer. A number of players were released including John Richards and Tommy Huckstepp who had scored 18 goals apiece. Bit of a surprise but they were into their early 30s and, according too the press, the directors deemed them too old and they were looking to sign younger players for the next campaign.