1967

1967

1967 was a very active year for the Club, on the 7 April the first Social Committee was formed with Lawrence Butcher as secretary and the committee was made up of Rusty Burgin, M. Kenshaw, and John Day . Brian Hubbard became the first Assistant to the Secretary and it was also agreed that year to have three football teams following the interest shown, and the team' s success in their first season when they were Runners-up in the League.

The football season started in 1967 with the first team playing on a Saturday in the Sittingbourne and Sheppey league, now in Division I, with John Rees as their Captain, the second Saturday team was in Division III of the Rochester & District League with Dave Buckingham as their first Captain. The Sunday Team with Ray Friday as their captain were playing in the Medway Sunday League in Division III.

There were countless rules about who could play and when, as the Club was very strict that members had to live on the estate. There were constant changes in how the teams were selected as the Club began to find its feet. A circular had been put through alll the doors on the estate inviting everyone to join in the Club's activities. It is interesting that at this time, on the 7th April 1967 the Club' s funds stood at £21.lOs.8d. (£21.54p) It is also interesting to see that the Club presented its first trophy of recognition to John Rees and at this time Peter Wyeth was taking on many tasks in order to arrange the many and enjoyable social activities that took place. (part quote from the Chairman 's A.G.M Report 3rd May 1968).

The wives were always active raising money for the various Club activities, with coffee mornings and jumble sales, bring and buy and anything they could think of. In July 1967 the first Make Bake and Grow Show was held in the garage of Pat Smith's house at 14 Coombe Drive. Ray Oddy attempted to make a Cherry cake but got it slightly wrong when out of the oven came a pink cake. No record shows whether he won first prize.

The fund raising activities of the Club in the first three years were such that the subscriptions remained low In 1965 they were ten shillings (50p) plus 2/6d (12.1/2p) match fee. In May 1968 they had risen to £1 and match fees were 3/- (15p) .