The day a goalie made the catch of his life

"She lived in Portley Road in Dawley and was interested in one of the players, and I said I would go with her for company."

The irony was that it was Margaret Parr who was to see for the first time the young man, Maurice Hammond, who would become her husband.

"It was the first time I ever saw him. I thought he was rather dishy."

Maurice was playing in goal in those days and although Margaret doesn't think he saw her that day, he had made a catch.

"He was a goalkeeper when I first met him, but later changed position as there was not enough for him to do. He wanted to be out and about kicking the ball."

A picture used a little while ago showing the official opening of the Sankey's football ground at Hadley brought back memories for Margaret, who lives in Madeley, as her late husband Maurice was one of the Sankey's players that day in August 1959.

"It was such a nice surprise when I opened the paper and saw the picture," she said.

"He is the tallest blond footballer on the front row. He would be 24 years old. Maurice loved his football. We are Dawley people. We lived in Eyton Road and after a few years we moved to Shrewsbury.

"Maurice worked for Sankeys. He went there to have his apprenticeship as an engineer. When he was old enough he had to go in the Army. He went into REME. "

She says Maurice played at centre half, and had played from being a young boy at Pool Hill School in Dawley.

"He played for Sankeys for about three years, and also played cricket for them. He played for lots of teams. He was very popular."

Among the teams he played for were Dawley Rangers, Sankeys, REME in the Army, Lilleshall Miners, and Donnington Wood. One of the teams he played for were called the Lilywhites, but Mrs Hammond is a little unsure exactly what team they were.

She has a large collection of trophies and cups from Maurice's footballing days.

While in the Army, he had met the Manchester United legends Bobby Charlton and Duncan Edwards.

"He was playing for the Army not far away, and Bobby and Duncan Edwards were playing in another match nearby, and afterwards he met them and they had a kickabout in a field as a bit of fun after the match. He thought Duncan Edwards was a special footballer, and of course liked Bobby Charlton very much.

"He played for Donnington Wood - I know we were married then - and when we moved to Shrewsbury he got a team together. He worked for Hall Engineering. He retired from football, and we went into business together. We had a fish and chip shop at Harlescott Grange for 19 years - Hammond's fish and chip shop."

Later they returned to Telford.

"Maurice got a job at Telford County Court. He was a bailiff there for 14 to 15 years. He was 65 when he retired. I lost him when he was 68, in September 2003."

While serving in the Army a chance arose for Maurice to take a step up with his career.

"He was spotted by Oxford City. I went with him for a trial. They wanted Maurice. Unfortunately he had just come out of the army and we had been apart for a while.

"We lived in Dawley and were just married, and there was no means of transport, only buses, so he would have had to stay in Oxford and come home when he could. His father said he would get more money staying where he was in engineering. He did. I was all for him. I think he would have made a name. You never know."

Also getting in touch was Eric Sargeant, of Sutton Heights, who was one of the players for Sankeys on that day, and still has the trophy he and other players were awarded.

And he says some of the other players who turned out for Sankeys against Vauxhall Motors that day were not actually regular members of the Sankeys team - for instance, his memory is that Maurice was playing for Donnington at that time.

"They played because I think at that time Vauxhall Motors were a bit of an unknown quantity. They drafted a few lads in, if you know what I mean, which happen in those days.

"I was 18 at the time. I played for Sankeys for a long time. I am directly under the window with the dark hair.

"I played wing half, left half, in those days. Alan Clift was the goalkeeper - he is in the goalkeeper's shirt behind the man cutting the ribbon. Next to him on the left as you look at it with dark hair is Alan Perry, who went to Australia. Next left is John Thompson. He was a Sankeys stalwart many years ago and played cricket for Priorslee as well.

"Next along, tall, with blond hair, is Maurice Hammond. Next (at the front) is me (there's somebody in the background between them). To the left of me (in the background, partially obscured) is little Harry Phillips. He was a hell of a player. He was from Dawley and was a full back.

"Next left with his face almost totally hidden is Frank Gellatley. He worked at Sankeys and played at Sankeys and for Donnington Wood. Second from left at front with dark hair I think is Alf Davies, who played for Wrockwardine Wood. Far left is Harry Wallace."

Eric never worked for Sankeys himself and was living at the time in Madeley.

"Sankey's had a terrific sports set up. If you could play any sport, Sankeys were interested in having you.

"It was the best pitch in Shropshire. It was brand new. A guy called Tommy Arnold was the groundsman. If I remember he would not let you train on the pitch. It was his 'front lawn.' He was a terrific man."

Eric said he would have turned in his grave to know that the Sankeys pitch has now disappeared, having been built on.

"Every time I go down to Lidl I scream because of the Sankey's ground not being there any more."

Mrs Hammond still has the original programme for that day among her memorabilia.

The "Sankey of Wellington" team was: A Clift; H Phillips, E Sargeant; J. Thompson, A. Davies, M. Hammond; A Perry, R Chesters (captain), H Wallace, F Gellatley, and S Barton.

The match result, incidentally, was a draw.