Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The First British Football Team To Play In Cuba


Grasmere Rovers were an English amateur team from Manchester (later playing in Glossop)  founded in  1961. Grasmere Rovers became "allegedly"  the first British football team to play a competitive football game in Cuba, in front of 25,000 spectators in June 1975

This was as part of the clubs 14 day extensive tour of the Caribbean in June 1975 which included games against the national Jamaican football team in Kingston, the Venezuelan national amateur team in Caracas a team called Violetti from Haiti

In the squad of eighteen was included Roy Huddleson from Great Harwood, Fred Eyre former manager of Stalybridge Celtic and Paul Fitzgerald former Hyde United and Grasmere player

The Grasemere Team circa March 1975 

Keith Jones (Goalkeper), David Charlton, Steve Mooney, Ian Halfpenny, John Dougherty,, John McArdle, Roy Jones, Brian Kellock, Danny Cooney, Eddie Green, Keith Greenhalgh, Norman Higginson

In 1983 Grasmere Rovers FC changed their name to Cheadle Town FC (but have now reverted to playing in Green & white the old Grasmere Rovers colours)