Old Johnians no doubt have a variety of sporting highlights in their memories: the May Bumps, golf on the Gog Magogs, Cuppers, playing cricket with Mike Brearley or getting a Blue for anything at all, spring to mind as possibilities; but for a few of us the highlight was “The Plate” of 1967.
I don’t know if an actual Plate trophy existed then (if it did I never saw it) or even if the competition itself still exists today. It was the knock-out competition for lower division football teams and, in 1967, St John’s 3rd XI beat Queen’s 2nd XI in the final. The competition included some 1st teams and all 2nd teams (including John’s), so for our 3rd XI to win was a bit like a Cambridge United winning the FA Cup! Not least as along the way we had to contend with the University’s Rugby Captain Martin Green scoring 4 against us, and one of our keepers throwing the ball into his own net. My how we laughed!
I was captain of that team and instrumental in its success as I “dropped” myself for the final, thereby improving our chances of success enormously. The fact that I did this was also helpful to the history of the occasion, as subsequently a significant number of individuals have claimed that they did play. If this was true it is no surprise we won, since that would have meant a St Johns team of some 16!
To be perfectly honest, I have no recollection of not playing in the final but I am told by younger members of the team that I sacrificed my ego selflessly in the interests of team success. Similarly, I have no recollection of playing in the match, so am unable to dispute the matter. But I can remember celebrating in The Cow and Calf later that day.
I do recall that I was the only 3rd year in the team which may be how I became captain. I don’t think there was a lot of competition for the post but I did possess the most important quality of any leader: namely luck. In particular, I was lucky to have a group of players who were so much more than the sum of their parts. I had a few 2nd years, some of whom were fair footballers but hard and keen, and some who were primarily rugby players with some football talent; but my big stroke of luck took the form of several really skilful 1st years, who hadn’t been noticed by the more prestigious 2nd or 1st XIs.
That was the recipe for success and it would have ended there but for one of the 1st years, Don Nicolson (matric. 1966), who had the idea of organising a reunion, and one of the 2nd years, Steve Acklam (matric. 1965), who was instrumental in the organising process. This reunion took place at St John’s Chop House on the 27th September 2013, with a magnificent seven team members attending and plans for a 50 year anniversary event in 2017. (A date which may be brought forward in order to reduce the possibility of any of us being unable to attend due to the inevitable.)
“The Plate” may not have been the top sporting prize of 1967 but the spirit that won it was the same spirit that led to our successful reunion after 46 years. There can’t be many sporting achievements to match that.
St John's 3rd XI 1966-67, Winners of the Inter-College Plate Competition for 2nd XIs.
Ian Dunn (trainer and spiritual guide); Don Nicolson; Jim Cooper; Tony Wallis;
Frank Collyer; Mike Vest; Rory Delargy.
Pete Huke; Rob Buckler; Steve Lupton (capt, holding makeshift 'plate'); John Gout;
Steve Acklam.
John Howkins; Phil Knowles.
Absent: Tony Burtt-Jones (1945-2008)
The same gentlemen on Friday 27 Sept 2013
at St John's Chop House, Northampton St, Cambridge
