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When I first played football for Feltwell we travelled in a taxi belonging to a Mr Aubrey Neville. Basil Vincent once drove us to play at Hilgay. Coming home, the lights failed so we borrowed a torch and held it out of the side window. We also had to change 2 punctures and stopped in Southery for a pail of water to throw over the back axle which was red hot.
A Mr Ted Brown kept the Oak Hotel and we were in clover. He used to mark out the pitch for us and put the nets up. Our headquarters where at the Oak and a pint of mild was 2d, then it went up to 4d, then came a small brown (bottled) and it was 4d.
We had some excellent games against Brandon Town Street and we used to meet in Cup Finals. I remember one cup final when we played them, a chap called Charlie Mail played the match wearing two left boots (those were the days).
When Feltwell played Marham, at Marham in 1930, we changed in a cart shed full of tumbrels. The referee failed to turn up so a chap from the next village was asked to stand in. (He was a relative of the late Sam Butcher of Feltwell) and he stood over 6 feet tall. We hadn't been playing long before our inside left charged their goal keeper (who was Italian). He had a brother playing at centre forward, who ran back to their goal area and punched Walter Cracknell in the face.
Walter's brother Henry, who played right back for Feltwell, immediately ran and fetched the Italian a beauty. When the referee intervened the Marham players and spectators started on him. He struck out and put two of their players on the ground. The late Sid Maggs was our captain, he said, "Come on boys let's get out of this", so we grabbed our clothes and changed in the next village. Marham never did play the return match. Henry Cracknell, a young 84 and myself a young 81 are the only 2 players left from the old team.
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