Early Posh history, in pictures
I’ve been watching Posh since 1958, and for most of that time I’ve been squirrelling away anything I could find about the club: programmes, cuttings, scraps of old newspapers and, above all, photographs.
Space, money and a wife who doesn't understand the obsession have whittled the collection down over the years, but the pictures have stayed with me, and these days I spend a fair bit of time scanning, cleaning up and “enhancing” them so they can be seen again.
What follows is a handful of my favourites, from the very first Posh side in 1934 through to the late sixties.
1934 where it all started for Posh
This picture is probably the first one taken of that team. The newspaper I gleaned this from certainly makes that claim.
Whether this enhancement gives true likenesses who knows. I know a descendant of the gentleman second from the left on the front row. He is Fred Taylor an ex Chelsea captain who played in the 1915 FA Cup Final.
He was trainer and, for a season, a manager at Posh.
On the back row far left is Billy Rigby, the scorer of Posh’s first ever goal.
He got a mention in the promotional video for season tickets in 2023. Incidentally I made my screen debut in that.
Sadly the offers did not flood in!
I got interested in these players and tried to trace Rigby who moved to play in Ulster but with the outbreak of war his trail ran cold.
Construction of the Main Stand in 1955/56
Although I have no memory of the construction of the main stand I do recall the fence in the background. It sticks in my mind as we would pass it on the 151 service on our visits to family.
If there was a game we went by train and I was dropped off at my grandparents who lived by the greyhound track.
One of my aunts was engaged to a Posh player and he would take Dad and I for guided tours long before they became a thing.
I would meet the players of the day and as a six year old it was a thrill.
Eventually in 1958 I saw my first game, a demolition of Worksop Town. I recall my Dad walking back to the station after one game with Denis Emery.
Emery, the star of the team with no pretence whatsoever, carrying his kit in a carrier bag chatting to fans along the way.
Main Stand looking from the Moys End of the ground circa 1958
One of my memories is of seeing the players enter the pitch on a duckboard.
This picture suggests that the enclosure was grassed initially and would explain the need for a duckboard.
London Road End, 1958
This was one of the views of the pitch and ground I would have seen on that first visit.
It looks like they are scarifying the grass, a pretty menial task with a hand one!
Posh v Arsenal January 1965 celebrations
I just love the unbridled joy in this picture.
This was my first ‘great’ day supporting Posh. There was an Arsenal fan near us smoking an enormous cigar throughout the match. A 12 year old me couldn’t resist telling him to ‘stick that in your cigar and smoke it.’
A video of the match I posted was seen by another fan at the match and she recognised herself by the tunnel.
Posting pictures and videos that enable people to share their memories is why I do it. I have had ball boys see themselves and I even have some former players who respond.
The best inadvertent video I posted was one which featured the late father of one of the Posh staff. He was delighted but emotional.
For me it made what I do worthwhile.
Ron Cooper
They don’t make them like him anymore.
In his early days, he turned up for a match after slicing off a finger in a farming accident. He was not permitted to play.
He remained loyal to Posh as a part timer. He played in the famous Arsenal win in 1965 and in the infamous Sunderland thrashing in 1967.
Against the Gunners he was up against George Armstrong, a proper winger but he manfully stuck to his task.
The Sunderland defeat had it’s ramifications as the club were found guilty of illegal bonus offers for the match as well as other financial misdemeanours and were demoted some seven months before the following season's end.
The club appealed as did the supporters, perhaps less vehemently as they would today. It prompted Alan Hardacre, secretary of the Football League to warn the fans that if they didn’t shut up then further sanctions would be imposed.
After the Sunderland defeat Posh welcomed league leaders QPR to London Road where Ron was marking Rodney Marsh.
Having rendered Marsh ineffective at Loftus Road in the away fixture, Ron did the same and in a vastly improved performance Posh came out the winners.
Ron was imperious that night and it was wonderful to witness.
A postscript to the defeat at Roker Park was meeting the team at a greasy spoon on the A1 on the way home.
You knew Ron cared deeply judging by his somewhat menacing glare. A glare I would receive again following an ill judged comment towards a Wrexham player one night.
Sometimes even the mildest mannered people forget themselves.
The Posh dressing room at the Vetch Field Swansea
The 1964/1965 FA Cup run lives long in the memory for me.
I watched every game bar the Swansea replay. I could have gone with the milkman (who wasn’t my dad) but it was a school day.
I was accustomed to having abuse thrown at me for supporting Posh, but during this cup run I was afforded a modicum of respect.
Adams, a local bakery, changed their packaging to wish Posh luck. I stuck one on the door of the Science class.
This picture, after the Swansea win and ‘enhanced’ from a scan, does not accurately portray all of the players but they are all recognisable to me.
Tommy Docherty the Chelsea manager is pictured. He brought 14 of his players down to watch the game so that they had a feel for how both sides played.
When the Chelsea game arrived Tony Moulden and Ian Crawford were part of the squad. Having not been selected they were not allowed to watch. Instead they were sent away to play for the reserves.
Great man management!
Posh dressing room after beating West Brom
Season 1968/1969 was one of fluctuating fortunes.
A great run in the League Cup knocking out both QPR and West Bromwich Albion before controversially being beaten by Tottenham by a Jimmy Greaves goal.
Posh had what was considered at the time a perfectly fair goal by Peter Thompson.
I was given permission to leave school early to travel on the coach from Huntingdon’s Sun pub.
At the end of the game our coach was attacked which wasn’t a lot of fun!
The picture after the West Brom match features Frank Noble (226 apps and the best right back we have had imo) Ollie Conmy (304), Brian Wright (322), Jim Hall (334), Tony Millington (132 and my favourite keeper), Colin Garwood (73) and Graham Ricketts (55).
When Norman Rigby resigned it heralded the arrival of ‘I take all the corners, free kicks and throw ins.'
It was a turgid time.
I have supported Posh since 1958 like my parents before me. My mum still goes.
My daughter carries on the line and we both have season tickets in the London Road end.
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