Stat Help Wanted from any wrinklies out there ..

[strap]

Morning all,

Trying to complete a list of all players to have played against RFC over the years. Am back to season 1953-4, and the ENFA site is a great resource for major league and cup games, but am having trouble finding line-ups for a few games.

If anyone can help me find the opposition line-ups for the following games, it would be hugely appreciated:

31/03/58 - Luton Town - Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
13/01/58 - West Ham United - ditto
06/11/57 - QPR - ditto
14/10/57 - QPR - ditto

07/12/57 - Wisbech Town - FAC2

As I go further back, there will doubtless be other obscure games that I will need help with, so if anyone has any links to relevant backwaters of t'internet, again, it would be greatly appreciated.

[King van der Kwaak]

My great-grandad played for Wisbech Town in the 1930's, and by the time of the Reading game was still involved with the club as a board member, and my grandfather, now 92, went to that game, but try as I might, I can't find the programme he gave me years ago, probably buried somewhere deep in the loft.

Wisbech at that time had a few ex-professionals in their team - the legendary Jesse Pye and John Downie were in their 1957 squad, but I don't have a list of the whole team.

I'll keep searching as I'd be interested myself due to the personal significance of the game in my family.

Sorry, can't help with the others, and sorry not to have the other 9 names immediately. Hope someone else can help.

[TBM]

Morning all,

Trying to complete a list of all players to have played against RFC over the years. Am back to season 1953-4, and the ENFA site is a great resource for major league and cup games, but am having trouble finding line-ups for a few games.

If anyone can help me find the opposition line-ups for the following games, it would be hugely appreciated:

31/03/58 - Luton Town - Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
13/01/58 - West Ham United - ditto
06/11/57 - QPR - ditto
14/10/57 - QPR - ditto

07/12/57 - Wisbech Town - FAC2

As I go further back, there will doubtless be other obscure games that I will need help with, so if anyone has any links to relevant backwaters of t'internet, again, it would be greatly appreciated.

Ask Royal Lady - she would have been there

[Royal Lady]

When I saw you'd replied to this TBM, I just KNEW you'd have mentioned my name. FTR this old wrinkly wasn't born until 1960 and didn't start following Reading until 21 years later

[AthleticoSpizz]

When you get back to 1900 give me a pm, lol

My next door neighbours grandad played for England, Bradford, Wolves and Reading

[strap]

Thanks all for contributions, I doubt if I will ever be able to get back to 1900 though. Try as I might, I have been totally unable to find any source for our SL line-ups. Frustrating as season totals are available, and other SL teams of the time seem to have full records.

[Timmy]

Can probably give you the Team Line-ups from 3 of those games from the programmes if that's any help? Suspect it's not a massive help though as there's no guarantee they were the playing line up.

[The Cube]

Thanks all for contributions, I doubt if I will ever be able to get back to 1900 though. Try as I might, I have been totally unable to find any source for our SL line-ups. Frustrating as season totals are available, and other SL teams of the time seem to have full records.

Newspaper archives will have them all (and almost certainly also the opposing teams for those games you list above). Currently available on microfiche at Reading Library or by arrangement at newspaper offices.

However, there is a digitalisation programme of old newspapers which will make data collection much easier. As far as I know, no local paper has yet been done, but I would have thought the Berkshire Chronicle a candidate for about the sixth wave within the next decade or so. Then all you will have to worry about is whether the old Chronicle journalists were as hopelessly inept as is their current football correspondent.

[strap]

Alan Sedunary put me onto the old newspaper archives site. I have tried a few editions, but they mainly only describe the game, and don't bother with line-ups. Good enough for goalscorers though.

[strap]

Can probably give you the Team Line-ups from 3 of those games from the programmes if that's any help? Suspect it's not a massive help though as there's no guarantee they were the playing line up.

That would certainly be a good starting point. From experience, programme printed line-ups up to mid-60's were a lot more representative of actual line-ups than their modern equivalents.

[Timmy]

OK. Can actually do four of them. Can't find the QPR 06.11.57 game for some reason. Teams as listed in the programmes so no first names for some of them.

31.03.58

Luton Town

Baynham GK
Dunne RB
Hawkes LB
McGuffie RH
Owen CH
Pacey LH
Whitby OR
Turner IR
Groves CF
Cullen IL
McLeod OL

13.01.58

West Ham

1 Gregory
2 Wright
3 Cantwell
4 Malcolm
5 Brown
6 Pyke
7 Grice
8 Smith
9 Keeble, V
10 Dick
11 Musgrove


14.10.57

QPR

1 Ron Springett
2 Pat Woods
3 Tony Ingham
4 George Petchey
5 Keith Rutter
6 Peter Angell
7 Alec Dawson
8 Bobby Cameron
9 Archie Andrews
10 Eddie Smith
11 Pat Kerrins


07.12.57

Wisbech Town
1 Harvey
2 Deans
3 Robson
4 Adamson
5 Crosland
6 Moss
7 Leverton
8 Marshall
9 Pye
10 Downie
11 Langton

[Brian's left bollock]

You may be interested in this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/READING-F-C-v ... 33841fce09

[strap]

Timmy you are a star - many thanks.

And Brian'sLB, many thanks for the heads-up on the prog.

[strap]

Timmy you are a star - many thanks.

And Brian'sLB, many thanks for the heads-up on the prog.

- subsequently won, so will post a scan if anyone is vaguely interested.

[total_biscuit]

The West Ham No. 3 must have been Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell who went on to play for Manchester United a couple of seasons later.

Awesome.

TB

[strap]

The West Ham No. 3 must have been Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell who went on to play for Manchester United a couple of seasons later.

Awesome.

TB

I can be even more obscure - Bryan Harvey, keeper for Wisbech in the FAC2 game at EP (watched by 17252!!), later came back to EP and played two games for Northampton Town v RFC.

I really, REALLY, must get a life

PS Ron (Tot) Leverton played for Walsall v RFC prior to joining Wisbech ..... sad, very very sad.
PPS John Downie played for Mansfield v RFC after leaving Wisbech ........ok getting rather stupid now ...
PPPS Johnny Crosland played 5 times for Bournemouth v RFC before he joined Wisbech .... stop for the love of God STOP ...

Beginning to understand why they ran us so close that day!

[strap]

The West Ham No. 3 must have been Noel Euchuria Cornelius Cantwell who went on to play for Manchester United a couple of seasons later.

Awesome.

TB

[King van der Kwaak]

Have you tried contacting or posting on the Wisbech Town FC forum (Yes, they have one...)

It was one of the biggest games of their history so I am sure someone will confirm the actual playing XI as opposed to the programme.

I've added the first names if it helps - what is remarkable about that team was how many had league experience and how many had it at the highest level - FA Cup finalists etc. Oscar Hold was the manager, btw.

Wisbech Town
1 Bryan Harvey
2 Tommy Deans
3 Ray Robson
4 Henry Adamson
5 John Crosland
6 Amos Moss
7 Tot Leverton
8 Terry Marshall
9 Jesse Pye
10 John Downie
11 Bobby Langton

[strap]

Have you tried contacting or posting on the Wisbech Town FC forum (Yes, they have one...)

It was one of the biggest games of their history so I am sure someone will confirm the actual playing XI as opposed to the programme.

I've added the first names if it helps - what is remarkable about that team was how many had league experience and how many had it at the highest level - FA Cup finalists etc. Oscar Hold was the manager, btw.

Wisbech Town
1 Bryan Harvey
2 Tommy Deans
3 Ray Robson
4 Henry Adamson
5 John Crosland
6 Amos Moss
7 Tot Leverton
8 Terry Marshall
9 Jesse Pye
10 John Downie
11 Bobby Langton

Fantastic - great help!! If anyone on their forum knows their goalscorer that day that would be much appreciated too, plus any ideas of goal times and ref - or am I pushing my luck here!!

Anyway, thanks again for the help.

[Yellowcoat]

According to their site Downie was the goal scorer.