1980 - 1981 - First Team Consolidate in Second Division

This was a much better year for Laxey First Team, and they finished solidly in the Second Division. New signings included Ian Astin, an accomplished full back, who went on to play for the Island, and the infamous Bruce Dawkes, a strong centre forward and skilful player who mostly played at centre forward, but was equally useful at the back.

The records I have showed that the team played 25 games, won 15, drew 3 and lost 7. On the present point scoring system they amassed 42 points, and scored 73 goals while conceding 43.

Their biggest win was an 8 - 1 win against Ayre, and their biggest loss was 7 - 1 to Marown.

They lost in the first round of the Woods Cup, but won both first round games in the FA Cup and Hospital Cup, losing both cups in the second round.

Players used that season were:

John Leece / 25
Ian Astin / 24
Gary Beattie / 24
David Cole / 24
Carl Senogles / 23
Ian McMullin / 23 (Goalkeeper)
Trevor Cowin / 22
Phil Garrett / 22
Gregory Kneale / 19
Bruce Dawkes / 16
Paul Desmond / 15
Keith Cody / 9
Davey Quayle / 8
Neil Kinrade / 5
David Ball / 3
David Wallis / 3
Alan Hannay / 3
Paul Marriott / 2
and one each for Dave Corlett, John Brown, Peter Kinnish, Paul Renard and Alan Kennaugh.

George Lawson and Derek Atkinson both had turns as subs, but did not play.

Once again John Leece (father of Jonathan) racked up a hefty score of appearances. Could he be the most profilic player at Laxey in their recent history?

Carl Senogles is still active, finishing the Parish Walk last year, and becoming a rapidly improving race walker. He also will have amassed a high number of appearances.

Superiority Stats

Every First Team game, I keep a record of shots on target and off target, both for Laxey and the opposition. I do the same for corners awarded.

I have been aware that every game our figures are usually much better, sometimes hugely better than the opposition.

I think I do it fairly, recording what shots look to be on target. Sometimes it is a bit of a subjective argument as you can sometimes not be absolutely sure where the ball would have ended up.

However, with Corners, there is no doubt and I am sure I recorded them accurately.

The figures are amazing. The only team which came close to us so far this season is Old Boys, who had more corners than us, and more shots off target, though one less on target.

Here are the total stats up to date :

Laxey /The Rest

Shots on Target 102/ 35

Shots off Target 80/ 45

Corners 92/ 30


Which begs the question - how many of those 92 corners have we converted directly into goals?

I suspect it is very few.

We need A Plan.......

First Team Thirty Years ago - 1979 - 1980 season

Back in the Second Division after relegation, the First Team had a much more successful year.

Young players consolidating their places were Carl Senogles, Phil Garrett, David Cole, Gary Beattie, David Ball, and Ian McMullin, who also had a spell as Junior Island goalkeeper. Moving on were Johnny Grubb, who went on to play for the Island, and Ian Quayle.

We have inputted records of 18 league games and 7 cup games, and on those inputted, the team:-

Won 13; Drew 2; Lost 9; Scored 77 goals and conceded 52. On present points system they scored 26 points of the 17 games recorded. One match, against Union Mills, on the first day of the new decade, New Year's Day, 1980, was abandoned.

In Cup Runs, they won the first round of the Woods Cup but lost in the quarter-finals 3 - 0 to St. Georges. In the FA Cup, after winning the first round, they were knocked out 5 - 0 by Union Mills. A good run in the Hospital Cup saw them win two games and eventually lose in the semis to Peel, 5 - 1.

Appearances were as follows:

Phil Garrett 25
John Leece 25
David Cole 25
Trevor Cowin 23
Davey Quayle 23
Roy Christian 22
David Ball 22
Carl Senogles 21
Gary Beattie 20
Ian McMullin 19
Paul Desmond 15
Paul Renard 13
Neil Kinrade 13
Stephen Moore 6
Willy Cowley 5
David Wallis 5
Stephen Peel 4

And one appearance each from Greg Kneale, Nigel Brown, Peter Kinnish, Derek Atkinson, Brian Gordon and Tony Boner.

How the Comby Did in the 1978-79 Season

This was a typical Combination season of those days - the fixtures were not completed, which happened occasionally to the also-rans of the League in those days, particularly when pitches, especially ours, were mud baths.

The team played 20 games in total, and of the results available, won 5, drew 6 and lost 7, and on todays point scoring system for their league games they would have gained 16 points. Goals against were 46 and for 43.

Unfortunately the old team sheets being inputted do not include goal scorers.

Principal players of that season were:

Dudley Butt 20
George Lawson 20
Keith Sherratt 19
Peter Kinnish 15
Graham Thwaites 14
Willy Gelling 13
Tom Senogles 12
John Cleator (Neb) 12
Derek Atkinson 11
Ian McMullin 11
John Brown 10
David Ball 8
David Cole 8
Willy Cowley 5
Carl Senogles 5
Stephen Peel 5

Other Notables - Terry Druggan 2

Best win of the season was a 17 - 2 victory over St Mary's, on the pitch which is now the NSC astro-turf. Even I managed to score twice that day.

Biggest loss was a 6-0 defeat to Rushen in the quarter final of the Junior Cup

How the First Team Fared - 1978-1979

I recently found old team sheets dating between 1978 and 1984 and am gradually loading up the stats onto our website. Unfortunately there is no record of goalscorers, but this will make the appearances more accurate.

Laxey were in the First Division at the start of the 1978-79 season, but had lost several players who moved on. Young players coming through included Gary Beattie, David Cole, who went onto a professional career, and Carl Senogles, they were then only about 16 years of age. Paul Renard had been a first team regular but missed most of the season with broken ribs.

It was not a good season. The team failed to win any games in the league, and the only points they gained were for five draws. Of the 22 league games played, they lost 17.

There was a mini-FA Cup run, with two wins to get to the quarter final, which was lost.

The worst defeat was a 9-0 loss away at Ramsey, the best a 2-1 win in the FA Cup against Gymns. Obviously relegation followed.

Key players of that season were:

Trevor Cowin - played 24
Johnny Grubb 24
Ian Quayle 23
Gary Beattie 21
Nigel Brown 20
John Leece 20
Willy Cowley 18
Carl Senogles 18
Stephen Peel 17
Davey Quayle 17
Phil Garrett 15
David Cole 14
Roy Christian 12
John Brown 9
David Ball 9

Other Notables Paul Renard 4 and Peter Kinnish 2

There have been a couple of David Quayles playing for Laxey, this one was then the long haired artist/signwriter, still now playing a mean bass in various groups.

John Brown was the uncle of Johnny Callow

The Leaving of Laxey - The Ethos of Laxey

There was a slightly rowdy gathering at the Laxey club house on Saturday to say goodbye to Jack Walton. Jack has been with us for a couple of years, playing as a classy and solid midfielder, rarely wasting a pass* and adding a sheen of professionalism to the Club.

Watching the gathering made you realise how far Laxey has come in recent years and what a great bunch of people we have here. From those who started with us well over twenty years ago or at the age of eight, to the newest, they are all pleasant, responsible and funny lads who are a credit to themselves and the Club. The Unbeaten Grand Slam was won three years ago with most of those and that team spirit and friendship was a major part of that campaign. That Cup and League winning sunny Spring of 2006 was the happiest of times. You could see on Saturday that spirit was still there.

As long as we keep that spirit, we will be a happy and successful club.

All the best in your new job Jack

*(Yard of Ale)

Early Season...

An interesting start to the season, with most of the top clubs slipping up at least once. Laxey, after their barnstorming opening day victory over Champions St. George's, have had a bit of a struggle.

A loss to a good Peel team followed, and then a 1 - 1 draw with Ramsey was an unexpected dropping of two points.

There followed a game against St Mary's in torrential rain, when apparently, despite playing well, the conditions put us 3 - 0 down. Fortunately the referee had to call the game off. That will be re-played, and we will do much better next time.

This week though, back on winning ways with a 1 - 0 win over Castletown.

The Second Team (Combination) have had the same promising start as the first team, with one loss, two wins and a draw.

Next time I hope to have some history from our Research Moose, George Lawson - with tales of our first game in the League, and the time we left the league in the thirties and reformed under an alias......

More Moose News later...





Pictured left: Mark Blair after saving the day against Castletown.....

Laxey 3 St Georges 2 - Starting with a Buzz

Greens In the Valley, 17 August 2009 21:20

This was a great start to the season - and a comprehensive defeat of St Georges not only makes up for the disappointment of recent encounters with them, but also sets out our stall as more than also-rans.

We started the game without at least nine potential first teamers - This gave a great chance to our up and coming stars and they made the most of it.

The game started evenly, but after a few minutes, St George's got the upper hand. Ten minutes into the game they got the first goal. Laxey tried to pass it out of defence and an unfortunate ricochet bounced the ball to Chris Feeney who shot low and hard from the left, giving Mark Blair no chance. St George's continued to look dangerous and definitely had the better of the first 20 minutes.

As the game developed, Laxey gradually got a grip on things - dependables Jim Travers and Gary Williams pulled the strings with energetic support from Jack and strength from Fraser Vaughan.


A satisfying first half, though going in one goal down to a team with Geordies class did not auger well, but Laxey had had a good 20 minutes as the half ended and looked to be the better side.

Ten minutes into the second half and Manager Steve Falconer made a brave decision, taking off the very influential Fraser and replacing him with Lee. Chris Brown dropped back into midfield.

Immediately Lee made an impact as within in seconds of coming on he typically turned the last defender and honed in on goal with only the keeper to beat, who did well to block with his feet and body to deny Lee.

However, it was not to last long as Lee was on fire. The equaliser could well deserve an assist from Blairer. His big kick out bounced near Ashley and he did enough to both put off the Geordies defender and maybe get a marginal touch - whatever he did, the ball bounced once, and high, to Lee who ran in and put in a brilliantly guided looping header over the Geordies keeper to make it 1 - 1 with about half an hour to go.

Laxey took the lead as Danny Kewley surged down the left wing. He put in a cross from the left, a cross which just kept going and going - and looped over the Geordies keeper to make it 2 - 1 to Laxey. Cue pandemonium from Laxey supporters as finally St George's were behind.

The third goal came for Laxey when Ashley Webster laid on a ball to Max Murley and his shot was saved and fell out to Jamie Clague, who was able to head in from about five yards out - 3 - 1 to Laxey and it was starting to look safe.

Geordies were not going to give up, and with about three minutes to go, Mark Blair had to push a cross out to the right, but it fell to the worst person possible, as Chris Bass Jr slammed it in from an angle to make it 3 - 2.

The game turned when Lee came on, and Laxey really started to dominate from then on.

GITV is inclined not to name a Man of the Match as everyone made this win happen -

Well done lads - keep it up - This is Our Centenary Year

And here's the Stats:

Laxey St George's
Shots on Target 8 3
Shots off Target 5 5
Corners 6 6

Full Match report on the website

In the Beginning

Welcome to Greens In The Valley.

It used to be a photocopied paper version, contaminated by Prit stick glue, and amateur Clip Art, and distributed to the members of Laxey Football Club for their amusement and sometimes disgust. Lengthy match reports, profiles of players, slightly rude pictures and double entendres were the order of the day in the mid nineties. Plus of course the Saga of the Founding of the Club in 1909 - the doings of Old Tom Snuggles and his mining contemporaries.

But as we approach the Centenary of the Club those sticky photocopy days have gone and we have our own website - at http://laxeyfc.intheteam.com/modules/page/page.aspx?pc=home

And here as an experiment, a blog all about Laxey Football Club.

The first league game of the club in the Isle of Man was in 1910 and there is a mighty saga to tell of those early days in future entries.

For now though, the basics. Laxey play in Green - Laxey play in a Valley. A beautiful valley. How green? Mighty green at the moment. And Laxey play football in the Premier (First) Division of the Isle of Man and peaked in 2006 when they won all the Cup Competitions (4), and the League, without losing any games. The Grand Slam. And we still have most of the players of those days and hope for more glory as the months of our Centenary Year unfold.

So if you want to know more about the beautiful village of Laxey and the Club which is part of the glue which holds the community together, come back here again.