Reg Stratton - His Fulham Career.

[TonyGilroy]

As promised and I am sure eagerly awaited - the truth can be revealed as to the number on the back of Reg Stratton's shirt.

In 24 appearances our man clearly possessed 2 shirts, the number 9 being worn 15 times and number 11 on 9 occasions.

Those who claim to have seen him with 10 on his back are strangers to the truth.

[finnster01]

Thank you mate, that settles that question

[FC Silver Fox]

You do realize that with posts like this, you're going to have our good friend, Corked Hat, spluttering over his tinnie (or should that be tinny)?    His health ain't what it used to be.  We have to be careful.

[Lighthouse]

I am very proud of my earlier post. I wasn't that far out -

Reg played with the number 9 shIrt more often than 10 or 11. Something like a ratio of 11 to 8

[SheffieldWhite]

Those were the days when you wouldn't have an inkling of the team until it was announced on the tannoy ie the team changes from the official programme line up. I can still recall my heart sinking when Reg's name was read out about 5 mins before kick off. Am I being unfair to him? I believe he scored 3 goals! My case rests.

[ron]

It's was an easy mistake to make, seeing the bloke with the number 10 and thinking it was Reg......

....but honestly I really don't remember him being as bad as some.

[OldBrownShoe]

I think Reg was originally a left winger (hence number 11 shirt) but he was so poor in that position, that at times when we were short of fit players, he was played up front. He was. of course, ineffectual there too.  Strangely (and I also saw a lot of reserve games too back then) he was much better in the stiffs. 'Stiff' would be an adequate description of his style. He was no Graham Leggat or Les Barrett.

[Tonywa]

I think Reg was originally a left winger (hence number 11 shirt) but he was so poor in that position, that at times when we were short of fit players, he was played up front. He was. of course, ineffectual there too.  Strangely (and I also saw a lot of reserve games too back then) he was much better in the stiffs. 'Stiff' would be an adequate description of his style. He was no Graham Leggat or Les Barrett.

A former England amateur international, he was in no way even remotely up to the task of playing at the top level in English football.  As a schoolboy nearly all the Fulham players were heroes to me whether good, bad or indifferent.  However even in my pre-teens I regarded Stratton as something of a joke and wondered how on earth the management thought him suited to playing in a side which featured Macedo, Cohen, Langley, Mullery, Robson, Leggat and Haynes amongst its members.

[Peabody]

Poor old Reg, he was a bit out of his depth was'nt he? Simular to another very good amatuer who joined us Bobby Brown. Set the world alight as an England Amatuer player but could'nt cut it with us.

[TonyGilroy]

It was a very different football world then though.

I think we played 3 professional teams up to the early 1960s. The reserves were in the Football Combination and the third team in the Metropolitan League. There were reserve cup competitions as well.

A club like FFC would have maybe 40 professionals but no first team squad. No substitutes allowed of course. We had a first team which played every game unless injured or dropped. Guys could stay 10 years at a club with only the very occasional first team game or none at all. The wages were so low that that they were easily affordable and people paid to see the reserve games. Captain of the reserves was a prestigious position.

Reg was only ever going to get a first team game in an emergency and the fact that he wasn't good enough was a shame but he wasn't at the club with any expectation that he was a first team player.

[Tonywa]

Also from my childhood I remember players like Trevor Watson and Dai Edwards who were with the club for years and played in the reserves on a regular basis, but who made very few first team appearances.

[OldBrownShoe]

Dai Edwards!  There was always a collective groan if he was announced in the team changes as playing.

[Peabody]

I know for a fact that Norman Smith was never that popular a Player but I thought he was quite good, considering that he was only ever a part-time Player, by that Imean not Proffesional.