LEGENDARY County Durham goalkeeper Ray Snowball has marked his 90th birthday in style after returning to the ground which holds so many fond memories for the shot-stopper.
During a prestigious and successful career, the well-known footballer triumphed three times an FA Amateur Cup winner with Crook Town and made friends both on and off the football field throughout that time.
Organised by the Durham Amateur Football Trust, Ray’s 90th birthday event attracted around fifty friends, family, and football followers to the historic Millfield ground in Crook to reminisce about football in the late 50s and early 60s.
Read more: Memorial seat in Great Lumley to honour Jamie McKitten
Among those attending were former England amateur internationals Bob Thursby, Bill Roughley and Dave Rutherford and family members of the late Jimmy McMillan – who won four Amateur Cup medals with Crook between 1954-64.
Former Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest full back Frank Clark, still at school on Tyneside when appearing alongside Ray in the 1962 Wembley final, recalled that, together with Crook teammate Arnold Coates, they’d been summoned to London for a trial match for the England amateur team.
He said: “After the game they took me to Hammersmith Palais, and I’d never seen so many beautiful women. Life was never the same after that.”
Born in Sunderland, Ray was spotted playing for Silksworth Juniors – though he’d started as a right half. “The regular right half was injured during a match, so I had to go in goal” he recalled.
“The manager then said they’d found a better right half than I was so I might as well stop in goal. I got lucky.”
As an amateur, he also played 12 Football League games for Darlington in 1964-65 and another on December 27, 1966, against Middlesbrough, nearly 18 months after retiring from Crook – where a street is also named in his honour.
Read more: Tributes to Darlington Memorial Hospital doctor after his death at 91
He became a primary school head teacher in East Boldon, near Sunderland, where he still lives – and remains in good health.
Crook Town chairman Vince Kirkup said that the club had been delighted to be asked to host the event and was even looking forward to Ray’s 100th.
He said: “There are still plenty of people in the area who remember Ray’s heroics and the many games he helped us win. We look forward to doing the same thing for his 100th.”
To mark the occasion, Durham Amateur Football Trust (DAFT) organised an exhibition and relevant film footage, showed old newsreel footage and laid on refreshments including a specially made birthday cake decorated with images of Ray.
The Trust’s vice-chairman, Clem O’Donovan, said: “He was a brilliant footballer and is a wonderful man. It’s great that we can acknowledge people in this way and we hope to have similar functions.”
DAFT seeks both to perpetuate memories of the “golden age” of amateur football in County Durham and to promote interest in today’s grassroots game.
Further details – including how to become a “Friend” for just £5 is available from Trust secretary Dick Longstaff at dick.longstaff58@outlook.com.
--
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here