THIS is Colchester’s Prettygate School football team days after they won the prestigious Gunner Moore Trophy.

Captain of the team, Trevor Bailey, 11 at the time, dug out the photograph last year in memory of the half century anniversary of the victory which came just five years after the school opened in Plume Avenue.

“It was an amazing achievement and I can still remember how proud we all felt. That is me sitting in the middle with the ball on my lap.

“We had to play ten matches. We won all ten, scored 45 goals and conceded only 11,” recalls lifelong football fan Trevor who, since retiring, now travels around supporting Colchester United full-time.

The teams in Prettygate’s section were King’s Ford, St George’s, Great Clacton, Alton Park and Holland Road, in Clacton.

As well as St Anne’s, which made it to the final, Lexden, St John’s Green, Hamilton and Monkwick, also played in the other section and Trevor says Prettygate actually went on to retain the trophy the following year.

The Prettygate team had a number of connections to Colchester United, with Richard Hammond’s father having played for them and Charlton Athletic, and Paul Greenleaf’s cousins were U’s legends Bobby and Ronnie Hunt, explains Trevor.

He adds: “It was actually my team-mate, Ian Meadows’ uncle, Eric Meadows, who took us and about four others to Layer Road for the first time and that was the start of it for me.

“Eric is in his eighties now and I actually saw him recently at a Colchester United match in the Weston Homes Stadium, which brought back a lot of memories,” adds Trevor.

Recalling the Gunner Moore Trophy win, he explains the final was played against St Anne’s School, which has since closed, on Saturday, April 25, 1964 at King’s Ford School in the town.

“Prettygate won 2-0, with Nigel Trovell and Paul Greenleaf scoring the goals.

“It was the first main sports trophy won by our school, which had only opened five years previously, on May 25, 1959.

“The competition was divided into two sections and based on a league format. In our section there were six teams and we won all ten of our league matches home and away to qualify for our final match again St Anne’s, who had won the other section.

“I was fortunate enough to be captain of our team and five of us also played for Colchester and North East Essex boys that season.”

The team was managed by Prettygate P.E teacher Brian Tebbutt and Jock Balfour, who was the class teacher for most of those in the team. The headteacher of the school at the time, Olwyn Carter, attended at the match.

“It was a great honour to be presented with the trophy,” he Trevor adds.