Can you help? Comment here…
We hope to publish as much info as we can on The Avenue, so we’d love to receive any of the following:
- Photos of the ground, the players and the matches.
- Scans of old programmes, newspaper articles, history books and other memorabilia.
- Information on former Avenue players.
- Your memories of supporting The Avenue.
Please email walthamstow.avenue@gmail.com or leave a comment here if you can help.
Thanks.
May 20, 2009 at 12:50 pm |
would you be interested in team pic of the Walthamstow Avenue Colts taken on the pitch approx 1982/83.
let me know I will send it to you .
May 20, 2009 at 1:13 pm |
Yes please Richard. Many thanks.
June 2, 2009 at 4:07 pm |
I have just diiscovered your web site, and it has brought back many memories. For I supported the “As” from a boy until I moved away from Walthamstow some 50 years ago. My father Sidney Harper was connected with the Reserve team for many years.
I have included some names of players oher than those already on your web site:
B. Pinner, A. Robson, A. Hawkins (goalkeepers), R. Wight, G. Burchall, F. Lamprell, J. W. Lewis, E. Childs, A. Andrews, D. Andrews (now Chairman of Dagenham and Redbridge F.C.), S. Green, Bunny Groves, B. Oliver, K. Facey, T. Bailey (England Test cricket player), D. Insole (Essex cricketer), and ‘Curly’ (groundsman). I hope these are of interest and use to you.
On a personal nature I can well remember either on Christmas Days or Boxing Days watching the local derbies against Leytonestone. I was also at the ground when the team arrived back from Manchester after their draw therein the FA Cup which was a remarkable occasion, and also at the Arsenal to see the replay. I now watch with interest the results of Dagenham and Redbridge.
Hope this information is of interest
June 9, 2009 at 4:31 pm |
I first started going to see the A’s about 1956. My memories of then are hazy as I was only 6 years old! All sorts of recollections come tumbling in and not in any particular order either. I was privileged to be at White City to see the A’s win the FA Amateur cup semi final against (I think) Hitchin. I then remember very well getting a special train from Blackhorse Road station to Wembley on Amateur Cup Final day. It rained most of the day but The game was close, with Don Saggers getting injured but having to hobble around as there were no subs in those days. I think the A’s won 2-1 against West Auckland. The team was Gary McGuire in goal, possibly Edwards and ? at full backs, Andrews, Saggers and Prince half backs, Minall, Lewis, Groves, and I forget the others up front. There were great celebrations in Walthamstow afterwards. I always stood behind the goal at the Priory Court end hail rain or shine. Other players I recall, Dennis Wells a big goalkeeper, Terry Kean? who got his ankle broken in a game against Dulwich Hamlet. I have an autograph book somewhere with some of the team’s autographs. I remember Jim Lewis’ father having a sports shop in Forest Road, near to the junction of Palmerston Rd. I distinctly remember that amateur football lost out badly when the 1962 World Cup was televised as people then got bored with inferior quality games.
I also remember a group of guys ( I can see them clearly in my memory) who supported the A’s. There were two younger guys, one of whom was about 16 stone and an older man possibly their father. Their standard insult to the linesman or referee who gave a questionable decision was “you black enamel git” !
Look forward to reading some more memories
June 10, 2009 at 1:04 am |
I used to sell programmes and peanuts at the Avenue in the late 50s and early 60s with my brother, Dennis Scott, and his friend, Stanley Callan
June 30, 2009 at 12:36 pm |
I was at the 1961 amateur cup final and the team was:
Gary McGuire (goal); Brian Edwards (right back); Ron Bambridge (left back); Dave Andrews (right half); Stan Prince (centre half, captain); Terry Keenes (left half); Reg Groves (outside right); Alan Minall (inside right); Jim Lewis (centre forward); Don Saggers (inside left); Brian Harvey (outside left). West Auckland played the better football for the earlier part of the match, and looked liked winning when they were leading 1-0. Saggers was hobbling injured almost from the first minute and things looked decidedly bleak for A’s until Minall headed against a post and Groves lashed the rebound into the net. A’s gradually got on top later in the game and Lewis was on the spot to take advantage of a dropped ball by Bowmaker the West Auckland keeper and slip home the winner.
I think this was the final act of A’s “golden years”, although fans may recall the brief period later in the 60’s when the skills of Dennis Murphy, Peter Drabwell and “Plonker” Jackson regularly brought the house down as they say.
Avenue’s key to cup success was veteran Lewis, a great goalscorer with head and feet, and Harvey, an incredibly fast and gifted winger. The defence was also solid in all positions marshalled by the experienced skipper Prince. The team broke up over the next few seasons due to players leaving for other clubs or retiring from the game through age or, sadly in the case of Keenes, a broken leg in a match at Green Pond Road. Whenever I see light and dark blue colours together I think of the A’s !
August 13, 2009 at 12:45 pm |
I went to see the A’s many times as a boy, in the late 50s and 60s. I saw them win the Amateur Cup at Wembley in 1961 and have the programme, with the autographs of the Avenue team (worth something to someone possibly). I saw Terry Keenes break his leg (just a few feet in front of me) – it was sickening. Many great memories (Claude, a supporter who rang a bell, Jimmy Lewis who kept banging in goals, 9d to get in – extra 6d to get into the stand, Brian Harvey – on West Ham’s books – tearing down thw left wing, etc.).
September 20, 2009 at 6:28 pm |
Hi Jason
Just read the piece in today’s ‘The Non-League Paper’ and had a quick (for now) browse of your excellent ‘A’s’ web site…memories, memories…
Born in Chingford in 1947, I followed the A’s through the late 50’s & 60’s, although, to be honest, what with playing football & following Spurs (for my sins) & Orient, I didn’t see that many games.
One of my (few) claims to fame was attending Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow, London E 17…a few years’ after the great J L (Jim) Lewis attended there!
I remember going to the 1961 FA Amateur Cup Final in 1961 (will the last person leaving Walthamstow please turn-off the lights) and beating West Auckland Town 2-1, despite Don Saggers hobbling for most of the game. Major problem; can’t find my match programme anywhere!
I moved tothe Peterborough area in the 1970’s and to here, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, two years’ ago. I now follow our local NCEL team (Bridlington Town AFC).
I do have in my collection the following programmes:
28.03.1959 A’s v. Barnet
FA Amateur Cup Semi-Final Replay (played at White Hart Lane)
Score: 2-0 (Sleap & Harding)
14.11.1959 A’s v. Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
F A Cup 1st Round Score: 2-3 (Lewis & Harvey)
12.12.1959 A’s Reserves v. Ilford Reserves
Isthmian League Reserve Division Score: 4-1 (Wheeler 3 & Saggers)
12.03.1960 A’s v. Wycombe Wanderers
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 4-0 (Groves, Abramson, Saggers & Harvey)
17.09.1960 A’s v. St Albans
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 4-0 (Minall 2, Lewis & o.g.)
03.10.1960 Leyton Orient v. A’s
London Challenge Cup 1st Round Score: 0-1
15.10.1960 A’s v. Ilford
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 6-1 (Lewis 3, Groves, Saggers & Harvey)
19.11.1960 A’s v. Bromley
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 2-4 (Groves & Harvey)
18.03.1961 A’s v. Dagenham
Essex Senior Cup Semi-Final (played at Barking FC)
Score: 2-1 (Minall & Saggers)
12.10.1963 A’s v. Tooting & Mitcham United
F A Cup 3rd Qualifying Round Score: 3-6 (Minall 2 & Harvey)
06.04.1967 A’s v. Enfield
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 2-3 (Ford & Jackson)
08.04.1967 A’s v. Tooting & Mitcham United
Isthmian League Senior Section Score: 2-1 (Hopwood & Collett)
17.05.1967 A’s v. Enfield
London Senior Amateur Cup Final (played at The Bowlyn Ground, Upton Park)
Score: ?-? (Half-Time: 0-0)
13.04.1960 Great Britain v. Netherlands
Olympic Games Qualifying Competition (played at White Hart Lane)
Score: 2-2 (R H Brown of Barnet & the one and only J Lewis)
GB Team: M J Pinner (QPR & The RAF), T W Thompson (Stockton), D D Holt (Queen’s Park), R W Sleap (Barnet), L Brown (Bishop Auckland), A D’Arcy (Barnet), A Coates (Evenwood Town), H. Lindsay (Kingstonian), R H Brown (Barnet), H Barr (Ballymena United) & J Lewis. A D’Arcy was a late replacement for M Greenwood (Bishop Auckland). A few ‘Blasts from the Past’ in that line-up!
Unfortunately, I do not have the facility to scan these documents. They are however, in reasonable condition and I could ‘loan’ them to you if they will provide assistance to your research. Send me an email or ‘phone me on 01262 606664.
Kind regards & all power to your research. RIP ‘The A’s.’
Paul Prime
September 28, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
Paul,
An interesting item. As you probably read in my post, I do have the said FA cup Final programme (signed by all the Avenue team). I also was born in 1947 and went to the Monoux – sorry, I don’t remember you – perhaps you were a year above me.
David
November 11, 2009 at 7:56 pm
David,
Sorry for the delay in responding. I joined Monoux in 1958 (having been born on 28 February 1947) and left in 1963. Likewise, I can’t recall you so perhaps you were one of the 1959 ‘intake.’ I do, however, remember a ROGER Johnson in ‘our’ year; I believe he now lives in New Zealand…not a relation of yours I guess?
I’m pleased to say that I recently managed to acquire a 1961 FA Amateur Cup Final programme (unsigned unfortunately) from a guy in Scarborough, North Yorkshire (just 20 miles north from where I now live)…small world.
All the very best to you.
With fond memories of Monoux AND the ‘A’s’.
Paul.
October 9, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
Hi David,
Saw your article in the Non-League Paper and the memories came flooding back. I was born in Walthamstow in 1949 and followed the Avenue until the earlysixties when I was lured to Higbury by by eldest sisters boyfriend at the time.
I used to go to away games on the coach often on my own (I was very young, can you imagine that happening today!), but the supporters used to look after you in those days.
I can remember going to the semi-final at White City against Hitchin Town and we got a disputed penalty which Big Jim Lewis duly dispatched. What a centre forward he was, a God in non-league football terms.
The final at Wembley was an unbelievable experience for me and I remember thinking at the time whether getting to Wembley happened every season, sadly I quickly came to realise the reality of life, particularly at non-league level.
I moved down to Deal in Kent in 1989 with my family and quickly got involved with the local club, Deal Town. In 2000 they reached the final of the FA Vase winning it 1-0 agaisnt Chippenham Town in the last final to be played at the old Wembley. You can imagine the memories that the match brought back and what a co-incidence. Fortunately Deal did not go tha same way as the ‘A’s did after the Deal Chairman pulled the plug on financing it, but we so nearly did. We are currently languishing in the Kent League and I am Vice-Chairman.
A few seasons ago we played Hitchin Town in the FA Cup and a couple of their officials still remember the disputed penalty against the Avenue in that semi-final. Some things in football are never forgotten.
Of that Avenue side that won the Amateur Cup in ‘61 Dave Andrews, the captain, went onto manage Leytonstone ( I think his father was involved there) and Brian Harvey, an England Amateur International, went with him. I think that was about the time when the Amateur status was done away with and players became semi-professional instead of getting a ‘fiver in the shoe’. He told me just before the start of that season that he did not know who would be playing at Leytonstone because many of the players had not yet signed and many were waiting to see who was paying the best money. (Nothings changed). He said he had a very good full back who lived just accross the road from the ground but that he had signed for Dulwich Hamlet (obviously South London) because they had offered more money.
The goalkeeper, Gary McGuire, I think emigrated to Australia. The half back line of Dave Andrews, Stan Prince and Terry Keene were like the Arsenal back line. Dave reminded me of Dave MacKay of Tottenham, big barrel chest, fierce tackler and would run through a brick wall for you. Jim Lewis or his parents (his dad played for the As, I called them both Big Jim) I seem to remember had a newsagents in Forest Road not far from the ground.
The Green Pond Road ground I distinctly remember on match days because as you approached, particularly on dark winter nights, you could see the floodlights and hear the music coming from the tannoy which all added to the excitement. It was a typical Isthmian League ground, plenty of concrete terracing and a big old stand, which would cost you extra to sit down. Sadly towards the end the gates were very poor and the social club was also struggling. I seem to remember that the Chairman at the timer may have been Vic Ercolani, who owned Cabinet Industries along the North Circular Road and when that went capput he resigned, but that area is very clowdy in my memory.
I will have a look through what is left of my programme collection (I sold most of them to help raise funds for a new clubhouse soon to be finished at Deal Town) so I don’t know what I have left, but I will have a look.
Thanks for the memories.
Bob Chivington, Vice-Chairman, Deal Town Football Club.
October 12, 2009 at 1:27 am |
I played for and captained the ‘new’ Walthamstow Avenue FC that was reformed in 2000, and played in the London & Middlesex Intermediate Leagues for 5yrs. The team was started by several volunteers who had been involved with the original Avenue in various guises, ably supported by a number of fans with the original club close to their hearts. Whilst of course never reaching the heights of the original Avenue, we were relatively succesful in our time and there was a real pride and awareness of the illustrious history of the parent clubs history amongst the squad. I was always proud to play for and be associated in some way with the legacy of the Walthamstow Avenue name, a club my grandfather had lived just yards away from and supported his whole life.
November 23, 2009 at 11:37 pm |
Hi Paul,
No, Roger Johnson isn’t a relative. No surprise we don’t remember each other, as each year seemed to keep very much to itself, I recall. Yes, very happy memories of the Monoux. I put my signed FA cup final programme in a ’safe place’ and, if/when I find it, I’ll try to post a scanned copy of the autographed page.
David