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| Davenport's Diary |
taken from the Gloucester City v's Shepshed Dynamo matchday programme - Tuesday December 9th 2003 |
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| Today sees the visit of one of my favourite named teams, whose players have turned out under various monikers over the years including Shepshed Charterhouse, Enderby United, and the hilariously named Leicester United. At least I think I’ve got that right, but not knowing my toe from my tit I wouldn’t like to bet the rent money on it. But however names may change, including those of players who come and go, the names of those true fans will ring for a lifetime around the grounds of clubs such as ours. Be proud of yourself City fans, because when we lift that Champions League Trophy you will have a dozen bandwaggonners around you asking what it was like to support City ‘in those oldie quainty Westerny days’. Point them in the direction of Sir Davenport’s Diary, and I will show them a love story |
| 1978 |
| Steve Scarrott scores with a late penalty, 3 minutes from time, to hand City a 2-1 away win at Wellingborough, in an ill tempered match. John Evans had earlier opened the scoring for City. This victory puts City top of the Southern League, Northern Division; the Tigers proudly sit at the top of the table for the first time in 20 years. But was there mass frenzy in the local press, daily headlines screaming out, middle page features for dessert? No, of course not, but when England win the Rugby World Cup |
| In fact we will never know, as local sports reporting was abruptly halted in Gloucestershire as a strike by the National Union of Journalists made it almost impossible for City fans to follow their team in the days before internet, telephone or radio. |
| 1988 |
| In a pivotal moment in City’s history, Chris Townsend joins us from Cheltenham Clown for a 4 figure fee. There is no immediate place in the team as City secure a replay in the FA Trophy match at Dorchester, thanks to a Wayne Noble goal, direct from a corner. Anything to avoid having to run into the penalty box and join the action. |
| CITY: John Shaw, Greg Steele, Martin Williams, Martin Lander, Ian Hedges, Adie Harris, Ricky Chandler, Brian Hughes, Mike Andrews, Lance Morrison, Wayne Noble (Steve Talboys, Mike Malpas) |
| Despite this creditable draw, City are unable to finish the job off at home, going down to a 3-1 defeat, albeit with a good performance and Steve Talboys goal. |
| Back to league action, and a debut for City new boy Chris Townsend away to Ashtray Highfield. Despite a ‘man of the match’ performance the Welsh wide boy is unable to find the net in an uninspiring 0-0 draw. |
| As one legend joins the club, another leaves, with Dougie Foxwell signing up for Sharpness. Meanwhile Brian Hughes, is named City’s ‘Roaduser Legend of the Month’ for November, and is presented with the trophy by irritating TV gibbon Davina McCall at a swanky London awards ceremony. |
| Life is not always like a box of chocolates though, with December 88 seeing a number of disasters. The Armenian earthquake kills tens of thousands, 42 die in the Clapham rail crash, Roy Orbison goes to that great gig in the sky, and finally the Wooton Club in Barnwood is burned down to the ground. |
| 1993 |
| Keith Bertschin and Tony Grealish are set to face City in an Evesham XI, before the Doctor Martens League Cup 2nd round tie is called off for the umpteenth time due to corned beef contamination. A poor substitute for the City fans was the Inter Milan v Norwich UEFA Cup 3rd Round tie, with the Bernard Mathewsians being knocked out by a Dennis ‘Mein’ Bergkampf goal. |
| According to the local press, Preston North End are tracking Karl Bayliss, offering him a week’s trial. On the pitch City suffer their first home reverse of the season, as Corby Town complete the double, with a 4-2 victory at Meadow Park, thanks to an Anton Thomas hat-trick. With the performance being best described with the letter ‘B’ it is fitting that Bywater and Boyland are on target for the Boys. |
| On a day woolly jumpered weatherman Micky Fish would rather forget, 8 die in hurricane force storms around the country. Tottenham legend Danny Blanchflower also dies, aged 67, although nothing to do with the hurricanes or the Fishmeister. |
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taken from the Gloucester City v's Rugby United matchday programme - Saturday December 13th 2003 |
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| One of the most famous sayings in football is Bill Shankly’s ‘football is more important than life’ comment, which paradoxically has now become his epitaph. I wonder if he’d like to reconsider. But I do have some sympathy with his view. I remember being devastated when we were relegated from the Southern League Premier in the mid 1980s,and wondering how I could ever pick up the pieces of my shattered life. The answer soon came when I discovered beer, and women, both behind the school bike shed. And, ironically, both some years after I had left school. So, don’t be despondent about being out of the cup, and lets concentrate on the league. After all, I bet few remember the downs of 10, 15 and 25 years ago |
| 1978 |
| Important Notice: Reporting of City’s progress since the 12th December has been hit by a strike by the National Union of Journalists. Although the official line is that members want better pay and working conditions, word is out that local reporters are hacked off, seeking a fair distribution of City games amongst their workloads. For this reason we are legally unable to provide detail of games during December 1978 |
| CITY: Ball, Cannon, Large, Little, Monkhouse, Forsythe, Tarbuck, Krankie, Yarwood, Bowen, Pacino, (Hawtrey, James, Williams) |
| However, elsewhere in sport Geoff Boycott is reported to the Australian Cricket Board for calling a local umpire a forking chat after an Ian Botham lbw appeal was turned down. |
| 1988 |
| Chris Townsend scores his first goals for the club, as City register a 2-0 away win at Salisbury, in the Westgate Insurance Cup, despite the side being hit with flu. It was probably just colds, if they had the flu, I mean the real flu, they wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed, let alone play football. |
| The Citizen headline is enough to warm the winter chills declaring ’So easy as City go top’. And it was, as City ran out comfortable 4-1 winners against Banbury thanks to two more from Chris Townsend, and a double from Nigel Green, in front of 524 fans. City then completed the job against Salisbury, in the Westgate Insurance Cup, with a 3-2 home victory. Goal machine Chris Townsend is at it again, this time recording the first of many hat-tricks for the Tigers, the first coming after just 15 seconds! Fortunately Norris McWhirter was there to record it under the ‘fastest goal scored by a Welshman with a permed mullet’ section. On the downside Steve Talboys injuries his hair, forcing City into an early substitution. |
| Frank Worthington joins Stalybridge Celtic, Frank Butcher joins Eastenders, and Frank Sidebottom joins the BBC. |
| 1993 |
| Roget’s Thesaurus once again comes off the shelf in the Citizen office, as the local press describe the Meadow Park playing conditions as being ‘atrocious’. Still, 352 souls left their warm, wind free houses to watch Jimmy Case in action for high flying Sittingbourne, and see City crash to a last minute goal. |
| CITY: Steve Crompton, Steve Crouch, Murray Fishlock, Mark Buckland, Paul Bywater, Gary Kemp, Tommy Callinan, Brian Hughes, Karl Bayliss, Tony Cook, Mark Boyland (Paul Bloomfield, Kacey Johnstone) |
| The weather is soon at it again as City’s league cup tie at Evesham is called off for the fifth time. Paul Bloomfield isn’t too bothered, though, as the City defender finds himself in hospital after an attacker bites off half of his ear. Not during a game, but outside a pub. That’s what I call a late challenge! |
| City fans are surprised to hear that Kevin Willets has joined us, just weeks after his move to Forest Green from Cheltenham. The hillmen immediately lodge a complaint to the FA. Shrewder fans would have been more interested in the fact news that Trevor Horsley is rejoining the board as Chairman. |
| Future City star, and club supporter, Shane Bradley signs associate schoolboy forms with Southampton, some 9 years before his goal for Chesterfield effectively relegates local darlings Cheltenham to relegation from the Second Division. |
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taken from the Gloucester City v's Mangotsfield United matchday programme - Tuesday December 26th 2003 |
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| If there was ever a closer friendship in non-league football than with Mangotsfield, then I have yet to come across it. They are the darlings of the league, a charismatic cocktail of flair and fantasy football that have seen them soar to a mid table position in the lower echelons of suburban west country football. For any fans of the diary, I will today be perched in one of the Executive boxes, dressed in a chicken suit, drinking ale, smoking cigars and belching. In between inhaling and exhaling I will be pleased to sign autographs. The occasion is none other than the unofficial Christmas party of the City Open Forum (http://cof.tigerroar.co.uk) website, home of the socially excluded. If other festive periods are to go by it could be a roller coaster of emotions for us, just as it has been during the past 25 years |
| 1978 |
| Important Notice: Reporting of City’s progress since the 12th December has been hit by a strike by the National Union of Journalists. I have attempted to go back in time and reverse this decision, so that fans of this column can keep up to date, but my ‘time travel’ shed is currently experiencing a few teething problems that Stephen Hawking is helping me out with. |
| Local reporters find solace in national football, highlighting Don Revie’s suspension from football for alleged bribe taking. If recent Aussie bashing has wet your lips, you’ll be delighted to hear England winning the second test in Australia to go 2-0 up in the series, thanks to a magnificent 145no by Andy Birchley. Sick of sport? Then Tracey’s are offering shorts at 25p per measure, or if home boozing is your bag, then settle down in front of Survival Special or (Live from Northwich, it’s the) ‘Sale of the Century’. |
| 1988 |
| The festive period really is a season to be jolly for City fans as City triumph against local rivals Forest Green in the Boxing Day derby at the Lawn. Despite the home side having the best of the first half, that man Townsend makes it 9 goals in 4 games with another double. In a hard fought game, played in front of 772 fans, Martin Lander takes the Man of the Match award for his hard tackling and nicely trimmed moustache. |
| CITY: John Shaw, Greg Steele, Martin Williams, Martin Lander, Mike Malpas, Nigel Green, Ricky Chandler, Brian Hughes, Shaun Penny, Chris Townsend, Wayne Noble (Ian Hedges, Adie Harris) |
| A quick glance or even a long loving stare at the Midland Division goalscoring charts shows Shaun Penny in second place with 14, one behind Dudley Town’s John Muir. Elsewhere in the world of football, former City player Gerry Sweeney is sacked as manager of Walsall and local rivals Cheltenham sign former Wolves front man Mel Eves in a desperate attempt to try and scramble up the Vauxhall Conference. |
| 1993 |
| City’s poor run continues as they slump to their fifth successive defeat, 2-0 away to Worcester City, Paul Bloomfield’s half chewed ear keeping him out of the starting line-up. This defeat sees City fall to tenth in the Premier, and without an away win in 11 league games. |
| Elsewhere Roberto Baggio picks up the European Footballer of the Year Award, and England ‘A’ maintain their 100% tour record in South Africa, in a side including Darren Gough, Martin Bicknell, John Crawley and Dominic Cork. |
| And then suddenly a light appears at the end of the tunnel! Moreton Town chairman Keith Gardiner announces that he has bought a 51% stake in City, after purchasing shares from George Irvine, and will officially take over the reins as Chairman at the beginning of the following season. He pledges to make City the best non-league club for many miles, and promises that there would be a minimum of 4 new players in the squad during the next fortnight. Moreover, a ‘magnificent seven’ new directors would be joining the board, pumping in 800K over the next 4 years, areas behind both the goals would be covered within 2 years, and a reserve side re-introduced. On the supporters side, he promises to double pie consumption per fan, and that City’s new terrace chant would be Christmas number one next year, and adopted by the Anglican church as a hymn shortly afterwards. |
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| Page last updated : 30th June 2004 |
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