Horncastle Football Club Club Secretaries


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Horncastle Town Football Club Famous Players 1873-1900

Club Secretaries Covering Almost 60 yrs

Mr. Henry ( Bish ) Laughton 1919-1939

This Gentleman was the Bill Shankley or Matt Busby of Horncastle Town

Jack Brader 1946-1959

Mr. Bish Laughton was ‘Mr. Football’ of Horncastle between the war years (1919--1939 ) . Mr. Isherwood and one two other previous committee members and players , looking for a secretary, decided that Bish’s son-in-law (me!) would be favourite and he could have the benefit of Bish’s advice.

He encouraged me saying there was not too much involved. As a cripple he didn’t run about Friday night and Saturday morning but delegated this to a couple of willing committee members and Mr. Tommy Barton, a Lincoln resident, acting for him as a contact for Lincoln players and also attending the Lincoln league meetings.

I of course , heard many stories of previous activities of the club including when they travelled to away matches by horse drawn waggonette and often relied on the horse to find the way home when match celebrations were completed!

When the club did reform in 1946 with the first team in the Lincoln League and reserves in the Badley league, matches were played on the Oaks Meadow for two or three years until the Wong was levelled and re-seeded.

One of the most memorable games was playing Grimsby Town FC in a benefit game for Roy Tasker who broke his leg playing for Town and had previously played for Grimsby.

On the morning of the match the Grimsby secretary phoned and asked if I would reserve 12 seats in the stand for directors and management of his club.

This was solved after a discussion with Arthur (Merry) Harness, our worthy groundsman--we roped off an area with 12 chairs!

Another game of note was playing in a cup final at Wainfleet versus Louth Town F C.

The club had a regular gate of four to five hundred and would increase this to about 1000 for local charity cup matches at the end of the season.

A comparison of the club organisation then and now is very interesting.

For the 13 years I was secretary the club fielded two teams (often with difficulty) run by a committee of about eight people--four of these were lady members who for years gave the club great service, acting as gatekeepers, washerwomen, tea ladies and many other duties not always appreciated enough.

The four ladies who gave me great support were Mrs. Brown (use of the Cross Keys as Headquarters), Mrs. Deane and the two Miss Vickers.

I now find the club run by a very go ahead committee with their own club headquarters with pleasant dressing rooms (and bar)--no changing in the outside garages at the Black Swan!

I would wish the club all success in the future and trust all their work in arranging the re--union of all previous players will result in a most enjoyable day for all.

Dick Smedley The 1960s

My first memories of the ‘Town’ were in 1959 when I watched the likes of Nick Storey on the wing, Gordon Spittlehouse battering his way through the middle and Ben White kicking anything that moved. This was the time I was recovering from my first knee op and just after Janet and I started courting.

My memories of my time as secretary include the fixture meeting held in Lincoln and presided over by the formidable Mr. Gibson of Brant Road . You had to get there early or you ended trying to fit in seven or eight fixtures in the last two weeks of the season.

My stewardship was quite a family affair as Janet made the half time tea (served from the old wooden hut) as well as being the laundry woman , and my lads used to help me mark the pitch and put the nets up on a Saturday. Throughout the 60s we as a club and me in particular were in--indebted to Sid Storey, w ho supported us behind the scenes and on match days , and on match days , Sid Mackinder was always there representing the St. John Ambulance Brigade.

My amusing football memories , by coincidence , both involve Ben White. The first was of him being chased around the Wong by a woman wielding an umbrella after he had deposited her young son into touch during a game at Billinghay.

The second was a game against Leys United Where the opposition included Black Jack. The game was only a few minutes old when these two accidentally clashed and fell to the ground. Such was their reputation that the referee sent both off immediately and they left the field with their arms around each other laughing their heads off.

The players I remember are Godfrey Burt in goal, Ike Wozencroft, one of the first and finest sweepers I’d seen in the game, (and not just cleaning out the changing room at the Cross Keys), Ken Jackson with his big grin and gangly legs, Peter Marshall so skilful but so unlucky to get a bad knee injury so early.

A broken leg brought my playing career to an end in the late 60s and I also gave up the secretary’s post. After a short and disastrous spell refereeing we left Horncastle in 1970 and eventually settled in the Swindon area. However , I am still drawn as if by magnet to the Wong whenever we are visiting the family in Horncastle.

Long live Horncastle Town F C and may the Wong remain their pitch forever.

David Sharp 1970-1986

I first became involved in ‘The Town in 1964 when I was invited to play for the first eleven in goal, sharing my debut day with another 15 year old goalkeeper , Dereck Foster of Sunderland; but unlike him I didn’t make national press . He was becoming the youngest goalkeeper to play in the then First Division, but I bet his pride was no greater than mine.

1970/71 season was the most successful season while I played , the outstanding midfielder Alec Brader was brought to the club and the team went on to win Lincoln League Division 2 title and five other cups . We were backed by some unbelievable crowds and also had a band of noisy supporters.

The season climaxed on the Wong with nearly all Horncastle present for the presentation of the League Trophy before the final ‘thrashing ‘ against Auborn. The team was presented to the Mayor of Horncastle and the Town Band and there was pre match entertainment by Ken Turner and H Y sounds.

During the Hotchkin Cup final against Billinghay , whom we had just pipped for the league, there was uproar when a young lad (Barry Harness) kicked a ball back into play from just wide of the post and Billinghay scored. This caused scenes never seen before when the referee allowed the goal , having not seen the incident. It took a full ten minutes and the word of the far linesman and a forced admission from the lad to settle the game down , but we still lost 2--1 .

1980/81 became personal milestone when I received the secretary of the year Trophy, a feat since bettered by today’s secretary Dale Johnson who has, I believe, won the trophy twice.

I served the club as a player, chairman and secretary 21yrs before resigning in 1985, although even today as vice president I still represent the club on a couple of committees, trying to put back some effort into a great club that gave me great enjoyment.

Players of my time . The most skilful -Keith Jackman followed closely by Peter Marshall. The most sound defender - Ike Wozencroft . The best stopper - Ben White. The most enthusiastic - Dick Smedley as secretary or centre- forward. The worst time keeper - Ken Jackson, but he would always make it even on occasions with his dinner on his knee, with his wife driving.

Most ardent supporter - Brian Hall, who has followed the Town all over for many, many years

Best team of my time--Boucher, D. Portas, R. Lindley, I. Wozencroft, K. Jackson, A. Brader, R. Faulkner, Tony Sutton, P. Marshall, G. Rigby, K. Jackman. Subs: K . Crocker (goal), R. Adlard (defence), A. Lowe (midfield) , H. Brown, (midfield), T. Clark (midfield).

Dale Johnson 1986-1993

Having been committee member since 1979 and then vice chairman I took over the role of club secretary in 1986, when the previous secretary Dave Sharp decided to step down .

Knowing what hours and dedication Dave had put into the club (with so many other jobs carried out besides the secretarial duties ) I knew what the job entailed and since that first day I have tried to see the day to day running of Horncastle Town F C run as smoothly as possible.

Many people have come and gone even during my time as secretary. A lot of committee members are of long standing and are the backbone of the club who put in many hours of work which has helped to improve our facilities .

For example players can use the shower facilities and clubroom refreshments following matches. On the playing front we have continued to have two sides on a Saturday both playing in the Lincoln league and over the last two seasons we have reintroduced a senior Sunday side who have been most successful in the Boston league winning Division Two and then being runners up in Division One this year.

Our junior section has been the most progressive over the last few years with age groups of U12s , U13s, U14s and U16s all playing in the 1991 --92 season.

With a senior side playing as well this has caused a few headaches organising the games especially when you consider we only have one pitch.

Thankfully the pitch on the Oaks Meadow was available on rentable terms during this season when we did have a clash of home fixtures.

Amongst my many jobs I am heavily involved with all our fund--raising without which we would never be able to pay all our bills during a year.

I look forward to the future with Horncastle Town F C as next season the 1st X1 will be playing in the Boston Premier Division and not the Lincoln league; the reserve side will remain with the Lincoln set up. Our Sunday X1 will find themselves in with the best placing in the Premier Division of the Boston league and at junior level we will be fielding sides at U 14s , U15s and U16s .

With the dedicated team we have from manager, committee, players and everyone else connected with our club we are looking forward to Horncastle on the map during the coming years.

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