Four went on to be professional

IT was interesting to see the two photographs of Nutbush Rovers (HE, September 13).

I can fill in the history of this club because I founded it together with some friends of mine while we were at the Torquay Boys' Grammar School.

Two of the founders are to be seen in the upper photograph and they are Richard Turl and Michael Pearce.

When we formed the club, we looked for a name which was new and picked Nutbush after Nut Bush Lane in Shiphay and Chelston. A lot of the players came from Chelston.

The team in stripes is the reserve side and, indeed, four of the players went on to be professional, which must be quite a record.

We actually played at Barton Downs and, therefore, had a lot of youngsters from the Hele Village area.

I always remember Bruce Stuckey joining the club. I had a lot to do with running the reserve side and when Bruce joined, we were astonished.

He would collect the ball on the edge of his own penalty box and the next thing we knew he was at the other end shooting at goal.

Nobody could catch him; indeed I went to the manager, Eric Charlton, and said he ought to come and look at his reserve side and, in particular, Bruce Stuckey.

The first team got rained off one Saturday, so he did.

We never saw Bruce again in the reserves — he went straight into the first team and the rest, as they say, is history.

The club did not actually fizzle out.

As the grammar school boys got older, we needed an influx of youth and therefore Nutbush Rovers amalgamated with a club known as Southfield.

Both names were then discarded and the new club was called Paignton United, which still exists today, but the merger of youth and experience took Paignton all the way to the Premier Division where it became a force in local football and indeed was managed for a while by my ex-partner, Tony Hamilton.

I do not have any photographs of Paignton United, but I do enclose herewith two other photographs of Nutbush Rovers.

KEITH METCALFE

Union Street

Torquay

Nutbush photo from 1959

THANK you for showing photos in Bygones (HE, September 13).

I can tell you about the brief history of Nutbush Rovers FC.

The name came about because there was am amalgamation of two clubs — Shiphay Colts and Queensway Rovers.

The road that joins Shiphay and Chelston is Nut Bush Lane, hence Nutbush Rovers.

Shiphay Colts were formed in 1959. This is a photo (far right) taken in February, 1959, at Cricketfield Road.

The shirts were kindly donated by Chelston AFC, who had just taken over a brand new kit.

Shiphay Colts, top row, from left: Bob Coombe, Mike Cornish, Charlie Seabrook, Keith Jackson, Mike Loosemore, Ken Satterley, Brian Kealey, Colin Farmer honorary secretary.

Bottom row, from left: Pat Hussey, David Phillips, Albert Watson, Colin Brooks, David Hughes.

DAVID PHILLIPS

Memories of football team

I WAS recently made aware of an article which appeared in your 13th September edition showing a photo of the Nutbush Rovers football team back in 1960 and referring to a couple of the players who went on to play for football league clubs.

Peter Northcott, who was in the photograph, asked if anyone had any information to add.

Well, although it was a long time ago, it did bring back many memories to me as I was instrumental in its formation.

Nutbush Rovers originated from an amalgamation of Queensway Rovers, a youth team I played for in Chelston, and a team from Shiphay — the name coming from the road Nut Bush Lane which linked the two communities together.

While I did not go on to play many matches for the new team myself, I was secretary for some time and as such attended most of their matches both at home and away. I do remember all those players in the 1960 photograph as well as both Barry Redwood and Bruce Stuckey.

Other notable players, however, included Barry Matthews, who played cricket for Devon, and Cliff Balsom, who went on to play full-back, firstly for Exeter City and then on to Poole Town when they were in the old Southern League (now the Conference).

I am sure some of these players are still around.

I left Torquay in the early 1960s to go to college in Leicester and, as a consequence, lost my earlier links with the club.

Although I now reside in Dorset, I do know that towards the end of the 1960s the club merged again with another local club to become Paignton United who I believe played at Clennon Valley.

The Herald Express, in fact, published an article on Tuesday, June 7 2005 regarding the disbandment of this club and its then manager Cliff Coxon under a subheading of 'No sex or booze on Friday night by order of the management'.

Although I did not know Cliff, Eric Charlton, the original manager of Nutbush Rovers, was obviously in the same mould.

I remember Eric very well, especially his positive philosophy that you were on the attack when in possession of the ball wherever that might be on the pitch.

I am in no doubt his dedication and enthusiasm was the main reason why so many good players came to play for Nutbush Rovers in the first place.

Richard Ralph

Verwood

Dorset