Our 60th anniversary season is at an end – many thanks to all the former players who have helped make it a memorable one by recollecting some of their fondest memories of their time at our club.
As loyal members of the Last of the Summer Wine branch of the Boston Town Supporters’ Group, Dave Creasey and John Platt are familiar faces at the Mortgages For You Stadium. But you might not know that they also played for this club in our very early days, when we were still known as Boston FC.
Dave Creasey
I played for Boston FC from 1964 until 1968, as a left winger.
I was only 17 years old when I played my first game and 21 when I left the team.
I’m really not sure how many goals I scored for Boston FC while I played for them and I couldn’t really pick out a most memorable goal – but my most memorable game was my first appearance for FC.
I was asked to be a back-up player for the FA Cup game1 that we were playing against Stamford. Harry Godbold was running late getting to the ground and the then manager Paul Todd asked me to go and get ready just in case Harry didn’t get there in time. I did not need asking twice and was ready in no time, as this was an opportunity of a lifetime. I went on to the pitch to warm up, just as Harry walked around the corner of the ground. But the officials said that I’d spent enough time on the pitch to deserve my place and that they would not let Harry on to play. I did actually score in this match, but it was disallowed.
The most feared player I played against was Terry Bly of Grantham Town.
In all my time playing for FC, I cannot remember ever getting booked or sent off – and I didn’t receive any wages.
I didn’t have a favourite team mate, I just loved being part of the team.-
John Platt
My first match was away at Lysaght’s Sports in Scunthorpe. The best player I played with was Bert Linnecor and my best team mate was Ralph Woods.
The best player I came up against was Jimmy Leadbetter – he played 344 times for Ipswich Town.
Jimmy played for Ipswich when they won the First Division title in 1961-62 and their manager was Alf Ramsey (later Sir Alf Ramsey). He was manager at Sudbury Town when I played against him.
My most memorable match was losing 5-4 at Great Yarmouth (Editor’s note: Yarmouth had won 7-1 at Tattershall Road only a few weeks earlier and went on to be runners-up in the Eastern Counties League that season, while Boston FC finished second from bottom).
The most memorable times playing for FC were when there were no floodlights and in December and January kick-offs were at 1.45pm. Playing away at Clacton, Lowestoft and Sudbury meant leaving at 9.30 in the morning because Norfolk and Suffolk are the sugar beet capitals of England.
It meant being held up by little red Fergie tractors pulling little carts of sugar beet to the factories at 20mph – it was a long journey there and a long journey back!
1 That was Boston FC’s first ever FA Cup tie – Mel Smith scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in front of a crowd of 500.
Boston Town FC 