Eric Maggs and all the men in his family live[d] for football. He was a mine of valuable anecdotal information.
After George Burnham moved on to become secretary for Somerset Senior League, Eric Maggs became secretary of Worle Old Boys and stayed in this post for 20 years. He was a player for 27 years and made 600 appearances for the club. Eric Maggs and Dennis Urch both began playing for WOB Youth Team, when they were 13 years old (about 1942). This team was the under 18s, but most of the older boys were away ‘fighting the Germans away’, having been called up.
One of the high spots of Eric’s football career turned out to be a game against RAF Watchet, played on Worle Recreation Ground. The programme for that game, played on 26th March, 1955 shows that one of the players for Watchet was a chap called Brian Clough! WOBs lost. There is a report in the programme dated 2nd April 1955. They took 13 coach loads of supporters with them to away games.
Brian Clough talks about the sparse opportunities for a game of football whilst he was at RAF Watchet in his autobiography: Brian Clough, the Autobiography. If you find a copy look at page 28 for the notes and page 48 for a picture of Clough, 3rd from the left in the back row. The WOB programmes of 26th March and 2nd April, 55 give full details, including teams and match report.
Eric Maggs, Dennis Urch, John and Tom Hutchins and Bill Durston all lived in Kewstoke Road near the quarry. Eric was an accountant, Ken Lane was an RAF pilot and was awarded the DFC. Dave Maggs, Eric’s son, became a Bristol City trainee. Later he managed one of our local youth teams – his son, Paul, played for the team. Dave Maggs’ other son, Robbi, was one of Bristol Rover’s Scholars (2009) and played for Worle FC in the 2023/2024 season.
You can read more of our club’s history during this period here.
This history would potentially have been lost if it were not for the hard work of local historian Raye Green. Read more about the area’s history here.
