History
“It’s a grand old team to play for
It’s a grand old team to support
And if you know your history
Its enough to make your heart go –ooooooooooooooooooo
We don’t care what the red side say
What the heck do we care
Cause we all know that there’s gonna be a show
WHEN THE PUDSEY JUNIORS ARE THERE!!!”
50 Years and Counting…
In 1960 an enthusiastic school teacher from Greenside Primary School in Pudsey, identified the requirement to bring together all the local football talent and form a football team for young boys. Pudsey Juniors was born!!
With such a rapid rise to success, in the 60s Pudsey Juniors were both the pride and envy of Yorkshire. Producing many a winning football team and producing a continuing conveyor belt of talented footballers for the professional game. Ex-Pudsey Juniors footballers who made it to the top in the 60s were David Harvey , Terry Hibbit, Roy Greenwood and Pudsey boy Graeme Smith to name but a few.
Their name not only revered throughout Yorkshire but into Europe too. Under the banner of Leeds United juniors, Pudsey Juniors won a under 15 club completion in France, beating such prestigious teams as Ajax, Standard Liege and the mighty Real Madrid. In the 60s they also started the first of many adventures of taking the boys on tour to the Isle of Man.
Pudsey Juniors continued to forge close links with Leeds United and Farsley Celtic. Farsley Celtics under 18s was an extension of Pudsey Juniors to allow young players to step up to open age football.
In the 70s and 80s Pudsey Juniors continued to be synonemous with producing exceptionally talented football teams, footballers and also coaches. One local lad was spotted by Bradford City and went on to have a distinguished career at Everton, Glasgow Rangers and also playing for Scotland his name… Stuart McCall. Pudsey Juniors were heavily involved in the formation and running of the “Bobby Collins Soccer School “ which was held at Holt Park on a Sunday morning. This was a soccer school attended by young boys from 8 -12 with guest appearances by Brian Flynn, Arthur Graham, Gordon McQueen, Joe Jordan and David Harvey bringing one of his old Pudsey Juniors Goalkeeper jerseys to show to the young boys.
In the 80s, Pudsey Juniors not only had the pick of the best young players in the Airedale + Wharfdale area, players also came from Hull, Manchester, Huddersfield and York to represent Pudsey Juniors, such was their reputation. In 1985, four Pudsey Juniors players signed professional apprentice forms with Leeds United. The smallest of the bunch seemed to get the hang of being a professional footballer and played for England 54 times as well as signing for two other smaller professional teams !! His name ……………… The legend David Batty.
Junior football has changed since the competitive early days and is now all about participation. This has allowed other junior football teams to form , such as Calverley Juniors, Farsley Celtic Juniors, Stanningley Albion and Horsforth Juniors. Pudsey still continue to go from strength to strength with training for boys and girls from 3-5 years of age and teams from U6 right through to open age.
Recently, Greenside school ( Pudsey ) appointed a new teacher called John Alexandra. He realised the need for a school football team and volunteered to train his team after school. In their first season they won the West Leeds Junior Schools football cup, with Pudsey Juniors players representing the team again keeping the link alive between Greenside and Pudsey Juniors.
The Under 6s and Under 11s have two brothers playing for the club, Sam Snee under 6 and Nathan Snee – Under 11s. They are watched on many occasion by their Grandad , who himself played for Pudsey Juniors.. His name the Pudsey legend Graeme Smith, who has kindly donated some of his old scrap book clippings to share with the club.
And if you know your history…
Letters from Past Players
We are grateful for the following contributions from Pudsey Juniors ex-players. Please keep sending in your memories.
It has all come full circle for me because I am now the manager of the Pudsey Juniors Girls U16s team but back in 1966-1968 I was in the great Pudsey Juniors team run by Alan Cowley who was also my headmaster at Pudsey Southroyd.
I played in Midfield and my great friend Stephen Jameson played at full back. In those days we seemed to win every game and Mr Cowley was a great manager his training methods might seem strange now, for instance he used to have us kicking a football as hard as possible at the fence at Crawshaw School for 30 minutes non-stop, or trying to keep control of the ball with our head, knees and feet for 30mins but he certainly got the results. I also remember going on a trip to the Isle of Man, which incidentally was were Mr Cowley was born and we beat every team by double figures, however in a bid to make the opposition feel better Mr Cowley arranged a swimming gala but I am afraid this back fired when we beat them at that.
I have great memories of being in the great Pudsey Juniors team of the late 60s and this makes me even more proud that my daughter and all her fellow team mates play for them now.
Nigel Cromack
EEH BAH GUM and hello from Montreal Canada my name is Alan Richardson. I played for Pudsey Juniors in the early sixties and was captain of the team. We would win games 10 – 0 we were awesome…
Now I can wipe the tears away, what memories, you gave me so much joy and now you give it to others. Please forgive the spelling I’m in shock here I am 3,000 miles away reading something that takes me right back to my to my childhood and PUDSEY JUNIORS STILL EXIST AWESOME.
Im almost 60 so the memories are a little hazy please give me a little time to recover from the shock.
God bless you for giving so much to the young and talented, it meant so much to me, may it go on forever
Alan Richardson
In those days several Leeds players put in an appearance at training. Willie Bell was there occasionally and Jack Charlton quite regularly. He gave me a real ticking-off for not waiting outside Elland Road after a game to collect my autograph book after he’d taken the trouble to get all the team’s autographs. Great bloke though – genuine as they come.
Live over in Germany now, so have to content myself with watching Bundesliga, which isn’t at all bad. Great stadiums, especially now before the World Cup. Even managed to get tickets in the lottery for a local game in Munich.
Cheers,
Stephen Griffiths
Pudsey Juniors were the envy of every club in Yorkshire. Many England old boys include Dave Kinder, Malc Wright, Steve Garbutt, Gary
Dufton, Brian Crowther, Steve Longden, Willy Oulton and yours truly. When I was 18 I captained Yorkshire Boys and was a member of the winning Yorkshire Boys side the year before when we beat Cheshire in the final at Hillsborough 2-0. Scorers that evening were G Dufton & D M Kilner. The team that day comprised of at least 8 players from Pudsey Juniors Happy days.
I broke my right femur in a car crash aged 20. Never played again. Still got the England cap and shirt though.
Our coach and mentor in those heady days was Alan Cowley, a nicer man you couldn’t wish to meet. Ian Roughley looked after us in the Ashley Rd days. We regularly used to act as fill ins down at Elland Road for junior matches, another fantastic experience.
Hope you find this interesting.
Regards,
Dave M Kilner
I played for the Pudsey Juniors Under 16 team during the 1970-71 season and always felt it a privilege to play alongside excellent footballers, many of whom I expected to see progressing through the professional ranks.
I played in central defence and would like to think I did OK, being one of the lesser talented players. We were (almost) all-conquering that year, winning the Leeds Minor League and the Leeds Minor League Cup – in fact winning all but one game. Unfortunately that was the Leeds Minor Cup Final which was played at Elland Road where we lost 1-0 to a very late goal.
This was a totally dominant team of whom I have very fond memories. I’m not sure how I was recruited, except that, unusually for a Leeds based club, in our team were 5 players who represented the Spen Valley Schools District Team – myself, Chris Mackin, Mick Poole, Graham Fisher and Granville Peck.
The home games were played at Queens Park in Pudsey – a large flat pitch which suited our style of play. For the away games we used to meet outside the Post Office in City Square on a Saturday lunchtime.
The team was managed by a chap who was a real gentleman, always encouraging us. I wish I could remember his name – I think it was Alan Cowley, but I could be wrong.
For most of the season we played in an old Leeds United, all tangerine, kit. I think in the previous season Leeds United had been on an unbeaten run until they played Stoke City away, wore this kit, and lost heavily. Superstitious as footballers are, they decided not to wear it again, so passed it to us.
I also got to play in a friendly match against Scunthorpe United. Our side that day included some players from the older age group
and I remember playing alongside some terrific players including Gary Dufton, Brian Crowther and Malcolm Wright.
I hope my memories are helpful.
Steve Crowther