Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2008 10:47:28 GMT
There's been speculation on the radio this morning about the chances of Rebecca Adlington winning the Sports Personality of the Year award. During the Olympics did anybody else wonder whether she might be a relative of Terry Adlington? I even checked Terry's birthplace and thought there could be a link. Then, in October, Dave Thomas confirmed it in the Herald Express:
OLYMPIC CONNECTION: Double Olympic Games swimming gold medal heroine Rebecca Adlington's great uncle was former United goalkeeper Terry Adlington. Nottingham-born Adlington, who died in 1994, was signed from Derby County and played 162 games for Torquay from 1962-66. He also scored a goal. Injured in an FA Cup-tie at home to Barnet in 1963, he was switched to the wing — and hit the net in a 6-2 victory!
Here's a few images of Terry's testimonial programme back in 1966 in which Terry talks of "our inability to gain promotion". Well, not for long. If the date on the programme cover is correct, United had beaten Notts County at Plainmoor the previous day in front of nearly 9,000. Then, if my dad's team changes are correct, five of that team played in the testimonial (refereed, not surprisingly by m W Benney of Torquay).
Notts County was the penultimate game of the season before, on 21 May, United travelled to Darlington to clinch promotion watched by 16,500. I was ten and must have been something of a glory-seeker in those days because I can only remember the testimonial and the opportunity of seeing Arsenal.
OLYMPIC CONNECTION: Double Olympic Games swimming gold medal heroine Rebecca Adlington's great uncle was former United goalkeeper Terry Adlington. Nottingham-born Adlington, who died in 1994, was signed from Derby County and played 162 games for Torquay from 1962-66. He also scored a goal. Injured in an FA Cup-tie at home to Barnet in 1963, he was switched to the wing — and hit the net in a 6-2 victory!
Here's a few images of Terry's testimonial programme back in 1966 in which Terry talks of "our inability to gain promotion". Well, not for long. If the date on the programme cover is correct, United had beaten Notts County at Plainmoor the previous day in front of nearly 9,000. Then, if my dad's team changes are correct, five of that team played in the testimonial (refereed, not surprisingly by m W Benney of Torquay).
Notts County was the penultimate game of the season before, on 21 May, United travelled to Darlington to clinch promotion watched by 16,500. I was ten and must have been something of a glory-seeker in those days because I can only remember the testimonial and the opportunity of seeing Arsenal.
Terry Adlington was a true hero of mine and became an even bigger one in unfortunate circumstances...................I still maintain that he was one of the finest goalkeepers I've ever seen, but in the November 1965 FA Cup visit to Shrewsbury Town I saw him receive his career wrecking injury when he dived bravely at the feet of former England and Wolves striker Peter Broadbent and emerge with a badly broken finger and joint - an injury I received also when a school door was slammed in my face the following January and I found myself staring at a finger literally snapped in two with the top half pointing down into the hand and my knuckle fractured too.
