Reading about a former Henley United team-mate in the Derby Evening Telegraph set Harry Turner on a trail to track down his friend which eventually sparked a team reunion and the swapping of tales about their footballing days – as Harry, of Chellaston, recounts here.

Not long ago after the death of Brian Clough, I read an article in the Evening Telegraph about a former team-mate of mine, Peter Thorpe, who used to work in the offices of Derby County.

Thanks to the Telegraph, I contacted Peter in Calgary, Canada, where he now lives. Later we met up and last year, when Peter visited the UK, I managed to arrange a reunion of all our friends who played for Henley United.

I was captain of the Henley team for four years in the early 70s. We played in the South Derbyshire Premier League and were champions in 1971-72.

Henley won many trophies under manager “Big Jim” Green. It was a Sunday League side and many of the players also played in the East Midlands League on a Saturday.

Henley was a good club to play for. The chairman, Mr Lowther, owned the NOTSA Engineering company and managed to arrange for most of the then Derby County players to come along to our presentation evenings.

In 1971, Mr Lowther bought us a brand new football strip that was exactly the same as Chelsea’s at the time. Before I joined Henley, back in the 1960s, I played for Graham St Prims.

At the time, “Big Dave Thommo” (Dave Thompson) played for Osmaston Park Rangers, whom we beat in the semi-final of the Senior League Cup. We then went on to beat New Villa in the final at the Municipal Bowl. I had many good times at the Prims.

I then moved to Breadsall Amateurs and it was while I was playing for them, in a cup match, on one of the Racecourse pitches in Chaddesden, against a Derby County side, that I saw a certain Mr Brian Clough drive his big white Mercedes across the Racecourse pitches to get to where we were playing.

But the old park keeper wasn’t prepared to take any nonsense and soon let Mr Clough know that he had to take his car all the way back to the car park.

Henley United in their 1971-72 season when they were South Derbyshire Premier League champions. Front, from left: Ian Frost, Stewart Webb, Harry Turner (captain), Graham Hines (the Pocket Battleship), Kevin Macbride and Peter Thorpe. Back: Gavin McFarland, Dave Jackson, Tony Hill, Peter Nichols, Chris Wilson and manager Jim Green

As usual, Old Big ’Ead took it in good part.

A friend of mine, Chris Wilson, who also played in that game, reminded me that Cloughie came over to us at half time for a coffee and we took great delight in refusing his request, along with the usual good-natured banter.

During the second half, a team-mate, Johnny Tunstall, and myself were booked and Cloughie took his revenge, calling Breadsall “a load of animals”, as was reported in the Evening Telegraph at the time.

A few weeks after the Breadsall versus Derby game, which we lost 2-1 in a replay, I bumped into Mr Clough in a Chinese restaurant in the Wardwick called the Shing-Do.

After a bit of banter and him calling me “young man” a lot, he gave me one of his little pearls of wisdom. He said: “When I am at work, my name is Boss but when I am out and about I am Brian.”

After Brian had left, Mr Mo, the restaurant owner came over to our table and proceeded to give us a load of free tickets, from Brian, for the Liverpool versus Derby game at Anfield the following Wednesday.

We were gobsmacked and chuffed to bits, especially my son, Paul, as I took him to the game with me.

Many years later, a friend, Pete Clulow, and I met Brian at the Assembly Rooms. While we were there, Pete had an idea. He had an old friend who was in a bad way and had to have a leg amputated, so he dashed across to the market and bought a get-well card and then asked Brian to sign it with some heartfelt good wishes – which certainly made the old fella’s day.

When Mr Clough passed away, we went on that windy rain-swept night to Pride Park to pay our respects. He truly was a great man and above all, a lovely bloke.

After Breadsall, I ended my playing days at International Combustion Ltd, where I worked as a plater.

Combustion had a very physical side and we were hard to beat. In 1972-73, we took fourth place in the East Midlands Premier League, playing against teams such as Ilkeston Town, Heanor Town, Enderby Town, Kimberley Town and many more.

The 60s and 70s were good years for local football, with good teams like Roe Farm, Combustion, Prims, Borrowash Vics and many more. It’s just sad that so many of the old players seem to be passing away.

So, to all the lads out there who played in the 60s and 70s, I hope they don’t close all your local post offices so it saves you a walk to collect your pensions. If I kicked you I’m sorry. And if the Pocket Battleship reads this, I’ve gone back to Canada.

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