Welcome to Old Tamps Vets FC (OTVFC)

Founded in 1980 by our leader and spiritual guru, Graham Lawrance, OTVFC has become a triumph of hope over experience......
We hope you enjoy the site - it continues to be a work in progress. Any thoughts, suggestions etc are welcome and can be made via the 'CONTACT US' page.
Hopefully match reports will be updated weekly, along with scores and statistics.

A history of the Old Tamponians
by Graham Lawrance

    The roots of the club can be traced as far back as 1973. Every summer Avery Hill College had a five-a-side competition. Graham, Bill Clift, Terry Morrison, John Sargeant and Gary Jones, who were all student teachers decided to form a team and enter the competition. After much deliberation they decided on the name Inter Felatio. Over the next two years at college they stayed together as a team but decided on a new name each year. The second name was Arselona and in the final year they became Tampon Bay Rowdies. (Student humour ruled the day!!)
     On leaving college football took a back seat and three of the team decided to try and make it in the music industry. Terry, Graham and Bill formed a group Chugg Nutt and the Dingleberries. They head hunted Bill Gardener, a man with a great voice and killer drag back. In 1979 the group appeared at the Edinburgh Festival to rave revues, butnothing came of this. Disenchanted the group broke up.
    These old friends started to drift apart now music did not bring them together. It was 1980, Bill Clift who lived in Greenwich had made fiends with a group of blokes who drank in the Ashburnham Arms. They had formed a friendly team called Greenwich Borough Hotshots. GBH for short.They asked Bill if he could raise a team to give them a game. He contacted Graham and between them managed to get hold of other ex Avery Hill students plus friends they have made since leaving college.
    Bill Gardener, recruited Tom (dirty bastard) Burt and Pat Lee. Graham brought along Simon Barber, Paul Watts from Old Roan and Les Samways, a close friend. Bill Clift's mate Titch Turner, a talented singer and musician, was a member of this first team. The final two players were Terry Morrison and John Sergeant.
    The first ever game was played in November 1980, at Hilly Fields. GBH had a matching kit, we played in an assortment of white shirts. Bill Gardener turned up late (something he continued to do throughout his career). He dropped the bombshell that his wife would not let him play because he had earache!!! We persuaded him to play in goal, he agreed but said he would have to wear his balaclava to keep his ear warm! In a free scoring game the Tamps managed to claw back a 3-2 deficit to equalise with two minutes to go. The Tamps had one final corner, luckily it fell to the head of Graham (he could see in those days), and rocketed into the back of the net. A 4-3 win in our very first game.
    Over the next two years, the team got together only 4 times, mainly to play GBH, but also Forest Hill Staff and Old Roan allstars. By 1984 the fixture list began to get larger. Major new signings were made. Steve Lockett gave up semi-pro football to join us. We signed our first ever real goal keeper Dave Stagg. He couldn't catch a ball and fumbled every cross, but he was big and wanted to play in goal. 1983 was te year that the Tampon Bay Rowdies really took off as a club. It was no coincidence that it coincided with the break up of Grahams first marriage. He put all his energies into the club. The number of fixtures rose sharply. A kit was purchased by Terry Morrison (he bought it in a Harrods sale). It was salmon pink with a white pinstripe. Key signings were again made. Bill Gardener introducedbtwo teaching friends from Eltham Green - Pete (pothead) Brough and Tim Van Basten, a giant centre forward, with an eye for goal. The squad was improving all the time. In this 1984-85 season the team went unbeaten winning 12 and drawing  6 of 18 games. Tim was top scorer with 21 goals.
    The 1986 season again saw a dramatic increase in fixtures, and saw the signing of one of the all time greats Matt Holmes, what he lacked in height he made up for with his monster thighs. Recruited at the same time was Dave Sowerby, a no nonsense Northerner who went on to be the second highest goal scorer in Tamps history. At the end of the season perhaps the most famous Tampon ever started to play, Norman Pace, a talented midfield player with a lovely touch. Gareth Hale also began to make an occasional appearance. A new goal keeper was acquired. Dave Stagg was sold to GBH for a nominal fee (a pint and two books of Green Shield stamps). In his place Mike Davies was signed.
    Over the next two seasons the side remained very settled. Some familiar names began to appear on the fixture list Red Barrel, Metrogas, Toby and Avery Hill. Norman Pace felt that the improving team on the pitch demanded a more up market name. After much discussion the name Old Tamponians was settled upon.
      In the 1988 season our greatest ever signing was made. The goal machine that is Ainsley Stokes finally gave up Sunday Football with Red Barrel and joined us. He came with a new kit (an old Red Barrel Kit). What a forward line we had Ainsley and Tim Van Basten. Goals rained in. In his first season Ainsley scored 43 goals. a record that stands to this day. Steel was added with the signing of Shamus Gallagher (the hardest Tampon ever).
    The Tamps were now a formidable force. If ever short Graham was able to draft in players from the Old Roan, so the quality of the team got better and better.
    In the early 90's the squad remained very stable. Mike the goalie retired, he was replaced by Brian (Bill's brother in-law). Another of his relatives was signed - Scottish Divvy.

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  A typical line up from 1990:                                              
                                           Brian
      John Stikings    Pete Brough    Sheamus    Graham L

   Bill Gardener    Steve Lockett    Matt Holmes    Dave Sowerby

                           Ainsley Stokes    Tim Davies
Sub: Keith Barron

    1992 saw the next batch of quality signings. Charlie Hyam and Smudger joined the squad and in 1995 Martin (never lino) was recruited from Thames Poly. He was an out and out forward. Ainsley who had been top goal scorer for the previous 7 years had a rival. Martin ended top scorer in 1996 and 1997. Nicky green started playing in 1995 as did Pete Vosper who was recruited to fill the massive gap left when Graham broke his leg when playing for Old Roan. This was a time when the team went miniature. the poisoned dwares Steve Lockett and Matt Holmes along with Little Pete Vosper and pot bellied Nicky Green - all vertically challenged.

A typical 1996 team:
                                             Bob Cat
          Tim Van Basten    Graham L    Smudge    Pete Vosper
    
      Nicky Green    Matt Holmes    Steve Locket    Dave Sowerby

                                 Ainsley Stokes   Martin

Subs: Pete Brough, Charlie Hyam

    By the end of the 1990's Pete Brough had emigrated to New Zealand. Martin moved away. Dave Sowerbys knees were giving up as were Matt Holmes. Younger players joined, Jacko and Max. Teams were harder and harder to get out. The nucleus was getting older and the oppositions were getting younger. From having seasons where we won more games than we lost, the opposite began to occur. By 2001 only 7 games were won and 14 lost.

A typical 2001 team:
                                           Bob Cat
           Pete Vosper    Steve Blythe    Tim Van Basten    Graham L

                         Jacko    Max    Steve Lockett    Matt Holmes

                                           Ainsley    Ken

Sub: Steve Rogers

    2002 season saw a massive change in Tamps. Graham took on the task of running two teams. Old Roan Vets had folded the year before. It was Grahams idea to start a Super Vets and younger vets using players from Roan and Tamps. older players would be with graham in the super Tamps.

A typical Super Tamps Team - first season:
                                          Paul Manley
                     Roger    Graham L    Gary Barwell    Pete Vosper

                       Steve Lockett    Smudge    Mitch    phil Page

                                       Ainsley    John Lang

Subs: Bacco, Barry, Steve Blythe, Tim Van Basten

    Since those first teams of 2002 the squad has changed regularly. Micky Smith was transferred in 2008 from Inter the Valley (he didn't like the non drinking culture of his old team). Tony Nuttal finally hung up his Saturday boots in 2009. he came as centre forward and had an immediate impact scoring 30 goals in his first season. In this season Steve Rogers started playing regularly for the team. Matt Podger who played his first Tampon game aged 16 in 1989 has been a more regular player in the last two years and Richard of Toby scumbags fame has crossed the divide to play more regularly for us. All of these players have played the odd game since the 1990's.
    The present squad is made up of the above plus Cheesy Jim (2003), Mark Hammond (2005), Mark Diamond (2008), Clive (2008), Micky Puplet (2010), Graham II (2010), Roy (2010), Taj (2011) and Colin (2012). Some players need a mention in the history of the Tamps because of contributions they have made. Tony Gavin - a no nonsense centre half. Paul Garrett who has scored 50 goals from 80 games (he is a centre half!), Steve Blythe another centre half who supplied the team with porn. Matt Nelson who overcame a terrible injury to play for us at the age of 25 (the opposition never complained about him being under age, I wonder why?).
     There are many more who have played but are too numerous to mention. Throughout our history, 33 years and counting, the team have tried to play in that Corinthian spirit of fairness, sportsmanship and friendliness. I hope this continues for many years to come.
Graham Lawrance - January 2013.