Foulsham Team Photo 1978-79
12 Aug 2009

Foulsham Team Photo 1954
12 Aug 2009

This photo was kindly given by Chris Lambert
Chris is on the Front Row second in from the right.

Chris was born in Norwich but after the war moved with his family to Bintree. Where he played in goal for Bintree from 1946-1948.
He then moved to Foulsham in 1948 and played as an Inside Forward on the home pitch which was then Church Meadow.
Foulsham played in Yellow & Black stripes but everyone thought they looked like Busy Bees so they changed their kit to half yellow and half black
During the war most of Foulsham and Bexfield particularly was made up of Nissan Huts which were used as WRAF blocks.
The last hut was left and used as the changing facilities until it was replaced by a Cricket Pavilion which was burnt down and replaced with another wood building which was also burnt down before the brick building was built.
Chris played in the Norwich League with Foulsham playing strong teams such as RAF Watton, Swaffham and Shipdham Village but the league folded and the top teams moved into the East Anglian League and Foulsham entered the West Norfolk League. Chris' most memorable game was the Cup Final which Foulsham were beaten 2-1 on Dereham Rec by Shipdham Village.
In the 1950's Chris can remember the Football Club moving to the Playing Field on Guist Road and the pitch being laid with the help of local farmer Mr Humphreys of Church Farm. He couldn't forget the amount of stones that came to the surface after they seeded the field. He can also remember marking out the pitch using 5 x 22 yds of chain borrowed from the local farm with the help of his friends Dixie Dean and Clifford Nurse. Of course in those days they used lime to mark the pitch.
In the late 50's football was replaced by cricket on the playing field.
In the 1960's the Police Stations from around the area played each other in matches on Wednesday afternoon using the pitch. Even Swanton Morley played on the pitch for a couple of seasons before Foulsham started up there own team and entered the Sunday League.
In the 1980's Foulsham even had a youth team which played on a Saturday.
Chris can remember Reggie Fletcher being the highest goalscorer.

Stories by David 'Dusty" Miller Foulsham Player in 1952-53
27 Nov 2008

David 'Dusty' Miller was a player at Foulsham in 1952-53 he has contacted me via our website and has kindly agreed to let me know of any stories that he can remember of his time playing for Foulsham.

What a 'HAIL' of a game!!!
During one of our games, about midway through the second half there was an unusual sound coming from across the fields which was getting louder and louder. Someone called out what's that and pointed towards the sound, when we looked across all we could see was what looked like a wall moving towards us.
When it got close enough we realized it was a hail storm, so we all, including the referee and linesmen ran from the field and took shelter in a farm building that was on the right as you entered the ground.
The storm only lasted about ten minutes, and the hail melted almost as soon as it hit the ground, so we went back on and finished the game.
As one of our boys had picked up the ball, the referee decided to restart with a throw in to the opposition on the half way line.
I can't remember who we played against, but I remember the score was 3--1 in our favor. Just for the record, we were rarely beaten in the two years I played, we had a good team.

WIFE GIVES FIRST AID
I was chasing a loose ball towards the opponents goal, trying hard to beat the defender to it but he got there first.

Because I was closing in on him fast, he took a wild swing at the ball which left his boot like a rocket and caught me where it hurts the most, I dropped like a stone.
My Wife, of only a few months, fearing I was badly hurt, without thinking ran onto the field and knelt down beside me, much to the amusement of all present.
I can tell you, as you can imagine, there were a few cracks directed at her as to our future S*X life.
She left the field more than a bit embarrassed, and with the reddest face I have ever seen on a woman, but to her credit she stayed to the end and tried to return some of the cracks, (which only made things worse).

WHAT A GOAL
Hope you like this one, it is my most precious memory of my playing days at Foulsham,
It happened during a home game.
We were into the last ten minutes of the game, with the scores level at one all, when we were granted a free kick just inside our own half of the field near the touch line.
I was elected to take the kick, as we had the wind behind us blowing diagonally across the goals, I thought to myself if I kick it high towards the far side of the eighteen yards box the wind will bring it into the penalty area, and one of the boys might score.
I ushered the boys into the goal mouth and placed the ball, as I stepped back to take the kick, one of our loyal supporters, old George, (that's all I ever knew him as), said to me, go on Dusty drop it in the box.
Jokingly I replied, I'll do better than that ,I'll put it in the goals
When I kicked the ball, it didn't go as I expected and I remember thinking, bugger it, it's going to go out over the line, then to my amazement, the wind caught it and it done a perfect banana bend, sailed over everyone's head, beat the keeper who was unsighted and ended up in the net.
I turned to George beaming all over and said, I told you I'd do it.
I would like to say I tried it, but it was an absolute fluke, but still the best goal I ever scored, and it won us the game.

1952
17 May 2009