ISSUE #5
SEPTEMBER 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: SEPTEMBER: Michael Whitehead (76 on 3rd), Jimmy Sutton (70 on 6th), Gerry Stephen (86 on 9th), Kevin Barnes (44 on 12th), Peter Bell (72 on 19th), John Whiteside (78 on 19th), Alan Tuson (69 on 26th), Mick Taylor (73 on 27th), Chris Brandes (44 on 29th), Lennie Reid (36 on 30th). OCTOBER: Steve Brooks JR (42 on 4th), Jimmy Hall (60 on 5th), Jim Moseley (62 on 6th), Steve Beech (68 on 8th), Mark Baron (61 on 14th), Mark Roberts (36 on 16th), Warren Beattie (33 on 18th), Andy Lyons (53 on 19th), Phil Archbold (42 on 21st), David Roach (74 on 21st), David Moran (46 on 28th), Malcolm Clegg (83 on 29th), John McNicholas (70 on 30th). NOVEMBER: Alan Hughes (50 on 1st), Jamie McGuire (36 on 13th), Phil Clarkson (51 on 13th), Danny Hurst (39 on 14th), Dennis Wann (69 on 17th), Dave Cookson (87 on 21st), Ricky Mercer (36 on 22nd), David Lucas (42 on 23rd), Barry Buckley (74 on 24th), Steve Flynn (41 on 28th), Roy Dobson (64 on 28th), Dave Cooke (73 on 29th), Frank Haydock (79 on 29th), Chris Singleton (36 on 30th), Paul Legate (72 on 30th).
Next three meetings
MANY MEETUP IN JUNE: A great turn out in the sun at Poolfoot Farm.
Thursday 3rd October (10am), Thursday 7th November (10am) & Thursday 5th December (10am).
Home match tickets Throughout the current season, Fleetwood Town has once again very kindly agreed to offer the FPA 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) in advance of the game by phone or text on 07976 054398 or by email phil.brown@besutilities.co.uk
THE BEST OF PALS: Tony Mudie, Malcolm Beech and George Ellarby all enjoying the sun after taking a group picture.
ALWAYS POSING: Somehow Roy Whitehouse always gets in front of the camera.
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.
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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
ON YOUR HEAD SON : FPA member Harvey Morley shows that skill is permanent whilst at August’s FPA meeting. FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
IN THE BOOKS: Instagram sensation Dave Cookson was pleased with his feature in the last issue of AKITP.
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FPA CONTINUE TO
Malcolm Denning
SUPPORT BRIAN HOUSE
12th October 1939 7th July 2019
T
WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
Members of the Former Players Association continue to give both financial and practical backing.
T
he Former Players Association lost not just one of its members in July but also a very dear friend in Malcolm Denning.
Malcolm joined Fleetwood in 1960 as a 20 year
old, having been a junior at Blackpool from leaving school. His playing career at Fleetwood was relatively short – less than 2 years and 31 first team
variously at Bolton Wanderers, Accrington Stanley
appearances, in which he scored 11 goals, before he
and of course Fleetwood Town and he was a regular
moved onto firstly Horwich RMI, then Bacup Borough
and hugely popular attendee at our monthly FPA
and Lytham.
meetings.
It was at Lytham where he begun his coaching
Despite suffering from poor health in his later
career and in 1978, he moved to the recently
years, Malcolm always lived life to the full. He was
re-formed Fleetwood Town, then managed by Alan
a generous, kind but understated man who will be
Tinsley, initially as first team coach before becom-
sadly missed by everybody who knew him. He is
ing assistant manager. His departure was somewhat
survived by his loving wife Sylvia, son Bobby and
acrimonious in 1980, as he loyally followed joint
daughter Claire.
he summer months saw the FPA’s relationship continue to build with the local children’s hospice. The months of June and July saw FPA member Bobby Grant (now of Wrexham AFC) visit Brian House several times to see the staff and children. His visits from his home in Southport have become a regular occurrence this year and Bobby always ensures that he takes toys, biscuits, chocolates and cakes with him. Following a visit in early July Bobby commented: “The work the staff do there is incredible and to see how happy the children are there teaches me life lessons on how to conduct myself.
“The kids are always smiling and the staff are always great. It is very inspiring. I think it is incredible that the FPA shows support because Brian House needs the help. To raise money is massive.” June also saw a fully signed Everton shirt presented to FPA secretary Tony Collier by Gretar Steinnson, chief European Scout at Goodison Park and formerly technical director at Fleetwood Town. Gretar kindly arranged for the shirt to be signed for the FPA and it will auctioned at a forthcoming event to raise funds for Brian House. Gretar said after presenting the shirt at Poolfoot Farm: “Brian House is somewhere that has always been special to me as it was a hospice that
we supported as well when I was at Bolton (Wanderers). “It is something that I have always kept an eye on over the years and hopefully it can carry on getting the support to continue for the fantastic work they do. I am delighted to be able to do something for a great cause.” For further information about Brian House and the work that is done there visit https://www. brianhouse.org.uk/about-us/whatis-a-childrens-hospice/ Captions: 1. Gretar Steinsson presents signed Everton shirt to Tony Collier. 2. Bobby Grant with student nurses at Brian House.
manager and close friend Kevin Byrne to Wren Rovers following Kevin’s unwarranted sacking by
Rest in peace Malcolm.
Fleetwood. He remained involved at Wrens’ both on the football and committee side of the club for many years afterwards before taking his well-earned retirement from the game he had served for much of his life. Malcolm spent his retirement watching football throughout Lancashire, holding season tickets
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Order of service: A service to celebrate the life of Malcolm ‘Mal’ Denning (12th October 1939 - 7th July 2019). Service held on Wednesday 24th July 2019 at The Parish Church of Poulton-le-Fylde, St Chad. Followed by committal at Carleton Crematorium Chapel, Stocks Lane, Blackpool. Conducted by The Reverend Canon Martin Keighley.
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goodie's pragmatic approach to football WORDS: PAUL COLLIER
In this feature, we return to early June when former defender Alan Goodall was a visitor to Poolfoot Farm when he kindly agreed to be interviewed.
F
ormer Players member Alan Goodall is one of life’s truly nice guys and a former Fleetwood Town player who enjoyed two promotions during his three seasons at Highbury Stadium. The 2011/12 campaign saw the team promoted to the Football League by virtue of winning the Football Conference. After a campaign of consolidation in League Two, Alan then played his part in helping the Cod Army to a further promotion via a Wembley Play – off final. Disappointingly for Alan he was not offered a new contract following the match and with considerable reluctance had to sever his ties with the Cod Army. He recalled: “I was really disappointed
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that I didn’t get offered a new contract but because of the last six months I had here I was always confident I would get another club.” Alan’s next move materialised quickly and he signed for Morecambe in the summer of 2014 as he recounted: “I was happy with the deal that they offered me so I signed it straight away. I didn’t have to worry as the contract gave me the security which I was looking for. I was happy when Morecambe came in for me.” After completing his two year deal at The Globe it was time for Alan to move on again, this time to nonleague Altrincham as he explained: “They showed that they wanted me to go to the club and they wanted me to be club captain which was nice.
“Obviously with dropping down your wage drops down so that’s when I started to think I’ve got to start looking outside football now. I did attempt to do my level two (coaching) badges at Morecambe but it wasn’t for me.” Alan’s time at Altrincham proved to be disappointing not only for the club but for him personally. The team toiled and he picked up an ankle injury in pre-season as he remembered: “I went over on my left ankle and I really struggled. Instead of holding my hands up and saying this is no good; because they had given me the captaincy and they were sort of building around me I thought I am going to have to just try and see how far I can go There were
FPA MEMBER ALAN GOODALL POSES WITH COD ARMY SHIRT
DEFENDING THE LINE AT HIGHBURY STADIUM
times when we had started the season I had to sort of gear myself up to run because it was that bad. Every time I walked it was crunching (the ankle). “It was hard, I don’t know how I got through games, pain killers, this and that. Come winter time when it was getting colder it was getting worse. “I had to apologise to the chairman because obviously he had invested in me and say I can’t play anymore. I couldn’t apologise enough to Altrincham but that’s football, these things happen.” It transpired that Alan had a ruptured tendon which effectively ended his career after six months of playing for the Cheshire team. Altrincham were relegated from the National League North and Alan went into hospital to have surgery on his damaged ankle. The recovery period proved to be 18 months due to the injury taking a long time to heal after which Alan had to seek employment outside of football as he recalled: “I got a local job in an art factory to start off with. It was okay but it was your normal factory job where there was basically
no pay in it all but it paid the bills and it did me well for 12 months or so.” Alan has since moved on to working for Tata Steel where is earning more money for a big company but his thoughts have turned to possible opportunities of getting back into football as he explained: “I have been with my agent who brought me to Fleetwood, Dave Buncall, whose company is Code4sport. “He has been nothing but straight and honest with me, a real genuine guy and I am hoping to join his team. “We have been speaking and he has been talking about offering me a role in his team and maybe becoming an agent. “I can maybe come back into football in that way; that’s the only way I think I would come back into it. I don’t want to do management and I don’t want to do coaching.” When asked how it felt emotionally when he knew that he could no longer play football Alan responded: “It is a big awakening. “I’ve got another 40 years or so of this (working) and my football career was only 15 years.
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
“You’ve got to adapt quickly but I am lucky enough to be strong minded but my thoughts are my family, my kids and my wife; I’ve got to provide for them and you’ve got to do it quickly. “You can’t sit back on your laurels. When you have PFA meetings and they come in every summer and someone talks to you and says listen let’s think about life after football and you’re are 22 or 23 you think that’s miles off. “The next minute your football career is over. Players don’t want to think that their careers will ever end. “Some players who want to do management and want to do coaching think that they’ll get a coaching job or a manager’s job but it’s not as easy as that. “Even the players who do their badges find it hard to get on the ladder of coaching. There are only a handful that are lucky. “When I was out of contract before signing for Fleetwood someone said to me that there are 800 players out of contract every year, it’s horrible. To be in a cattle market like that is tough.”
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MEMORABLE MATCH KEVIN BYRNE'S MOST MEMORABLE MATCH FROM HIS CAREER
MORECAMBE 2 FLEETWOOD 3 LANCASHIRE COMBINATION 13TH APRIL 1968 Fleetwood’s team that day: Cooper (GK), Andrew, Eaves, Willder, Hayward, Durie, Armstrong, Byrne, John Strachan, Jim Strachan, Morton. Fleetwood’s goalscorers: Byrne & Armstrong (2) 19-year-old Kevin Byrne couldn’t have had a tougher sounding debut on Easter Saturday towards the end of the 1967-68 season – playing away against a Morecambe side unbeaten at home in almost two seasons, top (and eventual champions) of that season’s Lancashire Combination and Combination champions and cup double winners the previous 1966-67 season. Most notably of all perhaps was that they had also lifted the Lancashire Senior Cup just a few weeks earlier, the only non-league team ever to win what was then a very high profile competition. Kevin had played the previous day, Good Friday, for Fleetwood reserves at Highbury against Leyland
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Motors and was expecting to be playing again for the reserves at Duckinfield the following day. Instead, his day took a very different direction as Kevin recalls: “I was out that morning doing some errands for my mother when the Fleetwood Chairman came to the house and told my mother I was to report to Highbury for first team duty at Morecambe that afternoon as they had some injuries from the previous day’ game at Kirkby Town. “When I got there, the manager Dave Durie told me I would be playing. “When we arrived at Morecambe’s Christie Park, which was a lovely venue, the Fleetwood trainer Ronnie Godwin had half a dozen new pairs of socks
KEVIN BYRNE WITH ANDY HADDOCK AT POOLFOOT FARM
and he threw a pair to me and said I could have them as I was making my debut!” As regards the game itself, Kevin remembers: “I was very nervous and I hardly touched the ball in the first twenty minutes as it was backs to the wall. Then we scored a breakaway goal and I got it and all my nerves then drained away. “We were leading 1-0 at half time and then we went two up just after half time and I had a direct assist in that, crossing the ball to Derek Armstrong who headed in. “Morecambe then came back hard at us and got back to 2-2 and we were hanging on desperately for a point. “Then just before the final whistle, we broke away again and in what was almost an identikit goal to the second, we scored an unlikely winner with Derek Armstrong against heading home my cross.”
“When I got back on the coach after the game, I remember getting a generous round of applause from the Fleetwood supporters who had travelled with the team. “When I got home, my father had already read the match report in The Green and he was chuffed to bits, which was lovely. “All I wanted to do that night was go round the pubs in Fleetwood to celebrate but my girlfriend and I already had tickets to see Gene Pitney, a big star at the time, at the ABC in Blackpool so it was a bit of an anti-climax! “It really was a dream debut and in fact the headline in the Gazette on the Monday night was ‘Dream debut for teenager Byrne’. I still have the cutting.” “It definitely was a magical day and one I’ll never forget!”
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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 4 Phil Archbold (1998-2003), Kevin Barnes (1992-2004), Mark Baron (TBC), Danny Betmead (1998-1999), Robbie Boal (1991-1996), Steven Bond (1992), Chris Brandes (TBC), Steve Brooks (Junior) (2001-2006), Tony Clowes (1998-2001), Chris Coll (1998-2001), Les Fitzgerald (1997-1999), Lee Garrett (1998-2002), Alan Hughes (1990-1995), Danny Hurst (2007-2011), Alan Kennerly (TBC), Ian Lang (1999-2001), George McCaffer (TBC), Peter Ollerton (1969-1971), Stuart Parkinson (2001-2005), Chris Singleton (TBC), Roy Stephenson (TBC), Adam Sumner (TBC), Paul Swift (2000), Dave Warburton (TBC), Michael Whitehead (TBC).
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: Malcolm Denning (1939-2019)
FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION
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