Brixham United in the Western League

If I told you that one player played for both Manchester United and Brixham United , could you guess?

I'm pretty sure Dave Kennedy played for them as well.

I had a short and very painful "association" with Brixham United....................around 1969 I was playing at Wall Park in a South Devon Youth League game for my club Newtor United, the pitch was evil - a thin covering of wet mud on a frozen bed. Our team kicked off, knocking the ball to me and I slipped getting caught with a full blooded tackle from the late Wayne Drake; the next thing I knew I was laying on the ground with my knee cap round the outside of my knee and an orthopaedic nightmare and almost nine months of "rehab" ahead of me.

When I later left Newton Spurs it was for Brixham United and my first game was against Argyle "A" in the P&D League in Central Park. A 1.15 kick off and a fluctuating "crowd" of some three or more thousand as the punters wended their way into Home Park for a league game with Wrexham that seemed to have a mighty attendance, a good number of whom stopped off to watch the "Stars of Tomorrow"

Argyle kicked off at 3.15 in those days,so we were able to take our places in the grandstand for the "big Game" later.

Just a week later I was laying in the dirt again, this time at Bude with a broken lower shin bone - I told you it was a "painful" association, and another marathon re-hab programme ahead of me. My left leg's still not straight to this day!

I can remember long journies by bus from NA to train in the evenings at Brixham as I fought to comeback again and playing in the Brixham ressies in the Plymouth Combination League at some pretty grim venues.

When Brixham United later went into the Western League it was on money generated by our old friend Dick Edwards who was "Player/ Commercial Manager" and they had a wicked strike partnership of the afore mentioned Paul Edwards and Wayne Drake. Dave Kennedy did play for them too as well as Andy Provan and Cliff Myers possibly, but it all came to grief as the money going out never equated to the money coming in and they resigned from the league, disbanded and had to reform in very minor football. Most of the playing side, including Edwards,Provan and Kenno went to Foxhole United where they picked up a few bob.

These make great reading Barton. Please do keep em coming!

I spent some tie working during the holidays at Pontins in the 70's. Mainly based at Kings Ash Hill but having the odd day at Barton Hall and the Brixham Venues.
I have a vague memory that Dick did play at Kings Ash - but not on a regular basis. If that were the case then he might well have played at Wall Park as well.
Acts on the circuit in those days included Jimmy Cricket "....and theres more.." and Mike Read, who did a great late night cabaret routine at Kings Ash - there was always a fight amongst the bar staff to be on duty in the cocktail bar when he was on as staff were banned from attending unless working. Sporting wise Chester Barnes (table tennis) and Ray Reardon were regulars.

It was a nice camp Stuart and I went to a few events there, just think there was that one, another just a few roads up a third one by the Maldon roundabout. All gone and all houses, what ever happened to good old camp holidays.

Carol and I went to Butlins a few years ago at Minehead, we enjoyed it, but our bed was the nosiest bed I have been in, only had to just move a little bit and you would have thought by the noise, that we had ten in the bed having a mass orgy.

No never worked in any Pontins mate, mostly hotels for me, only camps I worked in was one in Kirkhampton, Mullion and one near Weymouth. Pontins was just not ready at that time for the one and only, back by popular demand Mr Davybeat.