Stockton Football Club 1959-1960 Season. Photo courtesy of Mr Benny Brown – Australia 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton Football Club 1959-1960 Season. Photo courtesy of Mr Benny Brown – Australia
Teddy Lowe is the father of Kenny Lowe who played for a number of Footballl League teams, before going to Australia where he was a successful manager.
What were Stockton’s colours ? Black and white quarters ?
No they were red & black quarters, but when they were a top semi-professional team in the fifties they played in white shirts.
Also Mill Lane colours, Anon
That’s true, I remember Ronnie Cockin playing for Mill Lane in those colours.
The above comment cannot be a doubt on the players ability but the strength of the Teesside League in the sixties as compared to its level at the present day,now the Northern League has a second division with Thornaby, Guisborough, Marske Utd. and Darlinton R.A. & the Wearside League which has teams like Redcar Athletic, New Marske, Stockton Town and Wolviston. People still involved with the Teesside League from the sixties are John Corner-President who was manager of Nunthorpe Athletic, Keith Lamb-Vice President who is the Chief Executive of Middlesbrough F.C. he was playing for I.C.I.Cassel and Mally Prince-Vice Chairman he was playing for Wilton I.C.I.
SHORTLY AFTER THIS PHOTO QUITE A FEW OF THE PLAYERS WERE IN THE TEESSIDE LEAGUE, BRIAN ARMSTRONG(NORTON C.C.T.), TEDDY LOWES(BILLINGHAM SYNTHONIA), DES CLOUGH(MIDDLESBROUGH PARK RANGERS) & BENNY BROWN (ASHMORES).
I am the son of Brian Escritt. I heard a lot of people talking about him saying he was the best winger in the town. If anyone has any info about my dad please get in touch. My father is 74 years old now – he has two plastic knees and is cripled with arthritis but he’s still plodding on and he still lives in the town with my mam.
Your dad Brian Escritt was a good left winger but a badly broken leg curtailed his footballing career.
A man who was a powerful person behind the scenes at Stockton F.C was Alf Brown & the money man at Whitby Town F.C in the early sixties was Alan Brown.
Referring to the Stockton / AFC Whitby Town connections . While I was splaying for Stockton FC Whitby Town approached me in about 1962 to play for them, Stockton AFC found out about this approach and informed the FA with the result we all had to attend an FA Court of Inquiry in York where Whitby Town were let off with a caution for an illegal approach to another teams signed player. Whitby were then in the process of trying to build a team to win the FA Cup, Barry Geldart was one of the leaders of this Whitby Town Build up. I remember playing for Whitby when as a teenager and we always had quite a few Stockton and local boys in the Whitby team. Then our bus used to leave from the old Cattle Market site in Stockton and usually carried most of he team to Whitby. We were always well looked after by Whitby Town and sometimes stayed over the weekend, at their expense, with our girlfriends and wives.
The Escritt in this photo is Brian. The Whitby Town team of 1965 was full of Teesside lads, they even trained at Billingham Tech with Bill Jeffs. The other Stockton full-back, Jacky Durnall, moved to Whitby Town with Eddie Knobbs and both played in the 1965 Amateur Cup-Final.
Tony Escritt played for Whitby Town FC. making 98 appearances and scoring 20 goals. He signed from Nunthorpe debuted against South Bank. He left Whitby and went on to play for South Bank. Whitby recently have had Ben Escritt playing in goal for them. Anyone got any other infor on Ex Whitby Town/Stockton players?
I must correct my recent comment re the Cockerill family. I got the brothers Trevor and Lawrence mixed up! It was Lawrence who married Jean Spedding. Trevor”s wife is June, and they live at Hardwick.
I think the Cockerills were a sporty family Pat. Keven was a footie player I think,and I went to Richard Hind with Yvonne who was a good sporty lass as well!Of course we are older than you Pat -Pauline was still at Richard Hind when I started[1951]
Trevor Cockerill is my sister-in-law”s brother,she was Pauline Cockerill and married John Pattison who also played for Stockton.They live at Hartburn. Trevor married Jean Spedding from Roseworth and had two children Andrew and Suzanne. He lives at Fairfield. My husband Dave, also played for Stockton Boys. Also, my late mother-in-law, Florence Pattison, used to run the bingo at the social club at Victoria Ground, so the whole family were very much involved with the club. Flo used to visit Tommy Thompson in Blackpool – great to hear he is still fit and active, and has just had his 70th birthday – funnily enough, I always used to think he was a lot older than my husband, but now find the difference is not a lot!!!
I am a journalist & writing a history of the old Great Britain Olympic football team. I have been tracking down as many former players as possible & would very much like to be put in touch with Tommy Thompson if anyone can help.
Sorry Neil Moody is far left front row in this photo, Brian Escritt is far right. It would be interesting to know the history of what happened over the past years of any other members of this Stockton FC team.
Neil Moody Far right front row has just emigrated to Australia to live near his daughter Cheryl. Neil and wife Julie live close to the beach on the Port-Philip Bay. Neil went on to play for West Auckland and was in the squad that won the FA Amateur Cup shortly after this photo was taken. I went out to South Africa Shortly after this photo was taken and played for five years as a professional in the South African National League and was instrumental in Signing Big Harold Atkinson a well known Stockton Footballer to play as an amateur with our team Vereeniging Athletic. I also signed another local Ashmores footballer up to play as an amateur with us in Raymond Thomas, We managed to win the South African National League in 1963, so we had a strong Stockton contingent playing in South Africa. Harold sadly died about three years ago but Ray Thomas is now retired in Johannesburg.
I forgot to mention my name as Benny Brown in this article. ex Captain of the Stockton schools Football and Cricket teams of 1950, I went on to play fort the Stockton AFC and the Stockton Cricket Club in the fifties. another player in the Stockton Boys Cricket team was Gus Williamson, who went on to partner Typhoon Tyson as the Northant, opening bowling partnership,
I forgot to sign this comment Benny Brown, Now an 88 years old codger in Australia and still in touch with Neil Moody. They say sport is good for your health but I must disagree after three Knee operations one Hip operations and four Heart Operations, I think I am the equivalent of the Mechanical man. I still manage to play 18 holes of golf twice per week so I should not complain. I think of the old saying just “keep on keeping on”.
Hi Benny
Its Eddie Wilkinson’s daughter, on behalf of my dad just checking in to say Hi and how are you keeping?
Sorry to say that Ray Thomas died about three months ago In South Africa. Ray was an Engineer with Ashmores before Emigrating to South Africa in 1971. In later life after his football career he became the Chairman of the famous Johannesburg Wanderers football section, Ray was a stalwart of the Ashmores Teesside league team before going to South Africa. RIP Ray Thomas
I got my date wrong Ray Thomas went out to South Africa in 1962 a few months after myself and family. He joined me working for the same Engineering Company as myself.. Ray and family Shirley and Jackie for six months before we both we given brand new detached houses backing onto each other in Duncanville Transvaal near to our work place. They were wonderful times with plenty of sunshine outdoor living and sport with a great Social Club with a swimming pool cricket ground and Tennis courts attached. Also dancing at weekends in a lovely ballroom and club house.
The player on the right of the front row is Brian Escritt,he looked to have a bright future in the game with professional clubs interested,but his career was cut short by a badly broken leg.
I knew Tommy Thompson many years ago and would really like to get in touch with him again.
Tommy Thompson still lives in Blackpool with his wife Louisa Treby Thompson(nee wood). He has three grown up daughters, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren. After his ten year spell at blackpool fc, Tommy upped sticks and moved to York City. When he eventually retired from football he and his family returned to blackpool where he worked as a milkman for many years. After parking his float up for the last time, Tommy took a job with the council as a bowling green attendant. He is now retired and divides his time between his family, playing golf, walking the dog, jogging, and watching the tangerines. He will celebrate his 70th birthday on Sunday the 9th of March 2008. He doesn”t look a day over 45 mind and he”s still fit as a fiddle.
We are working on ‘1960 GB Olympic Football Team’. We would like to interview players of the team and publish a book. If anybody knows the whereabouts of Tommy Thompson, please ask the Picture Stockton Team for my contact details.
Tommy and his wife Treby were friends of my mam and dad who sadly are no longer with us. As a child we used to visit them in Blackpool but have lost touch over the years. I would like to contact them if possible. My mam and dad were Sid and Lena Davey.
This team was from the 1959 to 1960 seasons. Back row- John Raby, Tommy Thompson , Bill Ditchburn, Brain Armstrong, Eddie Lowe, Terry Garbutt. Front row – Neil Moody, Trevor Cockerill. Des Clough. John Bythaway, Benny Brown, Tony Escritt. Tommy Thomson played for England then signed professional forms for Blackpool, Des Clough was Brians brother, Brian Armstrong Captained Norton CC at Cricket and I played for Stockton CC at cricket.