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IN A recent Non-League Paper article, Stuart Hammonds wrote at some length about the busy life of physiotherapists at various clubs in regional football.
I wonder whether we, at Slough Town, have the most remarkable member of the tribe in Kevin McGoldrick who joined the Rebels’ as long ago as December 7, 1985 when we were drawn away from home in the FA Cup to Orient, as the east-end club was known at the time.
I remember Slough finishing the match with a useful 2-2 draw at Brisbane Road, losing the home replay 3-2 at Wexham Park both ties being played in front of large crowds.
I couldn’t guess how many hundreds of players Kevin has treated during almost 30 years he has been with the club, or how many different managers and chairmen he has been close to.
The remarkable thing is that he is now certainly the longest serving member at any level at this club, and he continues to be affectionately known as ‘Super Kev’ by all the supporters for his outstanding record which includes promotion twice to the GM Vauxhall Conference, as it was then known, from the Ryman League, semi-finals in the FA Trophy against Southport in 1998 and an FA Cup victory over Walsall in 2004 .
Moreover, he very much shared in the recent triumph at Kettering when our club won promotion at last to the Southern League Premier Division after many years of trying. Kevin’s only complaint is that the older he becomes, the heavier his bulky equipment seems to get!
JOHN TEBBIT, Slough
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THE Football Association must surely now take decisive action following the abandonment of a match where a player brandished a pitch fork at his opponents.
I could not believe what I was reading! Players sent off, a pitch brawl and a substitute grabbing a pitch fork before the game between Staines Lammas and Chessington & Hook was brought to a halt.
What was Ade Oketoki thinking? Unless you are Alan Titchmarsh you have no excuse for picking up such a dangerous instrument!
If these clubs want more supporters to come and watch them play then perhaps they need to look at how they conduct themselves? Over to the FA now. The message needs to be loud and clear.
TERRY LAMBERT, via email
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FOOTBALL, often at Non-League level in particular, is about playing for your manager, and although DJ Campbell has had his fair share of problems it was refreshing to read (NLP, September 28) that he hasn’t forgotten who helped make his name.
Maidenhead United‘s Johnson Hippolyte has always been one of the managers I respect the most. On a modest budget every year, he helped Yeading, who had a great FA Cup run remember, and then Maidenhead survive every season and still tries to play football the right way.
Tapping into your contacts is key for anyone in the game, and Drax chanced his arm asking Campbell to come and get his football back on track in the Vanarama South.
It’s a measure of the man and his friendship with the player he helped set on his way that he doesn’t want to see him in a Magpies shirt for much longer than a week!
I saw him score in the game against Faversham and the bond between player and his manager was there for all to see. Campbell looked like he enjoyed it too, even if his goal did take a handy deflection.
It won’t be long until a pro club comes calling again. It’s a lesson not to burn your bridges on your way up and remember those that took you to great heights in the first place.
KEN BOOKMAN, Hampshire
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CALLING all football club secretaries and chairmen who don’t reply to letters sent to them by fans.
Two weeks ago I sent a letter to a chairman of a local Non-League club, which I would rather not name, who I have supported for many years.
I asked if I could meet him for a private talk as I had something which would benefit the club. Sadly, I had no reply. That something was in fact news that I had won quite a lot of money on the lottery and had fully intended to hand him a cheque for £10,000 to help with the upkeep of the football club.
But, with not so much of an acknowledgement, this offer is no longer open and I am no longer a supporter of this football club.
I wish I could reveal the identity of the club so I could name and shame this chairman and inform the fans of this missed opportunity.
So to all you secretaries and chairmen, I hope you see this letter and have the decency to reply to letters when you receive them.
Disgruntled ex-supporter
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BRETT Ormerod is not the only player to score in all of the top four divisions for one club (NLP, Sept 28) – Alan Cork achieved it for Wimbledon from 1977 to 1992, and also scored in the Premier League for Sheff Utd.
TIM HILLYER, via email
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YET another season of hoping for survival is in prospect for Southport fans.
How different it seemed midway through last season when at last a manager capable of getting us back in the League was appointed – namely John Coleman.
He saved Southport from relegation but, alas, his conduct on the touchline wasn’t to the liking of chairman Charlie Clapham and he was soon replaced by Martin Foyle – a manager with a distinctly mediocre record.
Sadly, as long as Mr Clapham remains as chairman with limited resources and budget, Southport will always be on the decline.
HOWARD WALMSLEY, via email
