By the 100 Years Of Coconuts team - writers for YABA
In his first contribution to the YABA blog, Happy Harry – the main man behind 100 Years of Coconuts – explores one of many links between two Uniteds.
In advance of the 2015 FA Cup tussle with Manchester United – some called it a clash, but we at Coconuts prefer the term tussle – there was much pub and terrace talk about connections between the two Uniteds: the Luke Chadwicks, Dion Dublins, David Moyeses and Ron Atkinsons, even the Peter Beardsleys and Colin Heaths of this world.
At Coconuts Acres, however, we were glorying in a more tenuous link between the Abbey and Old Trafford.
Graham Felton (pictured above right in the mid-60s with coach Brian Doyle) holds a unique place in United’s history – indeed in the history of football as a whole. Graham, a rapid right winger with the ability to excite any crowd, was the first apprentice professional in English non-League football.
Younger readers should note that, before the advent of football academies, centres of excellence, scholars and development contracts, an apprenticeship with a professional club was one of few ways an aspiring player could get a start in the game. You were likely to spend as much time sweeping the terraces or cleaning the senior pros’ boots as on the training pitch, but everybody had to start somewhere.
United, a relatively lowly Southern League club at the time Graham was making his mark, were nevertheless as professional in their outlook as any in the lower reaches of the Football League. But they weren’t allowed to take on apprentices.
Cambridge-born Graham was just 15 when he made his U’s first-team debut in a Mithras Cup tie at Dagenham in December 1964. (Yes, the Mithras Cup was a thing; St Albans City won it that season.)
At the following year’s Football League annual general meeting, United proposed that non-League clubs should be allowed to take on one apprentice for every five full-time pros on their books. Not wishing to be labelled stick-in-the-muds – perish the thought – the League passed the motion and young Felton duly became non-League’s first apprentice.
He made his Southern League debut in November 1965 and was carving out a highly promising career – 19 first-team appearances, two goals – when Northampton Town came calling. Graham signed for the Cobblers in 1966 and went on to make more than 250 League appearances for them, having played for England Youth with such luminaries as Trevor Brooking, Brian Kidd and Joe Royle along the way.
What has all this to do with Cambridge United v Manchester United? I told you the link was tenuous: on 7 February 1970, it was Northampton who took on the Red Devils in the FA Cup, and that tie has gone down in history.
In the Cobblers side that day was the same Graham Felton who had blazed the apprenticeship trail at the Abbey Stadium. He recalled later: ‘I lined up opposite my hero, George Best. I looked around and saw Bobby Charlton, Pat Crerand and Alex Stepney. I was in awe of the whole situation.’
Like his teammates, Graham must have been sick of the sight of Manchester United, and Best in particular, by the time the ref blew the final whistle. The Reds made light of the County Ground’s acres of mud to wind up 8-2 winners, with the great Irishman notching a club record-equalling six goals.
Graham went on to play for Barnsley and Kettering Town before retiring to take up painting and decorating. He still lives in Northampton and is an enthusiastic member of Cambridge United Former Players’ Association, which Coconuts set up in 2016. We were able to say hello at a CUFPA get-together in October last year, and he’s pictured (right) above with legendary goalkeeper, former teammate and CUFPA chairman Rodney Slack.
Cheerio
Harry
Cheerio
Harry
Photos: Cambridge News and 100 Years of Coconuts
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