The Chelmsford City Historian

For some reason I also have this in my collection. The 1986 version of the Anglo Italian Tournament, won by Italian side Piacenza.

The commemorative medals presented to the players when Chelmsford City visited Italy for the Anglo Italian Tournament in April 1983.

Cambridge United v Chelmsford City Reserves. Eastern Counties League. Monday 31st March 1958.

The game finished 2-2 with Tommy Mingay getting both goals for City. A local lad he would finish the season with 29 goals from 33 appearances. In all he would score 37 goals in 48 appearances for City’s Reserves but would make just 7 appearances, scoring 3 goals, for the Club’s first team. He was never on the winning side in those 7 games. He was released in the summer of 1959 and joined Crittall Athletic.

Cambridge United turned professional in 1951, changing their name from Abbey United. They finished runners up in the ECL in 1957-1958 thereafter joining the Southern League as their climb to the Football League continued.

Included in their side was former England international Wilf Mannion. He had a long career with Middlesbrough, winning his 26 England caps whilst at Ayresome Park, moving to Hull City in 1954. He moved into non-League football in 1956 with Poole Town before moving to Cambridge United later that year. He would celebrate his 40th birthday just 6 weeks after this game. According to the programme he had scored 13 goals in 41 league games during the season.

There were some positional changes in the City team but the only personnel change was Stan Baldwin replacing Jimmy Brennan at outside right. Brennan played for the first team in the game detailed below.

On the same day that this game was played City’s first team hosted Leyton Orient in the Essex Professional Cup, winning 2-1 with goals from Tony Butcher and Les Dicker.

The 1956-1957 season starts to wind down and Chelmsford City stage a double header at New Writtle Street on Saturday 6th April 1957.

The first team play renowned amateur side Pegasus, Formed in 1948 they were based in Oxford and their side was made up of Oxford and Cambridge University graduates. They disbanded in 1963.

At this time they were coached by former Chelmsford City Manager Arthur Rowe. Presumably this connection helped in arranging the game.

Included in their side was goalkeeper Mike Pinner. An England amateur international and F.A. Amateur Cup winner he also made Football League appearances for Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, QPR, Manchester United, Chelsea, Swansea Town and Leyton Orient, totalling 113 appearances in all.

The game ended 1-1.

Following the first team game the Reserves took on Harwich and Parkeston in an Eastern Counties League game. This game also ended 1-1 with Tony Butcher getting City’s goal.

A couple of presumptions here. Presumably it was just one admission price to get in with the Reserves game kicking off as soon as practical after the first team game had finished.

A page from the recently acquired wages book for Chelmsford City Football Club’s 1949-1950 season.

This page is for the week ending October 29th 1949. The previous Saturday City beat Kidderminster Harriers 4-2, and it looks like most players were on a £2 win bonus.

However Frank Soo and Cecil McCormack were missing as they were playing for the Southern League representative side. They, therefore, missed out on the £2 bonus but were, no doubt, recompensed by the Southern League.

On the same day the Reserves drew 1-1 at Lowestoft Town, with those who played getting a 10s bonus. Probably, therefore, it was a £1 win bonus.

Interesting to note that the highest paid players were Joe Crozier and Frank Soo, both on a basic £15 a week, with Oscar Hold and Cecil McCormack on £13 10s.

Not sure what the maximum wage was in the Football League at the time, but presumably it was less than £15 and probably less than £13 10s.

In 1949-1950 Syd Plunkett scored in 5 consecutive away league games thereby establishing a Chelmsford City Club record.

This was equalled by Steve Restarick in 1993-1994 and Jamie Slabber in 2012-2013.

Yesterday Charlie Ruff was an unused sub at Truro City bringing an end to his run of scoring in 7 consecutive away league games, which set a new Club record.

Chelmsford City have won 11 away league games this season, with 6 left to play. There is time left to break the Club record of 13 achieved by the 1988/1989 championship winning team.

In 1971-1972, 1997-1998 and 2009-2010 12 away games were won.

In 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2017-2018 11 away games were won.

In 1948-1949, 1982-1983, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2011-2012 10 games were won.

Saddened to learn of the passing of former Chelmsford City midfielder Matt Stock. Matt, who was 64, made 24 appearances and scored 1 goal in 1983. Condolences to his family and friends.

Chelmsford City are unbeaten for 15 games on New Years Day. That stretches back to 1994!

Merry Christmas to all my followers. If you are interested in the Club’s history look out for some news when I get back from Australia.

England's pioneer who died with a tale untold There was little fanfare when Frank Soo passed away in 1991, but his story as the first non-white England international has emerged from obscurity since.

What a weekend for former Chelmsford City players in the FA Cup.

No less than three of them were managing sides in the First Round.

Ernie Batten (38 apps, 21 gls, 1984 to 1985) whose Sheppey United side were unfortunately beaten 4-1 at home by Walsall.

Darren Sarll (5 apps 2004) whose Woking side suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Ramsgate.

Finally Scott Davies (39 apps, 3 gls, 2017 to 2018) whose Slough Town side take on Grimsby Town today.

Chelmsford City have now drawn in 4 consecutive league games. The Club record is 5 consecutive league draws achieved in March 1996 and Sep/Oct 2003. 4 consecutive drawn league games had been achieved 14 times before the current run.

The 1996 run consisted of 4 0-0 draws and a 3-3 draw.

Saddened to learn of the passing of former Chelmsford City player Robin Gladwin. 46 apps, 2 gls 1963-1966. Later played for Norwich City and Oxford United.

So Chelmsford City’s unbeaten league run at the start of the season ends on the 8th game.

Previous starts of this length are:
1970-1971 - run ended in the 12th game.
1997-1998 - run ended in the 10th game.
2000-2001 - run ended in the 15th game. (The Club record).
2008-2009 - run ended in the 9th game.

Of the 5 runs during the Club’s history the sequences have ended 3 times at home (70-71 Barnet, 08-09 Havant and Waterlooville, 23-24 Hemel Hempstead Town) and twice away from home (70-71 Weymouth, 00-01 Grantham Town).

Last night Callum Jones became the 6th Chelmsford City player to score a hat trick in the Essex Senior Cup. The others are:

Frank Bishop who got 4 v Woodford Town - 31 Oct 1983
Ian Brown v Leyton Orient - 17 Feb 1993
Kezie Ibe v Dagenham and Redbridge - 07 Jan 2008
Jason Hallett v Southend Manor - 03 Nov 2008
Marlon Patterson v Aveley - 15 Feb 2019

All were at home, apart from Ian Brown’s which came at Brisbane Road.

Marlon Patterson’s three goals all came in the last 17 mins of the game against Aveley.

Unbelievably Chelmsford City have not lost a game on New Years Day since 1994, when Crawley Town left New Writtle Street with the points after a 2-1 win.

After today’s draw that’s a run of 15 unbeaten games.

Monday 3rd August 1970 and City beat a youthful Southend United XI 6-0 in a pre-season friendly. This was the build up to the 1970-1971 season following the ‘merger’ with Brentwood Town. In this pic Tony Moy scores heading in from a Terry Price corner.

City’s scorers were Moy, Barry Thornley (2), Eddie Dilsworth, Bobby Smith and Terry Price.

City were 5-0 up at half time completing the trouncing with a further goal in the second period.

The crowd was 1,058.

Great to meet up with former Chelmsford City and Coventry City goalkeeper Bryan King at today’s game. Bryan made his debut for Chelmsford City Reserves on 7th November 1964, a 3-1 win at Chatham Town. His first team debut came just 3 days later when he appeared at Wimbledon in a 4-3 defeat in the Eastern Floodlight Competition.

In all he made 60 first team and 59 Appearances for the Reserves. In the summer of 1967 he moved to Millwall for whom he went on to make 340 appearances. He made 19 appearances for Millwall in his first season, as understudy to Lawrie Leslie, before becoming the first choice ‘keeper in 1968-1969.

He then moved to Coventry City making his debut in a 4-1 win at Everton on 16th August 1975. Injury restricted his appearances at the
Highfield Road club to just 27 games.

Chelmsford City have now appeared in the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup on 51 occasions, going back to 1938, the year the Club was founded.

On 34 of those occasions City have progressed to the competition proper. The last time being 2017-2018.

On the other 17 occasions they have been beaten, the last time being last season.

Saturday 22nd April 1978 and City’s Frank Peterson outjumps the Crawley Town defence in the last game of the season. City won this game 1-0 with Peterson getting the only goal of the game. Sadly the attendance of 685 is described as ’small’ in local reports.

Chelmsford City have conceded just 1 goal in their first 6 competitive games away from home. This is a Club record beating the previous best of 2 goals conceded set in 2017-2018. 3 goals were conceded in 1970-1971 whilst 1950-1951, 1972-1973, 1987-1988 and 2012-2013 all saw 4 goals conceded in the first 6 competitive away games.

Khale Da Costa’s 3 goals at Romford on Saturday is the sixth hat trick scored by a Chelmsford City player in an away FA Cup tie. The others are:

George Baldry and Vic Wright at Ford Sports on 1st October 1938. City won 6-2.

Cecil McCormack at Barnet on 12th November 1949. City won 6-2 again!

Syd Plunkett at Wycombe Wanderers on 11th November 1950. City won 4-0.

David Greene at Clapton on 14th September 1991. City won 5-1.

Steve Portway at Tilbury on 16th September 2000. City won 3-1.

Da Costa’s triple is the first in an away City game since Scott Fenwick got four at East Thurrock United in a league game on 14th January 2018.

COVID has meant that we haven’t all met up for a while, but we managed it this morning for breakfast. Chelmsford City legends Colin Norman, Bob Glozier, Len Tomkins and John Burney.

Quite a day for Chelmsford City today. A 1-0 win means a 6 game unbeaten start to the season. The Club record is 14 games, achieved in 2000-2001. That run came to an end on Saturday 2nd December 2000 with a 2-0 defeat at Grantham Town. That game will be remembered by those who were there as City’s ‘keeper Paul Catley was sent off and striker Ben Fuller replaced him in goal.

Todays win sees City move into 3rd place in the National League South, the Club’s best position since 23rd February 2019 when a 0-0 draw at Gloucester City saw 3rd place retained. That game ended a run of 23 games without a draw.

Last nights odd goal defeat at Dartford was City’s 13th league defeat of the season. 10 have been lost by the odd goal. That works out at 76.92%.

For context the Club was formed in 1938 and has suffered 1,027 league defeats in its history. 504 have been by a single goal. That’s 49.07%.

Getting a bit more up to date, there have been 276 league defeats since 1st January 2000, of which 134 have been by a single goal. That’s 48.55%.

Saturday 27th July 1996 and Chelmsford City take on Northampton Town in a pre-season friendly. The 1996-1997 season was a crucial one in the history of the Club. A change of Manager, relegation and the loss of New Writtle Street as the Club’s home ground. As usual optimism was high as the season started. In this pic Glyn Roberts and Robbie Garvey are seen in action. The visitors won 2-0 in front of a crowd of 457.

City’s line up was: Ballard; Hunter; Watts; Bellamy; Keen; Paul Roberts; Garvey; Kane; Glyn Roberts; Docking and Gutzmore. Subs - McDonough; Dalli; Cook and Scott.

Sad to learn of the passing of former Chelmsford City goalkeeper Ron Harvey. A Rainsford Youth Centre player he joined City in 1953 making his debut for the Reserves in a 1-0 win over Yarmouth Town on 18th April 1953. He made his first team debut in a 4-0 defeat at Yeovil Town on 21st April 1953.

A part time professional he went on to make 19 first team appearances and another 10 for the Reserves, these appearances being restricted due to him undertaking his national service. His final appearance came in a 4-3 first team defeat at Kettering Town on 2nd May 1955, just two days after making his final Reserves team appearance.

After leaving the Club he joined Heybridge Swifts. A useful cricketer he was on the ground staff at Essex County Cricket Club but he never made the County First Eleven.

Condolences at this sad time to Ron’s family and friends.

Havant and Waterlooville are something of a bogey side for Chelmsford City. The sides have met 14 times in Chelmsford home games and City have won just once. City’s record in these games is:
P 14
W 1
D 5
L 8
F 13
A 23

Today Simeon Jackson became the first City player to score twice in these games.