40 years On - memories of Joseph Road

[penalty parker]

I thought i would start this thread after thinking of a couple of memories i had of the old ground.

My recollections are;

1 Park Barn v Bellfields - School Traders Cup Final, 1972

lost 3-2 after being 3 nil down at half time. We had beaten Bellfields 2-1 in the knockout Final earlier in the year up at the University but this was the big one. Unfortunately we lost and to this day i blame the referee (nothing new there then i hear you say!) Mr Price of Stoughton ruled that Keith Taylor was offside when he scored the equaliser with 5 minutes to go. Never in a million years was he ofside but Price had been paid off by the Bellfields Mafia i tell you.
As a 10 year old to play on the pitch, in what felt like a real, proper football ground was just amazing and although we lost it is an experience i will never forget. The bath (size of a swimming pool) after the game was something else.

2   Half-time Protest
can't remember the game but there was a half-time pitch invasion protesting about the decision to shut the ground. Also at      end of game people protested on the terraces under what is now the City Club's snooker room window. Clive Wanstall's dad threw a brick straight through the window and got arrested!

3  Dover nutters
being chased around Josephs road by a large group of marauding an very unfriendly Dover fans. Scary!!

Anyone else want to share any memories then?

[Burgy]

My only memories of the ground was in 1976, when my family moved to Joseph's Road, playing on the overgrown pitch, and making camps and campfires in the remains of the stands.

[delboy7]

I was 12 when I started to watch the city at Joseph's road . Me Derek Russell Tom Mallyon were regular junior supporters watching the likes of Brooke's in goal Gary Peters and of course the legendary Tony Burge against teams like Dover, Maidstone Yeovil and many more . I was also one of the fans protesting on the field over the closure of the ground but until now didn't know it was Peter Wanstall that threw that brick thru the directors box window .
I knew Peter to be a gentle kind man who loved the city and sadly although he passed away many years ago I know he would be proud of all you guys that run that club and everybody that helps out on match days

[penalty parker]

I agree it was so out of character for him to do it but yes it was definitely Peter Wanstall!.

Now Tommy Mallyon that's a name from the past - haven't seen him for years but i understand he lives on Park Barn now.

[Chris]

I first saw a team called Guildford City play in the winter of 1987/88. Bet most of you didn't think the club existed then did you???

When I first moved to Guildford in the autumn of 1987 I asked around my new work colleagues about the local football team, where they played and where the ground was etc. I couldn't believe it when noone knew. I was told there used to be a team but they didn't think there was one now. Bliddy southerners thinks I, how on earth can you not know if your town has a football team!

After a few weeks I got to know a guy called Rick Manning in the local pub who told me that he actually played for a team called Guildford City and would I like to come and see a game. The alarm bells rang when he said kick off was at 11am on a Sunday morning though. Oh well a game is a game so I agreed to come and watch him play. He gave me directions and I turned up at what I now know to be Stoke Recreation ground. After the game he took me to the City Club for my first ever visit. I was intrigued by all the black and white photos on the wall showing what was obviously a substantial football club (there was a lot more photos of matches and the ground back in 1987 compared to what is displayed in the club now unfortunately).

I went a few times over the next few months to watch what was just the City Club's side play in division 23 (or whatever) of the Surrey & Hants Border League.

Little did I know then that I'd be watching a Guildford City side in the Southern league 27 years later!

[penalty parker]

I played for City Social on sunday mornings between 1978 and 1982. We weren't that bad i can assure you Chris. Played in promotion winning team from 2nd to 1st Division and in several cup winning sides. City Social had some very decent players as did our main rivals British Rail, Stoke Spartak and Alexis (they all played at Stoke rec as well). Most teams had players who played in combined counties on a saturday so standard was very good. Rail could boast the likes of Tim Buzaglo and Terry Worsfold (Woking's goalscorers in their cup win at West Brom!!)
I agree there seemed to be many more momentos/links to City around the club in those days. Wonder if that stuff is still around somewhere would be good to get it in our archive?

[Deleted]

Your right kev tom lives in park barn just down the road from me ,my only glimmer of the josephs road ground was when i moved to guildford in 1978 i rode down to to see if the ground was still there ,all i found was the old turn styles by the alley way at stocton close and of course the city club my wifes uncle was one the first residents in langley close , her father and grandfather wouldnt speak to him untill he moved to bellfeilds they were both ardent city fans i love listening to his tales of the city of old he played for the city youth team back then must of been in the fifties ,one of my customers kindly donated me some old programmes which were her fathers which i passed on to eddie which i hope he has put to good use , but you get a sense of back then nearly the whole town would turn out to watch the home games.....up the city

[jakesfanclub]

I'm sure those old photos are still about but the club has been refurbished thee times since then Chris. My guess is that they are up in the loft.It would be nice if we had somewhere to put them at Spectrum.

I still have the programmes you gave me Dave. One of the problems is that we don't have a club shop and there really is nowhere where we could sell them. I am reluctant to put them on ebay because for quite a long time now City programmes are just not selling for any decent prices at all.

Your comment Dave about the whole town turning out is quite interesting. One thing that has always stuck in my mind is seeing the huge numbers of people walking along Woodbridge Road from the bus stations and railway station from about 2.00pm onwards on a Saturday afternoon. The support from the surrounding towns and villages was probably as good as from the town. If anyone has any old programmes just look at the "Supporters Club Notes" to see how many of the raffle / jackpot prize winners came from outside the town.

I'm sure many of you will remember the coffin being carried around the ground before, I think, a game against Cambridge City and being dumped in the Directors' Box. A couple of those guys went on to become solicitors and one other is the owner of EBB Paper Merchants. You may recognise EBB as having been past sponsors of Aldershot Town FC. The ground was called the EBB Stadium. This chap obviously went on to suppport Aldershot and became a major sponsor of them. Shame he never waited for a new "City" to emerge. I still occasionally contact him hoping for a bit of sponsorship but no luck I'm afraid.

I'll post some of my memories later on.

[Burgy]

Eddie

www.sportspages.com/football/football_programmes/club_friendly_matches/guildford_city_v_chelsea_1961_football_programme_25943?search

[jakesfanclub]

Paul, if anyone buys that then they need their head examining. There has been one of those on Ebay for years and I mean years for £99. It's probably the same one. They appear on Ebay from time to time and you can pick them up for less than a tenner sometimes. Sometimes they go for a bit more but not much.

[sirlagerlot]

Isn't it so sad that our towns football ground was not sold by the council but sold by the clubs so called owners, stealing an asset from the people of Guildford for many generations and leaving them with nothing in return.It must have broken many hearts of the City die hard supporters.

I was lucky enough to see a match at Joseph Road and it made a big impression on me, so much so that I am still around now. The match was the FA Cup game against Dover 20/11/1971. My uncle invited me and my brother to come along with him and his two sons, it was the first real live football match that us youngsters has ever been too even though we were all TV Chelsea fans. We went into the covered stand and sat behind the goal, we were the only Guildford fans in the stand with about 100 rowdy Dover fans behind us shouting obscenities. The atmosphere was electric as the ground was packed. The match ended 0-0 maybe not the scoreline a ten year old needs for a first match but I was hooked. Although I never got to go again maybe because the Dover fans seemed to have come to the town for a punch up, I expect my uncle felt he had fulfilled his duty by getting us home unscathed.
I still haven't seen Guildford City win an FA Cup game, there is always next season.

[brownie]

One of my rather dubious memories was being arrested for fighting in 1972.We were playing Worcester City and this Guildford fan
was getting on my wick,things esculated and at half time I dragged him behind Stocton ~Rd stand and gave him a thumping.The Old Bill
got hold of me and to my humiliation escorted my right around the ground in full view of everybody,then drove my home where the wife gave me a bigger boll--ing.I then had to write a letter of apology to the Supporters Chairman and one in the programme that cured me!!
The other guy? he never attended a game again result in a way.

[trigger]

The period I watched City at Josephs Road was about 1968/69/70, I can remember watching players such as Terry Dyson (ex Spurs winger in the famous 60's double side, Jim Pearson, Darby Watts, Dennis Malley, and of course Tony Burge. I used to get the bus from Ripley, get off at London Road and walk across Stoke Park by the Tech College. I had my last f*g walking across there, I'd just lit up, and at about 16 yrs old suddenly thought sod this and threw a full packet in the bin. Never smoked since !
Usually Dad took me in the week in the car and one Boxing day, a match probably about 1969, I had an Uncle over from Australia on holiday (emigrated in early 60's) and he had played at Josephs Road in his younger days as he played Pro football for a few lower league clubs. I think he had played at Josephs Road in an FA cup match and also years earlier as a schoolboy, Unfortunately I remember City lost, cant remember the score or opposition, but I was gutted ! Happy days !

[nigelnigle]

Well first game was against Cambridge United when we drew 2-2 when i was about 8. Some of the other memories of Josephs Road was City beating Hereford United 1-0, (Les Burns header) the week after Hereford had beaten the mighty Newcastle in the FA Cup. Being in crowds of over 3000 when City went on a long unbeaten run in very late in the season in the early 70s and we finished mid table. Beating Yeovil in the FA Trophy I think it was 4-2.

Was there at the Dover FA Cup game 0-0, beat them away 2-0 in the relay and then went up to Shrewsbury and lost 2-1 scored with a Terry Dyson scorcher

And was there the day they carried the coffin round the ground at half time on the very last fixture played at Josephs Road

Really hoping City can stay in the Southern League - keep battling lads. Took long enough getting back there

[Mike]

Feb 13, 2014 14:16:23 GMT nigelnigle said:

Well first game was against Cambridge United when we drew 2-2 when i was about 8. Some of the other memories of Josephs Road was City beating Hereford United 1-0, (Les Burns header) the week after Hereford had beaten the mighty Newcastle in the FA Cup. Being in crowds of over 3000 when City went on a long unbeaten run in very late in the season in the early 70s and we finished mid table.

Think I'm right in saying Hereford got elected to the fourth division that season....we were (maybe) the last team to beat them before they went up.

So many games.....turning up a couple of minutes late to a cup game, don't remember the opposition, and wondering why we couldn't see Darby on the pitch; asked a bloke next to us where he was and he'd already been sent off! Wasn't at all surprised.

Walking along Josephs Road with the crowd (normally parked in the lido car park), smell and taste of half time Bovril, having freezing feet, waiting for players to sign autographs post game, dad shouting at Gary Peters to get back in defence (was he the first ever wing back?), brother getting collared by a policeman for throwing a paper cup at the ref, sat near to Geoff Hurst in the main stand at the West Ham friendly, all the players that have been mentioned plus I loved Seth Vafaldis and Micky Westborough and (in particular) Jackie Graham.....could go on for ever.

But the original post made me think of the old Traders Cup.....never made the final sadly but watched one year when St Thomas of Canterbury took on Queen Eleanors; was so f'king jealous! Football was never big at Burpham primary back then, we had a team but the "coach" was Mr Dalby who sent you off if you accidentally kicked the ball into the neighbouring field.....pitch was the size of a postage stamp; my mate Colin once scored from inside our own goal area! Happy days.