Fond memories of Welwyn Garden City Footbal Club

SIR – I am writing regarding the letter headlined Remembering WGC Football Club , which was passed on to me by Russell Fleming who was named in the piece. I have known him since Peartree Junior School in 1952; he was a well known local athlete, super

SIR - I am writing regarding the letter headlined 'Remembering WGC Football Club', which was passed on to me by Russell Fleming who was named in the piece. I have known him since Peartree Junior School in 1952; he was a well known local athlete, super footballer on Arsenal's books, but took the academic route in life and retired recently as a lecturer in Brunel University.

I found the article fascinating as it brought back fond memories of those people named and, like your correspondent, a nostalgia of the past as, like him, I was closely associated with the club in the 1950s and 60s.

The one important omission from the letter was that of my father, Bram Wellington.

He was a player up to 1954, a founder of the under-14 Saturday morning league in King George V Playing Fields, a club committee man, chairman of the club and, most importantly, the man who, in 1959, saved the club from going out of existence by loaning them �400 (a lot in those days) to pay off debts which meant that they had, for financial reasons, to leave the Spartan League and join the Herts County League.

This has never been recognised in WGC but I felt that now was the time for it to be so.

I was also a player in those days, but had my career curtailed by a serious knee injury. I was lucky enough to play for the club at all levels including the youth team in 1958/59 season which did so well. We won the first three rounds of the FA Youth Cup against Gorleston, Barnet and Sandy, but were unlucky to be knocked out by Norwich FC under the floodlights at Carrow Road by 5-3. That team - which included a couple of those mentioned by your correspondent - was Bowles, Flay, Johnson, Aynesley, myself, Scadden, Howells, Fleming, Brewster, Jackson, Kingham plus Webb and Jay (Hatfield).

I am sure I must know your correspondent because of the years he talks about being the same as my times at the club, but cannot figure out who it is so I would ask that with his permission, you could let me have his details so that we may be able to mull over past times or you can pass on my details to him.

Len Wellington,

Cwmrhydyceirw Road,

Morriston, Swansea.

PS. Gordon Guile and Tony 'Jock' Brewster didn't go to St Albans, but to Hitchin Town.