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Post by dazgull on Jul 6, 2012 18:41:43 GMT
Anyone know the whereabouts of the one and only Mr Brown these days? I know after he left us he went to Minehead and then back to Wales but I think he may have returned to Minehead running a newsagents or something like that.
Ant help would be appreciated.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2012 18:59:09 GMT
Anyone know the whereabouts of the one and only Mr Brown these days? I know after he left us he went to Minehead and then back to Wales but I think he may have returned to Minehead running a newsagents or something like that. Ant help would be appreciated. Apparently still in Minehead but no longer a newsagent. |
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Post by doberman on Jul 7, 2012 12:48:59 GMT
Willie and his wife Chris live in Minehead where he is a very popular figure at the golf club. He travels to Bridgwater where he is a traffic warden. He came to Minehead to play for the local club in 1978 ( Southern League days). He quickly became a cult figure scoring over sixty goals and for a time became player-manager. He took over a newsagens business in the early nineties, and for the last number of years he has been in his present employment. He never moved back to Wales . I know him personally, he is a great character.
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Post by dazgull on Jul 7, 2012 15:37:13 GMT
Thanks for that Doberman! I started watching the Gulls in mid 70's so he was an early favourite of mine.
Im also in Minehead every weekend and if he still had a newsagent would have found out where and gone in. Wont go to Bridgwater to find him, he might give me a ticket.........!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2012 20:57:21 GMT
I understand Willie enjoyed at least one trip to Plainmoor last season and watched incognito from the Popular Side!
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Post by gullone on Jul 8, 2012 11:20:08 GMT
Signed this guy for a bargain £5,000 from Newport in March 75 where he had just scored 50 in 168 league apps. Went on to score 47 in 139 league apps for us as well as missing a shed load of sitters i seem to remember ! Anyway if either Bodin or Howe can match that ratio of goals i shall be more than happy. Memories of the mini stand, Oh Willie Willie, Willie Willie Willie Willie Willie Brown !
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 8, 2012 11:29:14 GMT
Signed this guy for a bargain £5,000 from Newport in March 75 where he had just scored 50 in 168 league apps. Went on to score 47 in 139 league apps for us as well as missing a shed load of sitters i seem to remember ! Anyway if either Bodin or Howe can match that ratio of goals i shall be more than happy. Memories of the mini stand, Oh Willie Willie, Willie Willie Willie Willie Willie Brown ! To the tune of Chicory Tip's "Son of My Father". Willie was THE man for fans of my generation. Barty's right, he has occasionally been spotted on the Popside. Knees up Willie Brown Knees up Willie Brown Up the table we will go Ee-aye-ee-aye-ee-aye-o When we get promotion This is what we'll sing We are Torquay We are Torquay Willie is our King |
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Post by gullone on Jul 8, 2012 15:41:28 GMT
I know the wartime league finished in June 1940 and TUAFC effectively closed down. I think representative games were played at Plainmoor and i am sure i read that the world champion boxer Joe Loius did an exhibition fight up there. He must have been stationed nearby perhaps. Down at the recreation ground rugby carried on through various rep games versus Navy X1 etc. Much depending on who was stationed in the bay at the time and who was home on leave. Anyone know just how regularly Plainmoor was used between 1940 and 1945 and what took place? Over to you Jon i think......
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Post by Ditmar van Nostrilboy on Jul 9, 2012 8:40:28 GMT
Willie was THE man for fans of my generation Indeed Jon, a true legend. Memory is a bit hazy but did he score the goal that beat Burnley in the league cup mid 70's? At the time i remember it a being quite a scalp as they were in the top flight a season or 2 before? |
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Post by loyalgull on Jul 9, 2012 11:30:56 GMT
Willie was THE man for fans of my generation Indeed Jon, a true legend. Memory is a bit hazy but did he score the goal that beat Burnley in the league cup mid 70's? At the time i remember it a being quite a scalp as they were in the top flight a season or 2 before? indeed he did,i was at that game,our attendance was 7000 plus if i remember,burnley were truly awful that night,and this was the beginning of the decline of this famous old club |
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Post by Ditmar van Nostrilboy on Jul 9, 2012 13:47:27 GMT
Indeed Jon, a true legend. Memory is a bit hazy but did he score the goal that beat Burnley in the league cup mid 70's? At the time i remember it a being quite a scalp as they were in the top flight a season or 2 before? indeed he did,i was at that game,our attendance was 7000 plus if i remember,burnley were truly awful that night,and this was the beginning of the decline of this famous old club Yep, a cracking game it was. Im seem to remember he scored with a shot from just inside the area as opposed to one of his bullit headers  |
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Post by dazgull on Jul 9, 2012 18:08:51 GMT
yes can remember the burnley game. having only recently started going to plainmoor they had a really good side having just dropped out of the top division. can also remember the big crowd that night.
from memory willie didnt score hardly any from outside the area, quite a few from penalties and the rest from there to the goal line.
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Post by doberman on Jul 9, 2012 19:17:09 GMT
Willie played his first game for Minehead on Dec. 2 1978 away to Maidenhead in the FA Trophy 3rd. Q Rd. and got the winner in a 2-1 win. He played until the end of season 1983-84. In that time he scored 81 goals (7 pens). He holds the record for Mineheads fastest ever goal-- 20 secs. from kick-off at Devizes in the Western League. A game that stands out for me was on March 20th 1979. on a filthy night, gales and pouring rain, Willie trod the pitch with no effort, leaving defenders standing. It finished Minehead 7 Dunstable 3. Willie could have had double figures. We have'nt seen his like since.
Incidentally we've seen quite a few players with Torquay connections playing for Minehead--Ones I can think of are-- Willie of course, Frank Arundel, Clint Boulton, Darren Cann, Stuart Clarke, Richard Crabtree, Peter Darke, David Down, Jimmy Dunne, Terry Lee, Mark Loram, Ernie Pym, Bill Towers, Ian Twitchen. there are probably more.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 9, 2012 22:16:59 GMT
Willie played his first game for Minehead on Dec. 2 1978........ we've seen quite a few players with Torquay connections playing for Minehead That debut date makes sense. Willie left us at the end of the 1977/78 season. He went to be steward at Hele Conservative Club (Is there much call for a Conservative Club in Hele?) and turned out for Hele Rovers in the SDL for a short time before turning up at Minehead. A few of the players mentioned are in this 1979/80 team photo from Leigh Edwards' Centenary History of the Southern League. It also includes Martin Musgrove who played a couple of games for us and whose dad was our manager.  |
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Post by Ditmar van Nostrilboy on Jul 9, 2012 22:22:24 GMT
Bit of a rogues gallery there Jon I was at Westlands the same time as Martin, albeit a year or two ahead of him. |
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