Walden would be the first name on my team sheet for a best ever pre-1989 team.

llanwern exile wrote:

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:If you had an all time squad of County players.
At least 5 of the side from 79-80 would walk into it

Apart from Tommy & Aldo

Keith Oakes, Kevin Moore and Richard Walden would be bankers imo.

Cheers

I've been supporting the county since 1960 and I have to say Richard walden is the finest fullback I ever seen play for us! god rest him.

Wonderful player. God rest him indeed.

I can take a hint!!

Richard had already played over 400 games for Aldershot and a 100 For Sheff Wednesday before Len Ashurst signed him for the County.
One claim to fame was that Richard was the first players transfer fee set by the recently formed tribunal at £3.5K.
He starred for us throughout the glory years including the Cup winners cup games.
No idea why but when Len moved onto City Richard also left to play non league.
Unfortunately after a long battle fighting Leukaemia he passed at the young age of 61 some 10 years ago.
He played 151 games for us plus a couple of goals.
Some say the finest full back we have had in living memory.
I'm not arguing that point for sure.
Feel free to add anything relating to him.
Cheers

He only scored twice but,they both came in the same game if I remember correctly,at Somerton Against Darlington.Quite an odd stat that,150 other games without scoring.

Having two decent full backs is a major plus as we did with Walden and Relish: it takes the pressure of the central defenders besides the attacking options. We didn't have that consistently last season with several goals conceded on our flank(much as I loved Pipe)

Special branch wrote:Having two decent full backs is a major plus as we did with Walden and Relish: it takes the pressure of the central defenders besides the attacking options. We didn't have that consistently last season with several goals conceded on our flank(much as I loved Pipe)

No criticism of John Relish, a superb professional and a good utility player and very good fullback.

Walden though was in a different class.

Frustratingly my only clear memory of Walden is during an awful early season loss v Oxford. He trotted up the pitch and despatched a corner kick directly into the crowd behind the railway end.

He lived in Aldershot, didn't he? That must've been quite a commute.

JonD wrote:
He lived in Aldershot, didn't he? That must've been quite a commute.

Didn't he used to get picked up by the team coach on a roundabout on the M4 for away games?

It was having Richard Walden behind him that made Steve Lowndes the player he was. Walden so often played the ball exactly where Lowndes wanted it, on the ground and with space ahead of him.

Richard Walden was the best in his position I have seen in over 50 years of watching the County a Rolls Royce of a player I doubt I will see a better one in my lifetime.

One for us oldies.
Talking to his nephew this evening and certainly remember when every club had a trainer armed with the bucket and sponge.
A cure for all injuries, players were men in those days.
George Kitson.
Probably going back to the 50's maybe 60's.
Was there for many years

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:One for us oldies.
Talking to his nephew this evening and certainly remember when every club had a trainer armed with the bucket and sponge.
A cure for all injuries, players were men in those days.
George Kitson.
Probably going back to the 50's maybe 60's.
Was there for many years

Harps,
Is he related to Paddy Kitson who lived opposite the Whiteheads club in Bassaleg? I know you frequent the 3 Salmons just up the road for your curry. Btw is the Murghals any good?

faerun exile wrote:

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:One for us oldies.
Talking to his nephew this evening and certainly remember when every club had a trainer armed with the bucket and sponge.
A cure for all injuries, players were men in those days.
George Kitson.
Probably going back to the 50's maybe 60's.
Was there for many years

Harps,
Is he related to Paddy Kitson who lived opposite the Whiteheads club in Bassaleg? I know you frequent the 3 Salmons just up the road for your curry. Btw is the Murghals any good?

Yes its Paddy's uncle.
We go in their most Fridays for takeaway.
Just won Curry House of the Year contest.
Always take away and enough food for tomorrow as well.
IMO superb.
Paddy still lives their.

Cheers.

Firstly with regard to Richard Walden! I watched my first County game at Somerton Park in 1962, and would also reiterate that he is the finest right full back I have seen in that role to date !
On a slightly different note, as an attendee of the neighbouring St. Patrick's school, would regularly offer to get the schools footballs inflated most Wednesday's for practice at Lliswerry school who had their own pitch, where we would undergo said practice under our female coach, Mrs Hornsby! Ray Wilcox was the trainer / sponge man at the County at the time, and on the occasional Wednesday Laurie Sheffield would coach the school team (being a near neighbor of our own Mrs H !
All legends in their own rights (including Mrs H).......time moves on but memories never fade....

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:

faerun exile wrote:

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:One for us oldies.
Talking to his nephew this evening and certainly remember when every club had a trainer armed with the bucket and sponge.
A cure for all injuries, players were men in those days.
George Kitson.
Probably going back to the 50's maybe 60's.
Was there for many years

Harps,
Is he related to Paddy Kitson who lived opposite the Whiteheads club in Bassaleg? I know you frequent the 3 Salmons just up the road for your curry. Btw is the Murghals any good?

Yes its Paddy's uncle.
We go in their most Fridays for takeaway.
Just won Curry House of the Year contest.
Always take away and enough food for tomorrow as well.
IMO superb.
Paddy still lives their.

Cheers.

Small world. Used to play cricket with Paddy and his son up at the Fugies.