A Kick in the Past | Issue 7 | Fleetwood Town Former Players Association

ISSUE #7

MARCH 20

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: MARCH: Steven Bond (46 on 1st), Tom Scott (75 on 1st), Steve Macauley (51 on 4th), Paul Swift (44 on 5th), Harvey Morley (79 on 6th), Dean McGinley (45 on 7th), Les Fitzgerald (56 on 13th), Mark Scott (67 on 13th), Robbie Boal (45 on 15th), Les Ingham (75 on 17th), Roy Whitehouse (65 on 18th), Fred Willder (76 on 20th), Brian Parkinson (82 on 20th), Colin Monks (69 on 24th), Malcolm Beech (70 on 26th), Tony Mudie (65 on 27th). APRIL: Phil Thompson (39 on 1st), Ian Lang (52 on 5th), Kevin Byrne (71 on 9th), Dave Beech (66 on 13th), Brian Wilson (63 on 14th), Frank Bowker (77 on 15th), Dave Barnes (65 on 16th), Dave Wassall (77 on 18th), John Hills (42 on 21st). MAY: Andy Haddock (74 on 5th), Keith Bowey (60 on 9th), Danny Betmead (43 on 10th), Steve Holden (57 on 10th), Steve Hesford (66 on 12th), Brian Newman (74 on 14th), Peter Ollerton (69 on 20th), Gareth Seddon (40 on 23rd), Reg Smallbone (73 on 29th).

Next three meetings Thursday 2nd April (10am), Thursday 7th May (10am) & Thursday 4th June (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: Mark Roberts celebrating after scoring the opening goal in Fleetwood Town’s 2-0 win over Rochdale at the Crown Oil Arena on 28 December 2014.

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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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

KEEPS ON GROWING: The Former Players certainly had a lot of members at the January meeting at Poolfoot Farm! 31 in total!

THIS MAN CAN TALK: Many stories were shared by Kevin Byrne during his career speech in January. FPA Secretary, Tony Collier, looks on and listens intensely.

GO ON THEN, PLAY US A SONG: FPA members enjoyed listening to the Former Players band back in December, before sitting down for their Christmas dinners at Poolfoot Farm FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

LOVES A PICTURE: Roy Whitehouse posing with issue six of the FPA Newsletter

CONCENTRATING FACES: Steve ‘Docker’ Brooks (left) and Bobby Cuthbertson listen with interest to Kevin’s talk.

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BERT HESSION & TOM WHITE W

e were greatly saddened to lose two of our members in December.

Bert Hession passed away on 1st December aged 85 having bravely battled against illness for some years.

Bert joined Fleetwood from Stockport County in the summer of 1957 and made his debut in our opening Lancashire Combination game of the 1957-58 season away at Crompton’s Recreation. He appeared in all but 3 of Fleetwood’s first team games that season in all positions across the back line, scoring 3 times.

He had an injury affected second season at the club (1958-59), playing just 17 games, before leaving in the summer of 1959 to join Lytham FC. In all, Bert played 66 first team games for Fleetwood alongside fellow FPA members George McIntyre, Ron Kennedy, Ron Bellwood and Jim Strachan.

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Tom White arrived at Highbury in the summer of 1972 as Fleetwood player-manager having enjoyed a long and distinguished career in both his native Scotland and south of the border.

Tom was a no-nonsense centre forward with a commendable goal ratio in senior football of one in every 2.5 games. His Fleetwood debut came in our opening Northern Premier League game of the 1972-73 season in a 3-0 home defeat against Runcorn. Unfortunately, that defeat was a sign of things to come that season as financial constraints at the club severely restricted Tom’s ambitions as he and the team endured a difficult campaign.

Fleetwood made a much brighter start to the following 1973-74 season but again a lack of funds ultimately meant another challenging season in spite of Tom’s huge efforts both on and off the field. Demoralised at the

prospect of an even smaller playing budget for the 1974-75 season, Tom called it a day in the summer of 1974 and he later joined the board at one of his former clubs, Blackpool, where he served for many years.

Tom played a total of 59 first team games for Fleetwood, scoring 10 goals, and he managed and played alongside many FPA members including Dave Roach, Phil Kendrick, Alan Tuson, Allan Fish, Kevin Byrne, Frank Haydock, Norman Moran, Steve Hesford, Ken Moran, Derek Lancaster, Dave Wassall, Frank Haydock, Roy Atherton, Roy Whitehouse, Alan Moyes and last, but not least, his great friend Andy Haddock.

Both Bert and Tom were regular attendees of our monthly FPA gatherings and they will be greatly missed by everybody associated with the FPA. We would all like to extend our sincere condolences to their friends and families.

PATRICK HERBERT HESSION 6 FEBRUARY 1934 1 DECEMBER 2019

THOMAS ‘TOM’ WHITE 12 AUGUST 1939 17 DECEMBER 2019

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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ROBERTS - FOOTBALLER,

ACADEMIC, MENTOR WORDS: PAUL COLLIER

In this feature, we spoke to former captain Mark Roberts about his time at Fleetwood Town, his coaching duties and his academic achievements.

T

o engage in conversation with Mark Roberts, the former Fleetwood Town captain and central defender is always an enlightening experience.

Mark is knowledgeable, deep thinking and highly motivated.

Beginning his football career at the Manchester United academy he joined Fleetwood Town via a clutch of clubs and captained the side to a momentous League Two play – off victory against Burton Albion at Wembley almost six years ago.

Mark signed for the Cod Army in July 2013 having won an FA Challenge Trophy medal in 2009 with Stevenage and also experienced two back to back promotions from the Football Conference to the Football League in 2010 and from League Two to League One the following year.

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He recalled how his move from Hertfordshire came about: “One of the main reasons was the change of management at Stevenage.

“There is no hiding the fact that I had an incredible affinity with that football club. I loved pulling on the shirt and wearing the badge and wearing the captain’s arm band meant the world to me. When Graham (Westley) and the management team left for Preston a lot of my close friends that I had spent that journey with moved with him. It was a difficult time for me in terms of seeing the change in and around the club and I tried my utmost to give my all for the last season of my contract.

“I just felt at that point even though Graham had returned with the rest of the management staff it was time to move on for a new challenge.

I am very ambitious and very driven as a person and I will always be that.

When Fleetwood came in I saw that as an opportunity to have success in a different way at a different club.

“When I met with Graham Alexander I knew that it was the right club to be with at that point in my career. I then met the chairman and he sold me the vision of the club and where he was going with all of his plans on and off the field.

“I was so impressed with that and I like being part of winning and doing things, maybe against the odds and doing them in a different way. I just felt that it was the right fit for me at that time.”

Mark remembered his first season at Fleetwood, one which saw the club finish fourth in the league culminating in the play – off final.

ROBERTS CELEBRATING AFTER SCORING AGAINST THE POSH

ROBERTS IN WARRINGTON TOWN COLOURS

“It took obviously a bit of time to settle in and adjust to moving but I was quickly into my stride but then there was an expectancy of the team to do well. Although we started I think the first couple of games with victories and I scored on my debut at home and that was a fantastic start.

“The results maybe then didn’t materialise as everyone was expecting and hoping, so I think after about two months I found myself on the subs bench which is not something really I had experienced or wanted to be.

“It was a learning curve and I had to bide my time but when Graham put me back in the team I never looked back and he supported me as a captain and a person and that was very important to me.

“I think that is when me and Pondy struck up a partnership and went on to secure promotion.”

Fast forwarding to the play-off final Mark remembered the day well.

“It was by no means a classic final and It was a bit of a freak goal but it doesn’t matter when you score the winning goal at Wembley.

“It wasn’t the most entertaining game but all that matters is that you finish the right side of it and we did manage to do that. I guess we showed that sort of dogged determination that we had as a team although we had some really creative players and lots of match winners that could turn any

game in that squad.

“I think it was very important that we also had those guys that could dig deep and I think that came from the manager and the way he set us up.

“He was always very meticulous with his organisation and he was always trying to make training as competitive as he could. I think in the end those small differences make the big difference and it is a day I will never forget and one that we all enjoyed.”

The 2014/15 campaign saw a tenth place league finish for Fleetwood Town but at the end of the season it was time for Mark to move on but not without reluctance as he recalled: “I would have loved to have stayed but obviously circumstance prevailed. It was what it was and it is water under the bridge now.

“I quite quickly saw how things were unravelling in terms of the direction which the club was moving and some of the players maybe had to move on.

“There ended up being about 13 or 14 players out of contract.

“It seemed strange from a promotion winning squad and a team that I think could have gone again in terms of maybe challenging the following season.

“We kind of disbanded but that’s football and not my decision so It was time to move on.

“I really enjoyed my time here and I would have liked to have stayed but when you see the writing on the wall there is no point sometimes fighting a battle you are not going to win.”

Moves to Forest Green Rovers and Cambridge United followed for Mark before the opportunity arose for the centre half to return north to join Warrington Town.

It is a team which he still captains and one which is very much in the mix for a play-off place this season.

Running alongside Mark’s ongoing playing career though is a role which he has mentoring young players as he explained: “I work for the League Football Education as an athlete mentor and work with four clubs as part of a pilot scheme which is new and exciting to be involved in.

“One of them is Fleetwood Town plus Salford City, Mansfield Town and Bolton Wanderers.

“The LFE is all about personal development.”

In addition to this, the former Cod Army captain also works for a company called Switch the play and is also studying part – time for an MBA for CEO’s in Sport.

Combining the aforementioned with his academic achievements of seven A stars and four A’s from school and an attained degree in sports journalism, Mark is very much the thinking fan’s footballer.

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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MEETING MINUTES Several FPA members were asked at our last gathering for their thoughts about our monthly meetings at Poolfoot. Here are their responses

ALAN TINSLEY “I think mostly it’s just about comradery isn’t it?, what you’ve lost. You’ve been brought up all your life with being involved with team games and once you retire you kind of like lose contact.

This is a great way of kind of enjoying it again. We went on our trip (to Bolton Wanderers), that was a great experience again.

It’s like being on the old coach going to a game. Everybody’s on, everybody’s enjoying it, they are all nattering. You find out a hell of lot of what is going on otherwise you miss out on life. I think it is a great experience to be quite honest.”

DON GAIR “I think it is great, the comradery. Obviously we are all fans of Fleetwood, that’s the beauty of it, you know, we all support the same team. The comradery and the meeting up, a little bit of ego thing as well from the past. That’s what it’s all about I think.”

BOBBY CUTHBERTSON “It’s wonderful that you bump into people that you have not seen for 40 odd years. I was at the first meeting a few years ago and we talked about different things. Today I am talking to someone (Peter Bell) who I have never really spoken to before and we are talking about different things again. Every meeting has got its different aspect of what you start talking about and when they played and whatever like you know. Peter’s obviously played before I did and he’s given me a few stories about what he done up here and whatever. It’s fantastic, the club’s great!”

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FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

LOZ WALSH “Well, the first thing is you meet up with lots of lads and players, ex-players that you played with and against. You get to know new guys that you have not met before who played in different time periods. You certainly get to hear all kinds of stories from the lads in terms of their experiences, not just playing at Fleetwood but also elsewhere. it’s amazing how many people you do get to know when you play football, locally certainly. It’s just a great experience, it’s a good social occasion.”

RONNIE BELLWOOD “I get away from the wife! The meetings are brilliant, absolutely brilliant. You meet everybody that’s done a little bit in their own time and their own day like you know. The talks that they give as well are very interesting. You think to yourself what was I doing when I was playing listening to that. They are very good, brilliant.”

ANDY HADDOCK “I think the meetings are terrific, absolutely terrific. I find what I get out of them is the comradery with all the lads and having the same crack and going over things. It’s good meeting guys from different eras. I look forward to them and I think I have only missed one since they started and that was because of a hospital appointment. My wife is at the hospital this morning and I’ve got my daughter to take her because I didn’t want to miss it you know.”

PETER BELL “I get to see old friends and old team mates. It’s still in my heart - Fleetwood. I go to the home games when I can. This is great isn’t it? How many other clubs do this for their ex-players ? It’s brilliant.”

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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MEMORABLE MATCH DEREK LANCASTER'S MOST MEMORABLE MATCH FROM HIS CAREER

FLEETWOOD 2 WIGAN ATHLETIC 1 NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE 14TH AUGUST 1973 Fleetwood’s team that day: Sillis (GK), Moran, Strachan, Brown, Tinney, Rutherford, White, Tuson, Lancaster, Wassall, Gleave.

Sub - Hartley Fleetwood’s goalscorers: Wassall (2) Derek Lancaster joined Fleetwood from Morecambe in the summer of 1973 and it is his home debut for the club which is his most memorable game for the team.

He recalled recently: “It was early in the season and, as you did in those seasons, you had a lot of midweek games and of all teams we had Wigan Athletic coming to Highbury on a Tuesday night.

“Their manager was Les Rigby who everybody knew in non-league circles and he was the iconic manager at the time.

“He brought his team with Rogers, Jackson, Worswick, Micky Taylor and Gaskell the goalkeeper, ex-Manchester United.

“They thought it was just a formality to beat poor old Fleetwood but we had a good team and better than people realised. There was me and Dave Wassall up front and lads like Alan Tuson, Franny Cleave and Tommy White was the manager bless him.

“Tommy used to select his games that he played in but this one he was never going to miss it. He put himself in midfield as a midfield general and he was up against Johnny King who was the iconic Wigan midfielder, a real nasty player.

“He played it really hard, he was a nasty piece but a great lad off the pitch. Tommy took him on and we went one nil down and believe it or not, Micky Taylor scored, probably one of the only goals he ever scored.

“They were all over us but we pulled it back to one one, near post ‘Wossy’ and then the iconic moment of the game really. ‘Kingy’ and Tommy White squared up on the centre – circle nose to nose and Tommy went down like a chimney stack just as the

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referee looked round and ‘Kingy’ got sent off.

“Les Rigby was apoplectic on the side, he was going mad but Tommy was there winking and saying ‘Thanks ‘Kingy‘, you bought that one’ and we went on to win 2–1. ‘Wossy‘ again scored the winning goal.

“Poor old Les Rigby was beyond himself with despair. We hung on in the end against the ten men but in the bar after Les Rigby just couldn’t cope with the situation. He just could not cope with the fact little Fleetwood had beaten Wigan Athletic. He just could not bring himself to front us out in the club house after and Wigan went home with their tale between their legs.

“I am not saying we wouldn’t have won with eleven against eleven but Tommy White played the game hard but ‘Kingy’ certainly bought one off him and the result was two points to Fleetwood. It is the game which really stands out in my mind.”

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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 NEW MEMBERS OF THE FLEETWOOD TOWN FPA SINCE ISSUE 6

Lee Morton Years playing for Fleetwood Town: 2000-03

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

FLEETWOOD TOWN FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

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