Woodhouse Colts JFC - Club History

Woodhouse Colts originally began life as a 6 a side team known as Marplea Colts playing in the Woodhouse Lions annual tournament on the old St Edmunds football ground next to the Turner Hall.

The team members originally came from the Marples Avenue, Leadale Crescent area (hence the original name) and played in whatever white shirts we had,  and included myself, Nigel Parnwell (who sadly died a few years ago), David Houghton, Wayne Cameron, Steve Machin, Andy Bell, Ian Dixon.

The first Woodhouse Colts team was formed by my father Bill Pearce with the kit being paid for by each parent making a one off donation. Some of the enthusiastic parents included Mi & Ted Parnwell, Joan & Keith Houghton. The first kit was bought from Wakefield’s Army Stores on the corner of the Market Square and consisted of Blue long sleeved shirts with white collar and cuffs, yellow shorts with blue and white stripes on the side (old Leeds Utd away kit shorts) and blue socks. With parents washing the kit inevitably the blue colour ran into the white collar and cuffs so the kit became blue shirts with light blue trim!.

Games were played on the Park Hall playing fields which now form part of the Manor complex. The first side played at U12 level in the Mansfield Youth League and won the Most Sporting Team (usually reserved for the team that loses the most!!).

As some of the players were too old to play at U12 in the next year Alan Cormack took the older players into the U14 section of the league (albeit a year under age). The Under 14's were bolstered with players such as Neil Banks and David Barson (Neil went on to play for England schoolboys). The Under 12's were Runners Up in the KO Cup and League losing out to a Sheffield Utd nursery side called Thorpe Salvin who were unbeaten since the age of 9. That did not prevent Woodhouse colts rolling them over 1-0 in the final of the Benevolent Cup played at Bilsthorpe MW. The first of many pieces of silverware to go to Woodhouse Colts.

Woodhouse Colts had truly arrived!

The step up to U14 was found to be quite significant and as the MYFL did not provide an intermediate league the U12's moved up to the Young Elizabethan League at U13 level on Saturdays and the Shirebrook & District Youth League on Sundays.
Simon Robinson was the U13's leading scorer scoring over 100 goals in a season.

Apart from myself the squad was made up of Paul Shields (now Crouch), Alex Pate (son of former Stags favourite Sandy Pate), Richard Kelly, Darren West, Mark Jevons, John Gibson, Dave Kent, Simon Robinson, Chris Roberts, John Mason, Gary Scott, John Seaton.The U13 team enjoyed considerable success winning the YEL League & Cup, the Shirebrook League & Cup and the NE Derby’s Open Cup where they played against and beat two Shirebrook League representative sides!. The team were denied a sixth trophy when they reached the semi-finals of the County Youth Shield only to go down 1-0 against Parkside Utd.

The first tour the team went on was to Langforden in Germany by coach. The kit in the first photo was hand designed and consisted of blue/turquoise and black panels, black shorts, and black socks with matching blue / turquoise trim. The kit was manufactured by 5D Togs who used to be based at Pinxton and who made a number of the kits for Addidas, Admiral and sported by league teams etc.

Close rivals included: Beaufort Utd (Kirkby), Thorpe Salvin (Worksop), Priory Celtic (Jacksdale), Clifton All Whites (Clifton), Parkside Utd (Nottm), ADASC/Alfreton Town, Sheepbridge Utd (Sutton) and Clipstone Colts.