Local author Terry Dunn has turned an interest in his Grandfather’s sporting exploits into a fascinating book chronicling the rich history of football in our Villages. Lucy Callington finds out more.
With Histon FC’s men’s and women’s first teams enjoying regular winning streaks and attracting a loyal following – not to mention the 33 current Histon Hornets youth and children’s teams which show up week-in week-out at the Rec – it’s safe to say that football fever is alive and well in Histon & Impington!
But did you know that villagers have been playing the beautiful game here for over 120 years?
When local author Terry Dunn happened upon a photo of his late grandfather, Charlie Smith, in a 1906 ‘Histon Rangers’ team – he decided to delve deeper into the archives and write a book – The Origins of Football in Histon and Impington. A book which may turn out to be just as relevant to our village historians as it is to today’s budding young players.
Kicking things off
Terry explains: “My interest started about five years ago. I knew that Histon FC was formerly known as Institute FC, but I also discovered that, when my grandfather played for the team aged around 16, the team was called Histon Rangers”.
His interest clearly piqued, Terry got to work. “Researching old newspapers at the Cambridgeshire Collection, I discovered it was easy to find details of games played by Histon teams, via the Histon news section”, he explains. In no time at all, Terry had taken up writing about them himself.
A real team effort
The photo which triggered Terry’s fascination shows the team on the steps of Histon Manor – fittingly in the exact same spot that Terry chose to launch his new book. Owner of the historic house, Katherine Mann reveals, “I thought it would be fun if Terry, writing about the team, could then have an image of himself and the book in the same place that the team was sitting all those years ago — bringing the story full circle”.
His book has been printed in association with the Village Society who donated to assist with its printing costs. A real team effort – its credits also include Barbara Parr who assisted with editing and Eleanor Whitehead who helped with additional research.
A treasure trove of memories
Terry Dunn has a lifelong connection with sport. Born and raised in the village, he grew up surrounded by football and cricket and this project has been something of a labour of love. His book boasts over 80 pages of photographs, press cuttings, league tables and player profiles.
Packed full of detail about the club’s rich history, the evolution of the teams, and the characters that made it all happen – it’s a tale of how the sport moved from being played on muddy village greens to fiercely contested local matches at the New Sports Ground (now called the Rec – where Institute FC moved in 1925).
Terry set himself the task of gathering the results, stories and images of those early years and bringing them together in one place, savouring the details as he did so.
“My favourite match report is from Easter Monday 1913 when Institute defeated March Town 1-0 at Chatteris to win the Chatteris Engineers Cup in front of about 1,000 spectators”, he reveals. “There is a fascinating report of the only goal scored and how 138 Institute fans travelled on the 1.44pm train from Histon Station to Chatteris Station for the game!”
Sporting heritage
The book paints a vivid picture of grassroots football in our village that will resonate with many of today’s players. “Knowing how football was played locally over 100 years ago and comparing that with today is fascinating”, he shares. “It’s good for youngsters to know what things were like with no floodlights and little sponsorship, back when players travelled by bicycle or train to most away games. Not to mention the fact that there were no mobile phones on which to send results”.
Together with the support of the Village Society and many others who shared memories and materials, Terry has created much more than a simple record of results – his book is a glorious celebration of community life and an important piece of local sporting heritage.
‘The Origins of Football in Histon and Impington’ by Terry Dunn, is priced at £10 (plus £3.50 p&p) and can be ordered by emailing the Histon and Impington Village Society at handivsoc@gmail.com or by visiting here.
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