What is Shakespeare doing at Stratford Town?

I was baffled by the following headline in today's Financial Times: 'Shakespeare makes debut for Stratford FC'.  Did it mean that the Royal Shakespeare Company had signed a sponsorship deal with Stratford Town and that their stadium was to be renamed the Anne Hathaway (following today's simultaneous revelation that she spent time living with the Bard in London)?

I can only think of one Shakespeare actor's son who played for the Bards, and as for the Bardsmen, their language on the pitch is generally industrial rather than 'forsooth' or 'verily'.

One of my favourite chants was when Leamington were leading the Bards 2-0 at their old ground and Brakes fans broke into a chant of 'Two nil, or not two nil'?

It turns out the latest version of As You Like It has a football setting at Messina FC.  Leonato is the club owner, Don Pedro the team manager, Claudio is the man of the match and Beatrice is a football commentator, appropriately wearing Brakes old gold.

The story of Mickey Boot

When I was writing up the 1974/5 season for the programme one name that kept coming up was that of the aptly named ex-Arsenal player Mickey Boot.  He stayed with us for the following promotion season.  Here is a bit more about him at Arsenal: https://arsenalarsenal.net/2010/10/23/i-wonder-what-happened-to-mickey-boot/

Boot later moved to Australia where he played and then took up coaching.

Brakes heartbreak at end of season

AP Leamington finished third in the Southern League Division One North in the 1974/76 season, seven points behind champions Bedford Town and just one point behind runners up Dunstable.  Jimmy Knox blamed the failure to go up by such a narrow margin to lack of goals and subsequently placed leading goal scorer Adrian Stewart (26 goals, but only 14 in the league) on the transfer list, along with fellow striker Ivor Talbot    They also lost the Birmingham Senior Cup at Highfield Road 1-0, Atherstone Town scoring from a penalty.

At the end of the season, manager Jimmy Knox was asked to assess his players.  Tactfully, the Scottish supremo replied:  ‘”If I could, I would have chosen the whole squad as the players that impressed me most.’ 

Getting Jimmy Knox to pick out any of his AP Leamington players for special mention is difficult not to say impossible – he worships the lot of ‘em.  But twist his arm and Knox will almost shed tears talking about his twin centre backs Roger Brown and Doug Griffiths.  Chips off the old block, Roger and Doug have the qualities that made their manager one of the outstanding non-League defenders. 

Skill, bravery, professionalism, love of the game … Brown and Griffiths have total involvement grafted into their muscle-bound frames.  Knox will talk for hours about football – he’ll spend years converting the Leamington public to Windmill Ground watchers.   Players as committed as Brown and Griffiths could make his job easier …. Of Brown, Knox is adamant.  “This boy is still looking for his right level … he is a great performer.  I signed Roger straight from amateur football.   He’s not only made his mark in the pro game – he’s made it in a big way.”

Big is the right description.  At 6ft 2in. [1.88 metres] Roger towers above most of his rivals.  He has the ability to match his physique.  “Roger’s attitude is first class,” says Knox.  “I have bawled him out and talked to him quietly.   He has the ability to match his physique.  Whatever you say or however you say it he is prepared to listen and learn.   I can’t speak highly enough of this boy – he is a perfect professional.”’

In February 1978 Brown was signed by Bournemouth on the recommendation of Harry Redknapp who had played alongside him at Leamington.     He played 63 times for the Cherries and was then transferred to Norwich City.   He was then sold to Fulham for £100,000 where he made 141 appearances before returning to Bournemouth under manager Harry Redknapp and was captain when they defeated FA Cup holders Manchester United 2-0.   After playing in the non-league system at Poole and Weymouth, he was manager at Colchester United from 1987-88.   Sadly he passed away in August 2011 aged 58 after a long battle with cancer.   Rest in Peace.

Doug Griffiths was a former captain of England Schoolboys and had been a full time professional with Wolves and Stockport County.   ‘At 24 he has never played better.  Dougie, the darling of the Windmill’s younger set, started the season out of the side.  He fought his way back and in the second half of the season he has been tremendous.   Knox said: “Doug is a hard man who never shirks a thing.  He would go through a brick wall for his team and has a fantastic attitude.”’

Tough time for Brakes 50 years ago

he Courier reported at the beginning of April 1975, ‘A three point haul [then it was two points for a win] from their Easter programme was what AP Leamington had to show for their weekend efforts.  On Saturday against Corby AP stole a win when home keeper Walker let a 26 yard Talbot effort trickle through his legs. 

But the boot was on the other foot on Easter Monday when AP met Bedworth keeper John Davies.  Amazing acrobatics by Davies in the home goal – who thwarted Brakes in their Birmingham Senior Cup semi-final with Sporting earlier this year – enabled United to keep their recent run of unbroken games intact.  He pulled off two spectacular saves in the space of seconds just from eight minutes before the end of the game – first from Lee and then diving at Talbot’s feet to smother a certain goal.

 In a first 45 minutes memorable only for the handful of defensive blunders at both end, AP rarely showed much appetite for football.  Eades nodded Bedworth ahead in the 17^th minute with a near post header which caught Jones in the AP goal napping.  Keeley pulled Leamington level straight from the restart and amazingly got his name on the score sheet for a second time two minutes before the interval when he turned an innocent looking corner into the net.  

Things livened up during the second half.  Ex-Bedworth player Bobby Horne glanced home a Boot corner within minutes of the resumption, but midway through the half, United, with ex-Brakes’ Tom Sweenie controlling midfield, put their noses in front again.  After a couple of threatening breakaways, Shepherd finally made a decisive move which paid dividends.   The ball was worked to Fisher, who turned it smartly past Jones from 15 yards.   Substitute Scriggens gave Brakes a deserved share of the points in the 68^th minute.   And then Davies shut up shop.’   3-3.

The Courier noted, ‘The next 15 days should do what Easter failed to do – sort out the Southern League North promotion battle.   Virtually all the promotion contenders faltered somewhere along the line over the holiday period and indeed AP’s three points from two away games looked quite impressive in comparison.   Worcester dropped two points in three games, while Cheltenham, who were feared as the “dark horses” only a month ago, perhaps showed their true colours as they managed to haul in only half of the six points at stake.’ 

Leamington were 7^th and nine points behind the leading team (Dunstable) but had games in hand.   ‘Although the next fortnight should ease the confusion at the head of the table, the same period looks like being  a tough time for Brakes     They’re faced with six games, every one vital: including Tamworth at the Windmill tomorrow and away on Monday evening, Dunstable and Enderby.   And those six are quite some build-up to the Birmingham Senior Cup final against Atherstone on Tuesday April 22^nd at Coventry City’s Highfield Road ground.’

Brakes beat Tamworth 2-1 at home and then beat them 1-0 at Kettlebrook.   Leamington were considered to have been lucky in the away fixture after the home side lost top scorer Brian Bates early in the game with a back injury and hit the woodwork twice.    Leamington won the game with a 29^th minute goal which reporters thought was clearly offside.  ‘Bobby Horne latched on to a loose ball and cleverly rounded goalkeeper Peter King and shot into an empty net.’   Brakes needed to take maximum points from their remaining eight games to stand a chance of promotion.