A Kick in the Past | Issue 6 | Fleetwood Town Former Players Association

ISSUE #6

DECEMBER 19

A KICK IN THE PAST

FLEETWOOD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB OFFICIAL FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

LATEST NEWS CATCH UP ON THE LATEST FLEETWOOD TOWN FPA UPDATES

Birthdays We have some birthdays coming up: DECEMBER: Alan Goodall (38 on 2nd), Adam Sumner (28 on 4th), Ken Moran (72 on 5th), Martin Moran (35 on 6th), Roy Atherton (64 on 6th), Barry Shelmerdine (62 on 6th), Tony Clowes (46 on 13th), George McIntyre (88 on 13th), Jamie Nay (33 on 14th), Lee Thorpe (44 on 14th). John Hay (62 on 14th), George McCaffer (75 on 14th), Peter Marshall (62 on 18th), Tony Eaves (75 on 20th), Loz Walsh (62 on 24th), Alan Moyes (62 on 27th), Roy Stephenson (65 on 29th), Jon Parkin (38 on 30th), Lee Impett (44 on 31st). JANUARY: Alan Tinsley (69 on 1st), Jamie Milligan (40 on 3rd), Paul Dawson (59 on 9th), Allan Fish (68 on 15th), Derek Spence (A) (68 on 18th), Matt Hilton (47 on 20th), Norman Moran (66 on 21st). FEBRUARY: Bert Hession (86 on 6th), Tom Willacy (73 on 6th), Steve Brooks (Senior) (69 on 8th), Steve Edwards (59 on 10th), Magno Vieira (35 on 13th) Stuart Parker (66 on 16th), Stuart Parkinson (44 on 18th).

Next three meetings Thursday 2nd January (10am), Thursday 6th February (10am) & Thursday 5th March (10am).

Home match tickets Throughout the current season, Fleetwood Town have once again very kindly agreed to offer the association complimentary tickets for home games. This is subject to availability and to a maximum of two tickets per member, one of which should be used by the FPA member (please don’t get them for somebody else to use or sell them in the pub before the game!). The club has also kindly agreed to offer pre–match and half time hospitality to FPA members in the Red & Whites lounge (again subject to availability). Members should ensure that they are wearing membership lapel badges to gain entry to the lounge. If any FPA member requires home match tickets for any game, please contact Phil Brown (Vice Chairman) no later than 4pm on the Thursday for a Saturday afternoon game and 4pm on the Monday for a Tuesday evening game by phone or text on 07976 054398 or by email phil.brown@besutilities.co.uk

New members Membership of the Former Players Association continues to increase and it is wonderful to see approximately a third of our total membership regularly attending our monthly meetings at Poolfoot. We remain keen though to increase our membership further. If you should know anyone who has played for any of Fleetwood FC, Fleetwood Town or Fleetwood Freeport, please do spread the word. It is completely free of charge to join and apart from the benefits which it brings it is just a great opportunity to renew acquaintances with old team mates and to share memories of your playing days. New friendships can be made and complimentary tea, coffee and the biscuits provided. We can be located at Poolfoot Farm training complex on Butts Road in Thornton, FY5 4HX and our meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 10am. Newcomers to the FPA should just turn up and make themselves known to either Stuart Murdoch, Phil Brown or Tony Collier.

Front cover: Roy Whitehouse in festive mood

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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

the final third a gallery of images from the last three months of meetings

FPA TROTTED OFF TO BOLTON: The Former Players made their way to Horwich at the start of November and cheered on the lads against Bolton!

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN: Hall, Bowey, Hay, Shelmerdine and Stuart Murdoch taking a group picture at the November meeting at Poolfoot Farm.

LOVELY BIT OF SCRAN: FPA members enjoying a meal at The Spinners Pub ahead of the association’s first ever away trip.

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

ALMOST THERE: Alan Goodall and Ian Hume posing with the almost completed ‘100’ shirt

ALL SMILES: Steve Hesford and Kevin Bryne taking in the grounds at Poolfoot Farm - with smiles stretched across their faces.

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GUESS THE PLAYER? SEE IF YOU CAN GET ALL NINE PLAYERS FROM BACK IN THEIR PLAYING DAYS

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3 2

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6 5

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Answers can be found at the bottom of page 11

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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

Fleetwood v Colwyn Bay - FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round 16 October 1965.

Fleetwood won 2-1 with goals from Barry Dilworth and Jim Strachan (who also missed a penalty) to secure only their second appearance in the 1st Round proper. The attendance was 3,875 and the Fleetwood team that day was : Kirby, Griffith, Bilsborough, Baldwin, Hitchen, Bowker, Robinson, Andrew, Chester, Strachan & Dilworth.

ALAN TINSLEY'S TRANSATLANTIC TENURE WORDS: PAUL COLLIER

We caught up with former player and coach Alan Tinsley ahead of the 35th anniversary of Fleetwood’s FA Vase final against Halesowen Town.

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lan Tinsley has the proud distinction of being one of only two Fleetwood managers to lead the town’s team out at Wembley Stadium.

Next April will mark the 35th anniversary of ‘Tinny’ being at the head of affairs as his hometown team did battle with Halesowen Town in the FA Vase final.

Unfortunately, Fleetwood came off second best on that occasion but Alan’s place is indelibly etched in the club’s history.

‘Tinny’s’ early career saw him play nine league games for Preston North End as a teenager before a switch to Bury in 1970 where he made a further 94 league appearances and scored 15 goals.

A fall out with the then Shakers manager Bobby Smith over a training incident saw Alan’s contract cancelled in March 1975 and an opportunity to go stateside presented itself.

He recalled: “The coach of Miami Toros, John Young, came around with a newspaper reporter who lived near Bury called Norman Wynn.”

In essence it was a recruitment mission and the midfield player was approached as he continued: “Out the blue they came and I said was I

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interested. I thought yes I will go and it was quick decision which I always do, in with both feet.

“When I arrived in Miami I was by myself as my wife was still at home with our Andrew who was six months old.

“I had never flown before really. I flew from Liverpool on a direct flight and I was waiting at the airport to see a face that I knew which was a guy called Ralph Wright, a Geordie, who played at the (New York) Cosmos

I think two years before. Ralph was the only contact that I had because he was the only person I knew.

“Every time the doors opened at Miami International it was like ‘Please be there, please be there’ because I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been there.

“I didn’t even have a telephone number even to phone somebody.”

Thankfully, Wright turned up and Alan was taken to his hotel and later he moved into his own apartment in Miami.

‘Tinny’ settled in quickly at Toros as he recalled: “The apartments were beautiful and it was like another world with a swimming pool in the middle.

“We played at the Orange Bowl which was a brilliant stadium but we only used the first tier for most games.

“We had a good team, we had a very good team.

“We had some international players; Toriani, the goalkeeper, Aguirre, the Argentinian sweeper who was absolutely brilliant.

“Ralph (Wright) was a big centre half who won everything and Steve David from Trinidad up front. He has his own show on television now and lives in New York.

IMAGE (CENTRE): TINSLEY’S HEADSHOT FROM HIS TIME AT MIAMI TOROS

TINNY’S SON WITH BRAZIL LEGEND PELE

“He was a brilliant player who came to Leicester City at one time for a trial.

“He told me that he went to bed with a two bar heater because he was so cold.”

During the 1975 North American Soccer League Season Alan made 16 appearances, scoring three goals.

The summer culminated in two play – off games, the first, a quarter – final at Boston Minutemen that included two members of the Benfica team which suffered defeat in the 1968 European Cup final against Manchester United.

Antonio Simoes and Eusebio were both highly talented Portuguese internationals but it is a scary incident which happened during the game involving a fellow Lancastrian which Alan remembered most vividly “A lad called Steve Melledew played (for Boston Minuteman).

He was at Rochdale and ended up at Everton and was a really nice lad.

Because we were winning, their fans started throwing stones onto the astro turf pitch and these bricks

were like bouncing. Me and Steve were in the middle of the pitch both on different teams and saying ‘What the hell are we doing here?.’

“It was frightening it really was.

Anyway, we won that one and went on to play Tampa Bay Rowdies.”

Unfortunately for Alan and his Toros team mates, defeat came in the semi – final at Tampa whose team included eight British born players.

‘Tinny’s’ 1976 campaign in Miami saw an injury ravaged time resulting in him appearing in just eight NASL games.

A persistent knee injury prevented him from playing in their first game at New York Cosmos.

A chance to play against one of football’s all-time greats, namely Brazilian international Pele, was snatched from Alan although he attended the game and hoped to get a photograph of the football superstar as he remembered: “I went in to see Ken Furphy (Cosmos coach) and I had my knee in a cast.

He said everybody wanted their

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

picture taking with the big fella (Pele) and I walked out.

I was absolutely gutted. I was talking to a guy outside who had a camera about a foot long. He said: ‘If I get a chance I will get a picture for you ’.

A few minutes later Pele walked in with his little bodyguard behind him and I automatically went and said ‘Can I have my lad’s picture taking please ?’

Luckily for ‘ Tinny ’, the photograph of Pele holding Alan’s son, Andrew, was duly taken and it remains a much treasured item to this day.

Alan’s return to England saw him being appointed as player - manager of Fleetwood. Associations with Wren Rovers, Mossley and Lancaster City followed.

Interestingly though if fate had not intervened Alan would have remained in California where his son now works as a doctor. ‘Tinny’ explained: “If I hadn’t got injured I would have stayed out there for as long as possible.

“It was a good league to be in and well run. It was a good experience.”

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MEMORABLE MATCH ANDY MANGAN'S MOST MEMORABLE MATCH FROM HIS CAREER

FLEETWOOD TOWN 2 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 0 FA CUP FIRST ROUND 11TH NOVEMBER 2011 Fleetwood’s team that day: Davies (GK), Beeley, Goodall, Milligan, McNulty, Pond, Clancy (Briggs), McGuire, Mangan (Viera), Brodie, Vardy (Till).

Fleetwood’s goalscorers: Mangan and Vardy The 2011 / 12 season will primarily be remembered as the one in which Fleetwood Town were promoted to the Football League for the only occasion in the club’s history by virtue of winning the Football Conference.

It should, however, also be remembered that the team achieved FA Cup success during that same campaign by reaching the third round of the competition for the first time.

They did so by knocking out two League One clubs, Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town.

Andrew recently chose the Wycombe game from eight years ago as the one which remains vivid in his mind. He remembered recently with fondness: “We were in the Conference (League) at the time and we were going quite well.

“I think we were in the top six and we got to the First round against Wycombe Wanderers and they were a League One team.

“It was a massive test for us, for our mental strength and for our teamship. We came through it with flying colours but obviously we were really nervous going into the game.

“We went one nil up with a dubious goal from myself.

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“I think everyone thought it was offside but it wasn’t.

“Alan Goodall cut back inside and I’ve hit one on the volley and it’s gone in the top corner. The ball’s come to me second half and I’ve laid in Jamie Vardy and he’s gone through, dinked the ‘keeper, 2–0.

“It gave us the belief and the desire to understand that we could do this and we could win the league. We knew we were good but didn’t know how good.

“We believed, but it is different from having confidence that you’re good and having the belief that you’re good.

“To get that belief you have to perform. Performance with delivery which was that game (Wycombe Wanderers). We performed and we delivered which gave us the belief to understand that we could go on and do something special. ”

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

FIRST FORMER PLAYERS AWAY

DAY PROVES A BIG SUCCESS WORDS: PAUL COLLIER

Fleetwood Town’s Former Players Association held it’s first excursion back in November as they travelled to Chorley and Horwich.

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ast month saw members of FPA make their first away trip together to watch Fleetwood Town play Bolton Wanderers at the University of Bolton Stadium.

It proved to be a highly enjoyable trip for those who made the journey to Horwich. The away day had been several weeks in planning but the trip came together well and received a thumbs up from those who travelled.

The exclusive FPA coach departed from Poolfoot Farm to pick up a handful of members in Preston before travelling on to Chorley for lunch and drinks at The Spinners pub. The chat and banter flowed as did the liquid refreshments which were complimented by excellent food. After the 90 minute sojourn the group re -boarded the coach for the short journey to the stadium. The persistent drizzle failed to dampen the spirits of the FPA members who were happy to pose outside the stadium’s main entrance with the association’s flag. The photo

opportunity generated more than a little interest for those supporters who were making their way to the turnstiles.

The FPA gathering made its way into the stadium to be part of an impeccably observed one minute’s silence to those who had fallen in war. This proved to be a particularly poignant moment for the more senior members in the group. Thereafter followed the game itself which disappointingly ended in defeat for Fleetwood Town though the result proved to be a minor blemish on what was otherwise an enjoyable day out.

Several members commented after the successful trip and this is what they had to say; Loz Walsh: “I really enjoyed the trip and I’m sure everyone else did too. A number of us said it was the first time we had been on a coach for years.

“The atmosphere on board took us back to our playing days when travelling to away games with the

M.BEECH, ELLARBY, SCOTT AND BROOKS AT THE SPINNERS PUB FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS

usual good banter and great team spirit.”

Derek Lancaster: “The trip to Bolton was much appreciated by all the FPA members.

“It brought back the priceless memories of the trips to away matches when we were players. The banter and one liners were a big part of our lives and something that you miss almost as much as playing.”

Kevin Byrne: “The lads had a great day out on our first outing. The organisation was excellent with an enjoyable lunch stop in Chorley and good seats in the stadium. It was just a pity about the result.”

Tom Scott: “The organisation was spot on and all the former players are really grateful for the way the club looked after us for the away fixture which included match tickets and coach travel.

“The stop off at The Spinners pub before the game was also a great idea. Well done to everyone involved.”

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CONFIDENTIALITY Please note that the personal details which FPA members have supplied are held in strictest confidence and not passed on to any third party. Additionally, we will not / cannot pass on the personal details given to us by any of our members to fellow members. If you need to contact a Former Players Association member out with the monthly meetings, please get in touch with Tony Collier (FPA secretary) who will happily contact the fellow member on your behalf and ask them to get in touch with you.

FTFC FPA MEMBERS A LIST OF NEW MEMBERS OF THE FLEETWOOD TOWN FPA SINCE ISSUE 5

Iain Hume (2014)

Brian Parkinson (1964-1966)

Barry Shelmerdine (1980)

Vic Rooking (1962)

Magno Vieira (2010-2012)

FTFC FPA OFFICIALS WHO TO CONTACT AT FLEETWOOD TOWN'S FPA Chairman Stuart Murdoch Email: stuart.murdoch@fleetwoodtownfc.co.uk Phone number: 07921 934775 Vice-chairman Phil Brown Email: phil.brown@besutilities.co.uk Phone number: 07976 054398 Secretary Tony Collier Email: tonycfpa@outlook.com Phone number: 07931 415844 Guess the player answers: 1. Allan Fish (1972), 2. George McIntyre (1956), 3. Bobby Cuthbertson (1979), 4. Harvey Morley (1971), 5. Norman Moran (1971), 6. Ken Moran (1971), 7. Stuart Murdoch (1971), 8. Tom Scott (1967), 9. Tony Eaves (pictured in 1968).

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