by Gerald Leach
The football pitches were at Blackberry Gate, end of Parsonage Lane (Mr L Quick’s field) and also on Prowse Lane (Court Barton), Mr Goss. Of course Blackberry Gate was Mr Turner’s field. Changing room in the Victory Hall, tin bath and a ten gallon churn of hot water from Ambrosia, brought up by the football secretary, Mr Ken Hammell. So the shirt colours we had were the Ambrosia colours of green and white quarters with blue jerseys for a away games mostly.
Players provided their own white shorts with green and white socks, and goalkeepers provided their own jersey, be it red or yellow. Mine was red always where I went it also went on the orders of the captain Mr Fred Leach. The Vice was Mr Bill Collins, schoolmaster. They would pick the captain, vice captain and the secretary on the Thursday night in the Malt Scoop, and then pulling the team sheet up in Mr Sid Snell ‘s window. What a difference in 2018.
Mr Maurice Burrows used to take us to away matches in his bus, sometimes the driver Mr Fred Drew would do so. Later on Mr Douglas Venner did as he played for Lapford. Two others from Witheridge, namely Bill Hill (goalkeeper) and Henry Rowcliffe. When we went by car with footballers taking their cars, the rule was pay the driver two shillings and sixpence each.