Southern League Legends (Part Three)

Another batch of legendary players.

TONY GOUGH started his Bath City career as a 16-year-old, initially for the colts and reserve sides in the 1956/57 season, before making his first-team debut in a 1-0 win over Dartford in October 1956 in the Southern League.

He impressed sufficiently to sign amateur forms for Bristol Rovers at the end of that season, where he would make the professional ranks a year later but only make a single first-team appearance.

After spells with Swindon Town, Frome Town and Trowbridge Town, he was re-signed for Bath by Malcolm Allison. This time he would become a mainstay in the City midfield, hardly missing a game for seven seasons which led to a return to the Football League with Swindon Town in July 1970 for a fee of £500.

He only made 25 appearances for the Robins then was back in non-League football with Hereford United, where he captained the side to their famous 1972 FA Cup win over Newcastle United.

In July 1972 he was back in League football with Torquay United but after just two games, returned to Bath on loan.

He played another 100 games for City in the following two seasons, but a knee injury left him struggling the next campaign and he eventually left to join Western League side Welton Rovers.

However, the games he played during his final few months were enough to see him become the first player to make 500 appearances for the club.

He went on to play for Cinderford Town before retiring.

MALCOLM ALLEN signed for then-Southern League First Division club Nuneaton Borough in 1961, having previously played for Coventry City, who he joined from school.

He spent four years at Coventry before joining Rugby Town, and during that spell, he had trials with Derby County.

He was captain of the Army and Combined Services teams before signing for Nuneaton.

A stylish ball-playing wing-half, he was at his peak in season 1962/63 when Nuneaton were promoted to the Southern Premier Division and got to the final of the Southern League Cup, where they were defeated over two legs by Guildford City.

During one of the finest seasons ever experienced by the club, 1966/67,
Nuneaton took second spot in the league, losing the championship by a single point to Romford.

The team also reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, where Allen was outstanding in the ties with Swansea Town and Rotherham United in front of 20,000-plus crowds.

Allen, who made over 470 appearances for Boro, was appointed manager in March 1970, holding the position until May 1971 when he was replaced by David Pleat.

Nuneaton’s longest-serving player, was offered terms to stay as a player, but rejected them and left Manor Park.

In August 1971 Allen was revealed as the new player-manager of West Midland (Regional) League side Atherstone Town.

RON SAUNDERS became a well-known manager at the top level of the game.

However, he was also something of a legend at Tonbridge in a short, but successful playing spell in the Southern League.

Born in Birkenhead, Saunders gained England Youth honours and just three first-team appearances in the First Division for Everton before Doug Hunt took him to Tonbridge in July 1956.

He equalled Jimmy Constantine's record of 39 goals in 1956/57 season and scored in the Southern League Cup final.

He moved to Gillingham for £800 in May 1957 and, after 20 goals in 49 games, became the first player to move from Fourth to First Division when Portsmouth paid £10,000 for his services in September 1958.

Saunders spent six years at Fratton Park, playing 236 games and scoring 145 goals before leaving in 1964.

He later played for Watford and Charlton Athletic before being appointed player-manager of Southern League Premier Division Yeovil Town in April 1967.

He inherited only two players in the summer of 1967 and set about re-building and forming a squad capable of at least holding their own, whilst instilling a more professional attitude around the club.

His side finished twelfth in 67/68 and eighth in 68/69, although he had left The Huish in February 1969 to briefly succeed Arthur Turner at Oxford United before taking over at Norwich City where he forged his name.

Saunders guided the Canaries to the old Second Division title in 1972, earning them promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history. The following season City lost in the League Cup final to Spurs.

After resigning in November 1973, he swiftly took over at Manchester City but lasted just 30 games – which included another League Cup final defeat – as he was sacked five months later due to the club’s perilous league position.

Saunders, though, was out of work for less than two months as he joined Aston Villa in June 1974, helping them clinch promotion from the Second Division as runners-up in his first season in charge, and at the third time of asking, winning the League Cup in 1975, beating old club Norwich.

Firmly established as a top-flight club, Villa won the League Cup again in 1977.

The biggest prize of all arrived four years later, with one of the most astonishing statistics from the First Division title triumph the fact Saunders used just 14 players, including the likes of Tony Morley, Dennis Mortimer, Gordan Cowans etc., across the 42-game league campaign.

In early February 1982, Saunders quit, apparently in fury when the club tried to change the terms of his contract.

He rejected an approach from Manchester United while at Villa, while it is understood he also spurned two informal approaches from England during his time with the club.

He left with Villa in mid-table, but in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.

Long-time friend and assistant Tony Barton finished the work Saunders had started by lifting the trophy in Rotterdam with a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich a few months later.

Remarkably, nine days after he walked out on Villa, he joined cross-city rivals Birmingham City. Although the Blues were relegated on his watch in 1984, he guided them back into the First Division at the first attempt.

In January 1986 he walked out again when the club were again struggling, but a month later joined his third ‘Second City’ club, West Bromwich Albion, lasting 19 months, only to be sacked in September 1987 after they had dropped into the Second Division. It was the end of his career in football.

BILLY BEST joined Northampton Town as a youngster and came through the ranks to make a handful of appearances as they defied the odds to win the Second Division in 1965.

The young forward played a few times in the First Division too but was mainly used as back-up.

He eventually left the Cobblers in 1968 with 47 games and 16 goals to his name.

It was when joining Southend United that his career really took off.

The Glaswegian was voted as player of the season twice in his five seasons at Roots Hall and was a prolific goalscorer.

He hit seven hat-tricks, including three goals in a 5-minute spell against Peterborough United when he scored four in the game.

He scored 5 goals against Brentwood in the FA Cup in 1969 and all in all, he scored 123 goals in 247 appearances before returning to Northampton in 1973.

Back at the County Ground, this time as a part-timer combining a building job with playing, he was a more regular first-teamer and made 184 appearances and scored 37 goals before being released in 1977.

He was signed by Barry Fry for Bedford Town in June 1978. However, the Eagles had just been relegated from the Southern League Premier Division and Best didn`t actually get to play a league game under Fry, who resigned ten days before the start of the 78/79 season.

But Best proved to be one of, if not the most, successful of his many signings.

Playing in a deeper role than he did at Southend or Northampton, Best went on to make 205 appearances for Bedford, scoring 17 goals.

He left the Eagles following their final game of 1981/82 when the club disbanded for what was proved to be ten years.

Best played on though, joining several former Bedford team-mates at Corby Town in the newly formed Southern Premier Division.

He became the Steelmen`s oldest player at 39 years and 8 months before hanging up his boots in 1983.

DENNIS RANDALL only played two full seasons (1965/66 and 66/67) for Margate in the Southern League, but he made a massive impact and still holds the club`s goalscoring record.

He started his career with Luton-based Spartan League club Vauxhall Motors where he was a prolific scorer and also worked at the factory.

But during 1959/60 he contracted Tuberculosis and was told he`d never play football again but defied the odds and battled back to full fitness.

In the summer of 1960, he moved to Athenian Leaguers Hitchin Town and Randall was a member of the famous Canaries side that reached the last four of the FA Amateur Cup where the Canaries were beaten 1-0 by Walthamstow Avenue at the White City.

A tall forward, exceptional in the air, Randall netted goals with incredible consistency, totalling 103 in 85 games.

Randall ended the 1960/61 season with 52 goals, rounding-off with 4 in the Herts Charity Cup final.

His form continued into 1961/62 when he scored 51 and won an England Amateur international cap, but by the summer, he had left Hitchin to join Southern League Premier Division Kettering Town.

In the summer of 1964, Randall moved to Cambridge United and the following year signed for Yeovil Town but failed to settle in Somerset and joined Margate in December 1965, bagging 21 goals to the end of the season.

The 66/67 campaign was a memorable one for Randall and Margate, who won promotion from the Southern League Division One and he set a post-World War II record of 54 goals in a season – and 66 in all competitions.

But he was forced to leave Margate at the end of the campaign as promotion at work at Vauxhall Motors meant he needed to find a club nearer to his Luton home.

He spent two seasons with Bexley United in the Southern League Division One and later played for and then managed Bletchley Town in the Metropolitan League.

Despite just two and a half seasons with Bath City, GEORGE GIBBS is considered a legend amongst supporters from his era, as much for his exploits off the pitch - where he was once called the `George Best of non-League football – as his prowess on it.

Having been a youth player with Cardiff City, Gibbs spent time playing in the North American Soccer League before joining Bath via Dartford for £500 during the latter stages of the 1976/77 season.

He played a major role in City winning the 1977/78 Southern League Premier Division title before heading back across the Atlantic once again – this time to Canada to play for Toronto Blizzard in March 1979 for £7,500.

He had made 111 appearances for Bath, scoring 34 goals and kept the local newspaper reporters busy during that time!

He went on to play for the Tulsa Roughnecks before retiring.

EDDIE CLAYTON was good enough to be in Bill Nicholson`s `double-winning` Tottenham Hotspur squad of 1960/61, often used when the late John White was missing.

He had been playing as a wing-half or an inside forward, he had been playing for Hackney Boys and then Eton Manor, when he was spotted by Spurs scouts as a youngster and he turned professional with the club in 1957.

He went on to spend ten years at White Hart Lane, making 92 appearances and contributing 20 goals.

He also scored 130 goals in 236 games for Spurs` reserve, `A` and `B` teams and played in the 3-1 win over Feyenoord in the European Cup Winners` Cup.

He eventually left Spurs for Southend United in 1968 and played 71 times for the Shrimpers, scoring 16 goals, before signing for Margate in June 1970 after a short spell with Kent rivals Ashford Town.

He went on to spend five seasons at Hartsdown Park – all in the Southern Premier Division – and, despite honours eluding him and the club in his time with them, he still proved to be a popular and valuable player for Gate, wheo he also helped as caretaker manager following the departure of Gerry Baker.

He totalled 280 appearances for Margate, including the infamous FA Cup First Round thrashing by Bournemouth in November 1971, when Ted MacDougall netted 9 goals in their 11–0 victory, and he scored 33 goals.

Goalkeeper GARY WAGER spent eight of his ten seasons with Merthyr Tydfil in the Southern League after becoming legendary boss Lyn Jones` first signing on joining the club in 1985.

Wager arrived from Welsh League runners-up Bridgend Town and went on to help the Martyrs win the Midland Division title in 1987/88 and the Premier Division the following season, winning a place in the Conference.

He went on to become one of the most highly rated keepers at the top level of non-League football and earned Welsh semi-professional international honours as well as Welsh Cup winners` medals and played for the club in the European Cup Winners` Cup competition.

After Merthyr were relegated back to the Southern League in 1995, Wager stayed at Penydarren Park for a couple of seasons before ending his career in the Welsh Premier with Inter Cardiff, Cwmbran Town and Port Talbot Town.

LED DUQUEMIN was born on Guernsey, but he went on to become arguably the best centre-forward never to play for England.

Popularly nicknamed `Duke`, he played for his local side Vauxbelet before World War II.

After peace was declared, Duquemin, who it was rumoured hid in a monastery during the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands, was recommended to then-Second Division Tottenham Hotspur by a local fan, he was given a trial by former England winger Joe Hulme during December 1945, signed on as an amateur the following month, and then loaned out to then-Southern League club Colchester United during February 1946, scoring on his one senior appearance for them

Duquemin went on to become a vital member of new Spurs boss Arthur Rowe`s famous `Push and Run` team and gained Second and First Division championship winners’ medals in 1949/50 and 50/51 during his 13-year association at White Hart Lane.

He returned to make his senior debut in our colours in a wartime league match against Fulham in March 1946.

Following a spell on the groundstaff – the early version of apprenticeships – he signed professional forms on September 1946 and finished that season as top scorer in Spurs`Football Combination team, netting 15 goals in 30 appearances.

Given his League debut in August 1947, he scored one of the goals in a 5-1 home win over Sheffield Wednesday. From then on, he was a regular in the first team, leading the goalscorers list that season with 24 senior goals — a feat repeated during season 1952/53. In addition to his league tally he netted 20 goals in 33 FA Cup appearances — the first Spur to reach the 20 mark in the competition.

Duquemin’s one representative honour came in May 1949, when he was selected for an FA XI, ironically against the Channel Islands.

He netted the title-winning goal against Sheffield Wednesday in April 1951 and was Spurs lone scorer in the two Villa Park FA Cup semi-final defeats by Blackpool, in 1948 and 1953.

After leaving Tottenham in November 1958 following 274 games and 114 goals, Duquemin featured for three Southern League clubs.

In 1958/59 he scored 22 goals in 22 games to help Bedford Town to the South East Division title - including scoring 6 in a 9-0 win against Poole Town - and notched 33 goals the following season.

He played for Hastings United during 1960/61 and made 8 appearances for Romford the following season, scoring 4 goals before retiring at the age of 38.

BILL CASSIDY was widely acknowledged as being one of the most skilful midfield players to have graced the Southern League.

He started out playing Scottish Junior football for Burnbank Swifts and Coltness United and played one Scottish League game for Hamilton Academical as a triallist.

He joined Glasgow Rangers in 1958 but spent his three years at Ibrox in the reserves before trying his luck `south of the border` with Rotherham United in 1961.

He was good enough to play 25 times for the Millers in 61/62, scoring just the one goal, before journeying further south to sign for Brighton in 1962.

It was a drop of divisions, but he played regularly and totalled 118 games and 25 goals before accepting an offer of more money to join Southern Premier Division Chelmsford City in 1967.

He helped the Clarets to win the Premier Division title, contributing 29 goals himself, before jetting off to the United States to play for the Detroit Cougars in the fledgling North American Soccer League.

The Cougars were managed by Len Julian, the former Leyton Orient, Nottingham Forest and Millwall forward was the Cougars manager, with his former Millwall team-mate Roy Dwight, who famously scored and then broke his leg in the 1959 FA Cup Final for Nottingham Forest and is the cousin of Sir Elton John, as a coach.

And they had quite a few British players such as former Scottish international Willie Hunter, twice-capped Northern Ireland international Walter Bruce

Ex-West Ham goalkeeper Jim Standen, Bryan Snowden, who had been with Blackpool, Portsmouth, Millwall, Margate and Crystal Palace, ex-Arsenal defender Tommy Coakley, who went on to play for Chelmsford for several years, Roy Cheetham, ex-Manchester City and Andy Burgin, once of Sheffield Wednesday, Halifax Town and Blackburn Rovers were all in the squad alongside Cassidy, who played 20 games and scored 3 goals.

It looked as though he was going to re-join Chelmsford upon his return to England, but he became the first of four of City`s title-winning side to join Bill Leivers` revolution at league rivals Cambridge United – the others being Peter Leggett, Terry Eades and Tony Butcher.

Cassidy helped United to successive titles in 68/69 and 69/70 and played 31 times, with 6 goals, in the Fourth Division after they were elected into the Football League at Bradford Park Avenue`s expense.

But in the summer of 1971, he was signed by Steve Gammon for Kettering Town, who had been relegated to the Southern Division One North.

Gammon was succeeded by Ron Atkinson and Cassidy and his partner in attack, Tony Jacques played a big part in the Poppies winning promotion at the first attempt.

But Atkinson wanted younger players and Cassidy, and Jacques, both left Rockingham Road in the summer of 1972, with Cassidy going to Ramsgate.

However, as Kettering won the Premier Division title in 72/73, Ramsgate went down from the Premier Division.

Cassidy returned to Scotland and to the Highland League where he was firstly player-coach at Brora Rangers for two years and then spent from 1977 to 1979 a manager of Ross County.

IAN MacFARLANE was a Lanark-born full-back who had played for Aberdeen and Chelsea.

He arrived Leicester City in May 1958 for a fee of £9,000 but after 14 months at Filbert Street, he moved to Southern League Bath City where one of his managers was Malcolm Allison and his full-back partner was Tony Book.

He spent eight seasons at Twerton Park, making 330 appearances, and briefly became part of a three-man management committee during the 1966/67 season alongside Trefor Owens and Ted Dransfield.

He retired from playing in March 1967 to become a coach at Sheffield Wednesday.

He went on to manage Carlisle United from 1970 to 1972 and was also assistant manager at Middlesbrough, Manchester City (when they won the League Cup in 1976) and Sunderland.

In 1977, he returned to Leicester as assistant manager to the newly appointed Frank McLintock.

When McLintock left the club in 1978, relegation to the Second Division was considered a certainty and MacFarlane took over as caretaker manager for the remaining five games of the season.

Jock Wallace was appointed as Leicester’s manager in June 1978 and MacFarlane stayed on as his assistant, a post he held until Wallace’s departure in 1982.

Later in his career, he briefly managed Yeovil Town in the Conference between May and September 1984, coached at Burnley and was chief scout at Leeds United.

NORMAN FUSCO was a midfielder who went on to make over 500 appearances for Margate.

However, his career began at neighbouring Ramsgate Athletic in 1966 and he was good enough to win three England Schoolboy international caps.

But after a handful of first-team appearances, Charlton Athletic signed him for a nominal fee of £400 in October 1968.

Ramsgate received a further £400 in the summer of 1970 when Fusco signed professional terms, but he suffered a double leg fracture in March 1971 and as part of his recovery, was sent to Ireland to play for Athlone Town and St Patrick`s Athletic.

At the end of the 71/72 season though, Fusco was released by Charlton without breaking into the senior side and returned to Kent to join Margate.

In November 1972 he was a member of the side that beat Swansea City 1-0 in the FA Cup First Round at Hartsdown Park and in the Third Round when they were beaten 6-0 against Spurs.

In 76/77, Margate were relegated from the Southern Premier Division and Fusco signed for Gravesend & Northfleet for a small fee and made 61 appearances.

But in the summer of 1978, Fusco was on the move again, this time to Maidstone United and spent two years there before joining Folkestone in the summer of 1980 for a club record fee of £1,500.

He had four seasons at Cheriton Road, two of them as club captain, before re-joining Margate, now called Thanet United, for the 84/85 campaign.

In 1987, Fusco was made caretaker manager following the sacking of John Wickens and the team embarked on an eleven-game unbeaten run to the end of the season.

And in April 1987, Fusco`s role was upgraded to that of permanent player-manager.

He became the first Thanet/Margate manager to win a Southern League manager of the month award and he shared the players` player of the season award with goalkeeper Joe Radford at the end of the season.

Fusco initially declared that he would concentrate on management in 88/89 but was forced to pick himself in the end, and one of them proved to be the end of his career with the club.

Thanet played Isthmian League Leatherhead in the FA Trophy in October 1988 and United lost 3-0 after having four players, including Fusco, sent-off in the second half.

Fusco resigned a week later, although he stated at the time that it was down to the poor financial state of the club rather than the Trophy debacle, saying he hadn`t been paid at all since the start of the season.

After leaving Hartsdown Park, Fusco had a short spell back at Folkestone until the end of the 88/89 season before calling it a day.

WILLIE CARRICK was a highly rated and long-serving goalkeeper who made 256 appearances in two spells for Chelmsford City.

Born in Dublin, he followed the well-worn path from Ireland to Manchester United in September 1970.

He spent two years as a professional at Old Trafford without playing a first-team game.

He left to play for Second Division Luton Town and made 4 appearances in 1972/73.

After leaving Kenilworth Road, Carrick signed for Chelmsford for the first time and helped the side finish third in the Southern Premier Division in his first season.

He went on to have spells with Enfield, Bishop`s Stortford and Athenian Leaguers Hoddesdon Town before re-joining Chelmsford and taking his total of matches to 256 until hanging up his gloves in 1984.

He later managed Witham Town and worked for Proctor & Gamble in Thurrock for 30 years.

JACKIE SCURR was a north east-born midfielder who these days would probably be described as being a `box-to-box` player.

He was signed by Arsenal as a professional in the summer of 1959 but failed to make a strong senior side managed by George Swindin.

So, in January 1961, Scurr headed back north and signed for Fourth Division Carlisle United, where he made 14 appearances and scored his first and only Football League goal.

In 1962, Scurr signed for Southern League side Cambridge United and played under Alan Moore, Roy Kirk and the early part of Bill Leivers` tenure in charge.

He left the Abbey Stadium for Bedford Town in 1968/69, initially on loan, before signing for the Eagles on a more permanent basis in the summer of 1969.

And he went on to play 288 times for Bedford, scoring 18 goals before following manager Barry Fry to Dunstable Town to begin a spell when the Duns possessed the likes of Jeff Astle and, briefly, George Best.

He finished off his playing career with spells at King’s Lynn and Stotfold.

ROGER SMITH is a forward or winger who was signed for Walsall on leaving school by Bill Moore, the then-manager.

The latter refused several offers for Smith, who was a member of the Walsall side that gained promotion from the Third Division to Division Two.

However, after four seasons at Walsall and 53 appearances, Smith was transferred to Port Vale, but after one season and 30 games, he returned to Walsall.

He added a further 9 games to his Saddlers tally before being signed for Southern League side Nuneaton Borough by Dudley Kernick, who had tried to sign him the previous season.

He went on to make over 350 appearances for Boro and was awarded a joint testimonial with Alan Jones.

Many supporters weren`t happy when David Pleat, who was manager at Manor Park then, allowed Smith to leave at the end of the 1972/73 season for neighbours Atherstone Town.

He spent several years at Sheepy Road and later Tamworth.

He served then-West Midlands (Regional) League home-town club Tamworth as player-manager between April 1986 and February 1987.

PETER LEGGETT hugely talented but mercurial winger whose looks and style of play saw him dubbed the `George Best of non-League football`.

He started his career at Weymouth before Swindon Town paid £1,000 for him in 1962 and he started 15 League games for the Robins before transferring to Brighton in 1965.

He made only 3 appearances for the Seagulls before joining Chelmsford City and was an integral part of the side that won the Southern League championship in 1967/68.

The following season, Cambridge United manager Bill Leivers devastated the champions by signing four of their players - Tony Butcher, Bill Cassidy, Terry Eades and, in March 1969, Leggett for an undisclosed fee.

He made his debut, on the right-wing, in a 3-1 loss at Hillingdon on March 1st. He played just once more in the Southern League that season, but United won the title and he was retained for the following term.

In September Leivers placed Leggett, Cassidy and John Saunders on the transfer list with a warning that they should buck their ideas up.

Cassidy quickly re-established himself, but Leggett was in and out of the team, and in December he left for Lincoln City on a month’s trial. Lincoln wanted to keep him for a second month, but he preferred to return to the Abbey Stadium to fight for his place.

And Leggett played his part as United became Southern League champions for the second time and were elected to the Football League.

United’s first League win, a 3-1 defeat of Oldham in August 1970, was inspired by Leggett.

But he lost his place November and was transfer-listed at his own request. No offers were received, and he was also hit by a recurring injury, and after United finished the season in 20th place, he was one of six players declared surplus to requirements and he declared his career over.

HARRY KNOWLES was a real legend at Worcester City, a fearless centre-forward who scored a remarkable 148 goals in 200 games in two spells in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

His two spells at St George’s Lane between 1956 and 1962 was interrupted by eighteen months at Cardiff City and Worcester paid a then-club record fee to bring him back `home`.

He started his career with Walsall in 1950 but was discarded after only 10 League games.

He signed for Stourbridge, then Kidderminster Harriers, winning a good reputation as a bustling forward alongside future England international Gerry Hitchens.

National Service disrupted his career, and he played for Oswestry Town before returning to Kidderminster.

He signed for Worcester in May 1956 and he soon became popular with his all-action, no-nonsense style of play and in 56/57 he scored 43 goals and the next season he got 45, including a dramatic last-gasp equaliser against Aldershot in the FA Cup.

In 1958/59 Knowles` reputation spread as he led the line in Worcester`s great FA Cup run.

In both the Millwall and Liverpool games, and against the former he scored twice and set up the opening goal.

Both of City`s goals against Liverpool were as a direct result of Knowles unsettling very experienced men on an icy pitch.

Football League scouts had been watching Knowles for some time, and soon after City’s cup run was over he was transferred to Cardiff City for a fee of £3,000.

Knowles` time at Cardiff was not a huge success and although he was top goalscorer for the reserves, he found that he was unable to use his trademark style of football to get the better of Football League defenders.

In two seasons at Cardiff, Knowles made just 8 first team appearances without scoring, and in September 1961 he re-joined City for a fee of £2,000 plus promising teenager Peter King, who went onto enjoy a long professional career.

He returned to Southern League football and carried on scoring goals for another two seasons before he eventually moved to Wellington Town in July 1962, by when age and injuries were catching up on him.

He moved on to re-join his former clubs Stourbridge and Oswestry for short spells in 1964, before moving to Cornwall as player-coach of St Just in the South Western League.

Bethnal Green-born HARRY OBENEY (pictured) began his career with his local Spartan League side Briggs Sports, who were quite a renowned amateur side in the 1950s.

But he had his dream come true by signing for West Ham United and turning professional in May 1956.

Originally a half-back, he was converted to a centre-forward when the Hammers were looking for a replacement for Vic Keeble.

Obeney met with a measure of success in his new role but had to wait three years before he made the first team.

He went on to make 24 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 12 times before being sold to Millwall in 1961 for a £3,500 fee and after receiving a benefit from West Ham.

He had a brief spell with Colchester United before moving to the Kent coast to join Southern League First Division side, Dover.

Despite being on just £20 a week at Dover – half what he was on at Millwall – his job selling welding supplies meant he was on considerably more per week – a common occurrence in football in the 60s.

He had just one season at Crabble but scored 36 goals and was then approached by former Spurs and England player Harry Clarke, who was the manager of Southern Premier Division Romford, to return to East London and a new successful period in Obeney`s career began.

He went on to make over 400 appearances for Boro, helping them to win the title in 66/67.

After finally leaving Brooklands in 1973, Obeney had a short spell at Isthmian League Aveley, as well as an unsuccessful spell as their manager, proved the end of his football career and he moved down to live in Poole in Dorset.

Although some of goalkeeper JASON MATTHEWS` time with Weymouth especially was spent in the Conference, he still made a considerable number of appearances in the Southern League.

After spending two years up to his 16th birthday with Bristol Rovers’ centre of excellence at the prestigious Millfield School in Somerset, Matthews joined Western League side Welton Rovers before moving onto Salisbury City in 1997.

After a season with the Whites, he had a short spell at Nuneaton Borough without playing in the first team and then spent a year with Exeter City, his one taste of League football.

He only made 12 first-team appearances though and after spells at Aberystwyth Town and Clevedon Town, he joined up again with his former Salisbury boss Geoff Butler. This time he was managing Weymouth and for Matthews it was a move that lasted six years, although Butler was gone within a year.

Whilst with the Terras he was part of the side that won the Conference South and was knocking on the door of the Football League before the money ran out.

He played over 200 games there and achieved the rare feat of scoring a goal from open play when his clearance found the Southport net in March 2007.

He moved on to Eastleigh in March 2008 and spent just over three seasons there, clocking up another 150 or so appearances before joining Bath City.

He was mainly used as back-up to Glyn Garner but did make 13 starts before moving on to Dorchester Town in May 2012.

Matthews returned to Weymouth a year later and in December 2013 become player-manager following the sacking of Brendan King.

He kept this role until May 2017, adding another 150-plus games to his Terras` tally, when he left to spend a season as player-coach at Chippenham Town after a short stint at Exmouth Town.

In May 2018 he returned to Bath as goalkeeper coach.