Grass Roots — A History of Wallsend Boys Club
In 1883 George Burton Hunter built the ‘Wallsend Café’ on the south west corner of the junction of Station Road and the High Street. His purpose in providing this facility was to encourage his twin interests in temperance and education. Young apprentices from the shipyard were particularly encouraged to use these educational facilities. By the turn of the century this commitment to the welfare of the apprentices had taken another turn, with a Boys’ Club being opened officially on November 14th 1904.
The official history of Wallsend Boys’ Club starts in the years of the Great Depression in Wallsend. Like many areas of the country, Wallsend had had rough times in the twenty years after World War I ended. The 1920s had seen the slow collapse of old industries like coal mining and shipbuilding and of course there had been industrial unrest with the General Strike taking place in 1926.
This situation wasn’t unique to Wallsend of course, so in the mid-1930s the government started to identify areas where they feared high unemployment rates were having an adverse effect on young men, with the intention of supporting the building of Boys’ Clubs to provide a focus for the young. Wallsend was one of the places to benefit from this scheme.
The idea was that if local benefactors would contribute, the cost of the actual labour would be covered by a grant from the government to the local Ministry of Labour Department who would supervise the project. The upshot of these circumstances was that in 1938 building began on a plot of land on Station Road to the north of the centre of Wallsend.
The land in question was next to the High Farm Residents Association hut and had been used by them to erect a large marquee for their annual flower and vegetable show.
What was being built there in 1938 was an L shaped wooden hut which was to be the home of the “official” Wallsend Boys’ Club, affiliated to the National Association of Boys’ Clubs.
The firm of Swan Hunter were happy to be the main benefactor of the club. Their support was personified by one of the Directors, and grandson of the founder of the firm, Sheriton C. Swan, who became president of the new Boys’ Club. The Council had donated the plot of land to the Boys Club for a peppercorn rent. All the materials were provided from the shipyard, which also supplied skilled workers where necessary to finish off the building work. The bulk of the actual labour on the building came from the unemployed however, who were paid through the government grant with meals and clothing. Within a couple of months of starting, the building was up and ready, and very quickly being used for a whole range of activities. In total it had cost £1297.10s.0d to build and equip, with £113.12s.0d of that going to feed and clothe the unemployed labourers.
On April 13th 1939, some months after opening its doors to members, the club was officially launched. The ceremony was carried out by the Duchess of Northumberland in the presence of local dignitaries and guests. Mr Sheriton Clements Swan, president of the club, presided over the large gathering.On that opening night in 1939, Sheriton C. Swan spoke of his pleasure in being invited to be the first president. He pointed out that 80% of the members at that time were apprentices at Swan’s and so welcomed the maintenance of close contact with the club. Like everyone else that night he paid tribute to the work of the unemployed men who had built the club. He is quoted in the Wallsend Herald as saying: ” I wish to record the splendid action of the unemployed men who gave their labour voluntarily and built this magnificent building. This, I think, shows a commendable spirit, worthy of a special mention. My earnest wish is that the boys of Wallsend will make full use of the facilities provided here, and I am confident that not only will they thoroughly enjoy the various activities now, but they will in the future benefit from their early associations with the club”
The Mayor, in his speech, revealed that the Wallsend Corporation had given the site and he wished the boys and the Club every success. Mr Sandy Laws, newly appointed club leader, thanked those who had given assistance and gifts to the Club. The evening closed with the singing of the National Anthem.
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Although Wallsend Boys’ club is now associated so strongly with football, it is clear that the club begun in 1938, had a very wide range of activities. Club activities in the early days were mainly snooker, trampolining, judo, table tennis, cross country running and football. These took place under the leadership of Ernest “Sandy” Laws who was club leader from 1938 to 1952.
On Wednesday January 21st 1942 Wallsend Boys’ Club hosted the preliminary Northumberland County Boxing Tournament, with the admission prices being 1/6 for non-members with club members being admitted for half price.
One of the boxers at the boys’ club, George Wells, later turned professional. Another club member who turned professional was heavyweight Dave Redhead, whom every boy at the club tried to avoid boxing because of his “killer” punch. Apart from boxing, in 1941 wrestling was introduced to the club when professional wrestler “Dirty” Jack Smith, from St James’ Hall, came once a week to train the members in unarmed combat.
There were also regular summer camps during the school holidays for those who could afford to go. In June 1943 there was a camp at Wark and in 1944 a summer camp at Rothbury. The boys would be joined at these camps by their own leaders and by boys from other clubs in Northumberland or Durham.
Whilst at Rothbury the club formed a ‘scratch’ football team to play against the local village team. Wallsend Boys’ Club team won 18–0 and the local team refused to ever play against the boys’ club again.
Football was of course becoming even more popular in the North East by the 1950s. Wallsend Boys’ Club had junior teams organised at that time into two age groups, 14–16 and 16–18.
Fred Mason was a toolmaker was also the manager of the under 18 team at Wallsend Boys Club. He wanted to improve his squad so he asked if they wanted to join the Boys Club. Hence the team for the 1951/52 season.
Wallsend Boys Club played their home games on the Western School field. They would change in the Boys Club on Station Road and walk round to the pitch through the allotments, carrying the corner flags etc. Their strip colours were red tops with white sleeves and a white collar, which was provided by the Club, but they had to buy their own blue shorts (ex-Army) and red and white hooped socks, as well as having to find their own way to the away matches.
Towards the end of the season the games were building up so they played one team away on Easter Saturday beating them 11–0 and arranged for the reverse home fixture against the same team on the Easter Monday. When they turned up for the Easter Monday game the names on the team sheet were the same as the Saturday but the players were entirely different, being a lot bigger and older.
On talking to a couple of their players they found out that the team they had sent was their Sunday morning league team. The score was 2–2 at half time but WBC scored 6 in the second half to beat them 8–2. The WBC team went on to win the 1951/52 league title.
Ernest (Sandy) Laws left Wallsend Boys’ Club in 1952. With Alan Ruse appointed manager from 1st June 1952 on a salary of £400 per annum. His contract was for three months in the first instance and would be subject to confirmation at the end of that period when he became eligible for inclusion in the N.A.B.C. insurance and superannuation scheme.
During Alan Ruse’s time as club leader the club was visited by the Duke of Gloucester who was patron of the National Association of Boys’ Clubs. The Duke was embarking on a whirlwind tour of clubs in Northumberland in February 1956 and included Wallsend in his itinerary. In spite of the short time spent in the club, the boys were trained how to bow to a royal visitor and seem to have given him a very warm welcome. Leslie White, the 18 year old chairman of the boys’ committee, presented the Duke with a scroll marking his honorary membership of the club and led the other boys in ‘three cheers’.
By the late 1950s skiffle was in vogue, and the Boys’ club had its own band, the Red Planets. In 1958 they were chosen to take part in the annual Frankie Vaughan Boys’ Club variety show at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
20 year old John White, was also invited to take part. John was a comedian and was given a ten minute solo spot whilst the Red Planets accompanied Frankie in a song. The local press pointed out that this was the first time anyone from north of Birmingham had been chosen for the variety show. Frankie Vaughan was a great benefactor to the National Association of Boys’ Club’s and held a fund raising show every year with proceeds going to the N.A.B.C
As the craze for skiffle grew several local bands gained permission to use the club premises for practice sessions. One of these groups, The Animals, went on to realise the dream of many young men by making their name locally and then travelling to the ‘Big City’, London, before becoming famous world wide with their hit “The House of the Rising Sun” — which had no connection with the only remaining Wallsend pit!
As early as 1951 the club had had to raise £150 each year towards running costs of £600. This doesn’t sound a lot by today’s standards, but of course the average wage at the time was only £3/ 8 shillings a week. The club was supported by grants from the Education committee and also by donations from Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson and from Wallsend Slipway (£50 each per annum at that time). Sheriton Swan also provided a personal covenant of £5 per year as well as proceeds from the sale of his fruit and vegetables.
In 1956 the club had only £40 in the bank. Nevertheless, by 1958 in his report to the club committee, Frank Herdman was able to say that the club was going from strength to strength. It had £580 in a deposit account plus a small amount in a current account. The treasurer, Mr F.Dixon, was able to claim that “the financial position of the club has never looked rosier,” and that he had every confidence that this would continue as long as they could keep Frank Herdman as club leader.
Sadly, all of this activity suffered a setback on June 9th 1959 when the club building was gutted by a serious blaze. The hall and gym suffered extensive damage, and much sports equipment was lost. Ironically the club had just spent £600 on renovation and redecoration, the first since it’s opening in 1939. Among the items saved however were all the trophies won over the years, and the framed certificate marking the honorary membership of the Duke of Gloucester. These had been stored in a fire-proof safe.
The mood of the club seems to have been determined as well as dismayed. After seeing flames almost completely gut the club Frank Herdman was quoted in the local press as surveying the charred ruins and saying, “We will just have to start all over again. The Club will go on” The press account continued; “Beginning at 5pm the fire swept through the hall of the timber building in Station Road, and then spread slowly into the main building. Although Wallsend Fire Brigade had the blaze under control within half an hour, extensive damage was done to the hall and gym and to sports equipment stored there” A social evening for 100 members and friends of the Club, planned for that night, had to be cancelled. Many turned up and saw firemen in the ruined building. Later they helped to clear away the mess.
The licensee of the nearby Dorset Arms, saw smoke rising from the back of the building where the boiler house was situated and raised the alarm. Two tons of coke was stored there but the boiler had not been used for months. At the height of the fire smoke was being blown on to Station Road, which held up the traffic. No one was in the Club at the time, and there were no casualties.
On 14th July 1964. Wallsend Boys’ Club were pleased to hear from the Boys’ Club Association that the necessary award of grant aid from the Ministry had now been obtained and that the construction of the new Club would now proceed and they were accordingly getting in touch with Wallsend Corporation to finalise the negotiations for the lease.
On 6th November Northumberland County Council approved a grant of £6,875, which was recommended by Northumberland Education Committee towards the cost of erecting premises for Wallsend Boys’ Club.
On 11th June 1965 Purdie, Lumsden & Co, Ltd won the contract to build the new Wallsend Boys’ Club. The planned new building was 90 feet square by 30 feet high and was made up of three tiers, or decks as they became known, keeping up the shipbuilding connection. The lower deck was to be the main sports hall, ninety feet long and fifty feet wide with a wooden floor made of maple and white block brick walls leading to panelling above and opaque glass at ceiling level. Four feet above the sports floor would be the Middle deck which could be used for spectators. The horse shoe shaped Upper deck provided space for billiards, table tennis, darts and a canteen. There would also be more room for spectators here. This area and the Middle deck would be surrounded by railings.
The builders, Purdie Lumsden of Newcastle, were engaged to erect the building and they decided it should be done in three stages, with the main shell being erected first. The second phase would be the making of a Car Park leading up to the main entrance and a garden at the front, all surrounded by a low perimeter wall. The third phase was to consist of installing a suspended ceiling with recessed lighting to camouflage the steel work in the flat roof. It was anticipated that this work would take two years in total. By the time the building was completed, the final cost was about £38,590. Much of the indoor work on the building was completed by workers from Swan Hunters, another gift from Sheriton C. Swan. This contributed a rather nautical feel to the building, with ships’ stair cases being erected to link the ‘decks’.
In December 1965 the club committee appointed a new full-time leader for Wallsend Boy’s’ Club, 28 year old Dave Beardall. The interviews for the appointment took place at Swan Hunter’s since the club building was incomplete. Once appointed the new club leader, along with Wally Telfer who was Development Officer for the NABC, had the task of spending a grant of £2500 allocated by the Department of Education and Science on equipment and furnishings. Among the equipment bought early on were a full-size judo mat and cover, boxing equipment, a trampoline, three table tennis tables, nets and bats. Furnishings such as tables, chairs, desks and curtains were also acquired. By May 1966 the club was able to unofficially open for business, though still not completely finished off.
After the years in abeyance it was probably not surprising that there were only twenty boys in attendance on that first night. But the club soon built up momentum again, not least because the facilities were far ahead of those of any other club of its type. By the end of the month there were enough members to start a judo class. This in turn attracted more boys, and enrolment for membership opened on June 1st 1965. Applicants had to be between the ages of 14 and 21. By July 1966.
The club had 200 members and Dave Beardall was quoted in the local press as saying that everything was “proceeding very satisfactorily.” One of the particularly memorable events to take place in that month was a gathering of club members and leaders on July 30th to watch England win the world cup around a borrowed TV set in the club.
During these first weeks a committee of club members was formed, one of whose first challenges — and an on-going one- was to raise funds for the club.
The “new” Wallsend Boys’ Club’s first planned venture was a charity cricket match between the cast of ‘My Fair Lady’, which was being staged at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, and a Mayor of Wallsend’s eleven. Which included members of the Newcastle United football team. The ‘My Fair Lady’ cast included Tony Britton, Wendy Bowman, Bert Brownbill, Patrick Waddington, Gwynne Whitby and Gavin Gordon, all of whom signed a commemorative programme.
The game was to be staged on July 31st 1966 at Bigges Main, but plans to charge 1/- admittance fee had to be scrapped because of the Lord’s Day Observance Act since July 31st was a Sunday. As a result a collection was taken at the match instead, resulting in rather less revenue than had been hoped for.
The theme of fund raising was one which was to appear repeatedly in the decades ahead, and indeed has always proved to be a huge problem. Grants were, and are, variable and unreliable sources of funding, so fund raising events were always needed. This applied to all Boys’ Clubs of course, so one week a year was designated ‘Boys’ Club week’ and permission was given for house-to-house collections etc.
David Beardall, was delighted with the response of the people of Wallsend in the house-to-house collection made in Boys’ Club Week in that first November of the new club. He was quoted in the Wallsend News as saying: “Club members collected £184.10s which was particularly praiseworthy in the view of the fact that the club has been in operation only a short time”.
By this stage, preparations were well underway for the official opening of Wallsend Boys’ Club in its’ new building. Dave Beardall was keen to extend an invitation to all former members of the club but was hampered by the loss of all club records in the fires. He used the local press therefore to advertise the opening on December 16th.
The opening ceremony of what was described as “the best club building in the North of England” took place on Friday 16th December 1966. It had many links with the opening of the old wooden hut in 1939. Sheriton Clements Swan was still present as club president, — a remarkable sign of commitment — and he welcomed the Duke of Northumberland to carry out the official opening, reminding the 150 people present that it was the Duke’s mother, when Duchess of Northumberland, who had carried out that first opening ceremony. In his speech, the Duke spoke warmly of the role Wallsend Boys’ Club had played in the community of Wallsend since 1939. He paid particular tribute to Mr Swan, pointing out that, “Without him, the club could not have achieved so much” The Duke of Northumberland was presented with a tie bearing the new emblem of Wallsend Boys’ Club, a swan, referring of course to the close links to Swan Hunter’s. This presentation was carried out by the chairman of the boys’ committee, Alan Connolly. The Duke immediately put on his new tie, giving Alan his own tie in return. Mr Swan was also presented with a tie by Martin Adams, another member of the boys’ committee.
Among the other dignitaries and guests who received ties were Lord Ridley, Vice Chairman of the NABC, Mr P. McGlyn, Chief Youth Officer of the Northumberland Education Committee and Mr Vic Stevens, Secretary and Treasurer of the club’s management committee as well as company secretary at Swan Hunter’s. As part of the opening ceremony the Management Committee expressed their thanks to everyone involved with the building of Wallsend Boys’ Club.
After the speeches and presentations there was a display of judo and football by club members.The club was now officially open for business and a pattern was set early on of involvement in a range of activities which certainly became dominated by football, but never to the exclusion of everything else.
It seemed as the years went on that the two themes of footballing fame and the need to raise money to keep the club going were constant features of club life.
In November 1968, in an effort to attract more young people into the club, one of the workshops was turned into a ‘discotheque’ and a Club Week Dance was held with “soft lights and sweet music” to quote the local paper. This was from 8pm until midnight and there was a buffet, spot prizes and a cabaret. The tickets cost 7/6 (37.5 pence today) and this included refreshments.
The Wallsend News reported the event as follows: When boy wants to meet girl. Soft lights and sweet music, hardly what you would expect to find in a boys’ club, but this is what Wallsend Boys’ Club had in mind. The idea was to let the local girls come in from the cold. A large room that was being used as a workshop was to be turned into a discothèque, with soft ultra violet lights and music to which members could bring their girlfriends. “Since the new club opened there have been several complaints from various quarters that while things were looking up for the boys there were precious little locally for the girls” said David Beardall, the Club Leader. “The Club Committee, the Management Committee and I agree the complaints were justified, so we decided to give things a trial. When we get the room ready we will allow the girls in two nights a week, and if the venture is a success they will probably be admitted to full membership”. The name of the club however would still remain Wallsend Boys’ Club added Mr Beardall.
As a sideline in his club leadership Dave Beardall hoped to be able to help the local Youth Employment Officer with information on careers for members. Appealing for public support for the club Dave said that during the time that he had worked there he felt there were many people in the town who were interested in youth work but were rather shy about coming forward to help. “They seem to think that a full-time leader can achieve everything, this is far from the case. I need all the help possible from parents and friends.”
Boys’ Club trip to European Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final and new president for the Boys’ club.
Wallsend Boys’ Club had strong links with their nearest big professional football club, Newcastle United. This first reached a peak in a particularly memorable way in June 1969 when Dave Beardall drove a bus of boys’ club members all the way to Budapest in Hungary to watch their heroes from United beat Ujpest Dozsa in the European Inter City Fairs’ Cup Final.
This journey was no mean feat at the time. The Cold War was still going strong and the group set out on their 2,870 mile journey with neither visas nor tickets. Dave recalls how after camping on the first night in Austria, they set off for the Hungarian border to find themselves surrounded in no-man’s land by heavily armed border guards. On hearing of their planned destination, the guards provided visas and allowed them to continue their journey. It took another three days to reach the ground, where the exhausted party set up camp again.
At 5 in the morning an Ujpest official woke them up to provide free tickets and bacon sandwiches. Having watched a game in which Newcastle (3–0 up from the home leg) came back from 2–0 down to win 3–2, the boys ended up in the Newcastle dressing room sharing some of the victory champagne.
New President for Wallsend Boys’ Club
In 1974, as a ten-year-old boy, Les joined Wallsend Boys’ Club with the intention of playing five a side football. Thirty-Nine years later he had well and truly proven that, as an ex Wallsend Boys’ Club member, you did not need to be a professional footballer, to make your mark in the sporting field in a big way.
By the age of fifteen Les was refereeing five a side football leagues and was organising the under 10’s and under 11’s leagues at the club. Les started running the under 13’s 11 a side team, where they were runners up to North Shields in the Boys’ Club league. Alan Shearer starting his first 11 a side league football under Les in this league. Les was a volunteer leader at the Boys’ Club from the age of fifteen until the age of twenty-five.
As well as his volunteer work at the Boys’ Club Les became Trainee Recreation Officer at North Tyneside Council in 1982 at the age of eighteen, a post he held for two years.
1985 was the United Nations Year of Youth and to coincide with this, Les organised the first ever North Tyneside International Youth Football Tournament. He took on the job as full time leader at Blyth Town Boys’ Club in September 1988, this position being held for eighteen months, before he came back to work for North Tyneside Council, as Young Peoples Services Manager.
In 1990 Les was approached to become County Director of the Nottinghamshire Association of Boys Clubs, a position he held until 1998.
In 1992 he was a referee in the Paraplegic Olympics in Barcelona, which included taking charge of the semi-final between Holland and Ireland.
He also coached the England Boys’ Club’s team for three seasons (1996–1998). Les joined the Football Association in a full time roll in 1998 as Regional Director of Football Development moving on to the position of National Clubs Development Manager in 2000, where he brought Charter Status into youth football and helped to develop Mini Soccer.
He also wrote the FA Level One Coaching Badge, which in its first three and a half years had produced over 100,000 qualified coaches. In 2005 Les became the National Development Manager (Clubs and Coaches), for the FA.
Managing the nine regional coaches. Les has also written two football books published by “Hodder” the books’ titles being “Football Parents” and “Running a Club”. Les is now head of Grass Roots coaching at the F A.
The 1970s were very significant years in the history of Wallsend Boys’ Club since it seems to have been that decade in particular that established its strong reputation for turning out first class footballers. An article in 1980 in the ‘Evening Chronicle’, written by John Gibson, described Wallsend Boys’ club as a breeding ground for football league stars.
It pointed out that at that particular moment in time 12 out of a squad of 15 under-15 players were signed up with league clubs. It also listed just some of the professional players of the time who had started their careers at Wallsend Boys’ Club. Among them were Ray Hankin, Eric Steel, Alan Waddle, Peter Beardsley, Rob Hindmarch, Mick Tait, Les Taylor, Steve Bruce, Tony Sealy, David Lawson, Gordon Nisbet, Phil Cavanagh and Ian Watson. There were other players still to come through the ranks of the WBC teams.
How had this come about? Clearly there had never been a deliberate decision made to make football the particular focus of excellence of the club. And it was still by no means the only activity in which the club did well. But clearly something unusual was happening at the club judging by the sheer quantity and quality of the players being produced there.
The newspaper article gave a lot of the credit to one man, Peter Kirkley, who had joined the club in 1969 as footballing coach. At that time, just as the club had established itself into its new premises, Dave Beardall recognised that he needed help to run the footballing side of things and persuaded a local football coach, Peter Kirkley to join him at WBC.
Peter then took over the running of the eleven-a-side football teams. When he took over there was only one such team, but this was soon to change. By the time the 1980 article was written, there were seven, all with their own manager.
Peter was proud of the fact that all his league stars were local. Players had to live within a five-mile radius of the Boys Club, but the majority came from within two miles of the Club. Years later Peter Kirkley was to say that he was interested not just in the potential stars, of whom there were many, but in every boy playing for the club teams. The key was discipline. On turning up for their first coaching session, the boys had to memorise a list of rules which governed things like the subs they had to pay, the smartness of their kit, their punctuality and courtesy, and their behaviour generally, both on and off the pitch. These rules were very much in the tradition of the original boys’ club constitution with its emphasis on supporting the ‘mental, physical and social’ development of the members.
In a link to the pre-1959 club, there were still some ‘theatrical’ activities taking place. In February 1977 Tyne Tees Television filmed part of “The Paper Round Lads”. Six members around the age of sixteen were to be used for a fight scene around the table tennis tables. Tyne Tees asked if they could pick out six lads who might make “natural” actors. Actual filming commenced around 10am and Tyne Tees said they expected to finish all sequences by 5.30–6pm at the very latest. The final shooting of the above film took place on Wednesday 16th March at North East Marine. 24 members of WBC took part in an eleven-a-side football scene.
One of those lads was Brian Laws, eventually to become manager of Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley. The lads had to be there by 9am. The Director went through certain moves for rehearsal and gave the young actors instructions. The footballers could wear their tracksuits until he gave them the “We are going for a take” message. That meant he wanted them to take their tracksuits off and then “give every effort in your acting/footballing capabilities.”
Tyne Tees television gave a donation to Wallsend Boys’ Club for their assistance.
By 1984 Wallsend Boys’ Club were able to start using some of their former stars to support themselves when needed. The Presentation night of that year, held on July 19th, saw the launch of an appeal to raise £5000 for repairs to the roof, damaged in a fire in 1977 and never properly repaired, — in fact it was leaking in four places. Peter Beardsley, now a star of Newcastle United and England, having played for Vancouver Whitecaps since his signing for Carlisle, was happy to spearhead the appeal and lend his name to it.
Professional players and former old boys, Tony Sealy, Eric Steele, Les Taylor, Keith Lockhart and Brian Laws were the first to make donations, totalling £141. Neil McDonald, now also playing for Newcastle United lent his support as well.
The club’s boys committee handed over a cheque for £1,000 to Peter Beardsley from funds they had raised over a number of years. Launching the appeal Peter said that the Boys’ Club movement was worth supporting. “I still remember the great pleasure I derived from being a member of, and playing for, Wallsend Boys’ Club”.
The New Year of 1992 began with yet another party, this one a belated 25th anniversary of the opening of the club building. On January 7th a cocktail party was held with guests including many who had helped the club over the previous quarter century. The Lord Lieutenant, Sir Ralph Carr-Ellison, was again in attendance and officially opened a refurbished canteen. “This I feel was a splendid occasion with a good cross section of persons who have helped the club over the 25 years, since the club re-opened”. According to press coverage Sir Ralph apologised for not being able to meet everyone during the evening, but said he did enjoy his visit to the club and wished the management, staff and members every success in the future years.
Dave Beardall was quoted as saying, “One must give a big vote of thanks to our Treasurer who was able to find a sponsor who supplied the wines and the finger buffet for the occasion at no cost to the club, also everyone who helped to set up the photograph display, flowers, bar and general help without which it would not have been possible to have such a super occasion. I hope that everyone who attended the evening enjoyed himself or herself and that we could have another celebration when the club will be 50 years old in 1998, since the foundation of the club was in 1938”.
Inevitably many of the write-ups in the local press referred to the roll call of professional players produced over the previous 25 years, but there was also a mention of a ‘failure’ in that regard in ex-member Gordon Sumner, who had of course gone on to become the international rock star Sting. As Gordon Sumner he had played regular five-a-side football at the Boys’ Club. He still remembered the Boys’ Club with affection and in the recent past he was presented with a number of their ‘Wallsend to Wembley’ tee shirts.
On Thursday October 12th 2006 the club held its annual fund raising dinner at the Assembly Rooms in Newcastle when 350 guests had another tremendous evening out. Sting donated his bass guitar to the boys’ club for auction to help raise funds. The guitar raised over three thousand five hundred pounds in the auction.
Wallsend Boys’ Club was back in the limelight on 16th October 1998 as a “Memory lane” location for Alan Shearer’s TV commercial for McDonald’s. The Newcastle striker, filmed a scene at the boys’ club with his mentor, the veteran football scout Jack Hixon, and states in the TV voice-over, “This is where I got my real education”. Alan had turned up at seven in the morning with a vast film crew of 48, they’d been filming since first light at the shipyard, and they shot some early scenes before the supporting cast of 40 boys’ club footballers turned up half an hour later.
David Beardall, the club leader said, “It’s always good to have positive publicity for Wallsend and the boys’ club movement in general”.
A very significant development in the Club was a change of leadership. Dave Beardall had been appointed back in December 1965, before the new building was even open for business, and he had led the club ever since, which was a remarkable achievement.By October 2003 however, at the age of 65, his retirement came, marked with a lavish celebration at a local hotel.
A host of football stars owe their glittering array of medals and trophies to unsung hero David Beardall and David now finally received his own reward for his services to soccer at Wallsend Boys Club. Premiership sponsors Barclaycard awarded him with their very first Free Kicks Champion Award in honour of his 37 years in grass roots football. Former Newcastle United and England legend Peter Beardsley, presented the award in a ceremony at the club. “Our aim was to give kids the opportunity to fill their free time in a safe environment, when I’m sure otherwise some would have been involved in anti-social behaviour”. David Beardall walked into Wallsend Boys’ Club in 1965; it’s real birth as a centre of football excellence. Yet the first match he arranged ended in a 21–0 defeat. “Oh, I remember it all right”, David said, wincing. “We played St. Mary’s Boys’ Club at Cowgate roundabout and got slaughtered. I begged the ref to whistle up five minutes early”. From embarrassment a great and mighty club emerged.
Dave retired from a full time job after 38 years of hard work, loyalty and dedication. He was 65 years old on 7th October and 24 hours later he was honoured at a lavish dinner before many of his superstar protégés. He has been a father figure, a mentor to those destined for superstardom and those not, and his memories will be treasured well into his thoroughly deserved leisure time.
Memories like the time Steve Watson, the youngest ever Newcastle United debutant, acted as a corner man at the Henry Cooper Golden Belt boxing competition which was held at the Boys’ Club and was televised on Channel Four.
Recollections, too, of the numerous trips David made with Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce, one time captain of Manchester United’s championship winners, picking him up from school to rush him to Boys’ Club games. Steve was the best player never to be capped by England.
It was decided that it would be great to document as much of the club’s history as possible. In order to help with that research Michael McGill and Vince Carrick, who were at the heart of the Heritage Project, made a plea in the local press for information from any former members of the original club to help in their research. The plea was successful and interviews with former members started to take place.
It was soon realised in interviews with five of the veteran former members, Jack Scott, James McBlain, Fred Tate, Ray Oliver and Jimmy Swan, that over FIFTY YEARS earlier these gentlemen had been good friends with each other. Through the passing of time, changing jobs etc, they had not been in contact with each other for many years. On 6th March 2005 Michael and Vince re-united the five gentlemen at Wallsend Boys’ Club.
Jack Scott, 78, a retired British Gas engineer born in Wallsend and now living in Forest Hall, joined the Boys’ Club as a 15 year old and had not been back since the 1950’s. “I’ve got some great memories of this place. It was a good group of lads”, he said. “It was like a second home to me, but as we all got into our early 20’s we drifted apart”. James McBlain, 78, of Hadrian Park, Wallsend, joined as a 12 year old in 1938 and went on to become President of the club in 1969. Mr McBlain, a retired instrument curator at the Dental Hospital at Newcastle’s RVI, said “We were young and just looking for somewhere to play football and do other sports or hobbies to keep ourselves out of trouble”. Fred Tate, 78, of Holy Cross, Wallsend, who was an engineer at Swan Hunter and Parsons, spent a lot of his time working on pantomimes and plays at the club. “We would put plays on and compete against other clubs”, he said. “I’ve got a lot of great memories and it’s really good to see all these people again. It’s the first time I’ve been here since the 40’s”. Ray Oliver, 78. of Wallsend, was there from 1938 to 1952 and was a top gymnast and a PT instructor. “It’s really good to come back”, he said. “There are a lot of good memories of this place”. Jimmy Swan, 69, formerly of Wallsend but now living in North Shields began attending the boys’ club in 1949 as a 12 year-old. He said, “I played football here and was a centre forward. I used to come to the boys club a few years ago with my grandson as well, and he loved it”.
At the opening of the “new” Wallsend Boys’ Club building in 1965 the committee had wisely invested in a five a side court, with the pitch having a very expensive sprung maple floor installed. This, over a forty-one year period, proved to be a very wise investment indeed.
After a slow start five-a-side football leagues were formed from under 7’s to under 16’s. The leagues soon had as many as sixteen teams per league, running on six nights a week, and were quickly to become the clubs main revenue earner.
In October 2001 the sports hall floor was badly damaged due to water entering the building and seeping under the floor. The pitch developed a bevel some fifteen metres long by two metres wide and temporary repairs were made, with leagues having to be cancelled for a week. In June 2002 the floor was deteriorating so badly, that a professional flooring company was hired to repair and re-surface the floor at considerable expense.
Unfortunately in June 2005 torrential rain hit the area with thousands of gallons of water flooding into the Boys’ Club, again badly damaging the maple floor. Emergency repair work was carried out, but the committee had to come to terms with the fact that the floor had come to the end of its useful life and a replacement pitch would have to be installed.
As in 1965 a major decision on the sports hall had to be made. Should they replace it with another timber floor or should a new third generation Astroturf pitch be installed. At great expense the decision was made to install the pitch, which has met the approval of members plus soccer legend Peter Beardsley who performed the official opening ceremony in March 2006.
Club leader Garry Marshall said Peter Beardsley loves the new pitch; he comes down every Friday and supports the club. He loved the old maple floor and it had a lot of tradition for him, but he couldn’t believe the transformation with the new pitch.
60 Year lease granted for new pitches & changing rooms.
The club’s home in Station Road, Wallsend, had provided a base for the development of some of the country’s finest footballing talent for 40 years. But the club felt that if they were to maintain their excellent standards they needed to expand and move to a modern facility. Club leader at the time Garry Marshall said, “This is without doubt the most significant move in the club’s 40-year history and we appreciate the support of North Tyneside council. This move will secure the club’s future for the next 40-years and beyond. It will enable us to continue to work with the youth in our area to recognise their dreams whatever they may be. The club will also be able to increase its work within the community and make it a focal point for local people in the area and beyond”.
In March 2006 Wallsend Boys Club were granted a 60-year land lease by North Tyneside Council and were set to apply for planning permission to build a £1.4m complex for seven football pitches, changing rooms and car park for 75 cars. When fully developed, the new site, on an area of land adjacent to Wallsend Sports Centre, Rheydt Avenue, should boast outdoor training facilities, 11-a-side pitches and, hopefully, a new community club. Councillor Jim Allan, cabinet member for regeneration said, “We are delighted the council is able to help Wallsend Boys’ Club secure its long term future and ambitions. As well as producing first class footballers for this region, the club provides an invaluable service to so many young people by involving them in sport and keeping them healthy”.
Aside from promoting fitness and healthy living, Garry Marshall believed that the club had a vital role to play in the community. He said “This club is so important as it does a great deal for local kids who otherwise wouldn’t have anywhere to go. Although first and foremost, we are here to teach football, we install a level of discipline and respect in our players that goes beyond sport. You just have to look at the players we have produced; all of them are consummate professionals and great role models”.
With so much history attached to the old clubhouse, there would inevitably be a certain amount of nostalgia surrounding the move. Garry Marshall said, “This clubhouse has done us proud for 40 years, and a lot of people will be sad to see it go. We still get players who trained here 20 years ago coming in and saying the place hasn’t changed a bit, even down to the signs on the wall. But it’s time to move on and this new facility will help us take our training to a new level Now, assuming planning permission is granted, the club must start to raise the funds needed to finance the site’s development. As a charity, this will come in the form of private donations and a programme of fund raising events planned for the coming months”
Wallsend Boys’ Club get planning permission for football pitches and changing rooms at Rhyedt Avenue.
On Monday 16th April 2007 North Tyneside Council planning committee met to consider Wallsend Boys’ Club’s application to build its £1.4m complex of seven football pitches, a multi use games area, changing rooms and car parking facilities at Rheydt Avenue Wallsend. Ex-England and Newcastle United star Peter Beardsley joined Wallsend Boys’ Club chairman Steve Dale and Councillor Jim Allen the deputy Mayor of North Tyneside Council, at Wallsend Town Hall to address the planning Committee, as they met to make this landmark decision.
The proposed new home for the Boys’ Club’s football teams had met with strong opposition from local residents, with a 106 name petition against the proposal and 40 letters were sent highlighting objections. Wallsend Boys’ Club had amassed many letters in support of the planning application and nearly 1000 names on a petition in favour of the proposals, the development of which would be mainly funded by the Football Foundation. The proposals had the full backing of North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet, but some reservations were made by local Member of Parliament Nick Brown.
In the weeks leading up to the planning committee meeting, the Boys’ Club Committee had held a meeting with approximately 130 local residents to fully explain the Planning Application and dispel many of the residents’ worries. Councillor Allen told the Planning Committee that the development was important as it was part of a wider re-generation of the Wallsend area and the Cabinet had been working to improve Wallsend Boys’ Club. “A number of sites have been looked at across the town and the site before you meets the requirements of Wallsend Boys’ Club. We have what is a world-wide known club and we should bring it back home”.
The planning Committee voted on the night 14 to 0 in favour of the application. After the decision was made Peter Beardsley said, he was delighted about the vote and that as an ex-member of the Boys’ Club, it was what everybody had worked for. “I am really interested in the kids of the future. We don’t expect them to all become professional footballers, but we expect them to enjoy their sport and their football”. Wallsend Boys’ Club Chairman Steve Dale said “We are obviously ecstatic because with all of the hard work that has gone into it, this is the decision we were working towards. It has been over five years to get to this point. We are looking forward to doing what we have done in the last 40 years with our own pitches for the first time in our history”.
On Thursday 14th June 2007, Wallsend Boys’ Club were awarded the biggest honour North Tyneside Council could possibly give. At a meeting of the full Council, Councillors wanted to recognise the work by the Boys’ Club and unanimously agreed to award them the freedom of the borough. Moving the motion calling for the honour Councillor Jim Allen said that they wanted to recognise the work undertaken by the volunteers and the impact they had on youngster’s lives. Councillor Allen said “It’s a jewel in the community. The players retain strong links with the club and give their time to the club. The club is proud of this and these men are role models for the youngsters.” Labour leader Councillor Frank Lott said, “The club has grown from strength to strength, providing an outlet to youngsters in North Tyneside and beyond.” The motion to award the freedom of the borough said: This honour is in recognition of the outstanding achievements made by Wallsend Boys’ Club, in providing an important and long lasting community resource for the young people of Wallsend and beyond. The Boys’ Club have been exemplary ambassadors for our region, producing stars such as Michael Carrick, Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and many others on the football field but, more importantly providing a focus and outlet for young people of all abilities.
Wallsend Boys’ Club chairman Steve Dale said “It’s a great honour for the club. I think most importantly it’s recognition for all the thousands of volunteer hours that have gone in from an awful lot of people from the 1960’s through to now. It’s a nice way of recognising all the hard work has been worthwhile. We have been very fortunate that our ex-players have been really good role models for all the boys and girls. It’s good for them to see what can be achieved in later life. It just so happens that a lot of cases have been in football, but we have other examples of success in business, arts and the civil service.”
On Wednesday 13th February 2008, Wallsend Town Hall hosted the ceremony conferring the Freedom of the Borough of North Tyneside to the Club.
Wallsend Boys’ Club senior football team formed and arranged a trip to Rogatz, Germany in 2008. There had not been a senior team in the club for over half a century but in 2007 Wallsend “Old Boys” were formed and donned the famous green and yellow shirt which had been pulled on by so many other talented footballers. The team sponsored by Unika, kicked off in the Northern Alliance League in August 2007 using a fair proportion of the under 19’s and under 17’s players in the squad.
The organisation of the senior set up had grown stronger throughout the season with the small but totally dedicated committee of Vince Carrick, Tim Hutchinson and Michael McGill ensuring that the start of the 2008/9 season would see the team start with a stronger financial base. UNIKA headed by Paul Rogers were more than willing to be the team’s main sponsors for the second successive year. Other companies also came in to sponsor the team.
On the 26th June 2008 the Senior team headed off to Rogatz to take part in a centenary competition hosted by SV Concordia, with the team’s greatest supporter Bob Corkhill heading the 26 strong party of players and officials to the event. The team left Wallsend Boys’ Club in two mini buses and took the ferry from North Shields to Holland and then drove 350 miles to Rogatz .
The Wallsend team went on to win the competition beating hosts SV Concordia in the final 6–2. The team were treated superbly by their hosts with accommodation and meals provided. A huge marquee was erected next to the pitches where bands and discos played and tasty hot buffets were laid on. The prize for winning the centenary competition was a huge gold cup which the team kept.
The local paper published an article on the centenary competition stating that “Rogatz were outplayed by the English opposition in the final. The team from Wallsend Seniors played technical and strong football, with mostly young players in the team, they played altogether a very sound and impressive display of football“
On Friday 14th November 2008 Former Prime Minister Tony Blair (now a UN peace ambassador for the Middle East) visited Wallsend Boys’ Club. The security was very intense with police visiting the premises on the two days leading up to the visit and there was a very visible police presence on the Friday morning. The great and the good of the area were present including elected Deputy Mayor Jim Allen and the head of the Northumberland FA. Sky Sports, national and local newspapers and local radio stations were all in attendance.
Mr Blair was met at the entrance by club secretary Kevin Riley, who then introduced him to club officials Peter Kirkley, Vince Carrick and Michael McGill. Founder members Jack Carruthers, Ray Oliver and Bob Corkhill also met Mr Blair, who was visiting the Boys’ Club to promote the Tony Blair Sports Foundation. The foundation was promoting youth sport by offering to finance half the cost of training coaches in their respective sports. His visit to the Boys’ Club was specifically to promote girls football and the training of coaches and referees for girls Soccer.
Tony said “The staff at the Boys’ Club have just given me a T shirt with the names of Wallsend Boys’ Club all time first XI on the back. To see the standard of players who have come out of this club is just amazing. They were some of the best players that have ever played the game. The work that goes on in this club with the facilities available is just fantastic. I hope to do everything I can to help them improve and get the best facilities they possibly can. We want to encourage more players to get into the game”.
Early October 2007 had seen the arrival of Rok Builders and Hellens football pitch specialists on the Rhyedt Avenue site to start on the re-development, changing the site from three redundant golf holes into seven state of the art football pitches with top class changing rooms, and large car park.They were quick off the mark with trees and shrubs in the centre of the site ripped from the ground within ten days, and then huge earth moving equipment moved on site to remove the top surface, level the site and apply the top soil. This stage of the redevelopment was completed by early December and the contractors vacated the site, to allow it to settle until mid February 2008.
Rok builders arrived back on site the second week of February 2008 and started sinking piles to support the new changing rooms and then started work on the foundations. The final cost of the project was now one million two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, the total being made up from the Football Foundation donating one million pounds (the highest ever grant given by the Football Foundation), one hundred and forty thousand pounds donated by North Tyneside Council and one hundred thousand pounds raised by Wallsend Boys Club (a huge amount for a small volunteer organisation to raise).
Hellens were unable to start the laying of the pitch drains until May because of the extremely wet spring, this now putting the completion of the pitches behind schedule. The Changing rooms at the Bigges Main site were completed in late October 2008, but the wettest summer in many years meant that the pitches could still not be finished off.
After years of preparation and two winters of terrible weather which slowed dramatically the time scale to get teams in action at the Bigges Main site, the football pitches and changing rooms were ready to use in October 2010. Rok builders and Hellens had at last finished this marathon development. With pitches finished to the highest standard, quality changing rooms and a 70 space car park, the teams were at last able to play on this state of the art complex.
The first game took place on Saturday 30th October 2010 when the under 14’s beat Blyth Town. Peter McRoberts scored the first ever goal on the new pitches. Sunday 31st saw the first full programme of matches on the new site. What a magnificent day it was with hundreds of people watching the matches, played on superb pitches.
On Friday 24th June 2011 Wallsend Boys’ Club held the official opening of their new pitches at Bigges Main. Having been based at Wallsend Sports Centre, Wallsend Rising Sun, Hadrian Park School, Western School,DSS Sports ground, Benfield School and St Peters Road over a period of 45 years Wallsend Boys’ Club football section were finally moving into their own ground. Having taken three years to complete the project it was a momentous day in the long history of the club.
The great and the good of sport and politics met as 150 specially invited guests attended the occasion. Speeches were made by Dave McDermott, director of investment of the Football Foundation who said “On behalf of everyone at the football foundation, I would like to commend the many volunteers at Wallsend Boys’ Club who have worked so tirelessly to make this fantastic new facility become a reality and indeed everyone that gives up their time to help run the club” Wallsend Boys’ Club epitomises the ethos of the foundation and its funding partners are trying to support, creating opportunities for boys and girls of all ages and abilities to enjoy playing our national game and purely for the love of it. However it also powerfully demonstrates how nurturing the games grass roots can deliver something truly special for football in this country. I look forward to see the club go from strength to strength now it has this excellent platform on which to build”
Four of the original founder members from 1938 performed the opening ceremony. Jack Carruthers, Fred Tate, Jimmy McBlain and Jack Scott, they stood in front of the tape and the other founder members decided that Jack Carruthers had to cut the tape, as he was the oldest of the four.
Jack said “Why give me the scissors as I cannot see the tape, I am going to have a cateract operation on Monday.” The other founder members guided Jack’s hand by saying “up a bit left a bit down a bit CUT”
Everyone had a fantastic time with the day being rounded off with two exhibition matches on the new pitches The Wallsend Boys’ Club under 8’s played the first match followed by a game between ex Wallsend Boys’ Club members against representative team managers.
In the high winds of January 5th 2012 yet another dramatic twist came in the tale of Wallsend Boys’ Club. 74 years after the opening of that first L- shaped wooden club house and 47 years since the opening of the then state of the art 1960’s building, the end wall of the building was blown inwards onto the Astro Turf five-a-side pitch. Luckily, this happened during the night and not when the Boys’ Club would have been used by the community during the day.
At first, it was envisaged that the wall would be re-built within three weeks. Unfortunately, the building surveyor’s structural report condemned the building as being unsafe for future use. Unthinkable therefore, on Wednesday 22nd February 2012 demolition of the iconic building began.
Chairman Steve Dale was at the site on the Wednesday along with club president Peter Kirkley. Steve said “This is a very sad day in the history of the Boys’ Club. It’s 47 years as our home in this building and before that from 1938 in the original wooden huts.Lots of generations of young people have developed at the Boys’ Club and they have wonderful memories of the place, and so have we. It’s a major crossroads for us today.” Peter Kirkley said “Although my main interest is in the football section, the club has always very much been in my heart, and hearing the youngsters standing here today saying that they do not know what they are going to do now the club has gone. It’s very depressing. The end of an era for Wallsend. It also means the end of careers for most of the staff. “The damage to the site coincides with funding coming to an end from external organisations”.
Ashleigh Harrison aged 16 was a former regular attendee at the club and was there to see the demolition start. She said “I would come here every night, you could just chill out and there were always different activities you could take part in. Everyone has so many happy memories and you made so many friends. There is nothing to do now the club has gone.”
Five days before the demolition of the club took place, Teenagers gathered outside the club to launch a campaign to keep the club going. Chairman Steve Dale said “It was a very pleasant surprise to learn that a group of our young people had contacted the Mayor Linda Arkley, off their own back to explain in their own words why they valued the youth work at the club. For the staff and trustees it is obviously reassuring to know that the young people of the area, not only appreciated the work the Boys’ Club has done, but actively want to help to make sure that it does not come to an end. We hope that enough people have the same determination that our young people have shown to get the youth provision up and running again.”
Mrs Arkley said “Wallsend Boys’ Club makes an important contribution to the borough, as recognised through the financial support we have given them over the years, and I appreciate how highly valued it is by those who used the club, in particular children and young people. That’s why officers from the council have been in regular close contact within the management team at the club. Since they encountered problems with their premises in Station Road, to explore what help we can give them.”
Former Wallsend Boys’ Club member ex Newcastle United, Sunderland, Fulham player and former Huddersfield manager and now Birmingham City manager Lee Clark said “It’s quite emotional, because this was my childhood from the age of six to fifteen.” “Most of my mid-week nights were spent here, if it was not training or playing with the team, it was five a side football leagues. And I grew up with and am still friends with Alan Thompson, Robbie Elliott and Steve Watson. It’s a shock to all of them to see it because it’s part of the area, part of history. It’s amazing, because I’m looking at the rubble, but I can place everything. I know where the five- a- side court was, I can see the little gym we used upstairs, the cafeteria where we had a can of pop and a bag of crisps after training, the pool tables and the vending machines. We used to have our Boys’ Club membership cards, with our unique numbers and photo’s on them, if you forgot it you never got in the club. It was a very special time. It has played a huge part in my life and what I’ve done. It’s just strange, because whenever I’ve come back to see family or friends, I’ve driven past here and seen the Boys’ Club. Now it’s a hole in the ground, dust, rubble. When you talk about Wallsend, the Boys’ Club and the shipyards are things that spring to mind.”
The Trustees of the Boys’ Club decided that it would be more beneficial to re-locate any possible new boy’s club premises on the same site as the football pitches at Rhyedt Avenue. This would mean that all the activities would take place on one site. The Trustees and Members Consultative Committee are working on a recovery plan to secure a new building for the boys club and funding for youth provision. Hopefully in the near future the world famous Wallsend Boys’ Club will rise again with the help of grants and donations from the public and local businesses.
On Saturday 5th April 2014 the BBC lunch time programme Football Focus came to the Memorial Hall Wallsend to host a live programme on Wallsend Boys’ Club. The programme lasting 50 minutes, was presented by Dan Walker with Alan Shearer, Alan Thompson and Mark Lawrenson on the panel.
A specially invited audience of 200 people were in the Memorial Hall for the show, the front two rows were young Wallsend Boys’ Club player’s, who looked immaculate in their white dress shirts and Boys’ Club ties. Two of the founder members from 1938 Jack Carruthers and Bob Corkhill were also in the audience.
Recording for the opening sequence for the show took place on Tuesday 1st April when Dan travelled up to Wallsend to interview Vince Carrick, Michael McGill, Peter Kirkley and Sid Sharp at the club’s Bigges Main base. Pre recorded interviews were also shown of Michael Carrick, Steve Bruce, Alan Pardew and Harry Rednapp.
Michael and Steve spoke fondly of their time at Wallsend Boys’ Club when they played 5-a-side and 11-a-side football. They both stated how the Boys’ Club played such an important part in their youth.
The Wallsend Boys’ Club over 40’s team were presented with the league champions trophy they had won that morning by Alan Shearer. Vince Carrick was interviewed live following on from his son Michael’s recorded interview. The audience were invited to ask the panel questions. One young Boys’ club player asked why Manchester United were so “rubbish” this season, which had the audience laughing.
International representation
The club has had a representative at four of the nine FIFA World Cup finals since 1986, with the two exceptions coming in 1994, when the England national football team did not qualify, and 2002. In 1986 and 1990 Peter Beardsley starred for England.In 1998 Alan Shearer was England captain. Michael Carrick made appearances for England in both the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. Fraser Forster was in the 2014 squad, as well as the Euro 2016 squad, but did not make an appearance in either tournament.
Alan Thompson received one full cap for England in 2004, and Fraser Forster did the same in 2013 and went on to receive another five caps over the next three years, while numerous other former players have made youth or B international appearances.
There are many other professional players that have played for Wallsend Boys Club including: ]
Michael Bridges, Steve Bruce, Lee Clark, Brian Laws, Tony Sealy, Eric Steele and Steve Watson.
