I recently met up with Ray Thomas ex Thornaby and Ashmore’s employee and footballer who gave me this photograph of the Braun football team that won the Football competition. Most of these players also played in the Cricket team and the athletics team. Looking back over intervening fifty odd years I can not remember all the names of the team I hope some of our readers will be able to fill in the missing players.
The players I remember as follows back row: ??, ?? but was a great hockey player,Tony Abercombie (Manager) later a maths teacher at Frederick Natress High School. Jim Fryett Leader of the Stockton Morris dancers team, Ray Thomas Ashmore football team now in South Africa, Benny Brown Ex Stockton FC and CC, ??, ??
Front row: Geoff Smith Ashmore’s Football team, Jack Gilson Ashmore’s football team, Wilf Carr Preston CC and First class Hockey player, Peter Johnson Middlesbrough CC Opening bat and ex Boro juniors footballer. All these young men as they were then were good all rounders and slipped into the different sports with ease. It would be interesting to know how many are still with us and any details of the other players.
Photograph courtesy of Ray Thomas, details courtesy of Ben Brown.
Just heard he news of the passing of Pat Partridge, A great loss to the older football fans who remember him as the referee that you never noticed because he was so good at keeping the game going without too many interruptions. A great example to aspiring youngsters who wish to take up the Refereeing profession as it is now. No more part time Refs in the top Leagues, I also remember other Stockton Top League Refs in Herbert Trenholm, Harry Wilson a templatemaker from Heads Wrightsons Stockton Forge.
Just heard the sad news Ray Thomas has died in South Africa aged 87 years Ray is in the back Row fourth from the right. Ray played football for Ashmores in the Teesside League before going to South Africa in 1962. Ray was an Engineer trained in Head Wrightsons and Ashmores and gained his Professional Qualifications at the Stockton Billingham Polytechnic, like many of us. While in South Africa Ray played alongside Benny Brown and Harold Atkinson both ex Stockton AFC Payers. Their team Vereeniging Athletic won the all professional National Championship of South Africa 2nd division in the sixties. Ray went on to become Manager of the famous South African football Club The Wanderers from Johannesburg. RIP Ray Thomas.
I Agree Anon I Know Pat from his Head Wrightson days in The electrical Shop I seem to remember, I was in the Apprentice School about 1951/52. I remember we used to play football outside the Electrical Shop at lunch time (Dinner Time Teesside Talk) and Pat was a very enthusiasrtic participent in these games, I think it was about this time some one suggested to Pat that he may make a better referee than a footballer of course History proved that Sage correct and we had one of the best referees to grace the beautiful game in Pat Partridge and I always loved to see him on TV in the big matches, a great referee and a wonderful example of what you can achieve if you have the ability and the will to succeed.
Very sorry to hear Jim Fryett is not with us any more. I wonder how many of this team are still with us? I looked at my old School team the other day and of the squad of 14 there are only only five left that I know of. Is there a message there some where…
Pat was convinced to start refereeing by Alec Brown who worked in the Machine Shop, Alec had been a Football League referee, he also had the article in the Saturday nights Sports Gazette called Alec Brown’s Spotlight which highlighted a local game from the week before, he also run the Boro A team in the North Eastern League in the early sixties when Peter Scott, Jackie Morris & Stan Wilson played in a very good Redcar Albion team in the same league.
It was Stockton & Billingham Technical College, there was a Teesside Polytechnic that was Constantine College. Pat Partridge when he refereed our games would run alongside you & say “Thats your finish young man”. & you knew he meant it
Jack Gillson still lives in Stockton. His wife’s name is June and she is of the swimming, Greenwood family. Her brother, Bill Greenwood, another good swimmer in his time, lives in East Cowton.
Geoff Smith in this photo was the son of the old Stockton referee Ernie (send em off) Smith, Jack Gilson’s wife Judie was one of the well known swimming family the Greenwoods. I noticed the poor referee who tried to get in on the photo has been cut off.
Sorry about the referee Anon, both Linesmen were also in the original photo but when I copied the photo they disappeared. There were plenty of referees in my football lifetime who I wished I could have made disappear as easily. I think You know what I mean Anon
Sadly Jim Fryett is no longer with us. A good engineer, funny guy and great team leader when I was with him as an apprentice at Ashmore’s in pressure vessels design and latterly at ICI Teesside, where he was a manager for small projects around 2005.
Yes Benny I agree, but Ashmores & Head Wrightsons Inter-Departmentals also had one of the best football officials to grace a football field in Pat Partridge who became a F.I.F.A. referee, who officiated in the World Cup & all the top European Cups.