This photograph shows Park Rangers FC in 1942/3. Courtesy of Glenn Hutchinson. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
This photograph shows Park Rangers FC in 1942/3. Courtesy of Glenn Hutchinson.
Reg Furphy and Stuart Holmes were involved with West End Juniors until recently so they must have been great servants of the club. Now Keith Maude is the figure head of the club which now have a team playing in the Teesside League as well as all their teams in the Teesside Junior Alliance. The only Thornaby footballing Iceton that I remember was Freddy, also known as Barney in those days.
Anon,
You will be aware that Ken Furphy sadly passed away last week. He was another footballer who went to Oxbridge Lane before passing the scholarship for Stockton Secondary Grammar, his nickname in those days was Fluff. His brother was Reg.The family lived in the Mary St. area and a very near neighbour was Sammy Kemp who played for Sunderland and Sheff.United.
I am getting a bit confused Gran with the dates. In 1952 I was 20, the same age as Fred Seaman, we went to school together, and by then I might have just about packed up with ankle problems. I remember all the managment people you mention along with Dougie Lee who looked after the minor team when I started at West End from Richard Hind. You are right,the Iceton family lived in Gladstone Street in Parkfield and I remember playing with Judd as a minor and junior. Somewhere on the site there are a number of photos and articles about various West End teams sent in by myself and other people which show quite a number of different teams and people who have played over the years.
I played for West End about 1952-53 season, four of us from Stockton Forge signed for them when Reg Furphy was manager (Fred Seaman, Jimmy Sinclair, Peter Manrow and myself). I think the elder of the Iceton brothers had played on the wing the season before and was a very good player. Ken Rhodes may remember some of the earlier management, wasn’t it Stuart Holmes, Ken? Our goalie was Alan Flattley, and some other team members were Joe Howden,Alan Guy, big Ken Baker and Ron Foster. We had an elderly winger called Lee who had played there a long time. I think the Iceton family lived in the same area as Ken Rhodes, not to be confused with the Thornaby Icetons.
Gran, this was the season Primrose Hill first won the Durham Minor Cup & Stockton West End were a good outfit playing at Taitee Hall, Preston over the railway. Did you know Jackie Ball the old Primrose Hill captain had passed away recently. Was the Lee guy called Norman with ginger hair & worked for the Gas Board?.
Yes, that is the right Norman Lee, and whilst mentioning the Gas Board, I can’t help but remember the late Lennie Sewell riding his bike to maintenance jobs with a smile for everyone. I knew Jackie Ball as a very tough opponent when playing Primrose Hill.
Anon, you have mentioned Don Heath recently.
Around about 1963, we (South Bank) played the Boro Reserves in the NR cup at South Bank. There had been heavy snow for a few weeks and the Boro first team had been unable to play, so they turned most of them out against us.
Arthur Lightening in goal had just been in court for a burglary offence in Coventry prior to joining the Boro. One of our elderly supporters stood directly behind the goal shouting ‘Watch Out Heres A Copper’ every time we got near their goal.
Derek Stonehouse, Bill Harris, Bill Gates were some of those playing along with a young lad, Don Heath, they beat us 5-2
Also another three gas fitters who worked with Lennie were Ralph Jordinson, Charlie Rose & a young Tommy Murphy, they were all footballers. Yes Lenny Sewell was a very pleasant character but he was hard as nails on a football pitch. Ronnie Foster was still playing for Norton Workmens in the early seventies in the Sunday League.
John Iceton was secretary of the Stockton & District League for many years, he was also a Durham F.A.Councillor, he was a strict man but fair. Alan Iceton also played for Spennymoor United in the Northern League, he was a plater in the Head Wrightson’s Bridgeyard, Thornaby & was married to Jimmy Gordon’s daughter. Jimmy was a former Boro stalwart & coached the Middlebrough Juniors. Rex Hazelton the goalkeeper must be one of West End’s best known players from that time. Players of the more recent West End juniors who became professinal footballers are Lee Turnbull & Darren Collier.
Jack Iceton went to night school with me at Oxbridge Avenue. He was one of the unlucky ones who did not have the use of ‘day release.’ The firm he worked for, Foster Brothertons, would not use this scheme.
Sorry Alan I cannot help although I was one of the founder members of West End. Then I was at college and then in the army. My main connection with the club later was in encouraging RHS leavers who were good footballers to join West End. Iceton was a frequent name in footballing circles though as was Ison. Jack Ison was secretary of the local league for years.
You are right Ken, it was Jack Ison, not Iceton. He was a schoolteacher as well, I think he remarried & moved to the Bishop Auckland area with his new wife.
Does Ken Sawyer or anyone else have many memories of the Stockton West End team. I had a good friend who played for West End in the fifties and attended S&B Technical college with me on the same courses. He was also a member of Holy Trinity Church and youth club as I was. Our paths parted for two years when he was posted to Singapore and I to B.A.O.R but the friendship resumed on our demob. He was JACK (JOHN) ICETON and most of the Iceton boys played the game, notably ALAN who played for Middlesbrough Juniors. Jack introduced me to my first wife and was subsequently our best man. As far as I am aware Jack passed on around 1990ish. He would have been 74 last November, and lived in Fairfield.
Ken I was at that reunion, got the photo but its gone missing. If possible, can you send the photo to the Picture Stockton Team to pass to me?.. good to see all the old timers of the great West End gang.
There was no Park Rangers FC in season 1942-43. The club’s history began in season 1943-44 in the Stockton & District Junior League. It was formed from a group of boys who played football (umpteen a side) on the main area at Ropner Park. At the same time a younger team of 14-16 years formed a club known as Hartburn Minors FC playing in the Minor League. Those clubs only lasted a season in that format as they combined to become Stockton West End FC. A remarkable history that still goes on. I have the 50th Birthday Celebration Dinner card from 12th November 1994. Elsewhere on this site is a photo of West End Juniors team in the 1944-45 season. No Hutchinson appears there.
My Father, Ken Hutchinson, is on this photo – middle row, second left. Does anyone have information about this Parkfield area team?