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1977 |
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My Ryhope CA Career 1963/1979
Page under construction...
| Season |
Age |
Team |
League |
Notes |
| 1963/1964 |
18 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
The YC's first ever game was a 3-3 draw against Seaham UDC at the colliery welfare ground (now the home of Seaham Red Star). I recall scoring that day but I'm not sure if it was the YC's first ever goal. I'd like to think it was.
Scored ??
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| 1964/1965 |
19 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
The side was improving and I fluctuated between inside forward and wing half. Can't recall winning any trophies.
Scored ??
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| 1965/1966 |
20 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
A few more ex YC juniors joined and at times I felt like I was the newcomer to the team. Although I was never dropped I wasn't enjoying my football and I decided to leave part of the way through the season after we had won a game 10-0. I didn't score and I can't recall receiving a pass.
Scored ?? |
| 1966/1967 |
21 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
DID NOT PLAY
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| 1967/1968 |
22 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
Talked into helping out towards the end of the season, by player/manager Jimmy Clark. He played me at centre forward and I must have scored enough to be wanted as a c.f. the following season.
Scored ??
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| 1968/1969 |
23 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
A great season for the club. Won League, League Cup and the Leukemia Charity Cup. Selected for League team as captain along with Brian Page, Harry Clark, Jimmy Clark and Ernie Carlin (Trainer).
Scored 53 goals in 31 games. Missed 10 through injuries.
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| 1969/1970 |
24 |
Ryhope YC |
Seaham & District |
Another Good season. Won League, Houghton Blind Institute and Seaham Aged Miners Cups. Selected for the League team along with Brian Page, Harry Clark, Dennis Duggen, John Teasdale, Harry Orrell, Trevor Campbell and Ronnie Young. Ronnie I seem to recall had a great season and scored a lot of goals.
Scored 72 goals in 43 games
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| 1970/1971 |
25 |
Ryhope YC |
Houghton & District |
Due to work commitments key committee and management were unnavailable and as a result no one was prepared to take on the job of club secretary. As a last resort I volunteered to stop the club from folding. Consequently it was a poor start allround for our first season in the new League. At 25 it seemed like a wasted season.
Scored ??
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| 1971/1972 |
26 |
Ryhope CA |
Houghton & District |
Back to normal this season except for the name change. League RU and won both the Seaham Aged Miners and Houghton Blind Cups.
Scored ??
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| 1972/1973 |
27 |
Ryhope CA |
Houghton & District |
Great season in many ways. Sunderland AFC winning the FA Cup and we won the League and Durham Hosptitals Cup, runners up in both the League Cup and Easington Aged Miners Cup. The CA won 19 consecutive league games.
Scored 85 goals in 48games
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| 1973/1974 |
28 |
Ryhope CA |
Houghton & District |
League RU. A disappointing season. Struggled a bit with knee trouble and a cartilage operation was required after my knee locked during my 25th game. An early end to my season.
Scored 27 goals in 24 games
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| 1974/1975 |
29 |
Ryhope CA |
Houghton & District |
Won League. Recovered well from knee surgery and had a decent season but not up to the standard of the 72/73 season.
Scored ??
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1975/1976
1976/1977
1977/1978 |
30
31
32 |
Ryhope CA |
Team Folded |
CA resigned from the Houghton league in order to apply for membership of the Wearside League. The application was rejected because there was already a Ryhope side in the league. Then the Houghton league wouldn't let the CA back in.
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| 1978/1979 |
33 |
Ryhope CA |
Northern Alliance |
The 'CA had reformed and joined the Northern Alliance. I was past my best but it was still very pleasing to score a hatrick in my final season having also scored in the clubs first ever game back in 1963.
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Some Stats
Total games played : 400+
Total goals scored may be in the region of : 500 See note below
Highest no. of goals in a season was : 85 in 1972/73 See note below
Highest no. of goals scored in a game. : 7 in both the 1969/70 and 1972/73 seasons.
Consecutive games I scored in : 11 in the 1969/70 season
None of my goals were penalties.
Never had my name taken.
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The number of goals scored in the 4 seasons, that have been recorded, was 237. In the remaining 8 seasons to reach the 500 mark I would have to average about 33 per season. When I played for Seaham Red Star in 1976/1977 season a report from the 19/2/1977 match program said 'I could always be depended on to score 30-40 goals a season'. I believe this was written by Ernie Carlin, Ex Ryhope CA (which had folded in 1975 for 3 seasons). So perhaps the 500 is a realistic figure. Who knows? And, probably more to the point, who cares.
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(In a 1980/81 CA match programme I was credited with scoring 89. The extra 4 were, I think, probably 2 own goals and 2 which were George Dixon’s).
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The best goal
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This was probably the one against Usher Moor St Josephs. A left foot volley from possibly 25 yards. It was from a long through ball, from Billy Mitchell, from inside our own half on the right wing and although being challenged by their centre half, I hit the ball before it landed. It obviously took the goalkeeper by surprise because he did’t move and the c.h was obviously waiting for the ball to land before making his challenge. The c.h. looked totally dejected as I’m sure he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong and he said ‘how do you score a goal like that?’ I shrugged my shoulders because I didn’t have an answer.
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The worst miss
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This was against Thorns S.C. in the Durham Hospitals Cup Final when I rounded the keeper to the left and approaching the open goal from an angle tried to flick the ball into the net from about 3 feet with the outside of my right foot. The ball bobbled and it hit the top of my foot and it went to the wrong side of the post. Although we won 1-0 and I scored the winner, which I can’t remember anything about, I felt more depressed after the game than the losers.
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Favourite type of goal
From back passes. Second favourite would have to be headers as there weren't too many.
Least favourite
Those deflected into the net.
Other Club Service:-
Helped Bill Bond to form the club in 1963.
Served on the committee for most seasons
Took over as secretary to stop the club from folding in 1970/71.
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Puzzled ?
Since I've been sorting out information for this website I came across a 1980/81 'CA programme. In it was an article, about Billy Anderson and myself, written by Ernie Carlin(see below). Considering the above I’m a bit puzzled as to why Norman Taylor didn’t think Billy and I merited a mention in the previous programme, when naming players who had worn the clubs colours with distinction. I now wonder who he did mention. It's nice to think someone appreciated what Billy and I did for the 'CA. Thanks Ernie.
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Ernie made a reference to the number of goals I must have scored in my career as being well over the 1000 mark. This was very kind of Ernie, and I very much appreciate what he said about me, but I think he may have included the goals in the pre-match kick abouts. It has made me think though and for my own curiosity, at some time, I'll try and make an honest assessment of what range that number might be in.
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