Dennis Mardon –

Dennis had lived and spent his senior school years at Hele’s School Exeter and like most Grammar schools in those days played Rugby.

His youth football years however were spent with the well-known Foxhayes Youth Team, followed by his first adult club - Sylvans before joining Exmouth Town.

After returning to Sylvans his local work in Government took him to Cornwall in 1978 where he played for Dobwalls and then to Dorset where he joined Piddlehinton.

In the early 1980’s Dennis and his wife, Helen came back to live in Helen’s home town, Crediton and Dennis joined Crediton United.

Probably by this time his best football years were behind him but he was still a good player but also quickly became involved with Club administration in 1986 as Membership Secretary and Vice-Chairman.

Unfortunately for Dennis in the mid 1980’s Crediton’s First team was being run by the new first team manager Trevor Atkins and an influx of younger players limited his first team games.

He was fortunately a fairly naturally fit person and played until his 40s with the Crediton second team. He also became involved with the Club’s social side and played in the Club’s skittles team for many years.

(Dennis seems to spend a lot of his time nowadays riding around the local countryside with his wife on their bikes – but he is cheating as has invested in an electric bike!)

Jimmy Pearn – by Pat Head

Jimmy Pearn joined Crediton United in 1973. On January 9, 1988 a short tribute was paid to him by Pat Head in the match day programme.

“A place in Crediton’s first team for 14 consecutive seasons must be a record to take some beating. After four years playing for his native Thorverton, Jimmy came to Crediton and says he couldn’t wish for a better club.

Jim was elected Player’s player of the year twice by his team mates, in 1976-77 and again in 1984-5 when he also won the Creedy Court Cup as First Team Manager of the Year.

Jim is a lorry driver and still lives in Thorverton with his wife Sue and three daughters. I can’t write about Jim without mentioning his father Ted, who has supported Crediton continuously throughout the 14 years and even sponsored a match in the 1986-7 season. Like his son, 61-year-old Ted started playing football for Thorverton as a lad.”

(Jimmy now lives in Crediton having moved with his wife a couple of years ago).

Yaghoob Baharami (Ubi) – by Pat Head

It was towards the end of the 1973-4 season that one of the most colourful figures of Crediton football came on to the scene as the only foreign import to Crediton United, although Chris Slateford did come from Cornwall!! Here is the story of “Ubi” in his own words.

“I was born in a small industrial town called Naft-e-Saafed in the South West of Iran on March 25, 1954 the second son in a family of seven brothers and four sisters.

The town was among the first places where oil was discovered in Iran. Due to my father’s job we then moved to Haft-Kel.

It was in this town that football for me became a way of living rather than just another sport.

My eldest brother, also with a passion for football, was one of the best goalkeepers in the south of Iran and because of this persuaded the Manager of the town’s team to allow me to train with them.

At the age of 15 I won my first cap, playing for the county of Khozistan. Then in 1972 I was asked to report to the headquarters of the Iranian Football Federation to prepare for the forthcoming Asian Youth tournament. The following year I gained my only senior cap – a World Cup qualifying round in the Asia/Oceanic group against Australia. We beat Australia 2-0 at home but lost 3-0 in Sydney so failed to qualify.

After obtaining exit clearance from the National Security Council in 1974 I left home and came to this country. A few months later I met my wife Sandra and through her family connection with Geoff Lee and Melvyn Steer (both married sisters of Sandra) I joined Crediton United.”

(Ubi lives in Exeter and is the proprietor of a garage).

Footballer In the Crowd – Geoff Lee - (Match day programme article from 1980’s)

Geoff Lee’s football career as a goalkeeper was probably greatly influenced by his elder brother Graham who was a regular “between the sticks” for the Crediton United First team in the early 1960’s.

Both had played in the same Crediton Colts team in the 1959-60 season with Geoff understudy for Graham.

At one stage Geoff played in the Reserves team whilst Graham was the First Team keeper. His elder brother eventually married and moved to Newton Abbot to live and work so Geoff was able to take over the First team keeper’s gloves.

Like most youngsters back in those days there was little or no coaching or training available to youngsters and as the sports teacher at Hayward’s School, Jack Hayes, was a ardent rugby man no school tuition in the game of football was ever available.

Youngsters had to learn by watching others and mainly learning the skills of the game in seemingly endless hours playing on the football pitch in Newcombes Meadow.

With team mates and friends Chris and John Gillard, John Hurst, Jimmy Kenshole and others he would spend hours in all weathers kicking a ball about. Geoff remembers fondly the winter of 1962-63 when they even practised with six inches of snow on the pitch.

In his late teens Geoff spent half a season trying his luck with the Exeter City Colts teams training at St James’ Park and playing in the “B” Colts team before returning to Crediton United. He also had a couple of season’s playing for the now defunct Friernhay Football Club at Flowerpots playing fields at Exwick.

(Sadly Geoff passed away in April 2015 and Anna in October 2019. R.I.P my friends).

Chris Gillard