Taplow United Football Club 
                      An FA Chartered Standard Community Club                 

Berry Hill, Taplow, SL6 0DA
01628 621745

NOTES FROM OLD PALUDIANS’ 60^TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER 1984 SPEECH BY JOHN HEAD-RAPSON RETIRING FOOTBALL CLUB CAPTAIN.

As retiring club captain, Andy has asked me to remind you of the long history of this club and to consider the future.
I hope you won’t find it too tiresome if I send a little time on the Club’s history. Many I know are unaware of our origins and track record over the years. I certainly found it of interest pulling all the pieces of information together.

Pre-War

Naturally there are very few records in our possession; not many survived from pre-war but I do have one or two. Luckily, I also found some useful notes jotted down by Mike Limmer some ten years ago for the 50^th Anniversary at the Dolphin Hotel.

By 1931, the Association was being run by C J Farrow. The President (rather than Chairman) was the headmaster E Rutland Clarke. As well as the football club, a Hockey Club had been established run by Miss D Jaques and Miss A Hoare. They fielded two teams run by Miss M Sands, Miss P Hartley, Miss D Howard and Miss M Dickson. There was also a cricket club run by J.T.S. Templeman and a Drama Society run by A. L Tamblyn, the hub of which appears to have been a Play-Reading Circle. The Association seems to have undertaken the organisation of social events like Whist Drives, Concerts and Dances leaving the other activities to the individual clubs.

Mike’s notes suggest that the founder of the Football Club and one of the most active in its organisation in the pre-war years was Sid Medcalf. The Club’s first ground was Colonel Davies’ Meadow, which later became the site of South Buck’s Garage. The Club ran two football teams at the start and by 1931 had expanded to three, with two teams in the Secondary Schools’ Old Boys’ League and one in Division 4 of the Windsor & District league. The original colours were chocolate. At least until the early 1930’s Bill Harding and E.W. Barnard ran the football club ably assisted by Vic Buckland and Tiny Hanscombe amongst others.

We moved grounds a number of times but were finally established at the ‘Bore Holes’ at Eton. The Club enjoyed quite a bit of success with all three teams winning their leagues. Among these triumphs was a famous double of the Premier division title and the Old Boys’ Senior Cup – a feat only achieved by three other clubs to this day.

Post-War

Supposedly, during the war the Cub was ‘maintained’ by H. J. Charman, although how he missed the war and what he maintained is not clear.

The Club came back together again in 1946 when the first post-war meeting was held. It says something for the spirit of comradeship which existed then – and holds the core of the Club together today - that after six years of war they were able to pick up where they left off. Instrumental in the reunion was the headmaster Mr Rutland Clarke and other prominent figures of the time H. J. Corderey, H. J. Bryant, John Collin, Messrs F Grosch, Sheppard and Brittain.

The Club found itself with £34 in assets when it re-started. They formed three football teams and entered the Old Boys’ League (which had been formed from the merger of the two old boys’ leagues); and the Windsor and District Junior and Minor Leagues. They also had a strollers XI, equivalent to our current veterans. The Club colours had changed by 1931 to dark blue and light blue quarters, the strip maintained post war, with only the minors in the school colours.

It is rather amusing that annual subscriptions then were equivalent to 52.5p today and match subscriptions were 5p for the 1XI and 2.5p for others – this is still what Derek Barnes thinks he should pay today.

It is a remarkable fact that throughout the ensuing decades the teams consistently enjoyed a good measure of success. It took only four years for the first team to gain promotion to the senior divisions. Although the Club have had their bad times too, the highlights of the 40’s and 50’s was an appearance in the Old Boys’ Senior Cup Final in 1953/4, which we lost 0-5 to Trinity Old Boys. During this time we also ran a youth side (I imagine the school did not play weekend football at this time), which pulled off a creditable treble in 1957/8 of the Slough District Youth League, League Cup and Colwyn Cup.

The Club played at the School and at Lascelles during this time. But in 1957 we moved here to Popes Field when Stanley Jones donated the ground. On obtaining the land the association was dissolved and subsequently incorporated. Towards the end of the fifties the names of Pete Dunage, Tony Southam and Mike Limmer started to appear in the records.

The 1960’s

The 60s was a successful decade with the 1XI advancing up the senior divisions to eventually occupy a spot in the Premier Division. There is still in existence a photograph of the side promoted in 1965/66 to the Premier ( including Mike Limmer, Colin Evans, Ken Messenger, Ray Grantham and others).

On the way we reached the Slough Town Premier Cup Final in 1962/3 but lost 1-3 to Coopers Sports. The reserves and 3rdXI also had a measure of success picking up trophies and promotion. Sadly at the end of the decade Stan Jones died and as a commemoration the field was re-named.

The 1970s

Many may view the 70s as the most successful era of the Club, partly I suspect for emotional reasons and because it is within easy recall. In the first half of the decade we reached the Slough Town Cup Final twice

1973/4 was, of course, our golden jubilee year celebrated in conjunction with the Slough Town Challenge Cup competition.

In the period to 1975/6 the Reserves, thirds and fourth XI all won league titles. The reserves were in senior division 3 at the time. We were represented in the League XIs by Messrs Grantham, Gleave, Breen and of course that charming veteran Ken Messenger. And R 'Todge' Taylor completed 1000 appearances for the Pals – an amazing feat.

However the latter part of the decade can only described in American jargon as our dog-day afternoon. I have searched for the reasons and can find only one ever-present element over the years- Dave Aslett. He was elected to the football committee in 1975 and what a disaster ensued. The latter part of the decade saw the 1XI plunge to Senior 3, the reserves dropped two divisions; but as demonstrated many times in the past we have the capacity for recovery.

In the 80s the 3rds have won D2 West and in 1982/3 the 1XI won Senior Division 3 of the Old Boys’ League. The scene is set for further success.

Over the years the matters which have concerned the Club have, not unexpectedly, been the same. The lessons are clear. There are four things to get right to give yourself a chance of success:

In handing over the club captaincy, I should point out that a fair degree of responsibility falls on the Club captain. His drive and inspiration sets the example for the rest of the Club. So I would like to welcome Pat Guerin, my successor, every success.