Goals, threats and creativity

THE best ever 'Upton' side? You could discuss it for a week and still not come up with a definitive answer.

It's much easier then to concentrate on individual clubs and when you talk about Vale Rec go no further than the 73-4 side which ended that season as holders of every major trophy in CI football, albeit the Wheway being a shared triumph after two games against First Tower ended in stalemate.

It was the club's second Upton appearance but historic first CI championship success.

In years to come the green-and-yellows added another three CI triumphs in what is a fairly shocking Upton record, but none of those championship-winning teams compares with the inaugural winners managed by Noel Jeffreys.

The Corbet Field was buzzing at that time, as was the Pony Inn which in those pre-clubhouse days was the meeting place for players after training and weekends.

Terry Gaudion was the driving force as secretary and the other off-pitch pillars of wisdom and drive were Henry Robin and Alf Priaulx.

On the pitch, there was not a weakness and the side oozed attacking intent.

Goals, threat and creativity came from just about everywhere, bar keeper Mick Falla, the man in black and skipper Art Le Page, the holding midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation.

Flying fullbacks Mick Cotter and Malcolm Marquand spent most of their time in the opponents' half while Peter Blondel, just 19, had already formed a steely central-defensive combination with former Central Colin Hargreaves and would threaten with bullet headers and shooting power.

In midfield, Le Page's ball-winning qualities allowed Ginger Lesbirel and Milko Millman to get forward at every opportunity and up front big Nigel Le Page was the 'Drogba-esque' presence, while Goosey Gleeson sliced through defences from the left and Ray Blondel finished the moves off.

The front trio had to produce or were out, as Ray recalls.

There was never any danger of that happening in Vale's glorious year of triumph.

'Super Ray', as Rex Bennet quickly dubbed him, hit 54 that season and between the front three they walked onto the Track that late April afternoon with 98 goals between them: Blondel 48, Le Page 26 and Gleeson 24.

Should they fail to deliver, Tich Bougourd would come on in his super-sub role.

Ray, then 21, said he could hardly fail given the ammunition he was given.

'It was a case of anticipation and being a bit more fortunate than the others at being in the right spot at the right time.

The man who years later would go on to manage Vale in Upton, has no doubts that the 73-4 side was the best.

'That was the benchmark, I think.'

Vale's excellence had, says Ray, much to do with the strength of St Martin's.

'We had Saints to contend with and we were able to catch them on the end of their fantastic run.

'It would have been interesting if we could have played them six years earlier when they were in their pomp.'

Calling the tune off the pitch was Jeffreys, the former tough-tackling centreback. Ray said he learnt a lot from him in terms of how to man-manage.

'He was straight, tough and you knew where you stood with him.'

As for his 90th-minute clinching goal, Ray has no problems seeing it now, 33 years on.

'It was an inswinging corner from Goosey. I just made a run, got a bit of space and headed it just inside the post.'

Bennet's version of the goal was altogether more thrilling and generous of a striker at his peak.

At the end of May, Vale ended the season by drawing 1-1 with Tower in the Wheway replay.

Rec went on to win another three successive championships to make it five on the bounce, but only one of them was transformed into a second Upton win.

That would not arrive at the Corbet Field again until 1981.