Football legend (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Football legend

3:18pm Thursday 9th July 2009

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When I was about 13 and just breaking into the Southbroom School football team, our coach, Mr Tebby Ball, who had been captain of the Devizes Town’s football and cricket teams, asked me who my favourite footballer was.

Straight away I said Len Shackleton, the ex-Bradford Park Avenue, Sunderland Newcastle and England inside forward. I then asked Mr Ball the same question, expecting him to say perhaps Tom Finney or Tommy Lawton, or maybe Peter Doherty.

So I was very surprised when he replied without hesitation Jack Abrahams. Jack played for Devizes and was arguably less well known than his brother Ken. But Mr Ball was adamant that he was the most technically gifted player he’d ever seen and had had many opportunities to join a number of top professional clubs, but preferred to keep his career low-key and resisted all offers to sign for them.

I knew Jack Abrahams briefly when we both worked for Gaiger Bros, and found him to be rather shy and self-effacing, giving no inkling of having had such a prodigous talent.

I don’t know if Jack is still alive or whether he ever knew of Mr Ball’s admiration of his skills, but I’ll bet the Devizes Town team could do with them now.

Robert Hayter, Chantry Court, Devizes.

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