Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog, page 3

‘A fitting heir to the crown worn by Farm, West and Waiters’

Kevin Anthony Thomas 1945-2022

Kevin Thomas was born in Prescot on 13 August 1945 and, after schoolboy football, he played his early senior football as a goalkeeper for Prescot Cables in the Lancashire Combination. Blackpool’s Merseyside scout Verdi Godwin spotted him, knew that he was good enough to play League football and recommended him to Blackpool manager Ronnie Suart. Blackpool duly signed him as an amateur on 29 March 1966 and after watching him in the Blackpool junior sides Suart regarded him as ‘a great prospect’.
He made his debut for the reserve side in the Central League against Manchester United reserves on 4 May 1966 when Blackpool lost 2-1. He also appeared in the two final Central League games of the season, a 9-0 victory over Chesterfield reserves on 7 May 1966 and a 1-0 defeat by Manchester City reserves on 9 May 1966, thus playing three Central League games in the 1965/66 season.
He was signed as a professional just prior to his 21st birthday on 2 June 1966 when his weekly wage was £16 plus an additional £14 if and when he played in the first team. And he began the 1966/67 season as the regular goalkeeper for the Central League side as England international Tony Waiters held the first team spot. He went on to alternate with Alan Taylor for the goalkeeper’s spot in the Central League side until he made his League debut in the top flight of English football against Sheffield United at Bloomfield Road on 8 April 1967 and he was quickly in action ‘when brilliantly cutting out a low diving header from centre forward Jones in the opening minutes’. He later ‘made a fine save from Woodward’ but, despite having had much of the play, Blackpool lost 1-0.
After missing one League game he returned to the side to play in the final four games of the season, beginning with a 1-0 home defeat by Everton on 22 April when with the score 0-0 he ‘did well to hold on to a Gabriel lob under the challenge of Royle and Ball’ but the former was to sink Blackpool later with the only goal of the game when his powerful header just defeated him as he ‘got a hand to it but could not keep it out of the net’.
On 29 April there followed a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage against Fulham, both goals coming from Alan Clarke before a 3-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion on 6 May. In the latter game Tony Green made his Blackpool debut and the Birmingham Daily Post reported, ‘Thomas, their new young goalkeeper, and Tony Green, a young inside-left signed recently from Albion Rovers, shone particularly brightly for Blackpool.’ And after goals from a free kick and a penalty to add to Jeff Astle’s opener the final comment was ‘Osborne [WBA goalkeeper] matched the fine goalkeeping of Thomas.’
And his season culminated in a 3-1 victory at high-flying Liverpool on 13 May 1967 when he played his part in what the Liverpool Echo described as ‘this full of confidence Blackpool defence’. This was only Blackpool’s sixth victory of the season and their second on Merseyside, having previously beaten Everton 1-0. Unfortunately the poor run of form saw them relegated to Division II.
He played five League games, 22 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1966/67 season.
The encouraging post-season comment by manager Stan Mortensen was, ‘This boy has done exceptionally well in the few games he has played for us. I was particularly pleased with his fine display against Liverpool in the last match of the season. In this game I thought he was excellent.’ One critic’s view of him was ‘Kevin has made his mistakes. But he has a quiet, professional confidence in his own ability, a keen eye, quick reflexes and good positional sense and anticipation. When time and experience have rubbed off the rough edges, Thomas could be a fitting heir to the crown worn by Farm, West and Waiters.’
He began the 1967/68 season in the League side, playing in a 2-0 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale on 19 August 1967 and then retained his place for two further games before Alan Taylor took over following a 4-1 defeat by Millwall on 26 August 1967.
Back in the Central League side, he was often in the news such as when he kept Blackpool in the game against Burnley reserves on 24 February 1968 as he firstly ‘pulled off a great save from the Burnley winger [Murray], pushing the ball for a corner’, secondly when he ‘did well to cut out a centre from Bourne’ and then when, as France burst through, he ‘spotted the danger and rushed out to clear at the expense of a corner’. Blackpool won the game 2-0 with goals from Ronnie Brown and Tony Marsden.
Although playing only three League games in the 1967/68 season, he was a stalwart of the Central League side in which he appeared 38 times. He also played three Lancashire Senior Cup ties and three friendly games.
Once again in the 1968/69 season he was a regular in the Central League side, playing 34 games. However he did return to the League side for his first appearance of the season when he replaced the injured Alan Taylor in the third round FA Cup tie against Coventry City on 4 January 1969 when Blackpool lost 3-1 after conceding three goals in the final seven minutes.
And he later replaced ‘flu victim Taylor in the League side for the game against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 for his first League appearance of the 1968/69 season. He was ‘taken by surprise’ after just two minutes when ‘Godfrey unleashed a right-foot drive from 25 yards that went high into the top left-hand corner of the net’ but Blackpool recovered to draw 1-1 and he retained his place for three further games, a 2-0 defeat by Bury, a 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers and a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.
In addition to his Central League appearances he played four League games and one FA Cup tie in the 1968/69 season.
With the signing of Harry Thomson for the 1969/70 season Blackpool decided that they had a surplus of goalkeepers and on 3 September 1969 Blackpool reluctantly announced that they were prepared to listen to offers for him. Even so he played two Central League games at the start of that season, with his final game for Blackpool being a 2-2 draw with Burnley reserves on 6 September 1969.
After a Blackpool career that had encompassed 12 League games, one FA Cup tie, 99 Central League games, four Lancashire Senior Cup ties and four friendly games he was transferred to Tranmere Rovers for a fee of £3,000 on 10 September 1969. He went on to play 18 League games for Tranmere Rovers before a transfer to Oxford United in July 1971 after a recommendation from former Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters. He played five League games for Oxford United before moving for a short spell with non-league Kettering Town.
He returned to League football when he was transferred to Southport in July 1974 and he won the club’s Player of the Year award in his first season, 1974/75, when he appeared in 44 of 46 League games, one FA Cup tie and one League Cup tie.
A knee injury suffered in training in December 1975 cost him his place in the Southport side and although he made an attempt at a comeback, in a 4-0 defeat by Crewe Alexandra on 13 February 1976, it was not to be. And he had played 67 League games, two FA Cup ties and four League Cup ties for Southport when they, with great sadness, cancelled his registration on 6 May 1977 when he was obliged to retire from first-class football on medical advice.
But he was not finished with the game for he joined non-league Barrow in the summer of 1977 and he remained at the club for five seasons, apparently playing with his leg strapped up the whole time. And he made a return appearance at Bloomfield Road in a pre-season friendly game on 1 August 1979 when Barrow defeated a Blackpool reserve side 4-1.
He was a crowd favourite at Barrow where ‘his agility and bravery were never in doubt’ and he even scored one goal. That goal was a twice taken penalty against Gravesend & Northfleet at the end of the 1981/82 season. For his loyal service, Barrow gave him a joint testimonial with Dave Large against a Manchester United XI.
After leaving Barrow he helped out Wren Rovers in the pre-season of 1983/84 in order to solve a goalkeeping crisis at the club and he once more he appeared against Blackpool in a pre-season friendly game on 4 August 1983 when his side lost 2-1.
Workington Town signed him for the 1983/84 season and he later played local league football in Blackpool and made a fleeting non-league comeback with Runcorn in 1985.
After retirement from football he became a postman in Blackpool, retiring in 2009. He was also a first-class tennis player, being a member of South Shore Tennis Club for many years.
He died in Trinity Hospice, Blackpool, on 9 October 2022. John Cross, secretary of Blackpool’s Former Players’ Association (FPA) commented, ‘Desperately sad news to report that former Pool goalie Kevin Thomas has passed away yesterday. Kev had suffered a massive stroke earlier in the week. Sincere condolences go to Kev's wife Judy and the family, daughter Justine and two grandchildren, and to all Kev's many friends. R.I.P. Kev x.’ John added, ‘Kev was a great pal of mine having worked with him in Royal Mail for 15 years or so. He loved his family and all his friends and it was always great to be in his company [having also known him, I can confirm that, RIP Kevin]’.
Blackpool Football Club released a statement on social media that stated, ‘The club is saddened to learn of the passing of former goalkeeper Kevin Thomas at the age of 78. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family.’
His funeral will take place at Carleton Crematorium on Thursday 27 October at 2pm.

THE GERRY WOLSTENHOLME TENS

A BIBLIOGRAPHY

Each of the publications was privately published and issued in a limited edition of 10 copies, each one signed and numbered by the author. They consisted of a title page, the text, a varying number of pages, and a limitation page and were presented in a red plastic folder with adjustable spine.

1. Netherfield v Barrow An epic cricket poem 2006 10pp.

2. Twenty of Rossall School, with two bowlers v The All England Eleven Rossall, May 1862 2006 8pp.

3. Victory in VJ Week, North of England v Australian Services Blackpool
16, 17 August 1945. 2006 14pp.

4. “Bowled at last”, The Strange Story of Richard Gorton Barlow’s Headstone 2006 8pp.

5. George Duckworth on Bodyline at the Mount Street Fireside Fellowship, Fleetwood, October 1933 2007 1p.

6. Controversial ‘Ciss’: Cecil Parkin, Blackpool Cricket Club Amateur 2007 12pp.

7. “[Tommy] Mitchell Won It”, The Controversy behind Blackpool Cricket Club’s Ribblesdale League Championship 1933 2007 7pp.

8. A Little Known Sydney Barnes Cameo, Blackpool v Whalley, May 1929 2007 5pp.

9. Cell Break in Seven Minutes: Harry Houdini in Blackpool, June 1905 2007 6pp.

10. The Tragic Death of Frederick Bull, once of Essex County Cricket Club 2007 7pp ills.

11. A Photographic Mystery A Lancashire County Cricket Club Team Group 1907 and 1908 2008 8pp ills.

12. Jack Bond’s Last Stand: Lancashire v Middlesex, Lord’s 15 July 1972 2008 6pp ills.

13. Early Cricket in the Fylde Rossall Hall v Preston, September 1848 2008 6pp ills.

14. Oscar Wilde in Blackpool ‘The House Beautiful’ Lecture, 12 December 1883. 2008 6pp ills.

15. A Bumper Benefit – Cyril Washbrook Lancashire v The Australians Old Trafford, 7, 9, 10 August 1948 2008 12pp ills.

16. “Enchanting Place!” Noel Coward in Blackpool, September 1942 2008 6pp ills.

17. The Blackpool Cricket Club Tour of The Lake District, June 1899 2008 8pp.

18. The Match That Never Was Lancashire v Surrey at Stanley Park, Blackpool 27-30 August 2008 2008 8pp ills.

19. Early Cricket in the Fylde Rossall Hall v Fleetwood 19 September 1845 and 6 October 1845 2008 8pp ills.

20. “A delicious walk by the sea”, Charles Dickens in Blackpool, April 1869 2008 8pp ills.

21. The First Incarnation of Blackpool Cricket Club 1872 – 1874. 2008 6pp front cover ills.

22. Kitchener Memorial Match for the benefit of the Accrington Pals Captain Harwood’s England XI v The Mayor’s Lancashire & Yorkshire XI Accrington, 6 September 1916 2008 8pp ills.

23. “An enterprising and entertaining batting display of cricket”, Frank Howarth’s Reward Blackpool v Clitheroe 2 August 1941 2008 4pp ills.

24. A Test of Endurance: Blackpool FC defeat six of Chelsea 29 October 1932 2009 7pp ills.

25. Frank Woolley’s cotton-county century: Lancashire v Yorkshire Haslingden, 23 August 1916 2009 4pp ills.

26. An unofficial baggage master Lancashire v West Indians Blackpool, September 1957 2009 8pp ills.

27. Reminiscences of a first-class groundsman at Rossall School 1938 Dennis Sullivan, ex-Surrey and Glamorgan 2009 8pp ills.

28. “Now for the Ladies” … The Battle of the Roses Lancashire v Yorkshire Blackpool, 15 and 16 August 1934 2009 12pp ills.

29. Young Malcolm Hilton bags Bradman – twice! Lancashire v Australians Old Trafford, May 1948 2009 10pp ills.

30. “Here and Hereafter” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on Spiritualism, Winter Gardens, Blackpool 20 January 1920 2009 10pp ills.

31. Harold Gimblett’s Benefit and a First County Game for Glastonbury, Somerset v Northamptonshire 26, 28 & 29 July 1952 2009 14pp ills.

32. Lancashire v Sussex, Blackpool 31 August, 1 & 2 September 1960 An Essay in Celebration of Jon Filby’s half-century & Murray Goodwin’s Benefit Year 2009 8pp ills.

33. ‘Sides They’ll See at the Seaside’ Blackpool v Sheffield Wednesday, 10 December 1925 2009 10pp ills.

34. Richard Gorton Barlow remembers Johnny Briggs, January 1902 2009 8pp ills.

35. Blackpool’s Superbowl Sundays Air Service Command Warriors’ perfect season, Bloomfield Road, 1944 2010 5pps front cover ills.

36. Some Blackpool Cricketing Heroes of the Past 2010 12pps ills. NB: Produced in a limited edition of 30 copies.

37. Calypso Cricket for Rohan Kanhai’s Benefit Blackpool v West Indian XI 26 July 1962 2010 6pps ills.

38. An Early Appearance for a young Ernest Tyldesley, Lancashire v XXII Colts 27,28 April 1908 2010 6pps ills.

39. “Somewhere on the high seas” Blackpool FC captain Jack O’Donnell goes absent without leave, December 1931 2011 8pps ills.

40. Twenty-two years on Red Rose Champions again – after last match success Lancashire v Nottinghamshire Old Trafford, August 1926 2011 13pp ills.

41. Bill O’Reilly and Frank Ward rout England England XI v Australians Stanley Park, Blackpool 31 August, 1 September 1938 2011 10pp ills.

42. Cricketer, Footballer, Administrator, Gentleman The Multi-talented Jim Cumbes 2011 6pp ills.

43. Early visitors from the Caribbean An England XI v West Indians Blackpool 26, 27, 28 July 1906 2011 14pp ills.

44. More Ashes for Australia ‘The Ashes of Peace’ – Body-line Burnt at Blackpool 5 November 1934 2011 2pp front cover ills.

45. The Atomic Boys: Blackpool FC’s colourful band of supporters explode on the scene 2011 14pp ills.

46. Dexter’s Derring-do all in vain England v Australia, Old Trafford July/August 1961 2012 18pp ills.

47. Learie Constantine to join Blackpool Cricket Club for the 1938 season. Will he sign or will he not? 2012 10pp ills.

48. The formation and first season of The Northern Cricket League 1952 2012 8pp ills.

49. Greg Chappell The Player’s County League’s First Centurion Somerset v Surrey, Bristol 15 June 1969 2012 10pp ills.

50. The untimely death of a cricketing legend Edgar Arthur (Ted) McDonald Blackrod, 22 July 1937 2012 12pp ills.

51. Blackpool Cricket Club’s Bolivian spy wicketkeeper Roy Sheffield, formerly Essex CCC 2013 16pp ills.

52. ‘May I borrow your umbrella, please?’ A casual remark and its consequences 2013 8pp ills.

53. Old Trafford under water England v Australia 8, 9, 11 and 12 July 1938 2013 10pp ills.

54. In Quest of the 'mythical ashes' England ladies v Australia ladies Stanley Park, Blackpool 26, 28, 29 June 1937 2014 14pp ills.

55. A tragedy delayed … The untimely death of Blackpool Football Club's Jimmy Hampson 10 January 1938 2014 20pp ills.

56. The English [FA] Cup holders surprisingly vanquished South Shore v Aston Villa 2 July 1887 2014 5pp ills.

57. An historic match Glamorgan v South Africans St Helen's, Swansea 4 and 6 August 1951 2014 10pp ills

58. Gala Day Cricket at Whitegate Park, Blackpool 13 June 1914 2014 8pp ills

59. An ill-fated tour Rajputana Cricket Club in England, 1938 2014 15pp ills

60. Dickens on Dickens: Alfred Tennyson Dickens at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool 5 November 1910 2015 13pp ills

61. Visitors from across the pond Blackpool FC v Canada 4 January 1892 2017 5pp ills

62. A Grand Charity Match: W Strutt-Cavell's XI v XVIII of Twickenham 17 September 1900 2017 12pp ills

63. Blackpool Football Club: The Stanley Arms Solution 22 July 1887 2018 6pp ills

64. The First MCC Tour of Australia: A Scarce Piece of Cricket Memorabilia from 1903 2018 4pp ills

65. For King and Country: Remembering the six Blackpool FC footballers who were killed in action in World War I 2018 9pp ills

66. Blackpool FC's worst ever player …? George T McLay 30 January 1897 2019 2pp ills

67. Lancashire County Cricket Club’s Annual Pic-Nic to Blackpool: Presentation to JT Tyldesley, August 1906 2020 3pp ills

68. 10 for 102 and All That, being the story of Bob Berry’s 10-wicket triumph for Lancashire against Worcestershire at Stanley Park, Blackpool, 29, 30, 31 July 1953 2021 10pp ills

69. Kiwi War Cry at Bloomfield Road Blackpool Borough v New Zealand, 10 September, 1955 2021 8pp ills

70. Tom Goddard Benefit Match Sir Julien Cahn’s XI v Mr B.H. Lyon’s XI Stinchcombe Stragglers Ground, 13 and 14 September, 1936 2021 14pp ills

71. An interview with Tom Hayward followed by A Complimentary Dinner in his honour at The Lion Hotel, Cambridge 23 April, 1902 2022 12pp ills

72. ‘Our Visitors are nice fellows …’ The South Africans in Ireland 1907: All Ireland XI defeated at College Park, Dublin, 5, 6, 7 August 2022 13 pages ills

Local boy Steven Croft steers Lancashire to victory

Nottinghamshire 338-8 Lancashire 341-7

In his 600th competitive match for Lancashire, Blackpool-born Steven Croft masterminded Lancashire’s dramatic three-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire in the quarter-final of The Royal London Cup at Blackpool’s
Stanley Park last Friday. On the same wicket as the 742 runs were scored in the previous game against Northamptonshire last week, a further 679 runs were added, this time including 63 fours and 16 sixes. Once again, much to the delight of the home crowd, Lancashire pulled off victory as they overtook Nottinghamshire’s 338-6 to win with 341-7 with nine balls remaining.

Keaton Jennings once again won the toss and put Nottinghamshire in to bat on a wicket that once again looked to be in favour of the batsman. Openers Ben Slater and Sol Budinger proved it to be so with a sparkling opening partnership of 98 in 14.3 overs. The only alarm for Notts came when Slater was caught at deep mid-on when on 18 only to discover that Jack Blatherwick had bowled a no=ball.

The pair moved serenely on and looked likely to put on a century opening partnership when Budinger, who had passed 50 in 41 balls with five fours and three huge sixes, tried one big hit too many, fell short and was well caught by Luke Wells on the deep mid-wicket boundary for 56, after adding one further boundary to his tally, George Balderston being the successful bowler.

Lancashire’s bowlers tightened their grip somewhat as Slater and Lyndon James found it more difficult to pierce the field as they put on 62 runs in 13.3 overs. A bowling change brought about the latter’s downfall as Croft’s off-spin induced a return catch and he was gone for 29 and it was 160-2.

Notts’ captain and former Lancashire and England opener Haseeb Hameed was at number three but he survived only seven balls as he made four before he returned a catch to Danny Lamb to make it 167-3 after 31 overs. Then, on his 31st birthday, Slater, having passed his half-century in 62 balls, went to his century from 117 balls with 12 fours but he survived only a further four balls before Lamb took a superb diving catch at deep mid-off from the bowling of Liam Hurt and he was gone for 104 with Notts 239-4. Lamb’s catch was so spectacular that he had to demonstrate it to his admiring team-mates as the batsman departed!

Slater had been helped in a 72-run fourth wicket stand by South African Matthew Montgomery, who was to reach his half-century in 42 balls and who, with Liam Patterson-White, 15 from nine balls with one four and one six, put on 37 for the fifth wicket before the latter holed out to Hurt on the boundary off Balderson; 276-5.

Montgomery was finally dismissed for 78, from 56 balls with eight fours and two sixes, at 311-6 when he tried one reverse sweep too many against Lamb and Wells at backward square leg took a top-edged catch. Hurt bowled Fateh Singh first ball at 312-7, Brett Hutton made a speedy 24 from 13 balls with two fours and one six, before he was caught in the deep off Lamb and South African Dane Paterson finished the innings off with six, six, two off the only three balls he faced from Lamb and with Dane Schadendorf six not out, Notts finished at a respectable, but perhaps 30 or 40 runs short, on 338-8.

Lancashire began their reply speedily and there were 33 runs on the board when Jennings, 23, edged Hutton through to Schadendorf off Paterson after just 4.5 overs. There followed a 52-run partnership in 43 balls between Wells and Josh Bohannon before the former, 47 from 32 balls with six fours and two sixes, was caught in the deep by James off Paterson.
Croft, who had begun watchfully and more sedately than is his usual wont, was joined by Dane Vilas and the pair added 61 runs in 10.3 overs before Vilas’ run-a-ball 29 came to an end when Hameed, who from the final ball of the previous over had dropped Croft from a head-high chance at mid-wicket, held on to a more difficult chance at extra cover off Montgomery from the first ball of the following over to send Vilas back to the pavilion at 180-4.

The Notts’ bowlers tightened their grip and scoring slowed considerably and the required rate rose to more than 10 an over. Trying to force the pace, Balderson was caught by Hutton off the spin of Montgomery for 15 at 205-6 and then Lavelle brought a sense of urgency back with some speedy running between the wickets and some meaty striking, two fours and one six in his 18, was caught by James off Montgomery at 237-6 by which time the rate had been brought down to around eight runs per over.

Croft, with the more than able assistance from Lamb, then took over. The pair raced to a 94-run partnership with Lamb’s 43 containing two (dreaded) ramp shots for four along with two further boundaries and one six when he was caught by Patterson-White off Hutton for an excellent 43. By then, 331-7, Croft had passed a superb century in 95 balls – his first 50 took 61 balls - with eight fours and two sixes and he had reduced the required rate considerably. He then struck successive fours and went on to make 115 not out off 105 balls with 10 fours and two sixes as he took Lancashire home by three wickets with Hurt not required to face a ball.

Footnote: The 22 yards that had realised 1,421 runs in the two Royal London games was used once more on the Saturday after the Nottinghamshire game and Blackpool’s opponents Longridge could not match what had gone before as they were bowled out for 114! Blackpool knocked off the required runs for the loss of just two wickets.

Run Fest at Stanley Park

Northamptonshire 370-4 Lancashire 372-6

The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.

After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.

Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.

Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.

Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.

Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.

Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.

George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.

Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.

It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.

An Uncompromising Defender

Henry Mowbray 1947 - 2022

Born in Hamilton-on 1 May 1947 he was a full back who played his junior football for Blairhall Colliery before signing for Cowdenbeath for the 1966/67 season. He went on to play 20 League games and score one goal for Cowdenbeath. Blackpool scouts were impressed with what they saw and the club signed him for a fee of £6,000, plus an additional £2,000 after he had played 20 League games, on 1 May 1967. It was the record fee that Cowdenbeath had received for a player at that time.
He made his Blackpool debut in a pre-season friendly game against Hibernian on 8 August 1967 when he replaced Roger Aindow at half-time in a 6-2 victory for the Seasiders. He made a second appearance in a pre-season friendly game that ended in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City reserves on 12 August.
He opened the season in the Central League side against Preston North End when Blackpool lost 3-2 on 19 August. He also played in the second Central League game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on 26 August.
After his first two Central League games he made his League debut against Ipswich Town on 29 August 1967, replacing Tommy Thompson, when the game was drawn 1-1. Thereafter his form was such that he retained his place for 11 further League games before he suffered an injury in a 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers on 28 October kept him out of the side for three games.
He returned to action to test his fitness in a Central League game against Aston Villa reserves when Blackpool won 4-0 but after a second game when Wolverhampton Wanderers were defeated 1-0, he required further treatment. Immediately he felt that he had recovered full fitness he was reintroduced into the League side against Portsmouth on 2 December as John Craven, who had been substituting for him, returned to the forward line. Blackpool lost the game 2-1.
He played four games but the injury was still troubling him and he had to withdraw from the side. After further treatment he had an extended run in the Central League side before returning to League action in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on 16 March 1968. He retained his place until the end of the season when he had played 27 League games and had been an integral part of the Blackpool side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight on the slenderest of goal average at the first attempt. He also played three League Cup ties, nine Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and two friendly games in the 1967/68 season.
After playing in three pre-season friendly games when the Seasiders toured Scotland, he started the 1968/69 season as the regular left back in the League side, appearing in the opening 10 League games and three League Cup ties until injury against Manchester City in a third round League Cup tie put him out of action. Blackpool won the City game 1-0.
He was to play only two further League games that season, action against Portsmouth on 14 December 1968 when Blackpool lost 1-0 and against Aston Villa on 22 March 1969 when the game was drawn 1-1. He did, however, make spasmodic appearances for the Central League side and ended the season having played 12 League games, three League Cup ties, nine Central League games and three friendly games in the 1968/69 season.
He began the 1969/70 season in the Central League side and played 10 of the first 11 games before he earned a League recall against Middlesbrough on 27 September 1969 when he replaced the injured Bill Bentley as Blackpool won 2-0. He kept his place for a lengthy run in the side.
And after Blackpool had beaten Millwall 3-1 on 11 October 1969 and had not lost since Mowbray got into the side one critic wrote, ‘One player who has played a man-sized part in Blackpool’s recent successes is left back Henry Mowbray, whose career is taking another turn for the better after a few ups and downs in the past year. Mowbray spent most of last season on the sidelines because of an injury and eventually underwent a cartilage operation early in the year. And when he recovered his first team spot had gone to Bill Bentley, who the club had bought from Stoke City for £30,000. Mowbray’s chance to get back to the limelight came when Bentley was injured in the League Cup match at Crystal Palace on September 24. He played against Middlesbrough the following Saturday and although Bill is fit again now Mowbray has held his place. Blackpool were fortunate in having a ready-made replacement for the defence after losing the services of a first team player like Bentley. Let’s hope we have not tempted fate by saying it but Mowbray had not been in a losing Blackpool side up to last week since making his comeback.’ Blackpool finally had an eight-game unbeaten run after his arrival in the side.
In the season that Blackpool regained top flight football, he went on to play 24 League games plus making two substitute appearances, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties plus making one substitute appearance in the competition, 12 Central League games, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and one friendly game for Blackpool in the 1969/70 season.
He started the 1970/71 season as substitute for the League side and he replaced John Murray after 59 minutes in the opening game when Blackpool lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town on 15 August 1970. As Bill Bentley moved to midfield, he kept his place in the side for a number of games thereafter.
He scored his one and only first team goal for Blackpool in the 4-0 victory over West Ham United in the third round of the FA Cup on 2 January 1971 when he latched on to a free kick taken by Tony Coleman and fired the ball home 10 minutes from time. He did score another senior goal for the club in what turned out to be his final game in a Blackpool shirt when he scored the winner for the Central League side in a 3-2 defeat of West Bromwich Albion reserves on 1 May 1971.
He played 25 League games plus making one substitute appearance, one League Cup tie, two FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, eight Central League games, scoring one goal, and two friendly games for Blackpool in the 1970/71 season. In his Blackpool career, therefore, he made 104 League and Cup appearances and 38 Central League appearances. He also played 10 other games.
With Jimmy Armfield as manager of Bolton Wanderers, he was well aware of Mowbray’s ability and so he secured his transfer from Blackpool for a fee of £4,000 on 4 May 1971. He went on to play 31 League games for Bolton before leaving after the 1972/73 season.
He joined St Mirren for the 1973/74 season and he played 18 League games for the club in his one season there. He left the club to join Australian side Melbourne Hakoah for the 1974/75 season. He played in excess of 50 games for the club before moving on to Hakoah Sydney City. He also spent time at both his Australian clubs as a coach. Outside of football, he worked for the Australian government while playing in Sydney.
After seven years in Australia he returned to Scotland to live in Dunfermline where he managed an amateur team, East Port. Outside of football he later worked for Saltire Hospitality a bespoke catering and event co-ordination company based in Edinburgh.
He was a keen supporter and regularly attended celebratory functions at Blackpool where it was always a delight to meet up with him and it gives me great sadness to report of his passing in hospital on 8 July 2022.

A combative wing-half/inside forward

John Robert Bruce Crawford 1938-2022

Bruce Crawford was born in Preston on 10 October 1938. He was the son of ex-Blackpool wing half Bobby Crawford, who played 58 games for the Seasiders in the early 1930s. It followed that he would take to football, which he did for junior teams as an inside forward and wing half.
He was a police cadet at Hutton, three miles south west of Preston, when he was offered a job on the Blackpool ground staff prior to the 1955/56 season. He played in the junior teams before making his Central League debut as a 17-year-old against Manchester City reserves on 11 February 1956 when Blackpool won 1-0. Unfortunately he suffered a leg injury near the end of the game and this turned out to be his one Central League game in the 1955/56 season.
Blackpool were pleased with his progress and he left the police force and decided on football as a career. Blackpool duly signed him as a professional on 2 May 1956. His weekly terms for the 1956/57 season were £7, summer, £8, winter, plus an extra £9 if and when he played in the first team and an extra £2 when he played in the reserve side.
He was a regular scorer for the Blackpool Youth team and he also scored a hat-trick for the ‘A’ team in a 4-3 win over Preston North End ‘A’ on 6 October 1956. He made his first Central League appearance of the 1956/57 season against Manchester United reserves on 13 October 1956 when Blackpool won 1-0. And he was in the Blackpool Youth team that defeated Leeds United 3-2 on 3 November 1956 and he ‘worried the [Leeds] team regularly’, scored one of the goals and he and left half Sammy Salt ‘gave performances which should improve their chances of promotion with the club’.
In addition to Youth team matches and junior games, he played two Central League games for the club in the 1956/57 season, scoring one goal in his second game, a 2-2 draw with Bury reserves on 6 April 1957.
His weekly terms for the 1957/58 season were originally set at £6, summer, £7 winter plus £1 extra if and when he played in the first team. But in June 1957 these were amended to £7, summer, £8, winter, plus £1 extra if and when in the first team and £2 extra when in the reserves. The revised terms were accepted.
His time at Blackpool was interrupted when he commenced his National Service on 1 October 1957 and his appearances were consequently restricted to when he was available from the armed forces. He did, however, start the season at inside right in the Central League side in a 2-2 draw with Leeds United reserves on 24 August 1957 and he moved to centre forward for the second game, a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United reserves on 26 August.
He was in town for two games at centre forward for the resrve side, a 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa reserves on 14 September and then a horrific 8-1 defeat by the Busby Babes reserve side on 16 September when Alex Dawson scored five, Bobby Charlton, Albert Scanlon and John Doherty scoring the other three.
Then, he was available for the back half of the season, returning on 4 January 1958 at centre forward against Everton reserves, who won 2-0. He had an extended run at centre forward and he scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 victory over Barnsley reserves on 15 February. He went on to play 20 Central League games, scoring 11 goals, in the 1957/58 season.
He was still on National Service when the 1958/59 season commenced and as a consequence his weekly wage was revised to the statutory £1 per week plus an extra £2 if and when he appeared in the first team. But due to his forces commitment he was unable to play for the club during the 1958/59 season. Nevertheless his weekly terms for the 1959/60 season were set at £12, summer and winter, plus £8 extra if and when he played in the first team and £2 extra when he played in the reserves.
He started the 1959/60 season at centre forward in the Central League side and he scored two goals in the first three games, the winner in a 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town reserves on 24 August and one in a 5-4 defeat by Chesterfield reserves on 29 August. He alternated between inside right, centre forward and inside left before playing a couple of games in the half-back line.
After a run of five success Central League games in which he scored, he made his League debut at inside left in place of Dave Durie on 6 February 1960 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. The game was drawn 1-1 and he made a favourable impression and the after-match verdict was fulsome, ‘A future in League football awaits Bruce Crawford, too, if his debut was anything to go by. He had a particularly good first half, fitting into the scheme of things well and releasing some glorious cross-field passes.’ Another critic stated, ‘Nobody grafted harder than Crawford.’
He retained his place for three games but was then left out of the side and replaced by Johnny Green after a disastrous 6-0 defeat by Manchester United on 27 February 1960. They were his three League games for the 1959/60 season when he was the leading goalscorer for the Central League side with 20 goals in 35 games.
He went on Blackpool’s 1960 close season tour to Ghana, Rhodesia and Nyasaland when the Seasiders won seven and lost one of their eight games when the management ‘were encouraged by the play of the younger players’.
His success was reflected in his weekly terms for the 1960/61 season as they were £13, summer, £14, winter, plus £6 extra when appearing in the first team and £2 extra when appearing in the reserves.
Despite that success, he was at centre forward in the Central League side as the 1960/61 season began and he had scored six goals in eight games when he got the call to the League side against Everton on 14 September. Blackpool lost 1-0 and he immediately returned to the Central League side.
It was something of a surprise when his name came up in a proposed transfer deal in November 1960. Blackpool were interested in York City’s Colin Addison but York’s demand of £11,500 or £10,000 plus Bruce Crawford was deemed too high. Blackpool thought that a fee of £5,000 plus Crawford was sufficient so no deal took place.
He appeared at right half for the reserves until a move back to centre forward against Barnsley reserves, when he scored three goals in Blackpool’s 7-3 victory on 17 December 1960. And he earned a recall to the League side against West Ham United on 4 February 1960 when he scored one of the goals in a 3-0 victory and he scored again in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the following game. But one further game, a 1-0 defeat by Preston North End, saw him return to the reserve side.
On 18 January 1961 the maximum wage was abolished in English football and clubs began to look more closely at the size of their squads. As a consequence, he was placed on the transfer list on 10 March 1961 following the announcement of a new deal for players and he made a tentative decision to rejoin the police force. But he once more earned a recall to the League side for the final four games of the season, when he appeared at inside right. Again he scored in two successive games, a 1-1 draw with Manchester City and a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City to help the club avoid relegation.
It became known that Frank Hill, the former Blackpool captain and then the Notts County manager, had him watched against Birmingham City on 22 April with a view to signing him. Blackpool, therefore, took him off the transfer list and offered him revised terms of £20, all year round, plus £10 extra when in the first team for the 1961/62 season. He duly accepted and remained a Blackpool player.
In the 1960/61 season he had scored four goals in eight League games and was the Central League side’s leading goalscorer, scoring 22 goals in 29 games.
His conversion to a half back began in the first Central League game of the 1961/62 season when Barnsley reserves were defeated 5-0 on 19 August. But back at inside forward against Wolverhampton Wanderers reserves on 9 September he scored a hat-trick, including two penalties, as Blackpool won 3-2.
Then, having played for the reserves in a 1-0 defeat by Liverpool reserves on Saturday 16 September, he was drafted into the League side at inside right on Monday 18 September at Upton Park in a game against West Ham United that ended 2-2. He kept his place for the following game, a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa. But it was then back to reserve team football for a further few games.
And then, he was in demand again by other clubs when Blackpool were interested in signing Halifax Town’s centre forward Frank Large in October 1961. But Halifax wanted £10,000 plus Crawford and Blackpool’s interest immediately waned as they were not prepared to let him go. Not only that he was reintroduced into the League side at half back against Bolton Wanderers on 14 October when two South Africans, Des Horne and Brian Peterson, scored the goals that gave Blackpool a 2-1 victory. He kept his place for the remainder of the season.
Now a first team regular at right half, in November 1961 he commented, ‘You never know your luck in this game. I suppose every profession has its ups and downs but in football it’s like being on the Big Dipper!’ Having been converted to a half back he added philosophically, ‘I got a second chance which I appreciated, and I did my best to take it. Apparently the club seemed to think so, for in the last week or two they voluntarily increased my wages and that I appreciated too!’
He made great strides in the half-back line, so much so that he was a reserve for the England Under-23 side against Holland in December 1961.
Then when Blackpool played Tottenham Hotspur on 16 December 1961 the newspapers billed the clash as a ‘duel between a player who cost a £10 signing-on fee in 1956 and the highest priced player in the game’ as Crawford was up against the mercurial, goal-scoring Jimmy Greaves. Unfortunately for Blackpool, Greaves came out on top as his first goal, of three, was ‘an acrobatic continental-style mid-air kick that fairly rocketed into the net [and] was in the £100,000 class’ and the after-match comment was ‘Crawford must have thought he was chasing shadows trying to keep control of the elusive Greaves.’ Needless to say, Tottenham won the game 5-2.
He finally won an England Under-23 international cap against Scotland at Aberdeen on 28 February 1962 when he set up Jimmy Greaves for England’s first goal as England won 4-2. Blackpool manager Ronnie Suart went to watch the game and rated Crawford as the best wing half in the game over the whole 90 minutes. Interestingly he said, ‘Moore, West Ham United, had a very good first half but went out of it in the second half, whereas Crawford was strong and consistent all through.’ Inexplicably it was to be his only cap.
He played 32 League games, scoring two goals, seven League Cup ties, two FA Cup ties and 10 Central League games, scoring six goals, in the 1961/62 season. Incidentally one of those two League goals earned me 10 shillings (50p). We used to have a sweep on the Kop for the first goal scorer and against Wolves on 20 January 1962 I drew Bruce, who by then was at right half. I thought I had might have wasted my shilling but he scored the first goal in Blackpool’s 7-2 victory.
He secured a two-year deal through to the end of the 1963/64 season and his weekly terms were £25, summer and winter, plus £5 extra when appearing in the first team.
He missed only two games through a minor injury in the 1962/63 season, playing 40 League games, scoring four goals, three League Cup ties and one FA Cup tie.
When he was approaching his 100th League game for the first team he sustained a knee injury that kept him out of the side from 9 November 1963.
He did play two more League games in December 1963 and then he unluckily found himself third choice for the right half position as the spot was shared by John McPhee and Neil Turner. He was therefore put on the transfer list in February 1964 as Blackpool felt that he had not fulfilled a lot of the dazzling promise, which won him his England Under-23 cap. The club felt that it would be in the player’s best interests to move on but there were no immediate inquiries for him. When asked he posed the rhetorical question, ‘I’m third choice here at the moment, so I haven’t much future at Bloomfield Road, have I?’
There was plenty of interest in him and there were tentative inquiries received from Swansea Town, Brentford and Bolton Wanderers in mid-March 1964 but no deal was struck.
Bolton did agree a deal for him towards the end of March 1964 but it was dependent on them transferring Freddie Hill to Liverpool to give them the necessary cash. The latter deal fell through right at the last minute because of Hill’s high blood pressure and the Bolton/Blackpool deal for Crawford was cancelled as a consequence. Meanwhile he continued to serve Blackpool, playing 10 consecutive League games in September through to November 1963 and he finished the season with 13 League games, scoring one goal, two League Cup ties and 23 Central League games, scoring four goals.
His weekly terms for the 1964/65 and 1965/66 seasons were revised to £20, winter and summer, plus an extra £10 when appearing in the first team.
By then he was a reserve team regular but he returned to the League side at right half on 19 December 1964 in 4-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. It was his first game in the First Division since the previous April and was to be his last for Blackpool. He played one League game and 32 Central League games in the 1964/65 season.
He was placed on the transfer list in May 1965 for a modest fee. He was anxious to play first team football and Peterborough United watched him in the reserves at the start of the 1965/66 season. But no offer was made.
He had played four Central League games up to the time of his transfer in the 1965/66 season, his final game for Blackpool being a 4-0 defeat by Burnley reserves on 31 August 1965. He had played 98 League games, scoring 11 goals, three FA Cup ties and 12 League Cup ties for Blackpool. In the Central League he played 156 games and scored 64 goals. He had been an excellent, talented, hard-working and loyal servant for the club.
He was transferred to Tranmere Rovers for a fee of £3,500 on 2 September 1965. ‘The transfer was one of the quickest I can remember’, said Ronnie Suart as Crawford made his way to play inside right for his new club at Crewe. Tranmere manager Dave Russell had telephoned with his offer on the Friday afternoon and Suart said, ‘Terms were agreed within half an hour and Mr Russell was given permission to approach Crawford.’ The Tranmere manager said, ‘I have admired Crawford for a long time, ever since my Bury days. I’m playing him in the forward line because of injury problems, which involve a bit of a switch around. But he’ll be used as a wing half too.’ The fee was to be paid in two parts, £2,000 on 11 September 1965 and the balance of £1,500 on 7 January 1966.
He went on to play 24 League games and make two substitute appearances for Tranmere Rovers, scoring five goals. After his League career was over he a short spell with Fleetwood after being signed by manager Jimmy Kelly, his former Blackpool team-mate, playing 18 games and scoring three goals before leaving in January 1968.
In life after football he was a paint sprayer at a local garage.
He died in hospital on 20 June 2022.

Lightning Strikes Outlaws

Nottinghamshire Outlaws 179-7, Lancashire Lightning 181-4

County cricket returned to Blackpool’s Stanley Park on Sunday as the Vitality Blast T20 game between Lancashire Lightning and Nottinghamshire Outlaws attracted a healthy crowd in excess of 2500. And the majority of the spectators went away delighted as Lancashire won the game comfortably by six wickets, chasing down Nottinghamshire’s total of 179-7.
Dane Vilas won the toss for the Lightning and put the visitors in to bat and Alex Hales, who was later to become a crowd favourite as he engaged in friendly banter with spectators, got them off to a rapid start. He struck Tom Hartley’s first ball for six over mid-wicket and he added another six and two fours to his 12-ball innings of 22 before he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Josh Bohannon off Tom Bailey. He was dismissed with the total on 29 after 2.4 overs.
Joe Clarke was next to go, caught by Tim David off Richard Gleeson for six and it was 35-2 from 3.3 overs. Ben Duckett and Samit Patel took the total to 52-2 after six overs and it had reached 81 from nine overs when the former, 29 from 21 balls, attempted to sweep Hartley, got a top edge and Vilas made ground to take a good catch from behind the wicket.
Patel and Tom Moores added a rapid 45 in 5.1 overs before a misunderstanding cost Moores his wicket as he attempted a second run with Patel unmoved at the other end; Steven Croft’s perfect throw had Vilas removing the bails and Moores was gone for 16 at 126-4. And without addition, Patel, 45 from 31 balls with three fours and one six, was caught on the boundary by Luke Wells when sweeping Hartley.
At 132 the Outlaws lost their sixth wicket when Steve Mullaney was trapped leg before wicket by Wells’ leg spin for four before Calvin Harrison struck two successive boundaries off Matt Parkinson on his way to a speedy 17 off 11 balls. He fell to the first ball of the final over when he returned a catch to Danny Lamb, who was in the attack for the first time. Matt Carter took a single from his first ball and that left Dan Christian on strike and he took 18 runs off the final four balls that left the Outlaws closing on 179-7.
For Lancashire Wells’ much underrated leg spin earned him the most economical figures of 1-20 off his four overs; Hartley had the best figures of 2-27 and there was a wicket each for Gleeson, Bailey and Lamb for 24, 13 and 19 respectively.
The Lightning reply began in explosive style as Keaton plundered 24 in 13 balls including two fours and two sixes, both off Luke Fletcher. He then tried one huge shot too many and holed at mid-wicket to Mullaney to give Fletcher a modicum of revenge. Bohannon made seven before he was caught by Christian off Dane Paterson to make it 31-2 off 4.1 overs.
Then came the partnership that turned the match as local boy Croft and Vilas came together and more or less matched each other run for run. And they went along at a cracking pace, bringing up the 100 in nine overs. A massive six took Vilas to his half-century, his first for Lancashire in his 74th T20 game for the county but his 14th in T20 overall, made from 24 balls with seven fours and two sixes. He had moved on to 55 from 30 balls when he tried an inside-out shot that resulted in a catch to Clarke at deep backward point off Paterson and it was 145-3 after a partnership of 114 in 10.2 overs.
Croft continued on his untroubled way, reached his half-century off 34 balls with four fours and two sixes, and went on to finish on 61 not out from 44 balls before Wells, 18 not out off 11 balls, struck the last of his three fours to win the game for the Lightning at 181-4 with 10 balls remaining. South African Paterson had the best Outlaws’ figures with 2-27.
The game was a great success for Blackpool Cricket Club who had organised everything to perfection and it was great to see Lancashire back at Stanley Park and the crowd went away delighted but although it was pulsating cricket, there were those, myself included, who went away thinking, ‘Yes, but it is just not Test cricket!’

‘… threatening to become another Stanley Matthews …’

John Watt 1943-2022

Johnny Watt was born in Crookedholm, Hurlford, Ayrshire, on 17 June 1943 and he was educated at Kilmarnock Academy, where the school played rugby! When he turned to football, he was an inside forward who played for Saxone Juveniles, a Kilmarnock junior club. His impressive displays were noted by one of Blackpool’s Scottish scouts, of whom, there were a number in those days. The club liked what they saw and duly signed him as an amateur prior to the 1958/59 season. The comment was that he was ‘a direct, no nonsense type of player who packed a terrific shot’.
And after a couple of games in the junior sides the club had great hopes for him and in September 1959 he was recognised as ‘a strong, sturdy inside forward of much promise’.
He began his career at Bloomfield Road as a member of the Blackpool FA Youth Cup side in the 1959/60 season when eventually Blackpool were knocked out by Manchester United.
After one season, and shortly after his 17th birthday, the club signed him as a professional on 16 August 1960. This was after his showing great promise in the FA Youth Cup team the previous season. His weekly wage was to be £7 per week with an extra £13 if and when he played in the first team and an extra £2 when he played in the reserve side.
He was still young enough to play in the FA Youth Cup in the 1960/61 season and he began by scoring three goals in the preliminary round tie against Chester on 21 September 1960 when Blackpool won comfortably 7-0; John Ogilvie, who did not make it at Blackpool but who went on to play 386 League games for Workington, scored the other four.
He then scored one of the goals as the Youth team defeated Hyde United 10-0 in the first round of the FA Youth Cup on 14 October 1960; the other goals came from Ogilvie, three, Graham Oates, three, Leslie Lea, Kit Napier, and Alan Johnston. Blackpool eventually lost to Everton, in which game he scored Blackpool’s consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat in the semi-final on 9 November 1960. I was lucky enough to see the home games of those Youth Cup ties over the two seasons, and I particularly remember the magnificent play of the forwards in that 10-0 victory, so was privileged to have seen Johnny Watt play when he was an up and coming star.
His fine performances for the Youth team earned him his Central League debut at inside right in a 5 0 win against Newcastle United reserves on 5 November 1960. But it was then back to the junior sides and he played just the one Central League game in the 1960/61 season.
Still only 18, he continued to be highly regarded and consequently his basic wage for the1961/62 season was increased to £9 with an extra £5 if and when he played in the first team and an extra £2 when he played in the reserve side.
The 1961/62 season saw him play six Central League games, showing his versatility by appearing at inside right, centre forward and inside left. He began at inside right in his first two games, a 1-0 defeat by Liverpool reserves on 16 September 1961 followed three days later by a 1-0 victory over Preston North End reserves in which he scored the only goal, his first senior goal for the club. He moved to inside left for his third successive game when Aston Villa reserves won 3-1.
After games in the ‘A’ team he returned at centre forward against Derby County reserves on 17 March 1962 when Blackpool lost 2-1 and he played at his inside right position in the following game, a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United reserves on 28 March.
He had an increase to £12 per week for the 1962/63 season with an extra £10 if and when he played in the first team and an extra £3 when playing in the reserve side. And he started the 1962/63 season at outside right in the Central League side, against Liverpool reserves on 18 August 1962. Blackpool won 3-1 with goals from Oates, Lea and Napier.
He went on to play in six of the opening seven games at outside right, scoring one goal in a 3-1 defeat of Bury reserves on 27 August 1962, before earning a call to the League side. And he made his League debut at outside right, replacing Alan Ball, against West Ham United on 14 September 1962 when the game was drawn 2-2. ‘Mandy’ Hill replaced him for the following game but he was in the Lancashire Senior Cup side that defeated Rochdale 3-0 on 26 September 1962.
After missing two League games he reappeared in the League side in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United on 6 October 1962 and he had one chance but unfortunately ‘he shot wide’. And on 8 October he played in the League Cup second round replay against Manchester City and he scored the second goal that put Blackpool level at 2-2 in a game that ended in a 3-3 draw after extra time. He also played in the second replay that Blackpool lost 4-2 on 15 October 1962.
He continued in the League side for two further games, a 2-0 victory over Leyton Orient on 13 October 1962 and a 0-0 draw with Fulham on 20 October 1962 before Mandy Hill again replaced him on the right wing.
However, others were noting his progress and the magazine Soccer Star carried a piece about him on 20 October 1962 and under the headline Blackpool Have New Matthews it read, ‘Johnny Watt is becoming the toast of Blackpool. And no wonder. For at 18 years of age [sic], this tearaway Scot is threatening to become another Stanley Matthews. He is bamboozling the best of First Division defences as the Seasiders attack begins to click. And already scouts from the wealthier clubs are sitting up and taking notice.’
He did return to the side for the League game against West Bromwich Albion on 3 November 1962 when the Birmingham Daily Post reported, ‘Blackpool have dropped their England Under-23 outside-right, Hill
for their home match against West Bromwich Albion. Watt, a 19-year-old Scotsman, takes his place.’ Unfortunately Blackpool lost 2-0 and it proved to be his final League game for the club with Leslie Lea then being introduced at outside right.
He was back in the Central League side at inside left for the game against Preston North End reserves on 8 December 1962 when Blackpool won 4-3. He re-appeared at centre forward for the Central League side against Derby County reserves on 30 March 1963 and although ‘he almost grazed a post with a fast, low shot from Green’s pass’, Blackpool lost 2-1.
Back in the ‘A’ team, the local press reported, ‘Watt on the right wing was the most effective Blackpool forward’ and he ‘scored a perfect 75th-minute goal with a cracking drive from outside the penalty area’ as Blackpool ‘A’ defeated Preston North End ‘A’ 3-1 on 11 May 1963.
He played in five League games, two League Cup ties, scoring one goal, and nine Central League games, scoring one goal, in the 1962/63 season.
It was a great disappointment when Blackpool gave him a free transfer on 30 June 1963 and he joined Stockport County in 1 July 1963. He went on to play 55 League games and score four goals for Stockport County. He was transferred to Southport on 1 March 1965 and he made a very favourable impression in the final 10 games of the season when he scored two goals and contributed greatly to the overall team performance.
He wrote himself into the history of Southport FC in the third game of the 1965/66 season when he was injured and thus became the first Southport player to be replaced by a substitute but sadly it cost him his place in the team for his replacement held the spot from then on. Once recovered he played in the reserve side in the Lancashire Combination , making 30 appearances and scoring seven goals. He had played 17 League games, made one appearance as a substitute, and scored two goals for Southport when he was released at the end of the 1965/66 season.
His Football League career over he returned to Scotland where he met and married his late wife Margaret. He continued as a footballer with Cumnock Juniors and Darvel Juniors as outside football he worked as an overhead crane driver.
After his football career was over he turned his attention to coaching schoolboys and he then worked at Glacier Metal, Kilmarnock, as a machine operator.
Although his career at Bloomfield Road was short he takes his place in the annals of the club as someone who played in Blackpool’s fight to remain in the top flight of the game in the early 1960s and it is with great regret that, after a fall on 28 February in which he broke his hip, he died on 2 March 2022 aged 78.
Sincere condolences from each of his clubs and their supporters go to his sons Colin and Steven and his daughter Lynsey.

A stellar career after one season at Bloomfield Road

William Johnston McGowan (Billy or Willie) McEwan 1951-2022

Billy, or often known as Willie when at Blackpool, McEwan was born at Cleland, North Lanarkshire, on 20 June 1951. He had begun his football career with Pumpherson Juniors before, in 1969, he joined Hibernian for whom he played 59 games, made two substitute appearances and scored two goals. Blackpool spotted his potential and signed him in May 1973 as a midfield player.
He made his League debut for Blackpool at number 10, along with another new signing, Wyn Davies, in the opening game of the 1973/74 season against recently relegated West Bromwich Albion on 25 August 1973 when Blackpool lost 3-2.
But his first significant contribution to Blackpool came when his presence at Bloomfield Road persuaded his brother, Stan, to sign for the club as an apprentice. Stan was on Rangers’ books and when he was released by Rangers, the brotherly connection secured Stan’s signature for Blackpool even though such as Liverpool, Arsenal and Sheffield United were keen to sign him.
Billy’s second League game on 1 September 1973 ended in a 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday but was then having been out of the side with an injury he returned to action in the Central League side at inside left in a 2-0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion reserves on 29 September 1973. Still playing up front, he scored his first goal for the club, the only goal of the game, against Burnley reserves on 6 October 1973 when Blackpool won 1-0.
He returned to the first team for the League Cup tie against Birmingham City on 9 October 1973 when the game was drawn 2-2. He also played in the replay on 16 October when Blackpool lost 4-2 and when, in what was ‘an aggressive second half’, he was booked after 49 minutes and Blackpool had Wyn Davies sent off.
He was back in League action in place of Billy Rafferty in a 1-0 defeat by Cardiff City on 13 October 1973. Then in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on 20 October 1973, Keith Dyson replaced him after 70 minutes. It turned out to be Billy’s final League appearance for Blackpool.
He continued to play his part in the Central League side and Blackpool experimented with him and Kevin Moore at the full back positions ‘in order to try and get the crosses over for the three big forwards to use their heading power, but this ploy rarely came off’ in the Central League side’s 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers reserves on 19 November 1973. He was out of the side for the following game but the pairing returned against Manchester United reserves on 26 December 1973 when Blackpool lost 2-0.
Moore and Willie McEwan were together at full back once again in a 2-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers reserves on 1 January 1974. And then from full back he scored one of Blackpool’s goals in the Central League side’s 3-0 victory over Stoke City reserves on 12 January 1974. What turned out to be his final Central League game for Blackpool came in a 4-2 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday reserves on 16 February 1974.
Six days after his final appearance for the club he was transferred to Brighton and Hove Albion for a fee of £7,500 on 22 February 1974. He had played four League games, two League Cup ties, one Lancashire Senior Cup tie and 13 Central League games, scoring two goals, for Blackpool up to the time of his transfer.
He went on to have a stellar Football League career after leaving Bloomfield Road, making a further 297 League appearances, beginning with 27 League games, in which he scored three goals, for Brighton.
He was transferred to Chesterfield in a part exchange deal that took Ken Tiler to Brighton and took McEwan and Ronnie Welch to Saltergate in November 1974. And in October 1976 he was chosen to sit on the players’ disciplinary committee at Chesterfield to consider punishment for errant team-mates.
He played 79 League games plus making one substitute appearance, scoring seven goals, seven FA Cup ties, scoring one goal, and four League Cup ties for Chesterfield before he was transferred to Mansfield Town for a fee of £15,000 in January 1977. He went on to play 32 League games and score three goals for Mansfield, where he played a major role in the side that won the Division Three championship in 1977/78.
He moved on when he was transferred to Peterborough United for a fee of £17,000 in November 1977. And he opposed his brother Stan when Blackpool played Peterborough United on 28 April 1979 but it was Max Thompson who was booked for a tackle on Billy as Blackpool won 2-1 with two late goals from Tony Kellow. He played 62 League games, made one substitute appearance and scored three goals for Peterborough.
What turned out to be his final League club was after he was transferred to Rotherham United for a fee of £30,000 in July 1979. And once again he opposed his brother Stan on 15 September 1979 when Blackpool beat Rotherham United 3-2 with Stan scoring the deciding goal in the 76th minute.
He missed the whole of Rotherham’s 1981 Third Division championship season but the club kept him involved by using him as a sponge man and as a scout. He played 86 League games, made nine substitute appearances and scored 10 goals for Rotherham where it was said, ‘he played his best stuff’.
In the summer of 1984 he went on an FA course about the treatment of injuries and he was appointed physiotherapist at Sheffield United later that year.
He was appointed caretaker-manager at Sheffield United in March 1986 and in May he took the role on a permanent basis. He left the club in January 1988 and he briefly joined the scouting staff at Manchester United later in January 1988.
He had been a fans’ favourite at Rotherham United and it was no surprise when he was appointed manager at the club in April 1988 and he remained in the post until January 1991. While at Millmoor he won the Fourth Division title in 1988/89.
He was later a coach at Scarborough, before taking over as manager at Darlington in 1992. And after leaving Darlington he was engaged on the coaching staff at Derby County, where he enjoyed nine years at the club. In addition he had two short spells as caretaker manager at Derby, taking over after Roy McFarland left in 1995 and then again after Colin Todd’s departure in 2001/02. He also managed Derby County’s reserve side.
After leaving Derby in October 2004 he took over at York City as manager, a post which he held until November 2007 and where he won a Conference National Manager of the Month award in April 2007.
He took over as manager at Mansfield Town in July 2008 but his tenure was short-lived and he left in December of that year.
His reputation was such that he was appointed technical director of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association in March 2010 and in April of that year he became manager of Antigua Barracuda FC. He returned from the Caribbean in March 2011.
He sadly died on 17 February 2022 after struggling with Parkinson’s disease since 2014. He leaves a wife, Marie, and two daughters, Suzanne and Nikki, Each of his clubs’ deepest condolences and thoughts, together with those of all the fans who watched and supported him, are with his family and friends.

Up for the Kupp!

Los Angeles Rams 23 Cincinnati Bengals 20

In a pulsating Superbowl LVI at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Rams narrowly overcame the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 with a touchdown by Cooper Kupp in the final two minutes of the game.
Kupp, whose superb season had seen him take the triple crown for wide receivers, most touchdowns, receptions and yards, and who was the only player, other than Aaron Rodgers, who won the award, and Tom Brady, mentioned in the voting for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the overall NFL, had 92 yards receiving and two touchdowns and deservedly won the game’s MVP award.
The game got off to a slow start but then on the Rams’ second possession, quarterback Matthew Stafford found Odell Beckham Junior (OBJ) with a 17-yard pass for the game’s opening touchdown. The Bengals replied when Joe Burrow’s 45-yard pass to J’Marr Chase put them in a scoring position after Chase had left star corner back Jaylen Ramsey for dead. But they could not capitalise on the move and Evan McPherson’s field goal made the score 7-3.
The first play of the second quarter saw Stafford find OBJ with a 35-yard pass and this preceded the 11-yard pass that gave Kupp his first touchdown; Johnny Hekker dropped the ball for the point after so the score was 13-3. Burrow hit back with passes to Mixon and Tee Higgins then Mixon, receiving a flip from his quarterback, found Higgins with a six-yard pass to bring the Bengals back to 13-10. Interestingly it was Mixon’s first ever pass in the NFL and he had thrown only one previously when in College … and that also went for a touchdown!
But then disaster struck for the Rams as OBJ, under no immediate pressure went down with a knee injury that subsequently put him out of the game; up to that time he had two catches for 52 yards and his touchdown. Stafford ended the half with an interception when Jessie Bates took the ball away in the end zone and the half ended with the Rams, having control early, still leading 13-10 but with the Bengals coming back strongly.
There was a sensational opening to the second half when, with his first touch after 12 seconds, Burrow threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Higgins, who, in fairness, was a trifle lucky in not getting called for a face mask offence when beating Ramsey. The Bengals thus went into a 17-13 lead. And things got even worse for the Rams for, from the restart, Stafford was intercepted by Chidobe Awuzie to put the Bengals back in charge. The Bengals could not fully capitalise but it did lead to McPherson’s 38-yard field goal that put the Bengals 20-13 in front.
Stafford replied by driving the Rams downfield with passes to Darrell Henderson, Kupp and back-up tight end Brycen Hopkins, playing in place of the injured Tyler Higbee and who had only one catch in the regular season, but finished the Superbowl with four catches for 47 yards, before Matt Gay cashed in with a field goal to make it 20-16.
The Rams were fighting back and their defence, with Aaron Donald and Von Miller, in the forefront, began to take control of the Bengals’ offence and Burrow’s protection was subjugated to such a degree that he was sacked seven times in the closing stages.
What could be described as a turning point came with four minutes 45 seconds remaining when, on an important fourth down, Borrow threw a perfect short pass to Tyler Boyd for a first down but the receiver who had not dropped a pass all season failed to look the ball into his hands, dropped it and it was turned over to the Rams.
And they made the most of their opportunity, embarking on a thrilling 15-play drive that saw Stafford eventually find Kupp with the final dramatic touchdown, after a series of penalties, in a relatively penalty-free game, had kept their drive alive. With one minute 38 seconds remaining the Rams were in front 23-20.
And their defence dominated those last 98 seconds so Sean McVey became the youngest coach to win the Superbowl, replacing Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin in that position by less than one year.
It was a valiant effort by the Cincinnati Bengals who two seasons previously had won only six games in two years and who had moved from last to first in their division in the space of the 2021 season. But all credit must go the Los Angeles Rams, and in particular their decision to sign quarterback Matthew Safford from the Detroit Lines to mastermind such a performance and, of course, to the mercurial Cooper Kupp; their game plan turned out to be perfect.

Gerry Wolstenholme