The boys of 1969/1970 - What happened to the players? Part 4

It is now fifty years since Cambridge United won the Southern League for the second time in succession and  were elected into the Football League; this was achieved with a squad of primarily sixteen professionals most of whom stayed on for the first season in the Football League.

Below is Part 4 and the final part of a series to provide some information of what happened as the players moved on. 

Today we look at Terry Eades, Brian Grant, Roly Horrey, John Gregson

Roly Horrey - like Mel Slack originated from Bishops Auckland. He started his footballing career there and at Ferryhill Athletic  before moving onto Blackburn where he made his league debut. Roly made the move to York for a fee of £4,000 in 1966, During the preseason of  1968 he was coming south and to Cambridge United along with York teammate Dennis Walker.

Roly made his debut in the first match of the 1968 season against Poole and scored his first goal against Burton on the 31st August.

Known as the Galloping Major,  Roly was in competition with Peter Leggett for a starting place in the side. He was a valuable member of both Southern League championship title winning sides.

Roly played his first Football League match against Crewe in September 1970. By the end of the season he had become  a regular again in the side. He would survive the Bill Leivers cull that came when the season finished when many from the Championship side did not

In January Roly was allowed a free transfer and moved to Chelmsford. It was just a few month after the 6 nil defeat of Darlington when he was reported to have run their defence ragged. Chelmsford who paid a small fee for him. He only play a few Southern League matches for them but lots in other competitions like the Eastern Professional Floodlit League. Their manager at the time, Dave Bumpstead, told him he only bought him to gee the other players up! It must have worked as they won the Southern League Championship that season. Along with a £28 per week basic wage he was promised a part-time job at Marconi. The job didn’t materialise, which may have been because of the the three day working week which was enforced at the time. He managed to find part-time work on building sites.
After Chelmsford Roly played at Bedford Town who were knocked out of the FA Cup by Histon who were managed by Roly’s old pal and former United team mate Brian Grant. After the match Brian asked the Bedford manager Brian Garvey if he would be willing to let Roly join Histon. The request was met with a very blunt no!

Bedford was Roly’s last club before he retired from football and became a Hod carrier on building sites, earning more than he was as a footballer.

He has now been retired for a few years and lives in Saffron Walden. He looks upon his years at Cambridge United as the happiest of his playing career.

He  still follow the fortunes of the U’s and likes to get to the Abbey with his grandson Louis, who is a United fanatic, whenever he can.

READ BLESSED BRIAN HERE

Brian Grant - Born in Coatbridge in May 1943 he would move south of the border to play for Nottingham Forest. Having played 18 matches for them he was signed by Brian Clough for  Hartlepool. During his time there he would play alongside John McGovern who later lifted the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and beame known as Tiger.

When he arrived at the Abbey Stadium he  established regular full back partnerships with first Keith Lindsey and then Jimmy Thompson.

He was also the first of a group of Scottish born players who were so important in winning the Southern League title in 1969/79. He was later joined by Bill Cassidy, Colin Meldrum and John McKinven,

Brian made his debut against Kettering in September 1969 and soon became a regular in the side for the next few years.  Bill would describe him as a strong, brave, big hearted player. The type all managers would be looking for.

Not known for his goalscoring exploits he scored just one Southern League goal in an 8 nil win against Crawley and once in an EPFL match against Cambridge City.

His final start was for the U's was against Barrow in January 1971. Brian had been granted a free transfer having been left out of the side following a 4-1 reverse to Notts County in the final match of 1970.

He moved onto Kettering followed, by management positions at Histon, Bishop’s Stortford, Cambridge City and Saffron Walden and the Cambridgeshire County team.

He has remained in the local area and worked as a painter decorator

Most supporters during his time at Cambridge United will remember his ability to complete impeccably timed sliding tackles

Terry Eades - signed for Cambridge United in March 1969 when Bill Leivers paid Chelmsford £2,500 for the central defender.  He was 25 and regarded as their best player at the time.  Good in the air and able to mark opposition players out of the game. Terry had excellent organisational skills in the heart of the defence.

When the U's won the championship in 1969/70 it would be his third title in successive years.

In 1974 Terry would become the first Cambridge United  player  Sunday when he scored the FA Cup equaliser against Oldham.

At the start of the 1975/76 season he was made club captain and the season saw him break his nose, get sent off and have a nose straightening operation

Terry would remain a regular first choice in the side until 1976 such was his quality.

At the start of the 76/77 season Brandon Batson was appointed club captain. This unsettled Terry and he asked for a transfer, Turning down Brentford he later signed for  Watford on loan.  At the end of the season he was released..

His final league match was away against Stockport in a goaless draw in the match that confirmed the championship

It was the end of an era. Terry was the last link to the side of the Southern League days

READ TERRY EADES
HOF
PROFILE HERE

Terry made his final appearance for Cambridge United F.C. in his testimonial in 1980, when Cambridge played Ron Atkinson's West Brom at the Abbey stadium

21/04/1980 WBA 1-2 3,660

Goalscorer Smith L

Key Donaldson Murray Jm Smith L Eades T Gibbins Christie Watson G O'Neill T Finney T Biley Silvester, Evans D, Cassidy F 

Goals Barnes, Trewick

Godden Batson Statham Moses Wile Robertson Trewick Deehan Mills Benjamin Barnes Brown A, Brown T, Monaghan, Green

After leaving Cambridge United he returned to Chelmsford for a short period before becoming player manager of Histon

Terry worked for various car dealerships locally starting off at Holland Motors on Mill Road while enjoying playing the odd round of golf. He went on to win  several tournaments

He still lives locally to Cambridge.

---

John Gregson has kindly provided the following in his own words. Coconuts put out a call recently to try and find out where he lived. We were able to speak to John who now lives in the North West.

The following is the history of my time as a professional footballer.

I signed for Blackpool in the late 1950s, managed by Joe Smith, after deputising for Stanley Matthews on a couple of occasions, in the early sixties I was called up for National Service for two years, when the two years was completed I returned  to Blackpool F.C. but management had changed and I was transferred to Chester F.C, then Shrewsbury town came in for me after a couple of months,  over the next few years I moved from Shrewsbury to Mansfield Town and then Lincoln City.  I was at Lincoln for one year then Bill Leivers around 1968 ask me if I would like to come to Cambridge. I was very impressed with the manager and Cambridge United as a football club, they where very ambitious and hoping to achieve league status. What an exciting time for everyone when the club got league status around 1969-1970 and the took all our families to Spain for a week as a reward.

The end of my career came early on when we started the season on league four, I broke my ankle and had to retire, Bobby Robson who was manager of Ipswich Town brought his first team to the Abbey Stadium for a testimonial for me.

Can I finish by saying Cambridge United offered to fix me up with a job on the staff, but thanked them, but decided to return to Lancashire and qualified as an Engineer and worked at Leyland Trucks until my retirement around 2001.

Below are the clubs I played for.

Blackpool.
Chester.
Shrewsbury Town.
Mansfield Town.
Lincoln City.
Cambridge United.

Celery & Coconuts Volume 1, 2 & 3
The Story of Cambridge United Football Club
Individual Books Post Only

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

Read Part 3