HarryHaslam
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Thanks for posting these. You may be interested to know that the first one from the Worcester Cup match in January 1959 was posted in the ‘60 Years Ago’ thread by JonnyRed(WCFC) in really impressive re-mastered form:Just moving some photos to a different folder so the last few I’m moving I may well have posted before so apologies if that’s the case.View attachment 147570
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Thanks for posting these. You may be interested to know that the first one from the Worcester Cup match in January 1959 was posted in the ‘60 Years Ago’ thread by JonnyRed(WCFC) in really impressive re-mastered form:
View attachment 147585
It looks like United’s first goal, scored by Kevin Lewis, which is shown a fraction of a second later as the ball hits the net, in the very grainy newspaper photo from my scrapbook:
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A question for JonnyRed(WCFC) and Silent Blade (or any other knowledgeable person): what career-long FA Cup record did a Worcester player complete that season, which I believe has never been equalled? It happens to have appeared as a question in the Arsenal v Utd programme from exactly 60 years ago today.
Splendid answer, sir. The Arsenal programme specifies that it was all 12 rounds of the Cup, from the 1st qualifying round onwards. You add that he did it in 2 years, and of course won the Cup. What an achievement - nobody will ever beat that. And you no doubt realise that you only won because Silent Blade was too polite to answer first as you are our acknowledged resident Worcester expertThe player in question is in the photos
The legend that is Roy Paul .... Captained Man City to victory in the famous 'Trautmann Final' of 1956 having lost the final the season before ... less than a year later, he signed for Worcester (which sounds pretty bonkers in this day and age!) citing a loss of pace due to age as the factor in retiring from professional football aged 37 having made 293 appearances (9 goals) between 1950-57. On joining Worcester, he settled back in his native Rhondda Valley roots and he was loaned a car and paid £20 a week by us, not a shabby sum in those days!
Roy Paul made 124 appearances for Worcester between 1957 and 1960, including a three-month spell as player-manager. And of course he was the instigator of our still talked about Cup runs during those years.
Roy Paul played as a half-back, with the exact position varying during his career. At Swansea he was primarily used as a right-half, but when he joined Manchester City manager Les Mcdonald switched him to the left, a position which Paul preferred despite being right-footed. Internationally, he represented Wales (33 caps) in all three half-back positions over the course of his career.
Paul had a reputation as a physically tough player and inspirational captain. Team-mate Ken Barnes described him as a player who was "more about power than guile", and called him a "born leader" who was "brilliant in the air". Paul's approach to captaincy was to ensure that every player gave as much effort as possible, mixing the respect of his colleagues with the occasional attempt to frighten them into action; in the tunnel prior to the 1956 FA Cup Final his last action before leading out his team was to hold up his fist and shout "If we don't fucking win, you'll get some of this".
In answer to the question Roy Paul holds the distinction of playing and winning in every round of the Cup, and of course winning it. Which he completed in the space of 2 years!
Splendid answer, sir. The Arsenal programme specifies that it was all 12 rounds of the Cup, from the 1st qualifying round onwards. You add that he did it in 2 years, and of course won the Cup. What an achievement - nobody will ever beat that. And you no doubt realise that you only won because Silent Blade was too polite to answer first as you are our acknowledged resident Worcester expert
Who mentioned a prize?You can give Silent Blade the prize
I'd be very happy for history to repeat itself somehow and we see days like those again....2 of the last 3 seasons we've gone out of the Cup at the Extra Preliminary stage which starts the week before the league season has even kicked a ball ☹☹
But every home game i attend im lucky to sit next to a chap who is in his mid 70s and has watched Worcester since the mid 50s and saw all those games so I'm always badgering him for stories here and there turning the clock back. Also another old boy who sits behind us that played for us in 1960 onwards as well.
Back to Roy Paul a moment...
The season he joined us... captioned from our brilliant history book..
That FA Cup 1st round vs Aldershot was pretty special ... the extra replay (for reasons I'm not sure of ) was played at St Andrews and an extraordinary crowd of 22k turned out for it ... 15k of those Birmingham City supporters who came to pay their full respects to Roy Paul , the 1956 Cup Final very much still fresh in their memories... different era, different folk to now indeed , if I could turn the clock back and be there thats one game I would've definitely gone to , can only imagine the unique atmosphere that wouldve been.
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Millwall fans visit Sheffield?
Fascinating stuff JonnyRed(WCFC)You can give Silent Blade the prize
I'd be very happy for history to repeat itself somehow and we see days like those again....2 of the last 3 seasons we've gone out of the Cup at the Extra Preliminary stage which starts the week before the league season has even kicked a ball ☹☹
But every home game i attend im lucky to sit next to a chap who is in his mid 70s and has watched Worcester since the mid 50s and saw all those games so I'm always badgering him for stories here and there turning the clock back. Also another old boy who sits behind us that played for us in 1960 onwards as well.
Back to Roy Paul a moment...
The season he joined us... captioned from our brilliant history book..
That FA Cup 1st round vs Aldershot was pretty special ... the extra replay (for reasons I'm not sure of ) was played at St Andrews and an extraordinary crowd of 22k turned out for it ... 15k of those Birmingham City supporters who came to pay their full respects to Roy Paul , the 1956 Cup Final very much still fresh in their memories... different era, different folk to now indeed , if I could turn the clock back and be there thats one game I would've definitely gone to , can only imagine the unique atmosphere that wouldve been.
View attachment 147608
View attachment 147611
Fascinating stuff JonnyRed(WCFC)
Those attendances are very impressive for non-league. It was a very high scoring year, Gravesend won the league but also conceded 71 goals in 42 games, unthinkable these days.
Although most of the teams were named after the towns that they represented, there are a couple of exceptions. Headington eventually became Oxford United and made it into the Football League and bizarrely, Lovells was a sweet factory works team from South Wales.
Out of interest, does that book state the crowd for the FA Cup game v United the following season?
Magnifico,'scuse mi French HH.
660 folk died in the two air raids on Sheffield in 1940, not withstanding the injured and homeless.Millwall fans visit Sheffield?
Bad taste. Apologies.660 folk died in the two air raids on Sheffield in 1940, not withstanding the injured and homeless.
Come on, this is a Blades forum.
Percy Stokes, was a director and son of Charles Stokes, who was one of our founders and was our longest serving Chairman until McCabe took the title. Percy was a dentist on London Rd in one of his dads practices, it’s still a dentist to this day, opposite the post office.Magnifico,'scuse mi French HH.
Particularly like the little feller, last photo,
Homberg, glasses and Hitler moustache, and I've heard it said there's no characters down the Lane.
Thank you for the interesting info. and also for the team photos in general, I like a good team photo.Percy Stokes, was a director and son of Charles Stokes, who was one of our founders and was our longest serving Chairman until McCabe took the title. Percy was a dentist on London Rd in one of his dads practices, it’s still a dentist to this day, opposite the post office.
You used to be one of the big hitters in Non League football really up to the nonleague pyramid being formed , others like Stafford Rangers , Altrincham , Macclesfield , Enfield , Kettering , Yeovil , Scarborough & Boston .. sadly when some of these made it into the Football League became there undoingYou can give Silent Blade the prize
I'd be very happy for history to repeat itself somehow and we see days like those again....2 of the last 3 seasons we've gone out of the Cup at the Extra Preliminary stage which starts the week before the league season has even kicked a ball ☹☹
But every home game i attend im lucky to sit next to a chap who is in his mid 70s and has watched Worcester since the mid 50s and saw all those games so I'm always badgering him for stories here and there turning the clock back. Also another old boy who sits behind us that played for us in 1960 onwards as well.
Back to Roy Paul a moment...
The season he joined us... captioned from our brilliant history book..
That FA Cup 1st round vs Aldershot was pretty special ... the extra replay (for reasons I'm not sure of ) was played at St Andrews and an extraordinary crowd of 22k turned out for it ... 15k of those Birmingham City supporters who came to pay their full respects to Roy Paul , the 1956 Cup Final very much still fresh in their memories... different era, different folk to now indeed , if I could turn the clock back and be there thats one game I would've definitely gone to , can only imagine the unique atmosphere that wouldve been.
View attachment 147608
View attachment 147611
Dr MatthewsThank you for the interesting info. and also for the team photos in general, I like a good team photo.
Remember infrequent times as a kid, on the Terrace, circa early '50's, the team posing for a photo when they came out for a game.
Reference Percy Stokes, from1973 to a couple of months ago we were registered at Belgrave medical Centre which developed out of the doctors on London Rd who was the club doctor, name eludes me, for many years.
Visiting one occasion, in walked Fred White, who I must have seen play as my grandfather occasionally took me to reserve games from 1947 until I graduated to first team games around 1952 'ish.
I had 5 or10 mins of magic talking to Fred White about Utd. until I was called to see the doc.
Thats the feller, 'Matthews Practice'.Dr Matthews
Gary West (3rd left) Bob Atkin (4th right), Richard Cooper (2nd right) in back row. Julian Broddle (1st left) and Gary Brazil (centre) in front row
Bollocks !Gary West (3rd left) Bob Atkin (4th right), Richard Cooper (2nd right) in back row. Julian Broddle (1st left) and Gary Brazil (centre) in front row
France about 10 years older than Brazil so it is not himrecognise Gary Brazil, possibly Gary France but lost on anyone else
Gary West is the one I was thinking of, God I feel oldFrance about 10 years older than Brazil so it is not him
Paul Smith 3rd right back row, possibly Nigel Steane 2nd right front row
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