Just where have 40 years gone? One minute you are playing Vauvert, St Joseph’s, the next there is a new lot on the footballing block in yellow and, here we are, four decades on with St Peter Port about to bow out of the secondary school sports scene.
While a new super power in St Sampson’s looms on the horizon, St Peter Port will be missed. Over the next few weeks, Rob Batiste will attempt to trace the best of the school’s sport over those 40 years, recalling some of the outstanding performers, the PE teachers and the games
Above right, goalkeeper Paul Rowe as he is now and, above, the St Peter Port team in which he played. (0032513 and 0588711)
ST PETER PORT wasted no time in making its mark on the sports scene.
But while the PE staff rubbed their hands at the sight of a fantastically talented bunch of first year basketballers appearing on their lap, the new intake included some handy footballers approaching school leaving age.
In their first season the yellows were to do well in the Giffard League and reach the final of the Spiller Cup where their opposition was one of Les Beaucamps’s finest in their own half-century existence.
Beaucamps won a thriller at Beau Sejour, scoring twice in the last two minutes for a 5-3 result.
Earlier, Brian Preston’s side had snatched 20 minutes of extra-time with a goal in the last minute of normal time.
Johnny Mallett put Beaucamps 1-0 up only for Dave Girard to equalise on 22min.
In the second half the new school mounted attack after attack but fell behind against the run of play, Mallett scoring again.
Girard got his second to make it 2-2 before Andy Rowe deposited a corner kick onto the head of Kenny Help and the St Peter Port skipper flashed the ball home.
Helier Le Cheminant then equalised with virtually the last kick and in extra-time Peter Blaise and Colin Fallaize broke the yellows’ hearts.
Paul Rowe was the St Peter Port keeper that day and recalls the agony of defeat and a collapsed knee.
‘I was rushed to hospital after the game. My cartilage went after 10 minutes,’ said the keeper who, in days to come, was pictured in the Island Sun on crutches and with the caption – Heart of Lion.
‘It was a good team,’ said Rowe of the 1969 unit, who were still playing their home matches up at Cambridge Park, with the school pitches not yet complete.
Indeed, he recalls doing a lot of walking for his school sport.
‘We had no swimming pool so we had to walk down to the Bathing Pools. I remember Julian Patch – he was a new teacher there – walking us down to the pools.
‘We were also still walking up to the park and play our games up there. We also trained, on occasion, on the old tarmac at Beau Sejour.’
Left back Geoff Collins recalls the team being a bit stunned to lose.
‘We had a really good league side and we were probably shocked to lose.
‘We were pretty free-scoring as Dave Girard and Alan Peskey were pretty hot up front.’
* In coming weeks: The school’s legacy to basketball, the talented girls and the PE teachers.
Article posted on 7th June, 2008 - 9.29am
Loading ...
Most Commented: