Post by Budleigh on Jan 13, 2010 14:04:47 GMT
This programme is for only United’s seventh league match after the ending of the Second World War and was played at Loftus Road on Saturday, 28th September 1946. A game we drew 0-0 in front of over 23,000 spectators with the only change to the line-up being Bill Coley playing at no.11, outside-left, instead of Colin Markham.
And on the front cover? A youngster just signed by Rangers, a certain Don Mills, who played at inside-Left for QPR that day. Mills, of course, was to later become such a legend at United. I have another programme from a QPR game that I will try and put up at some point that gives a great story as to how QPR ‘found’ Mills.
Also of interest is Dudley Kernick playing at inside-left for United, as up until recently I had not seen him appear in a programme, only in the book he wrote ‘Who the Hell was Dudley Kernick?’. I have placed extracts relating to his time at Torquay United below. It’s a fascinating read about a man who was a very mediocre player but went on to revolutionise the way teams operated their commercial departments.
I have also placed below a picture of him re-united with one of his playing colleagues from Tintagel, from whom United bought Kernick in 1938. The details, taken from the Tintagel AFC website, are below the photo which was taken to celebrate the clubs centenary in 2003.
The match programme itself is a frugal one-sheet folded affair.
Dudley Kernick, on the left , is reunited after 65 years with his playing team member, Harold Donnithorne. They met each other at Harold's home in Port Isaac & the memories flooded back to both of them. Dudley, a Boscastle boy, played first for Tintagel 1st team at the age of fourteen. He left Tintagel & signed professional forms for Torquay United.
He went on to play for Birmingham City & Northampton, before managing Nuneaton Boro. Finally he became the first football sponsorship manager for Stoke City. Dudley now lives in Florida & could not manage the 100th celebration for the club. He has met Daphne Knight, wife of the late Peter, who was in the same team as Dudley & Harold.
Harold played for Tintagel into the 1950s & won many honours with the club. He was known in Port Isaac as the local plumber, a tradition which his son Eric, carries on.
And on the front cover? A youngster just signed by Rangers, a certain Don Mills, who played at inside-Left for QPR that day. Mills, of course, was to later become such a legend at United. I have another programme from a QPR game that I will try and put up at some point that gives a great story as to how QPR ‘found’ Mills.
Also of interest is Dudley Kernick playing at inside-left for United, as up until recently I had not seen him appear in a programme, only in the book he wrote ‘Who the Hell was Dudley Kernick?’. I have placed extracts relating to his time at Torquay United below. It’s a fascinating read about a man who was a very mediocre player but went on to revolutionise the way teams operated their commercial departments.
I have also placed below a picture of him re-united with one of his playing colleagues from Tintagel, from whom United bought Kernick in 1938. The details, taken from the Tintagel AFC website, are below the photo which was taken to celebrate the clubs centenary in 2003.
The match programme itself is a frugal one-sheet folded affair.
Dudley Kernick, on the left , is reunited after 65 years with his playing team member, Harold Donnithorne. They met each other at Harold's home in Port Isaac & the memories flooded back to both of them. Dudley, a Boscastle boy, played first for Tintagel 1st team at the age of fourteen. He left Tintagel & signed professional forms for Torquay United.
He went on to play for Birmingham City & Northampton, before managing Nuneaton Boro. Finally he became the first football sponsorship manager for Stoke City. Dudley now lives in Florida & could not manage the 100th celebration for the club. He has met Daphne Knight, wife of the late Peter, who was in the same team as Dudley & Harold.
Harold played for Tintagel into the 1950s & won many honours with the club. He was known in Port Isaac as the local plumber, a tradition which his son Eric, carries on.
When I was starting out on the commercial side of professional football in 1974, I was helped greatly by Dudley Kernick who was introduced to me by my colleague Alex Jackson and he enthusiastically passed on a lot of great information and education to me. Dudley was at Stoke City as Commercial Manager at the time and neither Alex nor I were aware he was a former Plainmoor pro' until we were told so by former Club Steward Ben Street.
