Playing home matches on Upchurch Recreation Ground in colours of red shirts, white shorts and red stockings, the team consisted of the local football talent in Upchurch and the surrounding area.
Keith Tress from Lower Halstow played in goal, while the defence consisted of brothers Rodney and Terry Jones from Lower Halstow and Richard Woolley from Horsham Lane in Upchurch. Aidan O’Sullivan from Chatham was a dominant and skilful midfield player assisted by Andy Long from Forge Lane in Upchurch. However, the main strength of the team lay in the powerful attacking duo of Rodney Diddams and Derek Hales, who both played for West Ham Youth on Saturdays and who scored most of the 211 goals accumulated by Upchurch that season. They were also assisted up front by Dave Whibley from Sittingbourne, Derek ‘Chud’ Wraight from The Street in Upchurch, and Steve Davies from Horsham Lane played periodically.
Centre half Rodney Jones usually organised the team assisted by adults such as Eric Woolley, and several parents assisted in transporting the players to away matches. As time passed, the Crown publican Bill Cockhill got involved, and the Crown eventually became the base for the club when they graduated to the Adult Sunday League.
The team had lots of support at home matches with Annie Bronger from Gore Bank being the most loyal and vocal. Two Upchurch based referees officiated most of the home matches. These were Kent League referee Fred Wilson and local league ref Dave Bronger from Gore Bank in Chaffes Lane.
Upchurch United Boys players Derek Hales, Rodney Diddams and Aidan O’Sullivan.
Photographed while playing for Hempstead United at Bowaters Sittingbourne in 1970-71.
The facilities on the recreation ground were basic as the players changed in a wooden hut without showers or a toilet but there was a space between the changing rooms for the team talk, and distribution of orange pieces at half time and the boiling of water for a cup of tea at the end of matches. Goal posts and nets had to be erected before matches and taken down at the end by the players.
After a poor start to the season with a 5-3 defeat to Rede Court and a 2-2 draw with Rainham Youth, the attacking duo of Derek Hales and Rodney Diddams combined to regularly destroy opposition teams. In some matches, the score ended in double figures with 26-0 being the highest. The league very soon became a two horse race between Upchurch United and Rainham Youth.
After drawing earlier in the season, the two teams met again in the League Cup in Upchurch. This time, Upchurch got revenge by defeating their neighbours 3-0. Rainham held the Upchurch Boys for a while before Upchurch opened the scoring, but they could not extend their lead before the interval as Derek Hales had his penalty saved by Rainham goalkeeper Dave Wood. In the second half, Rodney Diddams and Derek Hales added two further goals to become victorious against a Rainham team consisting of three Gillingham Youth players in Graham Knight, Dave Pullen and John Higginson.
As the season progressed, the Upchurch Boys did very well in the cup competitions, winning the League Cup, the Sittingbourne Charity Cup and the Kent Minor Cup, but they did not have it all their own way as they were runners-up to Rede Court in the Sheppey Charity Cup.
Playing the final at Sheppey United’s old ground at Botony Road, Upchurch fell a goal behind fairly early in the game, and Rede Court frustrated them by employing packed defensive tactics and having a player follow Derek Hales and tackling or fouling him whenever he got the ball. The tactic worked, but it angered the Upchurch supporters, and as the players left the pitch for half time an Upchurch supporter ran onto the pitch and attacked and flattened the Rede Court player who had successfully marked Derek Hales. Parents Eric Woolley and Dick Hales helped calm a very tense situation, the stricken Rede Court player soon recovered and the match continued without further incident. Rede Court employed the same defensive tactics in the second half and won the match 1-0.
Upchurch United also participated in the Medway Minor Cup. They trounced Rede Court 8-1 in the semi-finals before meeting Boughton in the final at Faversham Football Ground. Upchurch won the match 6-2 after Boughton had taken an early lead.
The boys met local rivals Rainham Youth in the Sittingbourne Charity Cup at Sheppey United’s ground. After an evenly matched first half, Upchurch overran Rainham Youth in the second half mainly due to an outstanding one man display by Rodney Diddams who scored a hat trick enabling Upchurch to win 5-1.
Upchurch had their greatest success in the Kent Minor Cup disposing of Sheppey Rangers 15-1, Boughton 7-2 and Bellwood 7-1. In the semi-final, they played Folkestone CYC, and in a very close match, Upchurch won 5-4. In the final, the team met Westgate, and in another exciting game, they won 5-2 to achieve their greatest success winning the Kent Minor Cup and becoming Kent champions.
Before the season ended, Upchurch had one more important match to play against Rainham Youth to decide the Medway Minor League Championship. Playing the match at Upchurch, Rainham Youth hit top form and defeated Upchurch 4-1 to win the championship with Upchurch runners-up.
Several of the Upchurch players progressed to a much higher level of football. Aidan O’Sullivan played for Dartford, Rodney Diddams played for West Ham Youth, Dartford and Faversham Town but Derek Hales reached the highest level playing for West Ham Youth, Luton, Charlton, West Ham, Derby and Gillingham. He also became the highest goal scorer in Charlton’s history.
Upchurch United Boys only played for one season at under-18 level then they were placed in the Premier Division of the Medway Sunday League in which they competed favourably without the services of Derek Hales who had a long and successful career as a professional footballer.
David Wood
About David
David was born and raised at Ham Green and still lives there today.
He writes from personal experience about Upchurch village life and the changes that have taken place over the years.
