Southern League Legends (Part Five)

Another batch of legendary players.

RICHARD DIXEY was a renowned centre-back who spent many years in non-League football and was rated as one of the best in his era.

Tough and uncompromising, he started out with his local club Wigston Fields in the Leicestershire Senior League as a youngster.

He moved up a level to play for Enderby Town in the Southern League Division One North in the summer of 1974 but by the following December he caught the attention of First Division Burnley, who invited him to Turf Moor for a trial.

Then-Burnley boss Jimmy Adamson liked what he saw and signed the 18-year-old.

He made three top level appearances for the Clarets and the following season he joined Fourth Division side Stockport County on loan for the rest of the season in February 1976 where he made 14 appearances.

After being released by Burnley at the end of the 1975/76 season, Dixey signed by Derek Dougan for Southern League Premier Division side Kettering Town.

He was an impressive presence at the heart of the Poppies defence and helped them to reach the 1979 FA Trophy Final at Wembley where they lost to Stafford Rangers.

Dixey disappointed supporters after the final when he was signed by new league rivals Scarborough ahead of the inaugural Alliance Premier League campaign.

He returned closer to home in March 1981 by joining another Alliance Premier outfit, Nuneaton Borough, where he spent the next seven years, once even taking temporary charge of the team and playing in both the Conference and Southern League as Boro see-sawed between the two during those years.

In 1988, despite being Nuneaton`s skipper, Dixey ended his seven and
a half year association with the Manor Park outfit when he joined local rivals Atherstone United.

Dixey helped the Adders, under Ron Bradbury, win promotion from the Southern Midland Division as runners-up to Gloucester City.

(PHOTO: KEITH GILLARD)

He ended his career with Atherstone after a couple of seasons, later becoming a plumbing teacher.

PAUL GOVER spent ten seasons with Bath City, earning a testimonial match against Exeter City in 1980, having joined the club in April 1971 as a 17-year-old before signed a professional contract a year later.

He earned three England Youth international caps and then made over 300 appearances by the age of just 23, although he was already suffering from problems with his left knee.

After a third operation in 1982 he was forced to leave City, but continued playing at Western League level for Melksham Town, Paulton Rovers and Odd Down.

He returned to Bath in December 1987 as reserve team manager and before the end of that season was in charge of the first team in a caretaker capacity alongside Colin Tavener, after the sacking of Bobby Jones.

He reprised this role the following season before finally cutting ties with the club in 1988.

ROGER BROWN was a solid, reliable, old-fashioned centre-half who began and finished his playing career in non-League football.

He started out with local side Dostill Rovers and then Midland Combination outfits Bolehall Swifts and Paget Rangers.

He then stepped up to the Southern League Division One North with AP Leamington in 1974, spending almost four seasons at the Windmill Ground and helping them to promotion to the Southern Premier Division.

In February 1978, Brown was signed by Bournemouth following a recommendation by Harry Redknapp after he had briefly played alongside the centre-half at Leamington in 1976.

Bournemouth paid a fee of £10,000 for a player breaking the full-time ranks at the relatively late age of 25.

He went on to make 63 appearances for the Cherries before following manager John Bond to First Division Norwich City in the summer of 1979 for a fee of £85,000.

He had made 21 appearances for the Canaries when he was sold to Fulham for an £80,000 profit.

He made 141 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring 18 times.

He re-joined Bournemouth in December 1983 to play for Redknapp and made another 84 appearances for them, including that famous FA Cup win over Manchester United.

He returned to non-League football with stints at Conference side Weymouth and then Southern Division One South neighbours Poole Town, where he was player-manager in 1986/87, although it wasn`t hugely successful as the Dolphins finished third-from-bottom.

However, he went on to manage Fourth Division Colchester United from November 1987 to October 1988.

And after quitting football to become a production manager, he returned to manage his old club Bolehall Swifts along with his brother Gary.

He sadly passed away in August 2011 from cancer at the age of just 58.

GEORGE CLEARY was a renowned goalscorer in Southern League circles in the 1960s and 70s.

Born in Clapham near Bedford, the diminutive striker started his career with Bedford Town, starting out as an amateur in the reserve side before turning `professional` in 1963/64.

He went on to become a regular in the Eagles side for several years, the club turning down several offers for his services during this time.

He made 364 appearances and scored 139 goals for Bedford before being sold to Southern Premier Division rivals Kettering Town for a £2,000 fee in March 1973 where Poppies boss Ron Atkinson wanted to pair him with Roy Clayton in attack.

Cleary`s work rate assisted Clayton and the team and he helped Kettering to clinch the title that season, scoring 7 goals in 8 league games.

Barry Fry, who Cleary played with and under at Bedford, took him to Dunstable Town six months later at the time when they were signing `big` names like Jeff Astle.

But in December 1975, at the age of 28, Cleary got his first taste of League football when Atkinson surprisingly came back for him and took him to Fourth Division Cambridge United.

However, he made just 8 appearances for the U`s.

He had short spells with Wycombe Wanderers, AP Leamington, Hillingdon Borough and Wealdstone before Fry re-signed him for Barnet in the Alliance Premier League.

However, he returned to Bedford later in the 1979/80 season and added a further 50 games to his tally with 19 goals.

He finished his playing career with a spell at United Counties League side
Wootton Blue Cross.

GEORGE JAGGER was unveiled as the fourth `legend` to be inducted into AFC Telford United`s `Hall of Fame` back in 2009.

The left-winger made more than 400 appearances for the old Telford United in seven seasons, scoring 63 goals.

His list of honours whilst at the Bucks Head includes two FA Trophy finals, three Shropshire Senior Cup final successes, victory in the Southern League Cup in 1971 and three-times winner of the Midland Floodlit League.

He started his career with Yorkshire League side Houghton Main before turning professional with Barnsley in the summer of 1960.

But he was released by the Tykes in 1963 without managing to break into the first team at Oakwell.

He was signed by Southern League Division One side Corby Town and spent three years at Occupation Road, playing in the Steelmen`s successful FA Cup runs to the First Round when they lost 3-1 at home to Bristol City in 1964 and in 65/66 when they reached the Third Round, having knocked Luton Town out, before losing to Plymouth Argyle.

He signed for Telford in the summer of 1966.

HUGH MORROW was a winger who was well-respected wherever he played.

Born in Larne, Northern Ireland, he started out with West Bromwich Albion.

He progressed to make 5 first-team appearances for the then-Second Division Baggies, scoring 2 goals.

He joined Lockheed Leamington before National Service interrupted his career and then, in the summer of 1952, whilst still in the RAF, he signed for Nuneaton Borough, then in the Birmingham League.

After moving to the Birmingham League, Morrow scored 10 goals in 1952/53 and then an outstanding 22 in 53/54.

However, at the start of the 1954/55 season, Nuneaton suffered a blow when Morrow re-joined Leamington.

In the summer of 1956, Morrow joined Third Division (South) side Northampton Town.

He made 30 appearances for the Cobblers, scoring 3 goals, but was one of several players who were enticed to neighbouring Southern League Premier Division club Kettering Town, who had won the championship in 56/57 under the legendary Tommy Lawton.

The former England centre-forward had left to manage Notts County and Morrow was signed by his replacement Harold Mather, who was subsequently replaced by another ex-England star, Jack Froggatt, in January 1958.

Morrow was in the Poppies team that were relegated in 59/60 and the side that won an immediate return the following season.

Morrow joined then-West Midlands (Regional) League side Tamworth at the start of the 1966/67 season as a player and was appointed player-manager the following season after the Lambs had reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup for the first time.

His greatest achievement was taking the club to the Second Round Proper of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Torquay United at The Lamb which was followed by defeat at of Gillingham.

He was sacked as manager in October 1971 after 314 games.

Very sadly, ROGER THORNDALE recently passed away at the age of 80.

He is Cheltenham Town's all-time record appearance holder, having made over 700 appearances for the Robins between 1960 and 1975.

The right-back originally joined then-Southern League club Cheltenham as a 15-year old in 1955 and finally left Whaddon Road in the mid-1980s having managed the reserve team for several seasons and was later made a life vice-president.

Thorndale represented Gloucestershire under-18s before signing for Cheltenham as a `professional` in 1958.

He made his first-team debut against Kettering Town in the Southern League Premier Division in April 1960 and the following season became a first-team regular.

He was a member of the team that were relegated in 61/62 and the side that won promotion back to the Premier Division in 63/64.

He enjoyed two benefit matches for the club, the first against Derby County in 1966 and the second against Hereford United in 1974.

Thorndale received offers to join other clubs but he stayed loyal with Cheltenham.

He was appointed player-manager of the reserves when they entered the West Midlands (Regional) League in 1975 and continued to serve the club for a number of years, taking charge of the first team as caretaker manager for two games in season 1981/82.

Centre-forward ROBIN CHANDLER started his career with Luton Town in 1960.

An England Schoolboy international, the Hatters originally signed him on a part-time basis and he played as often on the right-wing as he did in his preferred central role.

He played several first-team games for Luton, including all three FA Cup Third Round ties against Ipswich Town which Luton eventually lost after a second replay played at Arsenal`s Highbury.

In 1965, Chandler joined Southern League Division One side Stevenage Town but it was a troubled time at the club and he moved south to sign for league rivals Dover.

However, it was after moving to Romford just before the start of the 1970/71 season that his career really took off.

He became the club`s most consistent goalscorer in the Southern Premier Division and went on to score over 300 goals for the club and he was awarded a joint testimonial with Dave Bickles against West Ham United in November 1975.

The majority of brothers PETER and BRENDAN WASSALL`S amazing appearance totals and goals record for Kidderminster Harriers were made before they won a place in the Southern League Division One North in 1972.

However, the sheer number of appearances and goals for one club deserves a mention here.

The first to join then-West Midlands (Regional) League side Kidderminster in October 1962 from league rivals Atherstone Town at the age of 20 was older brother Brendan.

What makes his goals record even more remarkable is that he was primarily a midfielder.

He consistent managed around 26 goals each season for over a decade and that is barely likely to be equalled.

He helped Harriers to win four West Midlands (Regional) League titles and made 686 appearances and scored 268 goals before eventually leaving Aggborough in April 1975 to spend a season with then-Southern League Division One North neighbours Bromsgrove Rovers before hanging up his boots in 1975 at the relatively early age of 33.

Apart from his games and goals, Brendan`s other major achievement was recommending his younger brother Peter to the club.

Peter had been on Wolves and Aston Villa`s books as a youth without being offered a deal and was with his brother at Atherstone.

The brothers were re-united at Aggborough just prior to the 1963/64 season and after spending his first campaign at what was then the right-half position, he made the switch to a forward role after performing well in the reserves.

That was quite some switch!

He went on to score 433 goals in just 621 games!

Peter was especially prolific when Harriers won the WMRL title in 1968/69, scoring an amazing 67 times.

He left Kidderminster before his brother to join for a short spell with Hereford United, who paid Harriers a then-record £3,000 fee for his services.

He was soon back at Aggborough to finish his career, though and notched the final of his 433 goals with a brace against Worcester City in October 1974.

Sadly, he died after suffering a heart attack in 1988 at the age of 44.

JOHN BARTLEY (pictured) is another who `dipped` in and out of the Southern League but made a considerable contribution whilst playing in the competition.

But, like the Wassall brothers, he statistics alone deserve a mention here as they are truly astounding.

He began his career with Welling United`s successful youth side.

The Wings have had a reputation for producing talent over the years, with Andy Townsend, goalkeeper Paul Barron, Steve Finnan and Tony Agana all coming through the Wings` own ranks.

And although Bartley`s professional career was a brief one and came nowhere near the success that the likes of Andy Townsend had, his non-League record was phenomenal.

His first senior game for Welling came in the 1974/75 season in the Athenian League and he showed a glimpse of what was to come by netting 64 goals in 40 games for the under-18 side.

The following 75/76 season saw Bartley make his mark in the first team whilst continuing to score prolifically for the youth side. In fact, he scored an incredible 113 goals in that season, although most of them were still for the under-18s.

He was now established in the first team in the Athenian League and for the next five seasons scored at an average of over a goal per game.

His record of 450 goals in 326 games had bigger clubs flocking to Park View Road and in October 1980, Bartley signed for Second Division Millwall.

Playing alongside the likes of Sam Allardyce and Graham Paddon, Bartley couldn`t find the same consistency and left The Den in 1982 after making 40 appearances and scoring 8 goals.

He joined Alliance Premier League side Maidstone United upon his return and helped them to second place and then winners in 1983/84.

Welling were now an established Southern League Premier Division side when Bartley returned `home` in the 1984/85 season.

It was the following year when Welling stormed to the championship that he again made his mark, scoring 60 goals in 58 appearances and forming a terrific partnership with Gary Abbott in attack.

He started the next season back in the Alliance Premier in good form, but a dispute saw him leave Park View Road to return to Maidstone later that season.

In 1987/88 he was back in the Southern League scoring goals for Premier Division Chelmsford City.

However, despite scoring 21 goals in 27 games, the Clarets were relegated, and Bartley was transferred Dartford for £6,000, therefore remaining in the Southern Premier Division.

It was former Spurs and England star Peter Taylor who signed the striker, the pair having briefly played together at Maidstone.

And he helped Dartford to finish in second place and finished his time there with 31 goals from 38 matches.

He finished his career with Kent League side Alma Swanley where he lost none of his prowess in from of goal, netting 86 goals in 86 games for The Alma.

Bartley`s was certainly a prolific career which totalled around 770 goals!

(PHOTO: KEITH GILLARD)