Stockton Buffs Club football team 1973.
Photograph courtesy of Len Nicholson
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton Buffs Club football team 1973.
Photograph courtesy of Len Nicholson
Good to see Hardwick win their All England F.A. Sunday Cup semi final 3 – 1 against Home Bargains (Liverpool) at Guiseley, Hardwick had good support & even the Stockton Sunday League Officials & Durham F.A Council men were present to show their support.
The final will be played against a southern team on 23rd April, ground to be announced. It shows the standard of the Stockton Sunday League is very good.
http://www.thefa.com/news/2017/mar/13/fa-sunday-cup-semi-final-results-130317
Hardwick’s All England F.A. Cup-Final will be played at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s ground on the 7th May.
Hardwick Social won the All England F.A. Sunday Cup 3-1 on penalties, yesterday they won the Durham F.A. Sunday Cup 4-0 against The Locomotive, Newton Aycliffe, who are managed by Jason Steele, Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper at Central Avenue, Billingham Synthonia, this looks like the last game to be played on this stadium, which will be a great loss to sport in the area.
It looks like Stockton Hardwick S.C. after winning the All England F.A.Sunday Cup for the second year running beating a London team Gym Utd. 2-0, have folded.
Stockton Sunday League team Hardwick S.C. yesterday lost their All England Sunday Cup Quarter – Final game at Birmingham to OJM last years finalist 1-0, Hardwick missed a penalty & the OJM striker was Darren Byfield a much travelled professional.
Stockton Hardwick S.C. are through to the All England Cup Semi-Final this year.
The late Tony Davison in this photo is the father of the referee Paul Davison.
Anon. Did you see that Frank Halliday who you have discussed on many occasion on here passed away last week?
Yes I am sorry to say I did Bob, Frank certainly liked the outdoors still hiking to a ripe old age.
Looks like a young Bill Duckling bottom right. He worked with me at K.P. until he contracted M.S. sometime in the 80’s. He was a great guy.
I believe Bill Duckling was manager of K.P. before his enforced retirement.
I see the Stockton Sunday League has been awarded the Gold Award in the respect campaign this season, after achieving the Silver last year, the award will be made at Wembley Stadium at the F.A.Cup-Final, so it should be a proud day for the League President Mr Derek Overton and the committee.
I am sorry to hear of the sad passing recently of Glyn Jones who played for the Stockton Buffs and Billingham Social.
When this team had the presentation evening in the Buffs Club, Nobby Stiles was about to leave Middlesbrough F.C. & move his family to Preston to join Bobby Charlton’s North End – he still found time to come along & do the presentation and would not accept a penny for doing it.
Talking of professional boxers from Stockton, Gordon Pratts record between 1982-85 should read 14 bouts, won 9, lost 5, but he got revenge against two of his opponents by beating them in a return bout & he was not knocked-out or stopped in his career as a professional boxer.
Tommy Smith in this photo was the manager of Norton & Stockton Ancients when they won the Northern League Challenge Cup.
Two of the players in this photo have passed on – Les Franks, a Ragworth Estate lad from Dumbarton Avenue who was also a committee man at Billingham Town Football Club, and Tony Davison from Edgar Street, Norton, who was a Northern League referee.
Len Nicholson in this photo was also a referee in the Northern League & also officiated in the Football League & Alliance Premier League(now the Skrill Conference Premier).
Vinnie Jaques father owned a Vincent Black Shadow motor cycle. That’s how Vinnie (Vincent) was named after the make of the bike. His father always said that although he owned the motorcycle it was Vinnies which he left to him when his father died. I wonder if Vinnie still owns this motorcycle?
Theres a good all-round sportsman Gordon Pratt, as well as being a good footballer he was a professional welterweight boxer having 14 bouts winning 9 with 5 draws fighting at places like Widnes, Wolverhampton & Southampton. It was when Lloyd Honeygan was the world champ, the welterweight division was very strong in the U.K. at that time. He is into marathon running now, as well as coaching young boxers. Gordon is the son of a good footballer Albert Pratt.
The lads name was Vinnie Jaques a blonde haired lad who played in the Teesside League for Head Wrightsons,he is mentioned above in Stephen Martin’s comment so he should be able to name the team,which included Gordon Pratt,Osher Williams and Stan Hutchcraft.
In my previous message I asked if anyone knew the team unbeaten for some years with a player called ? Jaques. I have just remembered his christian name as Vincent. Could he be the Vinnie you mentioned in the same teams as you played in?
I remember a 5-aside team from Stockton some years ago who for several years were unbeaten. Included in that team was a lad called ? Jaques. I wonder if anyone knows the team?
Stockton Buffs certainly had top five-a-side teams,but Grange Estate(Tilery) must also come into the same bracket they actually won a national competition,the team was Rob Humble,Dave Kresiak,Kev Winship,Mally Tupling and Steve Laing. I’m sorry Bob,I did not know Terry May.
Anon. Do you remember a Terry May, lived in Thornaby. He was a referee in local leagues and later in life ran a youth football team in Thornaby. He died probably 3 years ago.
Stockton Buffs five-a-side in the eighties was the best five-a-side team that Stockton has ever had. With the players Ray Longster, Tommy Smith. Barry Mcgrath, Mick Howley. Gez Forrest. Steve Griffiths. Micky Top, Alex Mcgurk, again ex pros and northern league players won every trophy going at YMCA league and Tilery leagues
STOCKTON BUFFS PLAYED IN THE F.A. VASE THREE SASONS 1979-82. THEIR BEST EFFORT WAS IN SEASON 1980-81 WHEN THEY BEAT HAIG COLLIERY 1-0 AWAY AFTER A 0-0 DRAW AT HOME, THEN THEY BEAT DARLINGTON RAILWAY ATHLETIC 2-0 BEFORE BEING KNOCKED OUT BY WHICKHAM.IN SEASON 1982-83 AS STOCKTON TOWN THEY BEAT RYHOPE COLLIERY WELFARE 2-0 AWAY, BEFORE BEING BEATEN BY HIGH PIT SOCIAL. DAVE CROFTON SHOULD REMEMBER SOME OF THESE GAMES.
Its good to see the dedication to football of two local ex-players from the fifties & sixties – Ted Popple & Peter Cassidy who are senior citizens and still refereeing on a Saturday & Sunday, they both officiated in one of the Stockton Sunday League cups last season.
WHEN STOCKTON TOWN PLAYED FROM THE BUFFS CLUB THEY WON THE DURHAM TROPHY (THE OLD DURHAM AMATEUR CUP) BEATING A VERY GOOD TEAM CALLED NEW DURHAM WHO HAD WON THE TROPHY THE PREVIOUS SEASON, MANY MORE ESTABLISHED TEESSIDE LEAGUE TEAMS TRIED TO WIN IT BUT FAILED.
THE NEW STOCKTON TOWN TEAM STARTED AS HARTBURN JUNIORS.
Its great news that Stockton Town have been successful in their application to the Wearside League,after just one season in the Teesside League,lets hope Dave Hillerby can be as successful as his namesake Conrad at Norton & Stockton Ancients & take them all the way to the Northern League.Stockton Town once played out of the Buffs Club.
Ged Hartley played local football for the Embassy Club, Thornaby. A team full of charactors John Hartley, Stevie Walmsley, Ian Jobling & Graeme Morgan to name a few. Dave Crofton I Remember you starting with Billy Hornby’s Newham Grange outfit at Rudds Rec with Terry Shepherd, Steve McGann & Steve Merryweather.
I Remember Ged Hartley and still see him around he now works in ASDA Thornaby.I introduced him from local footy to Stockton Buffs in the Northern Alliance league
Can anybody remember Ged Hartley who played centre half for South Bank & is now coach of the Stockton Sunday League team Mandale F.C.,
when he played for Blackhall against a Liverpool side in F.A.Sunday Cup Semi-Final & Blackhall were winning with about 10 minutes to go when a Liverpool player got involved with spectators in an affray which his team-mates joined in & the Blackhall team all went into the centre circle away from it all,the game was abandoned.The F.A.decision was to throw both teams out of the competition.
I used to play in the 5-a-side leagues at Tilery, Thornaby Pavilion and the YMCA and remember playing against the guys mentioned above. Played for various teams, team mates included Kev Turton, Geoff Trattles, Gordon Pratt, Vinnie, Oshor Williams, Stan Hutchcraft. Played with Barry Noble at some stage. All very good players, would wipe the floor with some of the young “uns I”ve seen playing over the last couple of years.
My Dad, Gene, still is a greyhound racing enthusiast!
Gene Gooding certainly grew a bit since his St Bedes schoooldays, Gene was a Bell-Vue greyhound racing enthusiast.
Stockton Buffs had two very successful five-a-side teams,t he first squad played in the Tilery Sports Centre & was the Stockton winners of the Evening Gazette/Cleveland Council Senior Competition,the squad was Barry Noble,Terry(Big T)Turnbull,Lenny Nicholson,Ray Moore,George Spedding,Steve Bromfield & Steve Young.The second squad played in the Y.M.C.A.League about four years later & was Ray Longster,Tommy Smith,Gerry Forest,Mick Howley,Steve Griffiths,Stan Webb & Jimmy Cochrane. The majority of these were professional & Northern League players.
Gerry Forest played for Southampton and Rotherham, Stan Webb and Jimmy Cochrane were Middlesbrough players. Terry (Big T) Turnbull played for Hartlepool Utd and is the father of Lee who played for Middlesbrough, Mick Howley is the son of the F.I.F.A. referee Kevin.
Stan Webb also played for Southend United.
Stan Webb started playing for Thorntree in the Middlesbrough & District Sunday League at Cargo Fleet ground about 1966. He played 21 games for the Boro scoring six goals from 1967-71.
The F.A. People’s Cup, is a 5-a-side football competition launch by the BBC and F.A., it is a free to enter national competition and will give local players to showcase their skills and see how they fare on the national scene, Stockton had some good teams in the seventies in Tilery Sports Centre (Grange Estate), Stockton Buffs and Knights of St Columbus who done well nationally or regional.
Sorry to hear of the sad passing of Mickey Howley, he was the son of Kevin who was a FIFA referee.
It is good to see the Stockton Sunday League doing so well with four divisions.The final of the All England F.A.Sunday Cup Final was between two Durham teams Hetton Lyon Cricket Club & Coundon Conservative Club at Anfield,Liverpool. Stockton Sunday Premier League team Hardwick Social Club beat Coundon Conservatives 3-1 in the Durham F.A.Sunday Cup Quarter-Final & were beaten by Hetton Lyon in the final on penalties.
The Buffs football team was formed in the late sixties,they started in the Stockton Sunday League & the men who started the team were Matty Marley,Bob Dixon,Kenny Jones & Charlie Bainbridge.They won the Stockton Sunday League Cup in 1970 beating Norton Workmans Club 5-0 on the Victoria Ground & the Norton Trophy in 1973 beating the George & Dragon Norton. Season 1973-74 they changed from Sunday football to Saturday & won the Stockton & District League,Division B Title in the first season,they later played in the Northern Alliance League.
The Stockton Buffs team that beat Norton Workmens Club in the Stockton Sunday League Cup Final was Eddie Lister,Terry Hodgson,Lenny Nicholson,John Carson,Gordon Smith,Johnnie Tuck,Reg Ozelton,Kenny Jones,Trevor Binks,Dave Randall and Davy Arthur.
Stockton Buffs Club 1973 back row left to right: Gene Gooding, Gordon Grant, Tony Armstrong,Tony Davison, Ernie Seymour, Len Nicholson. Front row: Derek Proctor, Tommy Smith, Kevin Fox, Brian Smith, Les Franks, Billy Duckling.