Memories of a FGR Ball-boy in the 1950s
Living just a few hundred yards down the hill within earshot of the old ‘Lawn’, it was natural that I became a Rovers fan, particularly as my Dad was an active member of the Supporters Club and was regularly ‘on the gate’ at home matches. I seem to remember that in the 1950s, entry was a shilling for adults and sixpence for juniors!
The ‘Lawn’ in those days was a far cry from the excellent facilities now available up the road at the ‘New Lawn’. The changing facility - built by volunteers - was a single-storey block building with a tea-bar at the Nymphsfield Road end. The only spectator cover was an old wooden stand on the opposite side of the ground. The Supporters Club HQ was still the Jovial Forester pub, as it had been since the club came into existence. The playing pitch was a bit slopey in parts and became very muddy in the winter months. Concrete posts and railings around the pitch provided something for spectators to lean on and shout encouragement to players – and referees! Each club provided its own linesman and ‘Nip’ Beale performed that duty for many years.
Ron Davis was Secretary of the club in those days and he asked Bob Vick and myself if we would be ball-boys at home matches. The reward for our services was a free season ticket and a cup of tea at half-time with the players – a great honour! Bob and I retrieved balls from both the Nymphsfield Road end and from the field at the Bunting Hill end. This lasted a couple of years until both Bob and I went off to secondary school in Stroud and our attention turned to other teenage sports and pastimes.
In the early-1950s, Forest Green played in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League, against a host of very tough teams from the Forest of Dean, mainly comprised of coal miners – Lydbrook, Cinderford, Broadwell, Blakeney, Viney Hill – as well as more local sides such as Brimscombe, Chalford and Charlton Kings – certainly the side to beat. At that time, players such as John ‘Gaffer’ Pearson, ‘Scrubby’ Cowley, Wesley Stokes, Jim Turk, ‘Sailor’ Dangerfield, Marshall Woodward, Cecil Hudd, Alf Francis and ‘Bomber’ Brown were the mainstays of the Rovers team. Interestingly, they all lived and worked locally in the Forest Green/Nailsworth area. Goalkeeper Alf Francis probably had the furthest to travel – he came from Avening! Stonehouse – playing in the Western League at that time – were the best club in the district and were already semi-professional. Several Rovers players were enticed away to Stonehouse including Jim Turk, Marshall Woodward and ‘Bomber’ Brown and had varying degrees of success before returning ‘home’.
Forest Green Rovers only ran two sides – the 1st team and the 2nds – as they were usually known. There was no junior involvement at all. The 2nds played in the Stroud League, where their bitter enemies were Shortwood. This resulted in some spirited local derbies with no quarter asked or given! My cousin, Ray Stevens, was a regular with the 2nds along with John Duff – who rapidly established a place for himself in the 1st team, as well as going on to give sterling service to the club in later years.
In 1982, I had the pleasure of seeing Forest Green Rovers win the FA Vase at Wembley – a great moment in the club’s long history.
Despite not having lived in Forest Green for over 50 years, I still follow the club’s fortunes from afar with interest nearly every week. I recently had the pleasure of meeting up again with John Harrop, with whom I played cricket at Marling School, on the occasion of his 70th birthday to watch the Rovers play out a 3-3 draw against Lincoln City at the New Lawn. A very happy occasion in very smart surroundings, both on and off the pitch.
Gordon Jones
Memory added on November 11, 2014
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