ISSUE #4
JUNE 19
A KICK IN THE PAST
FLEETWOOD TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB OFFICIAL FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
LATEST NEWS
the final third
CATCH UP ON THE LATEST FLEETWOOD TOWN FPA UPDATES
a gallery of images from the last three months of meetings
Birthdays We have some birthdays in the next few months: JUNE: Frank Cygal (44 on 11th), George Ellarby (60 on 12th), Ben Lavelle (56 on 12th), Harold Wilkinson (73 on 17th), Geoff Barnes (80 on 19th), Brian McManus (73 on 20th), Stephen Crainey (38 on 22nd). JULY: Bobby Grant (29 on 1st), Ben Andrew (74 on 10th), Matty Hughes (27 on 17th), Stuart Beech (41 on 19th), Stuart Robinson (65 on 20th), Derek Lancaster (70 on 26th), Ron Kennedy (82 on 30th), Tony Monks (70 on 31st). AUGUST: Jim Betmead (71 on 5th), Gordon Griffith (80 on 6th), Ronnie Bellwood (89 on 11th), Tom White (80 on 12th), Kevin Thomas (A) (75 on 13th), Don Gair (80 on 16th), Stuart Murdoch (69 on 17th), Bobby Cuthbertson (67 on 21st), Barry Nicholson (41 on 24th), Rob Thomas (69 on 27th), Bob Harris (32 on 28th).
Next three meetings Thursday 4th July 2019 (10am), Thursday 1st August 2019 (10am) & Thursday 5th September 2019 (10am). MANY MEETUP IN MAY: Bridging the generations at Poolfoot Farm.
Confidentiality clause 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.
New members Membership of the Former Players Association has now passed three figures and it’s wonderful see a significant percentage of the total membership regularly attending the monthly meetings at Poolfoot. We’re keen however to increase our membership still further so if you know anybody who has played for any of Fleetwood FC, Fleetwood Town or Fleetwood Freeport, please spread the word. It’s completely free of charge and apart from the host of benefits that membership brings, it’s mainly just a great opportunity to renew acquaintances with old team mates and to share memories of your playing days. Monthly meetings are held at the club’s Poolfoot Farm training complex on Butts Road, Thornton on the first Thursday of each month at 10.00am. Just turn up, tell us who you are and we’ll do the rest.
CAN’T HELP BUT SHARE: Steve ‘Docker’ Brooks and Bobby Cuthbertson look over the newest forms of memorabilia as they look at the signed squad image from last season.
NEVER STOP PLAYING : Stuart Murdoch and Malcolm Clegg at the FPA Golf Day.
Website The Former Players Association has its own area on the club’s official website www.fleetwoodtownfccom. Just click on the ‘Club’ icon at the top of the home page and then ‘Former Players Association’ from the drop down list to access lots of FPA content including accounts of past meetings and the famous former players’ interviews!
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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS: Tony Mudie sat down at the May meeting for the latest of the Former Player interviews for the official club website. Go and see what he had to say online! FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
NOT ONE, BUT TWO: Two former Conference winning strikers Gareth Seddon and Andy Mangan meet up at Poolfoot Farm for a chat.
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COOKSON BECOMES
A CATCHUP WITH,,,
INSTAGRAM SENSATION
BRIAN MCMANUS
WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
In this feature, we take a look at former player David Cookson’s recent rise to fame on the massively popular social media platform ‘Instagram’.
This feature focuses on the Scot who made his way from Scotland to Stateside via a little town called Fleetwood.
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avid Cookson is arguably the most unassuming member of the Former Players Association. He is quiet with a calming nature. Earlier this year though David was thrust into the glare of the media spotlight but has remained modest despite the dazzle of attention. Cookson achieved celebrity status by virtue of detailing his diet on Instagram and in little time attracted 100,000 followers on the photo sharing platform. After joining Slimming World several years ago, David had mixed results weight wise but after his youngest daughter Bethany set up an Instagram account a few months ago detailing David’s weight loss accompanied with photographs, his weight reduced and his popularity increased to the tune of 116,000 Instagram followers. He explained: “I go to Slimming World every Tuesday. My daughter said she would put me on Instagram as it would help me. She started taking photos of me having my breakfast and having my dinner.” Followers of David increased at a rapid pace and as a result the highly likeable 86 year old found himself appearing on television as he explained: “I went to Salford Quays and appeared on Australian breakfast television via a live link. “I went one Sunday evening and was on six minutes. Granada Reports also rang me and asked if I would go on the programme.
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“They came to my daughter’s house in Fleetwood, I cooked an omelette and they interviewed me. ” David’s fame also brought him complimentary gifts from companies and he has to date received a soup maker, sandwich maker, omelette maker, a coat and a bespoke chair. He mentioned further: “Warburtons sent me a case of bread and all kinds and they said that I was the best thing since sliced bread ! Ice cream has arrived and I have had sachets of coffee, a hundred of those from a well-known coffee maker. “This is what happens, they keep ringing up asking if they can send things. I can’t say no and it just builds up. It just goes on and on.” “I went to Scarborough on holiday
for a few days. I thought that I would go to the Slimming World there. “I walked in and everybody knew me. I am in the St Chads church choir in Poulton. “I was going to choir practise one Thursday night. “My wife dropped me off and I walked in and these three girls came over and said ‘Dave Cookson!’ They all followed me on Instagram and wanted their photo taken. “This is what happens. It has made a big difference to my life. At 86 I thought that I would be just sat here at home just pottering about. “Now this has started up I feel a lot better for it. It doesn’t bother me at all. I am not fazed by it, I just carry on.”
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
he February meeting of the FPA saw a visit from the member who lives furthest from Fleetwood Town. Scottish born Brian McManus is now a resident of San Diego, Southern California but his interest in the club remains undiminished as he explained “The first thing I do every morning is go on the Blackpool Gazette website and look at the Fleetwood news. I also keep in touch with Robbie Thomas and Phil Brown. “I email Phil every week after games and I call Alan Tuson and Freddie Willder regularly as well so they keep me up to date with everything.” Whilst it is nearly half a century since Brian first played for Fleetwood in the Northern Premier League, he recalled with clarity that early time. “I came down for a weekend. Derek Armstrong asked me and to have a game and see what I thought. I had been playing with Raith Rovers. “I met the lads and we played a friendly through in Preston and won. I ended up staying and remember on the Monday morning I was sat at the ground on the back of Derek’s Thames pick-up with a mower on the back weighing it down to cut the grass so I thought what I have come to? It was brilliant.”
He continued: “I stayed with Derek for a month and then found a flat down here. I was a bricklayer by trade and Derek was a plumber and he knew a few guys in the trade. One of the first jobs I did was building an extension onto Derek’s house.” Brian recalled pitch matters too.
“On the field it was incredible, the bunch of lads that were playing then. All the characters that were there ; Freddie Willder, Harvey Morley, Frank Bowker, Davy Cooke, Tony Hallam, Kevin Byrne, the lot, tremendous atmosphere. There was Joe Dunne as well who was there helping Derek; just a fantastic bunch. “We went on and won the League Cup that year and beat Macclesfield in the final.”
After two seasons at Highbury, Derek left the club and later joined Netherfield and Barrow before returning to Fleetwood in 1980 as he explained: “I got a call but can’t remember who called me, saying they were struggling to put a team together. I got hold of Robbie Thomas, and a couple of the lads down from Barrow and we got some local lads put together and went on a good run. I think the last game I played was at Accrington. “I then went off to America the following day on holiday. I went to Los Angeles to visit my brother with my wife and my lad who was seven then. I said to my wife let us stay for three months and see what happens. I was then in LA for six years working as a bricklayer and playing and coaching semi pro. Derek Armstrong kept bugging and bugging me to go down to San Diego but I was still playing and enjoying it. They started a pro team in San Diego in ‘ 86 so I went down playing and coaching. The year after I got involved with the college and then I was coaching the college for 32 years.” It is an entirely different life now in California from Brian’s earlier chapters in Edinburgh and Fleetwood but he sums it up succinctly in three words by saying: “I love it”.
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PITCH AND PUTt: A DAY ON THE COURSE WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
In this feature, we look back to mid-April as the first-ever former players golf day was setup and run by our very own Malcolm Clegg.
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he inaugural competition for the golfers among the Former Players Association fraternity took place on a lovely sunny day on 18th April. The diligent organisational abilities of Malcolm Clegg were instrumental in bringing together 11 members of the FPA and one invited guest to Fleetwood golf club for a fourball better ball competition format. Three teams of four competed in an 18 hole four hour round. The event began with a briefing from Malcolm suitably attired in
bright red trousers, blue pullover and checkered cap. This was then followed by bacon barms and a hot brew to give sustenance to the dozen competitors before they headed out to the first tee. The triumphant team proved to be Mark Scott and Steve Brooks with a combined betterball score of 45 points. In second place with 42 points came Tom Scott and Alan Tinsley who narrowly edged out third placed Alan Moyes and Roy Whitehouse with 41 points. Prize presentation was conducted by FPA
Chairman Stuart Murdoch and saw a bottle of wine ( kindly donated by Tom Scott ) given to Mark and Steve. Further individual prizes went to Roy Whitehouse with the most three point scores. Malcolm Clegg achieved the only birdie two on a par three hole. A consolation prize was awarded to Andy Haddock for the most lost balls ! The individual prizes were kindly provided by Fleetwood Town. There on followed a much relished meal consisting of steak pie, chips mushy pies and gravy washed down with a few pints of much deserved beer.
L-R (BACK): ANDY HADDOCK, HAROLD WILKINSON, BOB BENNETT (GUEST), TOM SCOTT, MARK SCOTT, STEVE BROOKS, ALAN MOYES, STEVE BEECH, ALAN TINSLEY. (FRONT): JIM MOSELEY, STUART MURDOCH, ROY WHITEHOUSE, MALCOLM CLEGG.
Several of the FPA members who took part in the competition were happy to offer their thoughts following the event : Jim Moseley: “It was a fabulous day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The standard was good and the course was lovely. The weather was fantastic, I don’t think you could have got a better day to play here. The banter was second to none. Malcolm did a fantastic job.” Alan Tinsley: “It has been brilliant. I have been playing with better players and I have learned a lot. I hope we do it again. I have enjoyed it.” Mark Scott: “The course was excellent. I have never played Fleetwood golf club before and I thought it was really good. The greens were fantastic and our opponents were equally good as
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L-R: JIM MOSELEY, ROY WHITEHOUSE, STEVE BEECH, ALAN MOYES
the course. I will be here next year if I am invited.” Stuart Murdoch: “The day was absolutely magnificent from the organisation, the weather, everything. Nothing could have been any better. Not having played for 30 odd years it was quite an experience to swing a club again. I do have to say though that I am terrified of getting out of bed tomorrow !” Malcolm Clegg: “The day has exceeded my expectations. First of all, I couldn’t have expected weather like we got today, it was absolutely magnificent. The course was in good condition and the camaraderie of everyone who played today was absolutely brilliant. The get together after the game and all the chit chat is absolutely great and been worth every minute spent organising it. It has been a really great day. It took an awful lot of organising
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
to be frank, not that I wouldn’t do it again. It was absolutely great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of the scoring has been exceptionally good. We will do this again next year, no trouble at all.” Roy Whitehouse: “It has been absolutely marvellous and I really enjoyed it. The standard was very good and there are some exceptionally good players. I love football and tennis but definitely golf I think is a game I am going to get into, especially when I retire.” Tom Scott: “Today has just been a wonderful occasion. Playing with guys that you have known for a long long while and having a great deal of banter. Some of them played rather well. I think that everything that Malcolm Clegg has done has been brilliant for the boys and I think it is probably the start of an annual event.”
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MEMORABLE MATCH
BACK IN TH E D AY
STUART MURDOCH'S MOST MEMORABLE MATCH FROM HIS CAREER
Retro images of Highbury Stadium from ten years ago
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 1 FLEETWOOD 2 NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE 10TH AUGUST 1968 Fleetwood’s team that day: Murdoch (GK), Andrew, Eaves, Willder, Wilkinson, Durie, Haddock, Bowker, Armstrong, Byrne, Ellis, Melling. Fleetwood’s goalscorers: Haddock (2) Stuart Murdoch made his debut for the club at the age of 18 in Fleetwood’s first game of the inaugural season of the newly formed Northern Premier League.
FRONTAGE AND ENTRANCE
It is the match which remains most rigid in Stuart’s memory as he recalled: “I was very young and I got called up on the Friday afternoon. Kenny Cooper was injured and suddenly I was thrust into the first team. “I had joined in the summer as reserve team goalkeeper to Kenny, having been released from Blackpool. The things I remember about it are Dave Durie got injured. He broke his leg and it was his last game. Dave was the player – manager and he got injured in about the 11th minute I think. It was in the days when you had one sub. Our manager and coach were away to the hospital and we were left to our own devices. “I must have made a couple of saves because I did get a good write up in the News of the World paper on the following Sunday morning saying how this young goalkeeper had made an astonishing debut for Fleetwood in the inaugural game of the Northern Premier League.
OLD SCOREBOARD
OLD SIGNAGE
PRE-PARKSIDE STAND
PLAYERS ENTRANCE
“So, it was a historic occasion in many different ways. I have very very thin memories but I seem to remember being exceptionally nervous and people saying how confident I looked which I found to be a very great contraction. Apparently this was the thing that people said about me over the time that I played that I appeared very confident on the pitch but inside there was a battle going on.” Stuart added as a footnote: “I was the smallest keeper in the league and the loudest!” His Fleetwood career statistics are as follows : 1968/69 Northern Premier League: 8 appearances | 1969/70 Northern Premier League: 4 appearances 1970/71 Northern Premier League: 36 appearances | 1974/75 Northern Premier League: 25 appearances
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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
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MEMBERS GIVE GENEROUS SUPPORT TO BRIAN HOUSE WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
In May, the Former Players Association made a generous donation to the local children’s hospice.
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t the August 2018 FPA meeting a collection tub in support of the local Blackpool children’s hospice made the first of nine monthly appearances at the Poolfoot Farm gatherings. The tub was subsequently handed to Brian House on two separate occasions for counting. Due to the highly generous support of the association’s members the wonderful sum of £407.42 was raised to help the hospice. The terrific achievement was acknowledged by Chloe Rossall, fundraiser at Brian House, who received a presentation cheque at the May meeting from senior FPA member Ron Bellwood. Chloe commented: “It is fantastic that the Former Players Association has continuously supported Brian House. “The £400 which has been raised makes a huge difference to our children. It is great to see the players get together to support the children”. Ron declared: “We have done
If you are attending any future FPA meetings and have any items of football related memorabilia (especially connected to Fleetwood), please do consider bringing it along to show fellow members. Old photographs, programmes and press cuttings always prove particularly popular to see and they can be the catalyst to stimulate conversation of the bygone times of our football club. Additionally, you might have old playing contracts or letters relating to club affairs or games? Perhaps you might have some old items of kit which haven’t seen the light of day for many years? We would love to see what you have!
FTFC FPA MEMBERS A LIST OF NEW MEMBERS OF THE FLEETWOOD TOWN FPA SINCE ISSUE 3 Stephen Crainey (2014–2015) Matty Hughes (2014–2015) David Lucas (2013–2015) Andrew Mangan (2011-2013)
Brian House fundraiser Chloe Rossall receives a cheque from FPA member, Ronnie Bellwood.
fantastic but if we made a bit more of an effort we could do even better.” FPA Chairman, Stuart Murdoch, added: “It is truly magnificent that just be putting a collection tub out the chaps have always come in and contributed and to get £407 in the short time that we have been doing it to go to a great cause. “These people all need as much support as they can get and Brian House is renowned in the area for doing marvellous work for everybody. It is only right that we should try and
FPA member Bobby Grant presents easter eggs to senior fundraiser, Janet Atkins.
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MEMORABILIA
support them and give them as much help as possible.” Brian House opened in December 1996 and is named after the late Brian Redhead who was a wellrespected journalist and presenter of Radio 4’s long running ‘Today’ programme. Brian raised awareness of the hospice and in its formative years persuaded politicians who visited Blackpool for party conferences to visit. It currently costs £3,598 a day to run Brian House and the majority of this sum has to be raised by fundraising. Brian House receives less than £200,000 from the Department of Health towards the £1.2 million which it takes to keep the hospice open. The shortfall is made up from kind public contributions. For further details about Brian House please visit their website: https://www.brianhouse.org.uk/ about-us/contact-us/
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
Kevin Thomas (Associate member)
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 Front cover photograph: The FPA guitar power trio is Rob Thomas, Jimmy Hall, George Ellarby (left to right).
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
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