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Mystery inside an enigma

6/26/2018

This is an edited version of an article that appeared in the Cambridge United matchday programme for the game against Bristol Rovers on 30 October 2015.

It’s as frustrating as trying to find Port Vale in an atlas and as mysterious as Donald Trump’s hairdo: when, how and why did Abbey United come into being?

Andrew Bennett’s masterly history of the club’s early years, which you can read in Newmarket Road Roughs (buy it here), the first volume of his Celery & Coconuts series, is probably as close to the truth as it’s possible to be at present, but there are still nagging questions that require definitive answers.

We all know that United was founded in 1912, don’t we? Do we?

There are those who swear that the club that emerged in 1919 and took its place in the Cambridgeshire League two years later had no connection with the pre-war Abbey United that played friendlies against the likes of the Sons of Temperance and Blossom Rovers.

Just two pieces of documentary evidence that connect the two and point to a foundation date of 1912 – some headed notepaper from 1926 and a report of the club’s annual dinner in the Cambridge Daily News of 28 May 1925 – have so far been unearthed. Apart from that, it’s all hearsay and anecdote.

It’s certain that Abbey United played MJ Drew’s XI on Midsummer Common on Saturday, 21 November 1913, isn’t it? The CDN had announced the fixture in its columns the previous day, after all – it appears to be the first mention of the club in the local press.

But here’s the thing: when the paper reported on the match the following Monday, the 7-0 losers were named as Abbey Juniors.

(By the way, MJ Drew was a local footballer who also played for Cam and Crescent, with no connection to the character portrayed by Joan Crawford in the 1942 screwball comedy They All Kissed The Bride; let’s not get carried away.)

Stourbridge Common in 1912: were Abbey United, or Abbey Juniors, playing nearby? Photo: Cambridgeshire Collection at Cambridge Central Library

There’s more. A trawl through the archives in pursuit of references to Abbey Juniors yields intriguing results.

First of all, no mention of a team with that name can be found after the MJ Drew game. But go back before 21 November 1913 and the mystery deepens – Abbey Juniors were reported to have lost 3-0 to University Press Juniors ten days before the Drew game.

Go even further back: there is no mention of an Abbey team in the 1912/13 or 1911/12 seasons, but on 19 November 1910, Abbey Juniors were reported to have beaten Press Juniors 2-1.

In the preceding season, the Abbey Crusaders club were reported to have played two friendly matches. A team of that name became Abbey United’s first ever Cambs League opponents in 1921, so they couldn’t be connected to the club we love, could they?

Perhaps you want the waters muddier still? Try this: a cricket team by the name of Abbey Crusaders was active in Cambridge as early as 1906.

Who were the Abbey Juniors of 1910? Did the crowd of that time – if there was one – chant: ‘Are you United in disguise?’ Is it possible that the Juniors became United and that our club dates from at least two years further back than we thought? Where, if anywhere, did Abbey Crusaders fit in?

At the moment, your guess is as good as ours. Coconutters continue to tunnel through the records, such as they are, and when we find an answer you’ll be the first to know. Meanwhile, as Andrew puts it, we’re left with an enigma wrapped up inside in a riddle.

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Marvellous Morgans

6/13/2018

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An edited version of this article appeared in the Cambridge United matchday programme for the match against Crawley Town on 22 August 2015.

In a certain row of the main stand on any match day, at least three Morgans, sometimes more, can be found sitting. None of them are related, at least not closely, and they originate from far-flung corners of these islands. There are a lot of them about and, predictably, Morgans loom large in the story of Cambridge United.

You won’t be talking about Supporters’ Club history for long, for example, before someone mentions Jenny Morgan who, alongside the equally legendary Lil Harrison, was a stalwart of the committee in the 1950s and beyond.

Old-school supporters recall with fondness queuing for the tea bar at which Mesdames Morgan and Harrison dispensed the half-time cups that cheered.

You can still see the serving hatches if you sidle along behind the enclosure for disabled supporters at the pitchward end of the Supporters’ Club. Breeze-blocked in for many years now, they will one day soon, perhaps, be reduced to rubble.

This corner of the Abbey is stiff with history. Cast your eyes up and to the left and you’ll espy the centre of 100 Years of Coconuts’ world: the ruins of the little tower where Jack Morgan first dropped I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, by Billy Cotton and his Band, on his gramophone turntable for the entertainment of the Abbey faithful.

Jack – one of four sons of Jenny and Dick Morgan who inherited the Abbey habit – supported the U’s throughout his 92 years. He remembered clambering over the club's roof to set up the speakers that would relay the glad tidings of a United win to the neighbourhood; there were no eardrum-wobbling PA systems in those days.

United lost a lifelong friend when Jack died in 2016. We were lucky enough to be able to record some of his memories before he left us.

Another Morgan brother was Arthur, who made his name as a goalkeeper but turned out for Abbey United in a multitude of positions, full back, wing half, inside forward and centre forward among them. Try to imagine Liam Hughes with side-parted, dark, wavy hair and baggy shorts.

Above, Cambridge United Supporters' Club management committee for 1957/58, with Jenny Morgan front row, far right. Below, supporters Sheila Munn (left) and Rosa Craft pin rosettes on the lapels of players Arthur Morgan (left) and Bob Bishop. Bottom, Jack Morgan in 2015.

Arthur played 110 first team games for United between 1947 and 1955. His greatest moment came on 26 November 1953, when his stupendous performance in goal allowed the U’s to beat Newport County 2-1 away in an FA Cup first round replay.

He was chaired from the pitch that afternoon by fans including brother Jack, who had hotfooted it to Newport from Wembley: Hungary’s Magical Magyars had humiliated England by six goals to three the previous night.

But Arthur’s biggest thrills in football came from beating United’s closest rivals in the pulsating derbies of the 1950s. ‘With so many locals involved, the beer always seemed to taste better after we had defeated the City,’ he recalled.

Arthur is best remembered by Cambridge people, however, for his 40-plus years as the devoted custodian of Parker’s Piece, which ended with his retirement in the late 1980s. He died in 2012.

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Remembering Billy

6/11/2018

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It's always a pleasure to welcome members of the U's extended family to the Abbey, even if it's out of season and we can't show them The Story of the U's mini-museum because it's been blocked off by mountains of A-ha-related gear.

Sunday's visitors, all the way from Auchterarder in Perthshire, were Andrew Welsh – son of tough-tackling 1960s wing half Billy – and his partner Pauline Silverman. Their visit coincided with Andrew's 50th birthday and the Abbey concert featuring OMD, his favourite band.

Billy – who died in a hill-climbing accident 20 years ago – was never one to brag about his professional football career, and Andrew has long wanted to speak to people who saw his dad play, or played with him.

Coconuts was able to fix this by relaying memories and good wishes from supporters and members of Cambridge United Former Players' Association, and taking Andrew and Pauline to chat to CUFPA's chairman Rodney Slack, who played three seasons with Billy, and wife Josie.

As fans of 80s music gathered over the road, Rodney and Josie reminisced about Andrew's dad and mother Avril, a Cambridge girl who still lives in Scotland.

United manager Alan Moore signed Billy from Airdrieonians in the summer of 1960. Forming a famous half-back line with Fred Howell and Roy Kirk, he played in 262 games in all competitions, scoring 18 goals, in his five years at the Abbey.

He was 24 when he joined the U’s, arriving with the reputation of being tough but talented – and also noted for his sartorial elegance and his refusal to join in with the 'industrial' language of the dressing room. His first game for United came on 20 August 1960, a 2-2 home draw with Hinckley Athletic in the Southern League Premier Division.

The following season he played in an FA Cup match at Romford that was noted for the eccentric performance of referee W Johnston-Wilson. Romford had already levelled for 1-1 with an indirect free kick that went straight into the goal when a cross bounced awkwardly in the penalty area and hit Billy on the arm. The press reported that even Romford fans looked puzzled as the ref gave the winning penalty.

The following season, in which United finished second in the Southern League, another smartly dressed Scot arrived, on Billy’s recommendation. ‘Gentleman’ Jim Sharkey was a skilful 27-year-old inside forward who had played with Billy at Glencairn before joining Celtic.

Above, Rodney does the autograph honours. Below, 100 Years of Coconuts presentation to Andrew.

Above from left, Rodney Slack, Pauline Silverman and Andrew Welsh get together to talk about Andrew's father's time at the U's. Below, Billy Welsh: elegant.

Billy suffered his fair share of injuries but gave as good as he got. He was dismissed in a match at Gravesend in April 1963 and in February 1964, at home against Yeovil Town, he spent much of the match hobbling after a strong tackle. It emerged afterwards that he had cracked an ankle bone and his season was over.

He didn’t complete the 1964/65 season either. At the beginning of April he underwent a cartilage operation in the Evelyn Nursing Home and saw no more action in an amber shirt. That summer he asked for a transfer – he wanted to concentrate on his job as a draughtsman, and left United for part-time football at Bath.

But he was seen at the Abbey again in November 1966, when he played as part of a team of current and former United players in Rodney Slack’s benefit match.

Supporters and teammates alike are generous in their praise of Billy’s playing ability. Colleague Peter Hobbs named him at left half in his dream team of players he played with at the Abbey. Eddie Higgins says his strongest memory of his early days supporting the U’s is of that formidable half-back line. ‘They all looked like giants to me,’ he says.

‘I can see Billy with his short, reddish hair brushed back, wearing that wonderful kit with the black V on the amber shirt, amber piping on the black shorts and vertical stripes on the socks.

‘I recall Billy in that kit in an FA Cup game at Bury that I hitchhiked to in September 1962. Billy, straight-backed and barrel-chested, had the look of a military man or a prison officer, a man not to be messed with.’

Supporter Colin Proctor, later United fans' elected director, says Billy was a very attacking half back with whom strikers never tangled. ‘He was part of one of the best half-back lines we’ve ever had,’ he added.

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Danny, champion of the Abbey

6/9/2018

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An edited version of this article was published in the Cambridge United programme for the match against Accrington Stanley on 21 November 2015.

We’re aware at Coconuts Acres that we're sometimes guilty of focusing on the distant past of Cambridge United, at the expense of more recent history. In our defence, there are good reasons for that – the task of documenting earlier events is urgent, and we already have a satisfactory record of the recent past – but we sympathise with supporters who are eager to hear about their modern-day heroes.

That’s one reason good why we’re always delighted to welcome Danny Potter to the Abbey whether it's to field fans’ queries in a Q&A session or to pedal off on a marathon charity cycle ride. Another reason is that Danny is one of the nicest blokes you’ll ever meet, in football or any other sphere.

Danny Potter: great rapport with supporters

It’s rare nowadays to find a player with such a good rapport with fans as the one Danny enjoyed with the Abbey faithful. Remember the banter with the Corona End and the Habbin, the humorous asides, the mind games with officials (the slow, slow walk back from retrieving the ball to take a dying-minutes goal kick; the stealing of yards when the ref’s back was turned)?

He was known, too, for getting opposition supporters on his side, and that was no accident. ‘I always try to get on with the other team’s fans in the first five minutes and then they stay off your back,’ he says.

At a time when many people bemoan the lack of ‘characters’ in the game, it’s refreshing to have someone like Danny around. But of course, he was a hell of a player too. His 138 games for the U’s between 2007 and 2010 are remembered for the reflex saves, the command of the area and communication with his defenders and the decisive, accurate distribution. No wonder he was selected for the England C team in 2008.

His career also covered the dramatic art – in 2002, he played himself in Sky TV's late, largely unlamented Dream Team series. He survived, unlike the many Harchester United characters who were bumped off in the declining years of the run.

Born in Ipswich in 1979, Danny started his football life at Stamford Bridge, playing in the same youth team as our own Rob Wolleaston, but the dream didn’t come true and he was released when he was 18. ‘When I started out at Chelsea I thought I’d made it,’ he observes, ‘but the easiest thing in the world is getting into a football club – the hardest thing is staying there.’

It wasn’t too hard leaving Weymouth, where he found himself after spells at Colchester, Exeter and Chelmsford. In 2003 the Terras couldn’t guarantee to pay him every week, so it was an easy decision to move to Canvey Island. He memorably bantered with U’s fans when we drew there in 2005.

Danny was on the move again in 2006, this time to Stevenage, but he was so eager to join Jimmy Quinn’s United in May 2007 that he stumped up the transfer fee himself – and he was an instant success in a mean defence.

After the disappointment of the 2008 play-off defeat, new boss Gary Brabin pooh-poohed a £15,000 Rushden bid for Danny, saying he would only consider bids over £75K. He was unchallenged as first-choice keeper during 2008/09 but his season again ended anti-climactically when injury forced him to miss the play-off final against Torquay. He had kept 17 clean league sheets that season, just as he had in 2007/08.

A shoulder injury in February 2010 kept Danny out for the rest of the season, and Martin Ling released him that summer. He moved on to Torquay and Newport before winding down his career with Staines, Leiston and Eastbourne Borough.

Now back in Suffolk, he’s always guaranteed a warm welcome from his friends and admirers at the Abbey when he makes the journey along the A14.

Danny Potter (above) in front of the camera again, for a Coconuts Q&A in 2015, and (right) in goal-kick action at the Abbey Stadium.

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Johnny Haasz 1934-2018

6/4/2018

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All members of the Cambridge United family will be saddened to learn of the death on Saturday, June 2, at the age of 83, of legendary 1960s goalscorer Janos ‘Johnny’ Haasz.

For two seasons in the mid-60s, Johnny lit up the Abbey Stadium with levels of skill seldom seen at Southern League level, and some phenomenal goalscoring feats: his 63 goals in 87 appearances in all competitions is unlikely ever to be equalled.

He already had an extraordinary life story behind him when he arrived in Cambridge in August 1963. Born in Budapest on 7 July 1934, he grew into a talented and industrious inside forward who worked his way into the Hungarian first division, playing for the Air Force team Magyar Légierö against legendary figures like Ferenc Puskás and Nándor Hidegkuti

The bloody Hungarian uprising against Soviet rule of 1956 not only interrupted Johnny’s football career, it also caused huge upheaval in his personal life. With other guerrilla fighters battling Soviet forces intent on crushing the revolution, he took on some tanks. Just nine of the 200 fighters survived, and Johnny was forced to go on the run, at one point hiding in an occupied coffin.

He made his way to Austria, then to Doncaster, where his brother was running a hotel. But in England he found that he was the subject of a FIFA ban from professional football; the Hungarian FA had labelled him and other footballers as deserters. He worked as a miner in the south Yorkshire coalfields while playing as an amateur for Bentley Colliery and Gainsborough Trinity, until the ban was lifted in 1960.

Johnny then signed for Swansea Town and scored 47 goals for the Swans’ reserves, but played just one first team game before joining Workington for a ‘substantial’ fee. Despite breaking his leg in his second game, he scored 17 goals in 50 games for the Reds, including one from 50 yards. When Alan Moore signed him for United in August 1963, he earned himself a pay rise: from £17 to £22 a week.

U’s fans quickly found they had an amazing footballer playing for them. Johnny was a footballing inside forward with a naturally attacking nature, a goal poacher as well as a creator. Five feet eight inches tall, he was an expert dribbler and had an tremendously powerful shot. He could also bend the ball around defensive walls – not as easy in the days of heavy footballs as it is today.

Above, Janos 'Johnny' Haasz in 1963; below, in 2014.

He made his Southern League debut on August 31 in a 5-3 home defeat by Wellington, but on September 23 became the first United player to score a hat-trick against Cambridge City, two days after scoring another hat-trick in a 5-1 league win over Merthyr Tydfil. The Cambridge Evening News enthused: ‘Here is an exiled newcomer, gifted with all the ball control one finds more readily on the hard continental surfaces and possessing all the speed, flexibility and anticipation of a Jimmy Greaves.’

Johnny netted four goals in the space of 20 minutes in a 6-2 win at Rugby, and in a 6-2 defeat at Bath City he scored what the local press called the best goal they had ever seen: an overhead kick with his back to goal from a Matt McVittie cross. He notched another hat-trick in September 1964, in a 3-0 win over Stevenage, but injuries and new manager Roy Kirk’s tinkering with the line-up saw him fail to recapture his true goalscoring form consistently.

He joined Corby Town at the end of the 1964/65, then after ten months returned north to play for Scarborough until 1967. Thereafter he earned his living in tyre-fitting, which he had learned during a summer job at United chairman Jack Woolley’s Abbey Tyre Company in Newmarket Road.

Back in Doncaster, he talked of his life to a Coconuts TV crew in 2014. The interview can be found here.

Johnny Haasz (above) in action in 1963; (right) in a Cambridge Daily News cartoon of 6 March 1965.

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So it begins

6/1/2018

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The publication of a complete statistical survey of Abbey/Cambridge United's century-plus history has long been one of 100 Years of Coconuts' central aims. It begins today.

It's starting in a modest way but eventually this website will contain all the facts, figures and records any football statto or United fan could desire.

This venture has been made possible by the work of the late Andrew Bennett, whose later years were devoted to compiling the information that made possible the writing of Celery & Coconuts, the definitive history of Abbey/ Cambridge United (first two volumes on sale here). Despite Andrew's untimely death earlier this year, Coconuts will continue to publish Celery & Coconuts through its Lovely Bunch imprint.

Andrew's databases provide the most detailed examination of the club's history it's possible to imagine. Coconuts volunteers were staggered to discover just how much information he amassed. It's no exaggeration to say the task of collating and placing all this data in the public domain will take years. Please be patient.

Andrew Bennett: master of record-keeping

Eventually, you will be able to study all United's results, goalscorers, appearances and player records of days gone by.

We're starting today with the establishment of a new 'Data' page and the publication of the first two full sets of Abbey United results: those from the 1913-14 and 1919-20 seasons. Head here and dig in.

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Mystery inside an enigma

Marvellous Morgans

Remembering Billy

Danny, champion of the Abbey

Johnny Haasz 1934-2018

So it begins

Happy Harry's blog

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