The "Robert Edwards" Letter

From: Robert Edwards
Sent: November 2014
Subject: Footie and School Camps

Dear Webmaster,

I have read Alan Killen's letters, and I would like to avail myself of the chance to have my comments forwarded to Alan, as you so kindly offered.

I remember the 1953 incident at Anfield, with you, Alan, playing at centre forward. In fact I saw you quite often in the changing rooms at the Eaton Road ground and at Holly Lodge. I happened to be the centre forward who succeeded you in the school XI's. I played at Anfield, too, in both the 1954 and 1955 finals. (We lost in 1954 and won in 1955, when I created an indelible memory to last me all my years- a goal into the Spion Kop end!) My joy was dampened a little later, when the LFC manager, Don Welsh, came into the dressing room after the match to seek me out. Then he gave me a big telling off for running offside too often! I think Mr. Ashcroft was as speechless as I was. Later I played on and off for the first XI, but mostly in the second XI. I got to play when Arthur Dean was doing something else! The challenge of ousting him on merit was more than I could handle, I'm afraid.

Although you raised the names of Jones and Barton, of Venice St., I have no memory left of them, despite having been born and raised in Anfield. My bedroom actually backed onto the Anfield LFC parking lot, overlooking the main entrance. I am sure you know that these homes were knocked down this past summer to make way for the reconstruction of the main stand. I was bemused to see one Liverpool Echo shot of my bedroom just after the wrecking ball had passed through it!  Who would have thought after all those years later................... And who would have thought that I would have lived and slept on the land on which a dedication to the Hillsborough 96 was created?

One of my best friends was Jim Turner, who was another Anfielder, from Hartnup St. Jim and I played together in the 1954 team, and we chummed around together for a while after we left school.  We also took our bikes to school camp in Glen Wyllin in the summers of 1954-55, and did a few runs around parts of the island on our free days. Jim stayed in touch with Brian Labone (another player in the 1954-55 teams) for a while after they met again on an Everton tour of Australia, where Jim had moved some years prior. He also met up with Arthur Dean when he visited England on his trips back home, I understand, and they played a little golf together.

On a sightly different subject,  I did attend other school camps and, I have racked my brains to come up with a list of LCS IOM school camp attendees, as you were requesting (amongst other items), but I could only come with a very meagre offering.

WRT - LIVERPOOL COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CAMP at GLEN WYLLIN (KIRKMICHAEL), ISLE OF MAN in 1954 & 55

I can only remember a few - Such as :-

STUDENTS

Robert Edwards, Leslie Parr, ? Osborne, Jim Turner, ? Tickell, Les Jump, ? Bates, Wally Brown, Bill Barlow, Don Muir.

MASTERS

Mansell, Hewitt, Ellis, Ashcroft, Kelly

Mr. Kelly, as I remember, joined Collegiate around 1954 from Bootle GS. He taught sixth form physics. Quiet, he liked to puff reflectively on his pipe, and sipped a beer at camp.

I hope this helps somebody! I will forward more names, if I can remember.

Robert Edwards

Hi Bob,

We were very impressed with your letter.  Surely some of your football teammates will see this and want to add their slant to event that your mention.  If there aren't any School Camp memories, then our members are not really trying :-)

WRT your interest in contacting Alan Killen, as you know, our policy is to protect members privacy, by not quoting email addresses on the our Website.  However, we will be forwarding your email address to Alan, so that he can contact you personally, if he wishes.  In return, we would certainly like to be able to quote any correspondence, between you, on our website :-)

BTW - Your name does not seem to appear on the list of COBA members.  Have we got it wrong, or has your cheque gone awry?  Any (fully paid up) Member who is not receiving the yearly Newsletter, has a legimate grievance.  If you are not in receipt of the Newsletter, then you really are missing out on something and we would suggest that you click on the appropriate link (on this site) to put matters right.  You can, of course, write a letter to the Newsletter to address a slightly different audience :-) :-)

Cheers Webmaster