Old pictures always provoke new interest - and this black and white from way back is better than most for stirring those little grey cells among Town fans. It was taken on a dark day for Drayton - a 2-1 defeat by arch rivals Newport in the Tom Jones Memorial Cup. But what's that local derby lapse got today with today's Drayton Town team?

It's hard to believe but that mustachioed, tousle haired lad third from left in the front row is none other that Mick Murphy, now Town's first team coach and the goalkeeper third from right in the back row just happens to be Andy Spooner, father of Town goalkeeper Andy.

Other players who went on to become bywords in Drayton football are front line players Derek "Deggie" Birch, second from left and Ian "Budgie" Pearson, who is second from the right.
The picture, from the Market Drayton Journal of the day, comes from among the old newspaper cuttings of Mick Murphy. "I often take a look back through them, remembering some of the great characters that Drayton football has known through the years," says Mick. That tie also sticks in Mick's memory because Town were leading with Steve Warrilow's goal until the last five minutes, when Newport won with strikes by Mick Kinsey - a hotly disputed offside effort - and John Ellison. For the record, the Town team was: Andy Spooner, Mick Holland, Dave Ollerenshaw, Tom Reid, Andy Muir, Peter Childs, Rob Conway, Ian Pearson, Mick Murphy, Derek Birch and Steve Warrilow with Aled Jones and Khaira as subs.

Early days .... this is a Little Market Drayton line-up who competed in the Telford Sunday League. Their success generated the interest at Greenfields that led to the formation of today's M arket Drayton Town club.