Latest News
Welcome to the newsletter for Eastbourne walking footballers.
July 2021 Issue
Editorial
We are into a great summer of sport. Tennis at Wimbledon, with the brits doing better than usual; football across Europe, with the English doing better than usual; cricket and England winning at T20 and at 50 over matches (a shame at the test side’s performance against the Kiwis); Mark Cavendish rolling back the years to win two stages at the Tour De France and we still have the Olympics to come.
And, of course, top quality walking football, every Tuesday and Thursday, at Priory Lane.
Enjoy the summer and enjoy your football.
Terry Stubbings
Birthdays:
Congratulations and happy returns to:
Ken Barnard on 16th
David Bates on 23rd
Steve Over on 27th
Tom O’Connell on 30th
Stephen Pulman and Mike Bridger on 31st
Get well soon
We hope to welcome back these players back soon:
Bob Bagley; Chris Wheeler; Graham Booth
Plus, others, if there are any, that we don’t know about.
Dates for your Diary
Saturday 3rd July: 12.15 kick-off. Eastbourne Borough Over 60s WFC v Worthing, WFA National Competition. Supporters welcome.
Thursday 15th July: visit from the Brummie Boys. This will include a Borough select team playing the visitors for the Mark Hardcastle Challenge Cup.
Congratulations
Well done to Chris Mottershead and David Blackledge, selected for SE regional over-70s squad. And well done, too, to Tony Edwards, selected for SE regional over-50s squad. Best wishes to Steve Over invited back to the second stage of SE regional over-50s trials, on July 24th.
Over 70s versus Bexhill
On Thursday 17th June, we welcomed a squad of over 70s from Bexhill. On a slick, damp pitch, but with the rain holding out, 5 games were played. With six on the field at one time, a ten man squad was constantly rotated.
Games 1 and 2 were 0-0, the third game Borough won 3-0, with the team as follows,
Maurice Lawlor, in goal, Les Ward as centre back, a 3 man midfield of David Blackburn, Roy Fouracres and Ray Rowlands, with Antonio Forte, as a lone striker. It was a fantastic team performance, with all goals coming in the second half, scored by Dave, Ray, and Antonio.
Game 4 was a Bexhill 1-0 win. Final game was 7v 7 to finish off the morning session. Lesley, Brian's wife supplied after match refreshment, brownies and icing-topped cakes.
Those of you on the ball, will have noticed that some of the Borough team have not quite reached 70 but played to make up numbers, as several 70 years olds had not confirmed they would attend, as they had been asked.
Profile: Terry Whippy
Terry was born in the war ravaged year of 1944 at 3 Richmond
, Terrace,Pevensey Bay, where he spent his formative years.
He attended Pevensey Primary School and then Bexhill
Terry’s first job after this was a junior in the maintenance department
at Green Brothers of Hailsham, to which he cycled each day from
Westham, even during the big freeze winter of 1961/62.
After this, Terry went on to become a service engineer for various
companies, repairing vending machines, photo booths,
fruit machines and juke boxes. Terry finished his working life as
dispatch manager for a large firm in Uckfield.
Mr Whippy banging on again
In the early sixties, Terry played drums for various local rock groups. In 1971, Terry married Pat and they had one daughter, Phillipa.
Terry’s abiding interest during his life has been the study of World War One. Terry has visited the battlefields at least half a dozen times a year (untill Covid) and he is credited in many books on the subject. Terry has given talks to local societies about the battles of the Great War,.Terry is the author of two books: one about his Uncle Lawrence, who was killed in WW1 and another about his Uncle Fleetwood, who died in WW2.
Terry's love of football started early and he played for his school side and then for Pevensey Minors (under 18's). Terry then joined Eastbourne United for a couple of seasons when former professional player Gordon Jago was the manager although he does admit he never played for the first team.
At that time United played in the Metropolitan League alongside teams such as West Ham United and Spurs 3rd elevens. Terry then played for Pevensey for many years. In the mid sixties, the Sunday league started and saw him play for BirdsEye Foods and Eastbourne Taxis and winning the Sussex Sunday Cup with the former. Terry’s walking football started a few weeks after Shinewater Gym started the sport, in 2015 and apart from a few spells out with poor health, he has been playing ever since and hopes to continue for a few more years, as he has made so many good friends along the way.
June Birthdays
Heidi Emery on the 2nd
Paul Sutton on the 7th
Andrew Dixon on 11th
Michael Brady on the 16th
Tony Cleaton on the 18th
Adam Wood on 25th
Dates for your Diary
Thursday 17th June: visit from Bexhill over-70s team
Saturday 3rd July: WFA Over 60s National Cup First Round, Eastbourne Borough vs Worthing
Thursday 15th July: visit from the Brummie Boys. This will include a Borough select team playing the visitors for the Mark Hardcastle Challenge Cup
Hip, hip hooray
Congratulations to Jude Hawes, invited back to the second stage of the trials for the England Women’s walking football team.
Well done to Chris Mottershead and David Blackledge, invited back to the second stage of SE regional over-70s trials
Three cheers for Tony Edwards, David O’Toole and Steve Over invited back to the second stage of SE regional over-50s trials
Thanks
Thanks to all those who help set up and put away on Tuesdays and Thursdays, especially Brian LeGrove, Phil Cousens, Paul Sutton, Roger Barnett, John Langton and Roy Fouracres (currently excused).
Thanks to all our referees: we really appreciate the tricky job that you do.
Want even more walking football?
Did you know that there is also Walking Football at Hampden Park Sports Centre, Saturday mornings on the astroturf: 10 am start. This is nothing to do with our club but some members go along and play.
Player Profiles
Ahmad Lalmahomed
Ahmad was born in Mauritius, at that time a British colony, in the early 1950s, one of 7 children (4 boys, 3 girls). Ahmad’s father was a butcher by trade and owned a retail shop. Ahmad played football from the age of eight, joining his local team, Phoenix Spurs, meaning he had little choice about becoming a Tottenham Hotspur fan, too.
Ahmad took GCE exams and while waiting for his results, worked in the family’s retail shop, helping his mum.
Ahmad came to the UK in 1975, having been accepted to train as a nurse and 3 years later he became a Registered Nurse. Ahmad progressed well and was given a Charge Nurse ( male Sister) post in 1983. This was the same year that Ahmad married: subsequently he had two children, a girl and a boy.
Ahmad’s nursing career has included many years managing an NHS residential home for clients with learning disabilities. He was able to retire from the NHS at the age of 55 because he had Mental Health Officer status but then moved on to the private sector, as Manager of a Nursing Home for elderly residents. In recent years, Ahmad has worked part-time as a Clinical Practitioner and Advisor, using has City and Guilds teaching qualification to train staff in the areas of health and safety; moving and handling; first aid; infection control and protection of vulnerable adults. Ahmad has always enjoyed his nursing career. His is a nursing family.
Ahmad has always been a sportsman. His favourite sports are swimming, football, volleyball and golf. Ahmad also plays tennis and badminton and has participated in cross country running: at college he won major trophies. In the 1990s, Ahmad coached a youth football team.
Ahmad likes to think of himself as an honest and trustworthy person, who is kind to others and finds it easy to make friends. Ahmad apologises that he competitive nature sometimes gets him into a bit of conflict, including when playing walking football.
Ahmad likes walking in the countryside, especially in beautiful mountainous or coastal areas.
Ahmad says another hobby is painting and decorating but only if his wife tells him to do it! Favourite food is fish and chips. Sorry, I wrote ‘ lamb korma’ but the spellchecker changed it.
To put the ‘mad’ in Ahmad, Ahmad says he thinks Spurs are going to win the Premiership and England are going win the World Cup. As he says ‘we have to believe’.
Tom O’Connell
Shortly before V J day, Mrs O’Connell was delivered of a bonny baby boy, in Ipswich, and named him Thomas. As a boy, Tom was taken to Portman Road and ever since has been a Tractor Boy, although now shares his allegiance with the Seagulls, being a season-ticket-holder at the AMEX. Tom was educated (yes, he was) at Stow Market Grammar School. From the school grounds Tom could see RAF Watersham: later at the end of his RAF career (1975), Tom was able to see his old school from where he was stationed- RAF Watersham.
Tom on RAF parade : he is on the right
Tom played soccer for his school and soccer and tennis for each of his RAF stations. He was quite a promising footballer, as a apprentice under Alf Ramsay at Ipswich Town but his dad wouldn’t sign professional forms, insisting he pursue a more stable career.
Tom’s career, initially, was as ground crew in the RAF, where he worked on Lightnings and Vulcans and on the historic crew working on Spitfires, Lancasters and Hurricanes.
Being on the Vulcans involved a trip around the world, every 6 weeks, teaching other crews mid-air refuelling.
Tom married Jan, 45 years ago. They had 3 daughters and now have 3 grandchildren and a great grandson.
Tom used to be a volunteer driver for Alzheimer’s Society, part of which was bringing a group to Eastbourne Borough’s club house for weekly social events. While there, he spoke to Steve Benteman about Walking Football and Steve invited him along to play, in Seaford. Unfortunately, this did not go well- Tom had a spell in goal and left with a broken finger. Soon after, however, Tom was a regular at Shinewater and at Priory Lane and has now been playing over 4 years.
Tom is a useful snooker player, participating in the local league. For many years Tom has been a caravanner, giving it up 5 years ago bur then getting hooked (up) again.
