From Two Lane Blacktop to Roy Locock, the Road Movie Dream Lives On

You may have heard the tale of Roy Locock, the man that got into the driving seat of his 1977 MG Midget, put it into gear, and just drove and didn’t stop driving until he had gone all around the world, just to prove someone wrong. It’s that romantic notion of the road movie, the freedom of the road, that we can all subscribe to on one level or another. It’s also that grit and determination to prove wrong the heated steering wheel and air con brigade that laugh in our faces when we spend so much hard-earned cash on an old classic car.

Let’s face it, who needs a heated steering wheel or air con when you have a soft top called Bridget the Midget to travel with? In fact, let’s be honest here, those of us that live in the UK did just fine without air conditioning right up until very recently, so why do we now all turn our collective pampered noses up at buying any vehicle without it? Take a step back; it’s faintly absurd. For me, when I think of the road movie as a genre, it’s hard not to think instantly of one movie - and no, sorry, it’s not Thelma & Louise..

Two Lane Blacktop was released in 1971, just as the dust began to settle as America came to terms with the disintegration and failure of the Peace and Love movement as it inevitably fell into the dark world of Charles Manson’s agenda and Jim Morrison’s darker visions. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones’ ill-fated Altamont gig had put the final nail in the coffin for anyone who still believed music could change the world.

Two Lane Blacktop starred musicians James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) as drifters living in their 1955 Chevy One-Fifty, a modified 2-door sedan. The duo travel Route 66 (preInterstate Highway, note) making their living by challenging the various petrol-heads that they come across in small towns to races as they go on their life journey. None of the characters had a nameJames Taylor is ‘The Driver’ and Warren Oates is merely referred to as ‘GTO’ for example. A name was a bad idea of course; a name would pin down each character to a history; a previous life and a future.

Oates drove an awesomely beautiful 1970 Pontiac GTO 455 in the film, engulfed in a fetching Orbit Orange paint job, with the optional eyebrow stripes and a rear spoiler fitted, which were standard on the Pontiac Judge. Two GTOs were used during the filming of Two Lane Blacktop, and there were three Chevrolet ‘55s used. One of the Chevys was an original race car that was just far too loud inside to record any dialogue, while another was quiet enough to record in. The third Chevy was used to perform the film’s stunts.

If you hunger for the throaty roar of an American classic muscle car or long for the freedom of the road, then this film will do one of three things: it will either put you off for life, make you remortgage and buy a Pontiac GTO, or make you follow in the admirable footsteps of Roy Locock, a latter day, more sedate version of The Driver.

Sean Neylon

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A History of Sport in the Chelmsford Area Part 5 - By Stephen Norris

‘We are planning not just for the time when Chelmsford will be a fourth division club, but when they will be one of the top clubs in the country.’

It is over a century since Chelmsford was unarguably the centre of sport in Essex. When it comes to the national game, Chelmsford City made a number of applications to join the league - none of them came close to success. After a good deal of mismanagement the club is at least back in its own home town, but no nearer to having its own ground. The county town is home to the Essex County Cricket Club, which was very successful towards the end of the century, but immediately after the war there were long spells when cricket wasn’t played at all in Chelmsford.

For a brief period in the early 1950s, Boreham had one of the fastest and most popular motor racing circuits in the country. Long held plans to re-establish horse racing in the area stalled in the new millennium, until the all-weather track opened briefly at Great Leighs in 2008. For all its early problems, the county town does now house one of the best sport and leisure centres in the county - Riverside.

Following the 2nd World War, Chelmsford City started well, winning both the Southern League and the Southern League Cup in 1946 under their manager Arthur Rowe, later to be a successful manager of Tottenham Hotspur. An early proposal to have dog racing at the New Writtle Street ground was rejected by the council after complaints from local residents. Many football clubs had followed this route in the 1930s because greyhound racing was popular and brought in much needed finance. After WWII however, the Football League was against clubs holding race meetings and the club’s shareholders thought racing might hurt Chelmsford’s league ambition. The poor finances of the club were met by the supporters who donated £1,000 in 1947.

In 1948/9, City finished second in the league - but was told its application for Football League status had arrived too late! The club continued however to attract major players, including Hong Ying ‘Frank’ Soo, an Anglo-Chinese footballer who had previously played for Football League clubs Luton and Stoke City. He signed to

Chelmsford for a reported fee of £2,500. After finishing his playing career at the club, he went on to coach various European clubs in the 1950s and 1960s. City’s leading player of the 1940s was probably Denny Foreman who scored 96 goals in 101 appearances. The club’s lethal strike force of Syd Plunkett and Cecil McCormack scored an incredible 89 goals between them in the 1949/50 season.

By 1949, City had three players with a combined market value of £28,000. Although 11,327 turned up for the Third Round FA Cup home tie against Ipswich, which City lost after a replay, managers and shareholders bemoaned the lack of big crowds to support the team. Their average crowds of 4,000 didn’t match Colchester’s 10,000 and indeed, the only guaranteed large crowd was when Chelmsford played local rivals - in 1949 a club record 16,807 saw Chelmsford play Colchester. During the early 1950s, the club’s crowds contracted further, and this was a major reason why Colchester and Gillingham were elected to the Football League ahead of City.

By 1952 the gates were now under 3,000, the players had to go part time, and the club became even more dependent on supporter donations and by 1954 the club was losing £700 a week. The following year a tax demand of over £10,000 on previous donations seriously threatened the club’s future. This demand was eventually dropped and this and a new supporters’ pool, where all the money was given to the club as a donation, led to a big improvement in the club’s financial position. Both Arthur Adey and Roy Stroud were leading goal scorers in the 1950s.

The club managed to raise £10,000 to install floodlights in 1960, and in 1963 the club produced its first ambitious plan for expansion. This would have included a swimming pool and ten pin bowling alongside a new football ground. A group of well known Football League professionals were signed by chairman John Coward, but Chelmsford still failed initially to get anywhere near winning the Southern League and had to watch the likes of Oxford, Hereford and Cambridge enter the Football League.

In 1967 in another application for Football League status, the club received only one vote. The club had gone back to full time professional status, but this was again threatened by poor finances. Despite this, the club was able to win the Southern League in 1968 for the first time since 1946/7. Further financial problems led to the club merging with Brentwood, but the club remained at New Writtle Street. Wes Maughan scored 50 goals in 111 appearances in the 1960s.

Despite winning the Southern League in 1972, the club declined to apply to the Football League. Hereford finished second and was elected because of their FA Cup run and sound financial position. Another ambitious plan to redevelop the grounds and enhance the club’s bid for league status was announced in 1974. Chairman Alan Cherry said: “We are planning not just for the time when Chelmsford will be a fourth division club but when they will be one of the top clubs in the country.” This scheme was turned down by the planners because it included office development. Another overly ambitious plan followed the next year and was opposed by residents.

In 1975 Cherry was replaced by Claude Seymour when City owed £120,000 and the police were called in to look at the books. Another proposal was made to bring in greyhound racing, which was again blocked by local residents. Extra finance was essential, because the club had now been relegated from the Premier division of the Southern League. Subsequently, a punk rock festival at the football ground was an unmitigated disaster. By the end of the 1970s, crowds had dropped to below 400, although Jimmy Greaves played for the club in the 1976-7 season. Probably the most popular player in the 1970s was Frank Peterson who scored 146 goals in 302 appearances.

Next month’s article will look at the progress of Chelmsford City over the last 40 years.