What is your name ?
Barry Solly.
What is your date and place of birth ?
06/09/51, Margate.
Where do you live ?
Cliftonville, Margate.
What was the first Margate match you ever saw and what can you remember about it ?
Gate v Cambridge Utd 1959/60 - I was eight. First real match I had ever been to, such a large crowd. I think we scored almost from the kick off. Can't really remember properly.
What was the first away game you went to ?
Away to Crystal Palace in FA Cup.
Who is your all-time favourite Margate player and why ?
Difficult one this. John Fahy is high on the list, only because I got to know him and his wife when they lived close to my place of work. But I would say my all time favourite is Phil Collins for a number of reasons. First of all when he first came no one really liked or rated him, but through hard work and perseverance he overcame the doubters and went on to score a lot of goals which helped us to the Conference at a time when a lot of teams were so defensive and scoring regularly was so difficult. I liked his aggression up front along with his bullish attitude on the field of play which upset so many opposing defenders.
Who would be in your all-time favourite Margate X1 ?
1 Brian Hughes
2 Bryan Clifton
3 Ray Summers
4 Don Campbell
5 Bob Harrop
6 David Houston
7 Phil Amato
8 Derek Grace
9 John Fahy
10 Phil Collins
11Gorden Burden
Of all the Margate / Thanet matches you've seen which is your favourite and why ?
Obviously when the star studded Tottenham team played at Hartsdown in the FA Cup it was a great occasion and although it was only a testimonial match when we played West Ham with Moore, Peters and Hurst included was another great occasion. But my favourite matches, and I cannot separate them, were the two matches - one in the League, one in the FA Cup - in consecutive seasons in the late Sixties both at home to Ramsgate and both played in appalling weather conditions, both matches finishing... Margate 6-4 Ramsgate !!
What's the best goal you've ever seen a Margate player score ?
Brian Gregory at home, I believe, to Bedford in I think 1975, afraid I cannot be sure. But it was a tremendous effort volleying in from fully 45 yards out which beat the opposing keeper all ends up !!
What one game in the club's history do you wish you'd seen and why ?
The FA Cup victory away to Bournemouth, because I think this is possibly the greatest victory in the history of Margate / Thanet and I would like to say I was there !!
What are the top three highlights of your time supporting Margate ?
1. Being at Yeovil one cold midweek evening and seeing us win 3-1 in the FA Cup first round in 1967 after the match was postponed the previous Saturday. There were only a few of us there !!
2. Taking my son to watch his first Margate match at Hartsdown - the match against Arsenal pre season 89/90. Seeing him as excited as I was when my dad took me to my first match all those years earlier and remembering how I'd felt.
3. The last home match v Newport County which clinched the Southern League Championship and of course promotion to the Conference, the atmosphere, the celebrations and presentations afterwards.
And what are the worst things you can remember ?
1. One match towards the end of, I think, 73/74 at home to Worcester, we were in a right relegation battle, a match we had to win. We were leading 2-1 then they equalised towards the end and I have never heard the ground so quiet when that goal went in although we did escape relegation eventually.
2. The coach journey to Burton for the final match of our promotion winning season to the Conference. Seemed to go all around the houses eventually getting there and missing the first few minutes of the match.
3. Away to Siitingbourne midweek September 1991, Reg Arnold a long time supporter of Margate drove himself, me and my son Michael there on a warm evening. Reg complained of feeling unwell while on the M2, we arrived at the ground, went through the turnstiles and Reg dropped dead !! Kick off delayed for twenty minutes. I went to Gillingham hospital in the ambulance with Reg and spent the evening there. It turned out Reg had no known relatives, I apparently knew him as well as any one and I ended up identifying him at Gillingham Hospital on the Friday - my fortieth birthday !!
What's the funniest thing you've witnessed during a Margate match ?
Two similar incidents really. Some years ago at Hartsdown v Ashford, I think, in the Kent Senior Cup John Love was running back towards our goal, Joe Radford came out and John without really looking attempted to pass the ball back, miskicked and succeeded in lobbing Joe for a glorious own goal ! Then a few years ago v Halifax in the Conference at Dover one Sunday afternoon a Halifax player from way out on the wing for some reason decided to pass back to his keeper, but hit it with such force and accuracy he lobbed the keeper and scored the best own goal I have ever winessed. Coincidently I had the Golden Goal ticket for that minute.
Do you have a favourite piece of Margate FC memorabilia or do you own any unusual items ?
I have a lot of Margate memorabilia old programmes etc. I have an old woolly bobble hat which my Dad bought me to wear when I went to my first match, obviously I treasure that. When Hartsdown was wrecked a few years ago I purchased a few bits and pieces including the 'MARGATE FOOTBALL CLUB' sign which was positioned above the turnstiles in Hartsdown Road. It is in three sections measuring about fifteen feet in all !!!
If you could re-sign one former player who's still playing elsewhere then who would it be and why ?
During the last couple of seasons I have not watched Margate very often so cannot really answer that one.
Have you ever seen a full season of competitive matches (ie not missed any) or come close to it ?
1966/67 and 1967/68.
How many games would you say you've seen in total ?
Very difficult to say, home and away probably about fifteen hundred or so.
What's your current favourite away ground ?
From my last season of travelling away, I would say Stevenage's ground.
And which current away ground do you least like ?
Again based on my last season of travelling away I would say Hayes' ground. Very open and sparse.
What's your all-time favourite away ground ?
Woking.
And which ground out of all the ones you've ever been to did you like least ?
Essella Park, Ashford.
Which Margate / Thanet player that you never saw play do you wish you'd seen ?
Got to be honest, in recent times I have not seen Margate much. I've heard a lot about a guy called Standen, seemed to be in trouble a lot last season, would have found it interesting to see what he was up to !!!
Did you ever play football on the pitch at Hartsdown ?
Yes, in the Watson Trophy - a knock out competion for Primary schools in 1960. In recent years have refereed matches.
Which Margate / Thanet kit is your all-time favourite ?
I liked the kit that was worn in the early 70s for a few away matches - green and white stripes , white shorts and socks.
And which have you liked the least ?
The late 90s pyjamas of the Buster Bloodvessel era !!
Added to the site in 2007.