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                                           REMEMBERING TRENT VALLEY FOOTBALL TEAM 

The three Gayton Avenue Junior School members of the 1967 Trent Valley Boys side which won the 'Derby County Supporters Cup' in 1967 admire the trophy. Left to right are Richard Rogers, Steve Powell and Peter Seddon

Trent Valley was a representative schoolboy football team for the Derby area selected from schools outside the Borough boundary. The leading schoolboy footballers from within the Borough boundary played for Derby Boys - the leading players from outside the boundary for Trent Valley. As such there was a great deal of rivalry between the two sides, the Trent Valley team being perceived as 'posh suburban interlopers' into an arena traditionally dominated by the Derby Boys 'townies'.

The rivalry only ended in the late 1960s when areas such as Littleover lost their independence and were absorbed into the Borough. This short piece remembers the Trent Valley team of 1967 who knocked Derby Boys out of their usually confident stride by defeating them in a major Cup Final.

The rivalry between the sides was not unlike that between 'amateur' and 'professional' - while Derby Boys were the hardened 'pros', Trent Valley played 'the game for the game's sake'. The Valley's 'Corinthian spirit' led them to behave in ways which seemed to unnerve and irritate their rivals in equal measure. They were apt to say 'sorry' after committing a foul and had even been known to own up to an offence which the referee had missed. As if that wasn't enough, they played in shirts described as 'egg yolk yellow'.

Each year the two sides entered the English Schools Football Association 'Derby County Supporters Cup' in which they faced similar representative sides from neighbouring counties. In 1967 Trent Valley advanced to the Final after accounting for both Leicester Boys and Nottingham Boys along the way. Derby Boys had also advanced to the Final - time for a showdown!

The game took place on Friday 5 May 1967 at 7pm at Beaufort Junior School in Chaddesden - almost a 'home' game for Derby Boys. Things began to look grim for Valley, the Derby Telegraph reporting that 'their hopes took a severe jolting when Derby gained a 2-0 lead'. But despite their 'yellow' attire Valley were made of stern stuff. Rallying to the cause, they drew level with goals from Steve Powell and Wayne Murfin, and in the dying seconds were awarded a penalty. Steve Powell - later to play for Derby County - calmly buried it.

                                                        DERBY BOYS 2 TRENT VALLEY 3            

For the record, the victorious Trent Valley team that night was: P. Mackenzie (Littleover St. Peter's), S. Grudgings (Mickleover) , I. Bowmer (Asterdale), P. Seddon (Gayton Avenue), S. Powell (captain, Gayton Avenue), D. Harrison (Mickleover) , S. Holden (Mickleover) , J. Byrne (Alvaston and Boulton), W. Murfin (Mickleover) , R. Rogers (Gayton Avenue), P. Smale (Cavendish Close).

Valley remained unbeaten during 1966-67, but broke up the next season on going up to senior school, where they found themselves playing in their respective school teams alongside and against the Derby Boys they had humbled just a few months earlier. Not surprisingly, given the 'townies' robust brand of sensitivity, it was by no means unknown for the Valleyites to be given a rough time for their past impertinence. The Golden Days of the 'egg yolk yellows' were thus ended - and have never been revisited since....until now!

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County:  Derbyshire

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