Today we feature one a select band of past players who have also represented their country, with diminutive striker Chris Duggan having represented England at Amateur International level.
Duggan joined the club from neighbours Bishop’s Stortford at the beginning of the 1972-73 season and signalled his intentions when he scored in all the club’s five pre-season friendly matches.
Duggan struck a fine partnership up front with Eddie Sedgwick and between them they scored 53 league and cup goals in season 1972-73. This was the club’s first (and only) season in the Athenian League Premier Division.The following season Duggan wrote his name into the club’s history books as he netted the club’s first ever Isthmian League goal, when he scored in a 1-1 draw at Horsham. Duggan had departed before the end of that season after manager Roy Thomas resigned and former Spurs favourite Jack Price had taken over at the helm. Price’s rein was short lived and Duggan returned to the club at the start of the 1974-75 season when former defender Gordon Sedgley was named as the new manager. Duggan had been teammates with Gordon in his first season with the club. It was another successful season as he netted 15 league and cup goals, bringing his total goals to 46 in his two and a half years with the club. At the end of that season Duggan again moved on after Gordon Sedgley was appointed the new manager of Walthamstow Avenue and Len Gamblin was installed as the next Harlow boss
Thursday 30 April 2009
Heroes - Bryn Key
Today we feature Bryn Key who joined the club in the summer of 1971 from Hoddesdon Town when he followed manager Roy Thomas to the club.
Bryn was an instant success and set a post war goal scoring record (which has since been beaten) when he netted 39 goals in 46 games. This impressive total would have surely been higher had Bryn not missed the whole of March through Injury.
Bryn was one of those players that people came to watch. He was Harlow’s version of George Best with his long flowing hair and his ability to glide past players. His goals helped Harlow win the Athenian League Division One Championship.
Towards the end of the 1971-72 season Bryn played a couple of reserve games for Crystal Palace making the move to South London permanent at the end of that season after some impressive displays.
Unfortunately Bryn was never able to fulfil his potential, as a broken leg early in his on put an end to his professional career.
After a couple of seasons out of football Bryn returned to the Non-League game with Barking and later played for Leytonstone Ilford. Despite many rumours Bryn never returned to the club but had done enough in his one season to become a Harlow Hero.
Bryn was an instant success and set a post war goal scoring record (which has since been beaten) when he netted 39 goals in 46 games. This impressive total would have surely been higher had Bryn not missed the whole of March through Injury.
Bryn was one of those players that people came to watch. He was Harlow’s version of George Best with his long flowing hair and his ability to glide past players. His goals helped Harlow win the Athenian League Division One Championship.
Towards the end of the 1971-72 season Bryn played a couple of reserve games for Crystal Palace making the move to South London permanent at the end of that season after some impressive displays.
Unfortunately Bryn was never able to fulfil his potential, as a broken leg early in his on put an end to his professional career.
After a couple of seasons out of football Bryn returned to the Non-League game with Barking and later played for Leytonstone Ilford. Despite many rumours Bryn never returned to the club but had done enough in his one season to become a Harlow Hero.
Heroes - Bobby Harding
Today we feature Bobby Harding who joined the club in September 1980, making his debut against Wycombe Wanderers, in a match played at Epping Town’s Stonard Hill ground as our Sportcentre ground was unavailable.
Harding started his career at Arsenal and was a member of the England Youth squad in season 1970-71. He remained with the Gunners’ until the end of the 1974-75 season, although he never managed to break into the first team. However, he was a non-playing substitute in Arsenal’s European Cup quarter final against Ajax in 1972. Injury cut short his professional career and he went on to play for Ilford and then Enfield, from who he joined the club.
Harding was a tremendously popular player who scored his fair share of goals from the wing, often in a poor Harlow side. After the club’s relegation in 1981-82 he remained with the club and his experience was used to great effect as the young side won promotion at the first attempt. On a personal note I can remember talking with Bobby after our relegation and he made me a promise that he would help get us promoted the next season and it was therefore very fitting that it was Harding’s solitary goal at Hampton that finally clinched our promotion the following April.
Bobby stayed with the club for a further two seasons before moving on to local rivals Bishop’s Stortford in March 1985. He later had a spell with Hendon before going into management with Essex Intermediate League outfit Ongar Town. He has since been assistant manager at Tilbury before taking over as manager of Witham Town.
In total Bobby made 165 appearances for the club, scoring 47 goals.
Harding started his career at Arsenal and was a member of the England Youth squad in season 1970-71. He remained with the Gunners’ until the end of the 1974-75 season, although he never managed to break into the first team. However, he was a non-playing substitute in Arsenal’s European Cup quarter final against Ajax in 1972. Injury cut short his professional career and he went on to play for Ilford and then Enfield, from who he joined the club.
Harding was a tremendously popular player who scored his fair share of goals from the wing, often in a poor Harlow side. After the club’s relegation in 1981-82 he remained with the club and his experience was used to great effect as the young side won promotion at the first attempt. On a personal note I can remember talking with Bobby after our relegation and he made me a promise that he would help get us promoted the next season and it was therefore very fitting that it was Harding’s solitary goal at Hampton that finally clinched our promotion the following April.
Bobby stayed with the club for a further two seasons before moving on to local rivals Bishop’s Stortford in March 1985. He later had a spell with Hendon before going into management with Essex Intermediate League outfit Ongar Town. He has since been assistant manager at Tilbury before taking over as manager of Witham Town.
In total Bobby made 165 appearances for the club, scoring 47 goals.
Sunday 26 April 2009
Heroes - Gwyn Walters
Gwyn in his playing days in a 1977 FA Cup meeting with Cambridge City
Gwyn Walters in 1982Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Gwyn was a remarkable all round sportsman who both played for and managed Harlow Town. His sporting achievements include captaining the Welsh schoolboy and college sides, representing British Students in the World Student Games, full Welsh Amateur International, Welsh rugby schoolboy International, Welsh Pole Vault International and representing Glamorgan schools at cricket. His versatility is further demonstrated by the fact that he once started a game in goal for Harlow despite being a midfield player. Incidentally he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 victory against St Albans City.
Walters started his career with his home town club Merthyr Tydfil before moving on to play for Barking and Ilford before joining Harlow in the summer of 1977. He was a member of the promotion winning side of 1978-79 and also played in the Essex Senior Cup winning side of the same season, setting Neil Prosser up for the winning goal with a quickly taken free kick in the dying minutes.
The following season Gwyn went to America to study and as a result missed the whole of the 1979-80 season, and subsequently missed out on all the hype that surrounded our FA Cup run that year. However, Gwyn was back in the side the following season and was to become manager Ian Wolstenholme’s coach at the start of the 1981-82 season. In February 1982 Gwyn took over as manager of the club after Ian Wolstenholme resigned but was unable to save the club from relegation. Gwyn’s first full season in charge saw the club win back it’s Premier Division place with a mixture of talented local youngsters and a few old experienced players. The first season back in the Premier Division saw the side finish in a creditable 12th place, however, financial restraints meant that Gwyn was unable to build on this success as many of the clubs top players were lured away to other teams and the club were once again relegated at the end of the 1984-85 season. At the end of that season Gwyn resigned and later went on to mange Hendon in the Premier Division as well as working with youngsters for several Football League sides.
During his time at the club he was a teacher at Stewards Comprehensive School in Harlow. Gwyn made 149 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.
Walters started his career with his home town club Merthyr Tydfil before moving on to play for Barking and Ilford before joining Harlow in the summer of 1977. He was a member of the promotion winning side of 1978-79 and also played in the Essex Senior Cup winning side of the same season, setting Neil Prosser up for the winning goal with a quickly taken free kick in the dying minutes.
The following season Gwyn went to America to study and as a result missed the whole of the 1979-80 season, and subsequently missed out on all the hype that surrounded our FA Cup run that year. However, Gwyn was back in the side the following season and was to become manager Ian Wolstenholme’s coach at the start of the 1981-82 season. In February 1982 Gwyn took over as manager of the club after Ian Wolstenholme resigned but was unable to save the club from relegation. Gwyn’s first full season in charge saw the club win back it’s Premier Division place with a mixture of talented local youngsters and a few old experienced players. The first season back in the Premier Division saw the side finish in a creditable 12th place, however, financial restraints meant that Gwyn was unable to build on this success as many of the clubs top players were lured away to other teams and the club were once again relegated at the end of the 1984-85 season. At the end of that season Gwyn resigned and later went on to mange Hendon in the Premier Division as well as working with youngsters for several Football League sides.
During his time at the club he was a teacher at Stewards Comprehensive School in Harlow. Gwyn made 149 appearances for the club, scoring six goals.
Sunday 5 April 2009
Heroes - Andy Walker
Andy Walker in action
Andy picking up the Player of the Month Award in 1983A skilful winger who came up through the club’s youth and reserve teams, making his first team debut in the home game against Slough Town in April 1982 as a 17 year old. His exciting style and immaculate skills caused havoc in many opponents’ defences and was always amongst the goals.
His first full season in the first team saw Andy become one of the stars of an emerging young side that manager Gwyn Walters had assembled. The club won promotion that season, finishing as runners-up to Worthing in the isthmian League Division One.
Andy studied at San Diego University from 1983-1985 and played for San Diego Sockets in the USA and professionally in Mexico. During this time he returned to the UK each December – April playing for Harlow. His return in December 1983 was particularly important as his displays helped the side move away from the relegation zone to a comfortable mid-table position by the end of the season.
However, in January 1986 he signed fro Grays Athletic together with Marc Das (another player who had come up through the ranks with Andy) in a particularly acrimonious transfer. Harlow claimed that the players were illegally approached, which was upheld by the league, but by the time the decision had been reached most of the season was over. Despite this incident Andy returned to the club in November 1987 from Boreham Wood and played in the final of the Knight Floodlight Cup against Dover at the end of that season. The following campaign he helped the club win the Division Two (North) Championship and also played in the East Anglian Cup winning side the following season. In 1990-91 he was unable to hold down a regular place in the side and went out on loan to Aveley and Boreham Wood before leaving the club at the end of that season.
After leaving the club Andy went on to win First Division Championships with both Stevenage Borough and Bishop’s Stortford before returning to the club for a final time in February 1997. Once again Andy made a big impact, helping the side win back-to-back promotions from Division Three and Two, before hanging up his boots at the end of the 1998-99 season. Andy became the first player in the club’s history to win four promotions whilst with the club and he later had a two short spells as caretaker manager, the first in December 2000 and the second in February 2002.
In total Andy made 269 appearances for the club, scoring 60 goals.
His first full season in the first team saw Andy become one of the stars of an emerging young side that manager Gwyn Walters had assembled. The club won promotion that season, finishing as runners-up to Worthing in the isthmian League Division One.
Andy studied at San Diego University from 1983-1985 and played for San Diego Sockets in the USA and professionally in Mexico. During this time he returned to the UK each December – April playing for Harlow. His return in December 1983 was particularly important as his displays helped the side move away from the relegation zone to a comfortable mid-table position by the end of the season.
However, in January 1986 he signed fro Grays Athletic together with Marc Das (another player who had come up through the ranks with Andy) in a particularly acrimonious transfer. Harlow claimed that the players were illegally approached, which was upheld by the league, but by the time the decision had been reached most of the season was over. Despite this incident Andy returned to the club in November 1987 from Boreham Wood and played in the final of the Knight Floodlight Cup against Dover at the end of that season. The following campaign he helped the club win the Division Two (North) Championship and also played in the East Anglian Cup winning side the following season. In 1990-91 he was unable to hold down a regular place in the side and went out on loan to Aveley and Boreham Wood before leaving the club at the end of that season.
After leaving the club Andy went on to win First Division Championships with both Stevenage Borough and Bishop’s Stortford before returning to the club for a final time in February 1997. Once again Andy made a big impact, helping the side win back-to-back promotions from Division Three and Two, before hanging up his boots at the end of the 1998-99 season. Andy became the first player in the club’s history to win four promotions whilst with the club and he later had a two short spells as caretaker manager, the first in December 2000 and the second in February 2002.
In total Andy made 269 appearances for the club, scoring 60 goals.
Monday 16 March 2009
Heroes - John Mackenzie
John Mackenzie in action against Southend United in the FA Cup 2nd Round Replay in December 1979 Born on the 7th February 1954, Mackenzie started his career with Leyton and also played for Leytonstone, Bishop’s Stortford and Ilford. John joined the club in the summer of 1978, linking up again with his former manager Ian Wolstenholme, who had been in charge at Bishop’s Stortford during John’s time with the Blues.
He formed a deadly partnership with Peter Twigg up front and was renowned for his heading ability. However, John will always be remembered for his goals in our FA Cup run of the 1979-80 season. John hit the winner against Leicester City in the 3rd round replay and then went on to score a further two goals in the epic 4th round clash at Watford. All of these goals were scored with his feet, the second at Watford even being featured on the BBC’s Match of the Day’s Goal of the Month competition.
John finished as top scorer in both season 1980-81 and 1981-82 despite being on the transfer list for much of the latter season. He finally left the club in March 1982, joining Boreham Wood before emigrating to South Africa.
During his time with the club John represented the Isthmian League and scored 58 goals in his 141 appearances, 11 of which were as a substitute.
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