Over the next weeks, we’ll be doing a short series on HTSA Legends – the Town players who have inspired us at HTSA over the years.
I remember my first match watching Town. I was six; it was a home match against Oxford United.
I stood at the open end (the East Stand) with my dad and my uncle Roy (not my real uncle!) and was immediately fascinated by the smells (mainly I recall of Bovril and beer) and the sounds.
I’d never seen so many people, mainly men, in one place at one time. The ground looked huge.
Like most six year olds at the time, I loved playing football on the street with my mates.
I’d heard of Georgie Best, “..superstar, wears frilly knickers..” as the popular song went, and I’d seen him on TV play with what appeared to be a ball stuck to a piece of string on the end of his boot.
I tried for what seemed like years to learn how to dribble like he did and resigned myself to thinking it couldn’t be done.
Then I went to the Oxford match, and saw Jimmy Lawson.
He was brilliant!
He could do the Georgie Best stuff – pass, dribble, make goals, score goals, and mix it with the best. What a player.
I think it was Jimmy who inspired me to keep trying, enjoying football, and more importantly, watch the Town again.
I never saw Jimmy ever give less than his all on the pitch, and a fitting Legend in my book.
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Fast forward a few decades. Work had taken me away from watching Town in the flesh, and we’d had some wilderness years.
Then in the 1990s I rediscovered my love of going to matches.
My other Legend played in the 1990s – a diminutive left-back with an amazing long throw and the best springs in his legs I’d ever seen.
Tom Cowan started his playing career in Scotland before coming to Town, initially on loan from Sheffield United.
He played for the shirt, every time, for the whole time.
He scored a goal directly from a throw-in at Barnsley – the only player ever to do so.
He scored amazing headers, like the one against Wimbledon in the FA Cup.
And he was aggressive – ask Etienne Verveer of Bradford City!
Tom, in my opinion, was the best left back to play for Town in the last 30 years.
He epitomised the ethos of our club at that time – work hard, get stuck in, play for the shirt, give your all and leave everything you have on that pitch.
The HTSA are the voice of the Town fans, and we are always available for advice and guidance – if you’d like to know more and get involved with us, email our Chair, Ian Lawrence, on chair@htsa-online.co.uk, and we’ll give you more details.
We are active on your behalf all the year round.
Right, I’m off to practice my long throws – until then, UTT.
