Some Sports Personalities

Photographs relating to this article, including those in this extract, may be found in Gallery 2.02

Prudhoe and District has had its share of sporting personalities mainly in football and the following are notes on just a few of them.

Jack Clark

Jack began his football career as a goalkeeper at Prudhoe East School and then went on to play for Prudhoe Boys alongside Tommy Callender. Jack was also picked to play for Newcastle United “A” team and was then offered a two week trial with Brighton & Hove Albion. His absence from work, (he was then an apprentice sheet metal worker at Vickers Armstrong), was covered as ‘holiday’ thanks to an understanding foreman. For his stay at Brighton, Jack was paid the sum of £10.00 plus keep (a fortune for a teenager in pre-war days). Jack also had trials at Grimsby and Huddersfield and in 1939 signed for Spennymoor United. During the war years 1940-46 Jack played for Sunderland, with loan periods at Gateshead where there were four other Prudhoe boys. In 1946 Jack went to North Shields on a free transfer and during this time was invited for trials with Blackburn Rovers and Chesterfield but the transfer fee demand by North Shields was too much for these clubs – £2,200! After he hung his boots up, Jack reported on sport for the “Hexham Courant” starting in 1963.

Tommy Callender

Like Jack Clark, Tommy began his football at Prudhoe East School and then Prudhoe Boys, during which time he played three times for England Boys against Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He later signed for Lincoln City. At the start of the war, Sunderland wanted to sign him and Jack Clark but he signed for Gateshead, later becoming captain, where he stayed for 10 years until retirement.

Jack Callender (brother of Tommy)

Yet another Prudhoe Boys player, Jack played for Gateshead for sixteen seasons (504 games) then later for Consett, Highfield and ICI. At the end of his career he had played a total of 904 games and had never been booked or sent off.

Steve Howdon

Steve was born at Edgewell and was capped for Northumberland Boys. He played for Newcastle United alongside the likes of Jackie Milburn, Ernie Taylor and Bobby Cowell, then Gateshead and Hexham Hearts.

Bryan ‘POP’ Robson

Bryan was born in Sunderland and moved to Prudhoe, living in Wesley Street. He played football for Prudhoe West Primary School and captained the Under 11 side. There are two versions of how Bryan acquired the nickname ‘Pop’, one was because he was the most ‘pop’ular boy in the school; the other is that he was supposedly one of a trio of friends known as ‘Snap’, ‘Crackle’ and ‘Pop’. Jack Clark alerted Sunderland to Bryan’s ability but when the Sunderland scout went to see him play he reported back that “….Robson shows no potential”. Newcastle United stepped in and signed him and he played in the first team until 1971 when he was transferred to West Ham United for a fee of £120,000 playing alongside Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking. Bryan was later signed by Bob Stokoe when he managed Sunderland, the fee being £145,000. He was then later resold to West Ham for £88,000 then back to Sunderland for £40,000! He then went to Carlisle United for a short time as manager and then returned to Sunderland on the coaching staff. Not bad for someone who showed no potential!

Tom Whitfield

Tom was born in Tyne Street in old West Wylam. He captained Prudhoe RC School team which won the Prudhoe Schools Cup in 1932/33. Just before the war he attracted the attention of Huddersfield Town. At the outbreak of the war, he was called up and was evacuated from Dunkirk where he almost broke both legs jumping onto a barge to escape. In 1946 he helped to start Wylam BB football team.

Steve Hamilton

Born at Mickley in 1935, Steve played for Northumberland Boys and Newcastle “Ns”. He was given a trial by Everton and in his first game came up against Liverpool hard man Ron Yeats. After a clash with Yeats he finished up with a wound needing six stitches. During the war Steve played for his battalion. He scored nine goals in his first game and was later picked to play for the Combined Services East Africa team. After demob he was signed by Newcastle United, with a loan period to Consett. He was given a free transfer by Newcastle and signed for Bedlington. Steve finished his footballing career at forty and turned to golf.