I’m going to call this section differently this week. It’s relabelled as a result of the games I have seen!
I have covered Workington Town matches over a number of years since first being asked to report on an A team game back in 1963.
Since then I have been asked who were my favourite players over the years. Very often there’s a clause added – don’t include the Town greats!
I have to assume then they are talking about the likes of Brian Edgar, Ike Southward, Harry Archer, Sol Roper, the Gorley brothers, Eddie Bowman, Billy Pattinson, Paul Charlton etc.
Quite a few of these have become good friends over the intervening years – so that might have influenced selection.
I’m starting in the pack with a front row of Danny Gardiner, Malcolm Moss/Howard Allen, Jimmy Pickering.
Danny was the forward in my first stint of covering Town where strength and ball-handling were his forte.
A Kirby-in-Furness lad he played 121 games for Town and was always leading from the front, a factor not lost on Wigan who paid £5, 000 for his services in 1965.
I have to admit I couldn’t make my mind up over the hooking role – two players I admired immensely on the field.
Malcolm was very unlucky in that his career was continually dogged by injuries which eventually saw him hang up his boots early.
Howard ‘Smiler’ was a different type of hooker but equally effective and he clocked up over 300 appearances for Town, Blackpool and Barrow.
James (Jimmy) Pickering completes the front row for obvious reasons. Raw power made him a big favourite under Peter Walsh and his rampaging runs were a sight to behold.
If you ignore the big names I don’t think you would get a better second row pairing than Ian Hartley and Bill Kirkbride.
Top professionals, hard as nails and equally effective in attack and defence they would make an ideal pairing.
Not much doubt about my loose forward either, John ‘Spanky’ McFarlane – whose career took in over 400 games for Town, Barrow and Whitehaven.
Spanky’s career at Town started to blossom as my sports writing was developing in the Derwent Park press box and I know he earned a number of glowing write-ups.
My half-backs – Arnold Walker (yes I know he’s one of the greats) and Ged Byrne.
Boxer was the live-wire scrum-half that sparked so much for Town and later Whitehaven.
Byrne ended a very successful career with a tremendous season for Town which ended with the Old Trafford play-off triumph over London.
I’d like to think they would be a formidable pairing in the same team.
On the wings I’ve gone for Tony Colloby, the Kendal flyer and Johnny Jones. They were both superb finishers, strong runners and didn’t neglect defensive duties.
In the centre I’ve gone for Mr Dependable, Eric Bell a fine attacking player with a rock solid defence to match and Ian Wright, an old school pal of mine whose introduction into the pro ranks was nothing short of sensational. In all he scored 168 tries in 300 appearances,
At full-back would be Mark Mulligan, the Joe Cool full-back who could smoke a fag and drink a pint and still take the highest bomb!
So my Town team would be: Mulligan, Colloby, Bell, Wright, Jones, Byrne, Walker, Gardiner, Moss or Allen, Pickering, Hartley, Kirkbride, McFarlane.
What do you think Town fans?
