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Club
news
The greatest player
you never saw!
Our programme for the next home match
against local rivals Witheridge Town
(Wednesday, March 12), will include a
six-page special feature on the ‘Greatest
Player You Never Saw.’
A home match to
watch at last!
Pele, Eusebio (who passed away recently),
Bobby Charlton, Zinedane Zidane, Johan
Cruyff, Diega Maradona...? No, none of
the above. And you will probably be
amazed at the answer.
The recent wet weather has really played
havoc with our fixture list.
Like me, most of you have probably
fogotten what a football looks like because
our last home match was seven weeks ago
(on Saturday, January 11, against Saltash
United). And that match came six weeks
after our previous home game. So since
October 12 (that’s 20 weeks) we have only
played two home fixtures!!
The player became a living legend
despite playing league football for just
four seasons. He only represented two
league clubs, made 142 appearances, and
scored 52 goals. And he never appeared
in a higher division than the old Football
League Division 2.
His antics both on and off the field led to
him gaining a reputation as a wild man.
He had skills in abundance. He was
subjected to some brutal tackles and
often fought back, but only because
referees never afforded him the
protection he deserved. But underneath
it all he was a nice guy – a likeable rogue
who was easily led – who was loved by all
the fans of the two clubs he played for.
The club has now played just 20 games in
the South West Peninsula League Premier
Division, with only seven of them being at
home. Even Plymouth Parkway (18 games),
the only side to have played less league
games than Elmore (20) has played more
home games (ten). Saltash, who have
played one less game than Elmore, have
also played more home games (9).
Compare that to Bodmin and Falmouth
who have both taken part in 14 games at
home, and local rivals Witheridge who
have completed 13 home games.
Many knowledgeable people in the game
said he had it all and could have played
for England had he got his head straight.
The player walked away from the game at
the age of 25 and died aged 38 from a
heart attack, although some still suspect
it was from a drugs overdose.
Elmore now face a very busy end to the
season. After today, in March we have a
further four home games (including three
in a week) while in April Horsdon Park will
see six home matches out of the eight
games we are scheduled to play. In the
space of a week we face three home
games (Saturday 5, Wednesday 9, and
Saturday 12) and at the end of the month,
spilling into May, we have four home
games in 10 days. The only away games
remaining from the beginning of April to
the end of the season (May 3) is against
Elburton (Tuesday, April 15) and
Witheridge (on Good Friday, April 18)!
Stories of his excessive drinking, drug
abuse and womanising are legend. A
book was written about him and now
Hollywood are said to be making a
feature film based on his life.
Elmore programme editor, Colin Gunney
watched and reported on this player
during the whole of his short career and
knew him well. Who is he?...get a copy of
the next programme and find out.
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