Thetownend.com

My ex nexdoor neighbour recently moved into his old house and was after any info you may have (or anecdotes Reg)..

oh, he's a Forest fan so you'll have to forgive him..

Wilf was indeed chairman during the late 50's/early 60's - although I would stand corrected on those dates.  They were not good times for the club (no change there!) and I can remember supporters in the Town End chanting "send Wilf Castle to Vietnam"!  so it must have about the time of the American war in that area.  He did indeed have a bakery and a shop in town, cannot remember where!  Where is Reg when you need him?

 Wilf Castle....purveyor of good lardy cakes and wholemeal bread from his emporium in Market Street, at one time his empire stretched to another outlet in Gorse Hill, but the growth of the predilection of the housewife for sliced bread.....Hovis,Sunblest etc. saw this enterprise fold, victim to early corporate takeover.  

If Wilf could have done a Warburton, who knows we might now be top flight.  

Wilf got on the Board in 1950....now it should be noted that the Articles of Association meant that to be on the Board you didn't particularly need money....rather being seen as a pillar of the community sufficed....and who better than a baker who produces "the staff of life"    So the Boards of the day consisted of worthies....dough boys like Wilf, purveyors of quality chitterlins like Eric Lane, local farmers like "Piggy" Williams and mine host of the Crown, Stratton  Frank Plyer. The Works had to have its rep...Reg Fricker, who would arrive at Board meetings, AGMs etc on his bike and free his trousers from their bike clips before getting down to business.

You could get voted off the Board at an AGM, by the many small shareholders, so needed a certain political acumen....in Wilf's case make sure your lardy had sufficient grease on it to the lube the axles of a King class.

Wilf's tenure to say the least was not always popular with the rank and file....like in 55/56 when the Board decision by now Wilf was chair, was a proto Power scenario....a manager wasn't appointed rather a trainer, what we'd now call a coach, the Board dealt with recruitment...we applied for re-election.

The appointment of Bert Head though was a masterstroke, whoever made the decision....the relegation in 64/65, however made for a stormy AGM at which Wilf was criticised for penny pinching when we had a chance to push on. The scene was redolent of Leo Amery quoting Cromwell, re Neville Chamberlain..."You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.

This antipathy spilled into the TE, and brought about the classic zeitgeist chant of " send Wilf Castle to Vietnam alleluia, send Wilf Castle to Vietnam alleluluia"    Wilf's response was to dig in his heels and reduce the amount of grease on his lardys.

The irony was that Wilf retired in 68, and the long time vice Chair Eric Lane, got all the glory of 68/69.  Castle's bakery probably went on until perhaps the 90's. You could still find Eric behind te counter of his Wood Street shop when he was into his 80's, it eventually fell foul of H and S....too much fat around in pork butchers. >:(

Thanks both, I'll pass it on!

I've PM'd you.

Thanks pf, I've replied.

Could be thinking of somebody else, but was he not club president at some stage as well.
Seem to remember an elderly gentleman that always used to walk around the pitch pre-match in the late 70's.

Thanks again private F, superb.

No problem.

How times change....I had that down as a new thing in football.

Wasn't new in the 50's.....Sam Allen who joined the Board in 1897, took on the running of the club in 1902, carried on until 1948, but did appoint a coach in 1933, after a particularly poor season.

Sounds like an invitation for a burglary.  ;)

I think Sam Allen is burried in Old Town Cemetery, I've never gone for a search though. Lived in Kent Road too, always wondered which one.

Number 44.  More correctly it's Radnor Street Cemetery...it may have been outside the historic boundary of Old Town. Sam's grave was recently done up.....a mission for you fB, pics.....

If I was still unemployed and had all that time I'd accept that dangerous mission. Unfortunately getting the beer tokens off the government started being worse that work. A horrible state of affairs.

The trick is to be a bird and drop sprogs at a steady rate.....that way you can get all sorts of benefiits including having a house provided gratis. The Housing Benefit bill currently stands at over £9 billion and that's just to private landlords...not social housing.

Even better if you've your own place, as you can rent that out....should you be caught a slap on the wrists is administered.

Except most housing benefit is paid to those in work

Fuck me I missed out there then....I always paid my way, rent or mortgage, if I'd have known I'd have got a massive house.