50 years ago today.......

I don’t suppose parents let four year old children walk on their own to the local recreation ground today. In fact I’m not sure that youngsters walk anywhere today. The roads are all so busy. The cars so fast. Drivers more concerned with the incoming text message than the small child escaping the security of their home.

But in 1957 the run down past the allotments, through the alleyway and out across Cove Road, by St Christopher’s Church, was something that I did with my brother every Saturday.

We were like any two kids on a beach, running down to the surf, blind to the dangers that only adults can see. Our focus….Cove Green. And our mission….to get there with our precious leather football before the match kicked off.

Cove Football Club was formed in 1897 by a group of local people playing on a field behind their favourite public house. Then after just a few years the club moved to Cove Green, their home until the 1970’s. The club left the Green in 1973, when they developed their present facilities at Oak Farm.


I loved going down to the Green on a Saturday. We always stood behind the goal, talking to the keeper and asking the stupid questions that little kids specialise in. And when the heavy leather ball hit the back of the net the sound was like waves crashing down on to the pebble bank at Southsea beach during a violent winter’s storm.

A sound so sadly lost to football fans today.

Cove 14 v 0 Stoke Rec….plenty of ‘crashing’ that day and an opportunity for us to ask the keeper if he would let us have his boots. Gosh, he was so down and despondent…then just as he was about to hand them over his manager shouted out from the far side of the pitch, ‘ok for next Saturday…we’re at home’. The ‘Stoke’ goalie took a firm grip of his worn out boots and disappeared into the timber pavilion that stood in the top corner of the Green. Big and jet black from years of creosoting the building gave off a pungent, overpowering smell that cleaned out the nasal passages everytime I went close in search of another ‘famous’ autograph.

The run down to Cove Green became our regular Saturday adventure for the next three years….I can’t remember any of the players names and my autograph book was lost years ago, but to a small boy the matches were simply magical.

When it came, Dad’s invitation was a bit of a surprise. He had never shown any interest in joining us down the Green and I certainly couldn’t think of any occasion when he had been to see the Shots on his own…

’Son, I thought we would go and watch Aldershot on Saturday’.

I responded just like any boy aged 7, who loved football, would, ‘ok, can I take my ball and play behind the goal’.

‘No Son – I don’t think so’.

And that’s how my lifetime obsession with Aldershot started and Saturday October 15th 1960 became the date of my first game at the Recreation Ground, Aldershot.

I remember getting to Aldershot quite early. The streets around the ground were full with supporters. Most of them were wearing blue and white hats with scarves wrapped tightly around their necks ('Posh' fans). The crowd was about 12500, certainly a lot more than I was used to 'down the Green'! I held on to my Dad’s coat not wanting to get separated from him in this big and new world.

Peterborough United, in their first League season brought about 6000 fans to the game and they were clearly not going to just watch the game and say no more than, ‘good shot, well done’. No, the noise was deafening as we queued up at the historic turnstiles.

Steam trains rumbled over the bridge, just behind the ground, covering the High Street in a blanket of sulphurous smoke. The carriages packed with even more supporters on their way to the game.

We entered the stadium, I let go of Dad’s coat and ran up the steps leading through the gardens to the ground. And there it was. The majestic form of the South Stand, and in the distance the East Bank full of visiting and home fans, bursting with colour. Then away to my left, the calm and serenity of the North Bank

I stood with Dad behind the goal at the High Street End, gripping the fencing and shaking with the excitement of the occasion.

Peterborough kicked off towards the East Bank…that I can remember. As for the rest of the game…well it was a 1v1 draw and Peterborough went on to become Division 4 champions, beating us 7v1 at London Road on the way…..

50 years on and the Rec really hasn’t changed very much, although we are now no longer allowed to stand behind the goal at the High Street End……and after all these years I’m no wiser, just older, but I do sit in the serenity of the North Stand.

On Saturday Kevin Dillon, Aldershot Town manager, will celebrate his 50th game in charge…..as I celebrate my 50th year…..I look forward to an entertaining game!