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Memories of Swanley Sports Stand and Swanley Gala
Reading about the new Sports Centre to be built in Swanley brought back memories of when the Sports Centre was first built.
At the time I was playing a lot of football and the only shop that sold any socks or shorts was Matthews in Station Road.
The butchers at 7 High Street Swanley became empty so I decided to take a chance and open a Sports Shop there.
We sold everything from football boots, trainers, tennis, bowls , cricket, darts and flights and fishing hooks and weights were very popular.
Mr Barnes, a teacher at Swanley Comprehensive School became manager at the Sports Hall. He asked me if I would organise a 5 a side football league in the hall.
Swanley Sports Stand was the name of our shop so that was the name of the first team to play in the hall.
By pure coincidence my team was Ray Willis a fearless goalkeeper on Chelsea’s books, Colin Rodden the Town Clerk and Liverpool Supporter, our youngest and great little footballer John Maloney age 17, a Spurs Supporter, Viv Broomfield ,West Ham supporter, and the old boy of the team was myself, Arsenal supporter. The League was very successful and went on for many years.
A group of us also started a Badminton Club. Some of the members were Reg and Brenda Ford, Len Alstan and his wife, Joan Pomphret, Jenny Weekley, Iris Holbrook, Dick Jones, Jill and David Watkinson, Doreen and myself.
At about the same time Colin Rodden asked members of the Chambers of Commerce to help organise a Gala Committee. Mr Barnes let us put a partition along the hall so that spectators could watch the 5 a a side and badminton during the Gala Week.
In the pool a Swimming Gala was organised.
Myself and a greengrocer in the shop opposite mine drove to Croydon to pick up a load of tiered seating which we erected on the side of the football pitch.
The Gala Committee organised an It’s A Knockout competition between several teams. This was a game that was very popular on television at the time.
A friend of mine, Steve Emmerson, who was a stuntman in films got a show business team together to play our team from Swanley.
Of course, the Gala stared with a band leading the parade of floats from the Industrial Site at the end of Swanley to the Rec.
There were also many other competitions going on during the week.
I hope this brings some happy memories for those of us who are still alive.
Tom Rand
Copyright Tom Rand. This article should not be reproduced or copied without the permission of Tom Rand or Swanley History Group.
Memories of Swanley Sports Stand and Swanley Gala
Reading about the new Sports Centre to be built in Swanley brought back memories of when the Sports Centre was first built.
At the time I was playing a lot of football and the only shop that sold any socks or shorts was Matthews in Station Road.
The butchers at 7 High Street Swanley became empty so I decided to take a chance and open a Sports Shop there.
We sold everything from football boots, trainers, tennis, bowls , cricket, darts and flights and fishing hooks and weights were very popular.
Mr Barnes, a teacher at Swanley Comprehensive School became manager at the Sports Hall. He asked me if I would organise a 5 a side football league in the hall.
Swanley Sports Stand was the name of our shop so that was the name of the first team to play in the hall.
By pure coincidence my team was Ray Willis a fearless goalkeeper on Chelsea’s books, Colin Rodden the Town Clerk and Liverpool Supporter, our youngest and great little footballer John Maloney age 17, a Spurs Supporter, Viv Broomfield ,West Ham supporter, and the old boy of the team was myself, Arsenal supporter. The League was very successful and went on for many years.
A group of us also started a Badminton Club. Some of the members were Reg and Brenda Ford, Len Alstan and his wife, Joan Pomphret, Jenny Weekley, Iris Holbrook, Dick Jones, Jill and David Watkinson, Doreen and myself.
At about the same time Colin Rodden asked members of the Chambers of Commerce to help organise a Gala Committee. Mr Barnes let us put a partition along the hall so that spectators could watch the 5 a a side and badminton during the Gala Week.
In the pool a Swimming Gala was organised.
Myself and a greengrocer in the shop opposite mine drove to Croydon to pick up a load of tiered seating which we erected on the side of the football pitch.
The Gala Committee organised an It’s A Knockout competition between several teams. This was a game that was very popular on television at the time.
A friend of mine, Steve Emmerson, who was a stuntman in films got a show business team together to play our team from Swanley.
Of course, the Gala stared with a band leading the parade of floats from the Industrial Site at the end of Swanley to the Rec.
There were also many other competitions going on during the week.
I hope this brings some happy memories for those of us who are still alive.
Tom Rand
Copyright Tom Rand. This article should not be reproduced or copied without the permission of Tom Rand or Swanley History Group.