Chapter 5 - The First Seeds of Success and Some Personal Memories of the
Time
The 1960/61 Promotion Season saw the first clash at full league status with
arch rivals Peterboro United at their London Road Ground. Peterborough had won
the Midland League season after season, and experienced fantastic cup runs each
year, beating some top class opposition. They applied to join the Football
league every year but were always turned down. In those days, demotion from the
4th Division was based on votes from the other teams in the Division. Of course,
everybody worked on the basis of 'there for the grace of god' and therefore,
promotion from non-league was virtually unknown and usually was only as a result
of a club going bankrupt.
Anyway back to the game, Cobblers were 3-0 up at half time largely thanks to
our latest 'wonder boy' Wright. This was really one in the eye for the over
confident Peterboro fans but we did not reckon on the second half brilliance of
Billy Hails (soon to join the cobblers) and the non stop goal scoring machine
Terry Bly. The game finished 3-3 with honours shared for the time being.
Peterboro topped the league that season scoring 134 goals, Terry Bly got 52 of
them, but Cobblers would be soon leaving Peterboro trailing in their wake.
Another game that season that sticks in my memory was at home to Southend
United, which the Cobblers won 5-2. It sticks, not for the game, but that it
coincided with my cousins wedding. The wedding took place just before lunch in
the Church virtually opposite the entrance to the Spion Kop. My Cousin, being a
keen footballer and Cobblers fan, it followed that most of the younger male
guests were of similar persuasion. Many eyes were focused on the Spion Kop
entrance, rather than the happy couple, before and after the service.
The Reception was held at the Guildhall, and during the meal much whispering
was apparent between the younger male guests to the obvious annoyance of
mothers, girlfriends and wives. My father piped up 'we'll never get away with
it'!!!! and was promptly sat on. Anyway the male guests, those that weren't
handcuffed to their other halves, took their opportunity during a comfort break
at the end of the meal and before the speeches. I was not to hear the speeches
and neither were a majority of the male guests. It would seem that the only
males left, were the groom, the best man, those on a tight lead, and the elderly
no longer equipped for quick getaways.
Several weeks later, after my mother had finally forgiven my father, and was
speaking to him again, she recounted that the best man's speech was heard in stony silence by rather an aggressive female audience. Poor man, he had based
his speech around a series of very juicy events, which needed the full support
and applause of an appreciative male audience. The males in question, reappeared
around six, and in time for the evening festivities. Luckily for the them, their
female partners had by then supped most of free booze and retribution was
delayed. A bit like being told at 4.00pm on Friday to be outside Gunners Office
at 9.00am on Monday morning.
The Cobblers secured promotion in 3rd place only six points and 3 wins behind
Peterboro but a massive 44 goals behind them.
The Team
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Another memory, during that season, was the School Trip at Easter 1961 to Germany.
We stayed on the Rhine just below Bonn at a place called Bad Honhef. The trip
was led by Messrs Harry Hartwell and Bamber, i.e. 'Messrs Kind, Caring, Funny,
and Human'. There were not many around like that at Trinity at the time.
We set off at 5.30am from the Balfour Road entrance to catch the lunchtime
ferry from Dover to Ostende. From Ostende we caught the train to Bonn, arriving
at midnight, and then in the wee small hours of the morning at our hotel.
Memories from the journey were:
 our first beer as the ferry left the 3 mile limit, with Harry looking the
other way.
somebody, who shall remain nameless, and with a Taffy Newell approach to
experimentation, fusing the lights in the train carriage.
three wet-behind-the-ears teenagers getting lost in Bonn, and while asking
for help,
being spat at by an elderly Nazi, and being mothered by a group of
kindly German hausfraus.
the visit to the Neuerburg Ring, which ended in several members being carried
back to the coach, as they had decided to stay in the Café to watch some of
trial laps, and were overcome by diesel fumes touched with a blend of Mosel
Wine!!!
The holiday ended with a party in the local hostelry hosted by Messrs
Hartwell and Bamber. I seem to remember that most of the lads finished up in the
local fountain. I can't answer for the girls, they must have been around
somewhere. I am sure one or two of them have a story to tell.
PS: For those who were at the above events, and
who know, forgive the
exaggerations, poetic licence and omissions to protect the innocent!!!!
Where was the 'City Slicker' ? Sorry ran out of time see Chapter 6.
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