Bob Comer and Eddie Attwood met at Midsomer Norton Cricket Club net practice as teenagers in the 1950s, Bob being the younger.

At thirteen years of age, Eddie was invited to join the cricket club when Hugh Watts, the Downside master and Somerset cricketer spotted Eddie bowling a googly during the tea break, a dream come true to this very day. That same year, Eddie was invited to play for Clandown Reserves again, “out of the blue”!

Bob was born in Farrington, but moved to Hallatrow. Eddie was born in Clapton and moved to Midsomer Norton at just seven months of age, so spent many hours at West Clewes.

Bob had joined Bristol City as a young professional and played for the Colts and the Reserves. He was a research chemist with Cuprinol travelling as far as Mombasa and Helsinki. Not making the First team, he decided to join Minehead with a minibus load from Bristol, including the former Bristol Rovers favourite, Bill Roost. Eddie signed for Welton Rovers in 1956 after being demobbed from the RAF, but soon had a cartilage problem and missed half the season. During rehabilitation, he took up refereeing school boys’ matches and the Midsomer Norton Youth League, at the time of Don Rogers (later Swindon Town) and Brian Mitchard (the Westfield butcher).

Welton Rovers played the season 1960/61 at the Radstock Town ground whilst West Clewes’ pitch was being levelled from a 12/14ft slope. That season, Welton were the Western League champions and also won the first of their three Somerset Senior Cup Finals at Wells City ground, dismissing Paulton Rovers twice and then Clevedon Town. That feat was achieved by Welton Rovers exactly fifty years before that. Welton also received the Arthur Mortimer Trophy for four consecutive years as the highest placed amateur team in the Western League.

Playing together at Midsomer Norton Cricket Club for many years, Bob became wicket keeper when George Rowdon retired (standing up to most bowlers). In 1964 they won the Somerset Senior Cup Final at Taunton before a large crowd against Taunton Outcasts (all previously members of the Somerset County staff).

That same year, as Welton Rovers turned professional, Bob signed for Welton Rovers and won the Western Premier League Championship for three consecutive years. Also Eddie was best man when Bob married Lorna Harvey at Stanton Drew that year.

Also in 1964 Eddie had thirteen games for Radstock Town, hoping to win the Wiltshire Premier League, but missed it by one point, only winning the runners-up trophy.

After being Player-Manager at Shepton Mallet Town for a year, Eddie reverted to refereeing Bath and District, Somerset Senior League, the Western League and six years on, the Football League as a referees’ assistant, covering most of the country; London, Birmingham, Southampton, Torquay, Cardiff, etc. His very last game was at Windsor Park, Belfast, the international match between Northern Ireland and Wales in May 1979.

Eddie had to retire at forty-three years of age, so reverted back to refereeing in the Somerset Senior League. In 1971, Bob and Eddie both achieved the FA Coaching Badge after a long summer at Taunton. They both visited regularly until the pandemic. Bob recently moved to Chew Magna where he and Eddie met again after a long period and reminisced with many laughs when talking about the times when Welton Rovers played Minehead and many harsh words were exchanged!

Thank you to Eddie Attwood for sharing his memories with us and condolences to Bob’s family and friends, as he passed away this week.