Cumbria Crack’s sports writer John Walsh on why he’s red and sky blue (in that order)…
Workington Reds are my team, have been since 1953. But like a lot of kids – perhaps even most who support one of football’s minnows – I chose a big team to follow as well.
In my case it was Manchester City after watching them beat Sunderland 1-0 on Easter Saturday, 1955 at Maine Road.
I had gone down with my mam and dad to visit grandparents who were living in Gatley.
My granda’s brother-in-law was a City regular and the pair went to matches together. It was a natural request to join them for the match on the Saturday.
City had already played on the Good Friday at home and beaten West Brom 4-0.
It was a bit tighter the following day, especially as City had beaten the Roker side 1-0 a fortnight earlier in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
It was a 60,000 crowd that day and along with the other kids I was passed down the terraces from my family to the white perimeter wall to watch the game.
Then at the end we were all shuttled back up the terraces on the Kippax to rejoin them.
Don Revie scored the only goal of the game but the feature, to a bright-eyed eight-year-old was a tall, athletic goalkeeper who stopped everything and often in a spectacular fashion.
Bert Trautman had been a German prisoner of war – and don’t forget World War Two hostilities had only ended 10 years previously. He became a City legend.
It’s funny how things turn out. Bobby Johnstone, another City legend who played that day later managed Workington when I got to know him quite well.
A shy man, but wonderful company when he was in the mood to talk, his Borough Park reign didn’t last long.
By another strange quirk two of the Sunderland team that day Ted Purdon and Ken Chisholm signed for Workington a couple of years later.
That’s why for the last 67 years I’ve been a red and a sky blue – but in that order.
