FEEDER CLUBS

[B2TF]

In the 70s and 80s, The Shaymen had an arrangement to use near neighbours Huddersfield Town as a feeder club. The arrangement saw a stream of players develop their game at the Terriers before emerging from their coccoons, fully mature, tried and tested, into the harsh glare of The Shay, in their mid-to-late thirties before a discerning but demanding audience. Thus we enjoyed the rare talents of Bobby Hoy, Jimmy McGill, Jimmy Lawson, Geoff Hutt, Steve Smith and Frank Worthington et al, on our exciting journey from the upper regions of Division 3 to the foot of Division 4.

Have any other "minnows" turned the tables like this on a supposedly bigger and mightier neighbour?

 

[Habbinalan]

A few Anfield legends completed their football education (and CVs) at Holker Street as

Player/Manager (failed)

Ron Yeats, David Johnson and Alan Kennedy stand out.

However Emlyn Hughes' statue (at the end of Holker Street) has probably spent more time in Barrow than Emlyn, who was turned down for a trial at Barrow AFC and never returned. He was only born in Barrow because his welsh dad, Fred, left the valleys to become a professional egg chaser who turned out for Barrow and Workington (and Wales).

 

[Tranmerewhite]

We took a few former Liverpool and Everton players in the 90s. That counts.

 

[B2TF]

We took a few former Liverpool and Everton players in the 90s. That counts.

You got John Aldridge though didn't you.

Marine fans think their 4-1 walloping of The Shaymen in the FA Cup in 1992 was all the more special because we had Jimmy Case in our team. Jimmy's commitment to our club is perfectly encapsulated in his residence in the hotel directly across the road from the railway station, for the entire time he was with us. Those of our fans who were there that day would have happily lined the team up against the wall outside the ground and executed them all, on the spot. To absolutely no-ones surprise, we dropped out of the League, for the first time, at the end of that season.

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Aldridge, Pat Nevin, Phil Babb, Paul Rideout , Stuart Barlow, Jason Mcateer, Lee Jones. Probably others. Before my time

 

[RLC]

Aldridge, Pat Nevin, Phil Babb, Paul Rideout , Stuart Barlow, Jason Mcateer, Lee Jones. Probably others. Before my time

Gary Stevens as well. Tony Thomas and Steve Simonsen (infamously) went in the opposite direction.

Aldridge and Nevin were head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[B2TF]

Gary Stevens as well. Tony Thomas and Steve Simonsen (infamously) went in the opposite direction.

Aldridge and Nevin were head and shoulders above the rest.

Didn't Aldridge get a hattrick home and away in the League Cup tie when we lost, somewhat infortuitously, both games 4-3 to a rather stellar Tranmere team, who were flush with new money?

 

[RLC]

Didn't Aldridge get a hattrick home and away in the League Cup tie when we lost, somewhat infortuitously, both games 4-3 to a rather stellar Tranmere team, who were flush with new money?

He did indeed. The first leg was a few days after his debut at Brighton, where the clairvoyant home fans sang 'what a waste of money' to him. He promptly scored both goals in a 2-0 victory. Just the 42 goals for him that season in the second tier.

The away leg of that tie was the one occasion that I stood on the infamous 'slag heap' away end at The Shay. I preferred the ground as it was then to be honest.