Rtn Keith Dabbs: Where are they now?

Our member Keith Dabbs’ talk, “Where are they now?”, might be apposite as we moved today’s meeting to the Great Baddow Millennium Community Centre. Happily everyone turned up at the right place.

We welcomed two guests. One was John Scammell. The other was Pam Slow, who came along with Charles Hirons. John was not a guest for long as we had the pleasure of inducting him into the Club during the meeting. (See picture.)

We also agreed to donate a Shelter Box to the Indonesian Tsunami appeal.

Keith’s enigmatically titled talk proved to be about the changing structure of the football leagues and the fortunes of clubs who drop out of the top divisions into relative obscurity in the minor leagues. Our President commented later that her knowledge of football is mostly confined to the fortunes of two clubs. One is Chelmsford City thanks to her Great Aunt in the 1960s and 70s and children, David and Pippa, who used to go their home matches in the 1980s and 90s. Sadly City never quite made it into the lower reaches of the old Division 4 despite coming close. The other is Wolverhampton Wanderers. President Anne’s late father-in-law was a season ticket holder and Wolves were in the old Division One when Anne first met her husband Steve in 1972. They have had mixed fortunes since then but are currently managing to hold their nerve in the Premiership.

As Keith explained, football was much simpler in the 1940s and 50s. Administration would be handled by the club secretary and there was a thriving amateur game. Increasingly amateur players were given generous travelling expenses, meals and enhanced job prospects until finally the Football Association abolished amateur leagues and amalgamated them with the professional ones.

There are still 92 clubs in the top four divisions but Keith highlighted the fate of 25 which have dropped into the minor leagues.