When I started pulling together a blog about North Tonbridge Juniors, it was quickly apparent how warmly everyone spoke about the club, whether it was former players, managers or club officials. So many people have been willing to help out in piecing together the various memories, photos, newspaper clippings and paperwork. It has turned this blog into what now appears to be mammoth project on North Tonbridge Juniors. The aim of the blog is to capture the history of the club, the spirit of the club and share great old photographs and stories.
I will be splitting the story of North Tonbridge Juniors into three separate blogs, roughly into three different eras that the club existed, as I have gathered so much information, I want to give each era a decent showcase. So the first blog will concentrate on the club's formation and its early years during the 1970s.
North End of town
Junior football in the early 1970s was played on Saturdays in the Tunbridge Wells & District Minor League, with Roselands Juniors and Spartak Juniors being the two principal teams for young footballers in Tonbridge.
With the creation of the nearby Sevenoaks based Clark Rural Boys League in the early summer of 1973 and move to matches being played on Sundays, it opened up a new opportunity for young footballers.
Dennis Way was a father of such a young footballer Paul. Dennis had a successful playing and managerial career with Tunbridge Wells FC first team and Tonbridge FC reserves, as well as also playing for Eastbourne, Wembley & Redhill in his earlier years. It appears the idea of a new football club came from a meeting between Dennis Way, Roy Brown & Jim Brazil at the annual cub scouts 5 a side tournament at Swaylands school in Penshurst in the summer of 1973. No doubt a topic of discussions was where would their sons play football after leaving cub scouts, with the majority of players moving up to Hugh Christie School.
Next on the agenda was to attract players. So a postcard was put in the Martins newsagent in York Parade by Roy Brown for prospective new players to meet up for a training session and try out for the new club. To Roy's surprise around 40 kids turned up!
Dennis, Roy & Jim were joined by Gerry Bayliss, Arthur Claxton and Moira Claxton as the founding parents and formed the club's committee structure. North Tonbridge Juniors was then officially born in the summer of 1973 with a single Under 12s team joining the Clark Rural Boys League.
Interestingly early Courier articles also refer to the team as North End Tonbridge or Tonbridge North End, as well as North Tonbridge Juniors, to add to my confusion. The club secured a pitch down in the centre of town on the Botany recreation ground, albeit the pitch needed a bit of work on it to make it playable. The club was also donated football kit by Desmond Hitch, who was Dennis Way's assistant manager at Tunbridge Wells FC in the late 1960s. The kit was the now famous yellow shirts and blue shorts.
Pre season 1973
The club had a massive response from boys wanting to play on Sundays and club attracted around 30 as reported in the Courier. The club's first ever match was a friendly against Langton Green from the Crowborough League, with Dennis managing the team. The match was used a trial for the dozens of players and the team ran out comfortable 14-0 winners. The team played a number of other pre season friendlies and their final match was against Dover Grasshoppers. A match report from the Courier is below:
"The new North End under 12s club crashed in eight goals against their opponents, but it was more than vindicated, with the North End lads taking their chances. Neil Hamilton (4), Mark Brown, Paul Way, Gary Brazil and Phil Claxton were the scorers."
Clark Rural League season kicks off
The club's opening fixture was against Brasted, which couldn't have gone any better with another 14-0 win, with hat-tricks from Neil Hamilton, Mark Brown & Peter Copnall, whilst Gary Brazil scored two and Andrew Giles, Andrew Bayliss & Gary Sands also netted a goal each.
Their good form continued with a 9-2 win against Barnfield and 3-0 win against Dunton Green (two goals from Neil Hamilton & one from Gary Sands) who would prove to be one of the main opponents for honours as the season progressed.
By the middle the September, given the club had so many players and only one team, the club decided to set up a second team called Norton, which was essentially made up the younger players of the squad, ie, the Under 11s. This team fortuitously joined the Clark Rural League, as Four Elms had withdrawn from the League and the Norton took over their fixtures. Norton's first match was against Barnfield and the youngsters ran out 3-2 winners with two goals from Tim Wakeman and one from Gary Hart.
Both teams continued their excellent form throughout the season, with the Under 12s going onto win the league championship undefeated, whilst the Norton finished runners up, which was quite remarkable in the club's opening season.
The Under 12s also ran out 4-3 winners in the League Cup against their arch rivals Dunton Green. The team had been 3-0 up, but as a newspaper reports that the team ".....become over confident and were only 3-2 ahead at the interval. They increased their advantage again, but Dunton Green hit back with a third. Tonbridge held out to the end, their scorers being Gary Brazil (2), Neil Hamilton & Gary Sands." The photograph below comes the same newspaper article of the Under 12s with Dennis Way pictured on the left.
The teams also played against an Canadian touring team Richmond Hill in March 1974. In early May Under 12s and Norton Under 11s provided the pre match entertainment for a friendly with Tonbridge FC vs Jack Charlton's Middlesbrough team at the Angel Ground. A week later they were back again at the Angel Ground, for a Phil Beal testimonial match on 12 May 1974, when the Under 12s provided pre match entertained against Boulthurst United from Oxted, whom Phil Beal coached. Dennis's contacts in the local football scene and links to Tonbridge FC provided a very useful way of promoting the North End club.
Second season - 1974/75
This was very much a season of stability with both teams continuing. Last years Under 12s moved up into the Under 14s age group of the Clark Rural League, effectively playing a year up as an Under 13s team managed by Dennis Way & Gerry Bayliss. Whilst last season's Norton team, became the Under 12s managed by Roy Brown & Jim Brazil. The club secretary in the Kent FA handbook is listed as Mrs M Bayliss.
The Under 12s won the league and cup double, beating Dunton Green 6-1 in the final at Westerham with goals from Phillip Claxton (3), Gary Brazil (2) & Trevor Moon.
The Under 14s were unfortunate bridesmaids, as they finished runners up in the league behind Brasted, before then losing to Brasted in the cup final by a single goal.
Boom times - 1975/76
The club doubled its number of teams for this season and with its growth moved to new pitches at Scotchers playing fields, De La Rue School and the old Post Office football pitch off Cannon Lane, where the Blossom Bank housing development now stands.
For the start of this season, the club fielded four teams, an Under 12s, Under 14s & Under 14s Norton & Under 16s. The photograph below has all four teams pictured at the old Angel Ground believed to around March 1976.
Whilst not final tables, the following tables provide a favour of the team's impending success and their opponents:
The Under 16s in their first season finished mid table, whilst the Under 14s won the league, with Norton finishing runners up the Under 14s. The Under 14s also beat Norton 6-1 in the final of the League Cup to secure the double. The Norton (effectively under 13s team) is pictured below
Back row: Peter Copnell, Clive Marks, Trevor Moon,??, Jim Brazil (manager), Graeme Card, Paul Morgan, Kevin Battell
Front row: Neil Warren, Gary Brazil, Andrew Hairs, Stuart Gorman, Nigel Brown, ??
The Under 12s also won the League and Cup double, beating Halstead 7-0 in the final. The team photo of the Under 12s is below:
Under 12s Back row: David Marchant, Trevor Pierce, Lawrence Allen, David Mills, John Marshall, Bradley Stephens
Front row: Paul Stevens, Phil Caxton, Andrew Bayliss, Mark Carolan, John Arthur, Andrew Shoebridge
Photo below is from Under 12s winners medal
For the 1976/77 season the club continued on with four teams, an Under 12s, Under 14s, Under 14s Norton & Under 16s. Unfortunately I have very little information on this season.
By now the club was very well set up with Arthur Claxton as the chairman, Jean Goss as the Club Secretary and Rex Angell as the treasurer. Every team had a manager and an assistant, which was quite an achievement and an envy of many other junior clubs in the local area. The set up enabled the club to recruit former Roselands Juniors manager Ken Thomas to join the club in the summer of 1977 as coach. The ability for coaches to just coach rather than sorting out all the league admin, sourcing of pitches, etc was a big plus and attraction to the club.
1977/78 a season of total dominance
This was the club's fifth season and they also managed to create a fifth team. The teams were as follows:
Under 16s A team: Dennis Way & John Card
Under 16s B team: Jim Brazil & Roy Brown (effectively an Under 15s team)
Under 14s A team: John Marchant, Ken Thomas & Gerry Bayliss
Under 14s B team: Jock Black & Fergie Lunn (effectively an Under 13s team)
Under 12s team: Tony Hazell & George Blewden
On the pitch the success kept coming with U12s, U14s A & U16s A teams winning the league and cup doubles, resulting in a clean spread across the League for the first ever time.
Dennis Way reflected on the growth of the club in a Courier article that the club had benefitted in part because Hugh Christie School did not provide football for the many youngsters who were eager to play. Their growth was also linked to the club's administration and hard work of everyone who helped to run it. The club had established a relationship with Invicta FC and already several North Tonbridge lads joined the Invicta adult teams.
Dennis went onto say "we have been building up to this clean sweep of league and cups, and we thought, if we were ever likely to do it, this would be the year".
1978 Cup finals at Lingfield Recreation Ground, Edenbridge
The Under 12s beat Knockholt 4-1 in the final with Terry Wolfe scoring all four goals. The team's starting line up was J Bradshaw, S Reeves, N Carolan, C Marshall, Paul Brazil, R Hazell, Colin Blewden, Terry Wolfe, D Balcombe & B Randall. Subs were M Hartree and L Warren. The team photo below featured in the Courier.
The Under 14s beat Knockholt 3-1 in the final. "The match was hard fought victory with Mark Carolan putting Tonbridge ahead. Phil Claxton added the second from a penalty but is was 2-1 at half time. Trevor Pierce header clinched the match".
Back row: Mr Ken Thomas (coach), Chris Comben, Andre Pingault, John Marshall, Paul Stevens, Bill Mountly, Ian Barber, Andy Shoebridge, Trevor Pierce, Mr Gerry Bayliss (coach) and Mr John Marchant (coach) Front row: Mark Carolan, Andy Bayliss, Phil Claxton, David Marchant and Bradley Stephens
The Under 16s completed the clean sweep with a 5-1 win over Edenbridge Echo. "Mark Giles and R Darby put Tonbridge two up before Echo scored their goal. Giles and John Wingate made it 4-1 at half time. I Camber added the fifth in the second half", The team lined up was Clint Redman, D Rees, I Camber, R Claxton, Steve Card, Andrew Giles, John Wingate, Neil Hamilton, Gary Sands, Mark Giles, R Darby. Subs John Mantle and G Hart.
The following photograph is of all three 1978 cup winning teams together.
Heading towards end of the 70s
For the 1978/79 season the club again entered five teams into the Clark Rural League, an Under 12s, Under 14s A & B teams, Under 16s A & B teams. Whilst the club used the A and B names for their teams for purpose of the League, this was due to two year age span of the League's division. For example the older U14s group were the A team, whilst the younger Under 14s, effectively the Under 13s were called the B team. The split was also sometimes called Seniors (older group) or Juniors (younger group).
Unfortunately I have struggled to track down information on the club's fortunes during the 1978-79 season, other than cup final photo from the Under 16s B team at Edenbridge.
Since writing the original blog, I had managed to add an Under 12s team photo with manager Don Campbell on the right.
The 1979-80 season has also proven to be a bit of a struggle in tracking down information, but I have managed to find the following match reports from the Courier:
"Playing away at Edenbridge Echo, North Tonbridge Juniors Under 12s started well and scored two early goals. Tonbridge however, did not maintain their early form, mainly due to a sticky uneven pitch. However the result was never in any doubt and Tonbridge won 5-1".
"The Under 14s B team played well against Otford and were 4-0 up at half time. They increased this lead to 6-0 before Otford rallied strongly and scored three times in the last four minutes for the final 6-3 scoreline".
"Also playing Otford, the Under 16s B team were the stronger side and applied a lot of pressure. But they failed to make the most of their chances, and it was left Martin Lunn to score the goals to give Tonbridge a 2-1 victory."
"The Under 16s A team played some of their best football of the season and created many chances against Halstead. With Trevor Pierce playing well, goals came from Paul Stevens (3), Andre Pingault (2), Phil Claxton and Andrew Bayliss in the 7-0 win."
So this brings me to the end of my first blog on North Tonbridge Juniors. So why was the blog titled "birth of a super club". Well up until the early 1970s, there had been numerous junior football clubs, but they could normally only field one team, possibly two and very rarely three teams in any season. North Tonbridge Juniors were able to field five teams every season and were the go to club for inspiring young footballers. This was quite an achievement and set the benchmark of how a successful junior football club should be run for many years to come.
The club during the 1970s produced a number of notable alumni, such as Gary Brazil who went onto have a very successful professional career with Sheffield United, Preston North End, Newcastle United, Fulham, Port Vale & Cambridge United. Gary is now the Youth Academy manager at Nottingham Forest. Many other players went onto have playing careers on the non league circuit, including Colin Blewden, who would in later years become the Tonbridge Angels first team manager between 1997 to 2001. It also wasn't just on the football side, that players went onto achieve sporting success, as Dennis Way's own son Paul Way became a professional golfer in the 1980s. Paul played an integral part of the European 1985 team's Ryder Cup success at the Belfry in winning the trophy back from the Americans for the first time in 28 years.
Finally I would like to thank Trevor Pierce, Ken Thomas, Nigel Brown, John Marchant, David Marchant & Ross Campbell for their help, stories and photographs.
Next stop the 80s, a new home, a new league and the crowded 90s.
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