During the summer Programme Editor Mark Harris conducted an interview for a proposed Supporters Club handbook. This interview was published in the programme for the recent Berkhamsted game. It is repeated here for the benefit of those who have not seen it previously.
Despite only being in the post for a couple of months, Barking Chairman and owner Peter Webster already looks at home in his new role. Speaking to Peter just over a week before the start of the new season it’s literally all hands to the pump as bar staff are on holiday and Peter is helping out pulling pints.
This ‘hands-on’ attitude and his general enthusiasm and commitment have gone a long way towards helping Peter to settle in as well as moving the club forward quickly in a short space of time.
Visitors to the club house will already have noticed a new (and long overdue) big screen, two new televisions, new pool tables and games machines and a new juke box. Visitors to the football ground will have noticed the excellent state of the pitch, the new floodlights and the fact that most parts of the ground have had some kind of refurbishment over the summer.
So what is that drives the man forward and why choose Barking & East Ham United?
Peter was born in Walthamstow in 1950 and has spent most of his career in commercial property consultancy. He has had his own business for 25 years. His first game of football was Leyton Orient versus QPR in a friendly at the age of nine. The O’s ran out 9-0 winners that day and became the club Peter would follow for the foreseeable future.
But Peter also played the game, first for Woodford Town in the Southern League in the late 60s before moving to Chingford Town where he came full circle by making his debut in a friendly at Walthamstow Avenue and hitting the bar twice. Peter actually started his career as a goal keeper before moving to the left wing and later moving inside to the left side of midfield. Peter claims to have been rather handy at free-kicks and corners and declares himself ‘a dead ball specialist’.
When asking who have been Peter’s heroes in football the answers are quite varied with the exception of one man who generally tends to stand head and shoulders above the rest: “Bobby Moore, I was sixteen when we won the World Cup and obviously Bobby was captain of West Ham and England and in terms of heroes it’s hard to see past him."
“Being a goalkeeper to start with I always thought England produced the best goalkeepers and Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton are among the greatest of all time.
“I also always liked the players with flair, people like Stan Bowles – and Frank Worthington was a great favourite.”
Manager wise Peter admired Jimmy Bloomfield at Leyton Orient and Brian Clough for the tremendous success he had and for his entertaining style of football. He also admired the Liverpool system and the dynasty built by Bill Shankly that brought through Bob Paisley, Ronnie Moran, Kenny Dalglish etc.
Despite all this knowledge and enthusiasm for the game Peter is not someone who had a long-term ambition to run a football club. “It started with being disillusioned with Leyton Orient – playing in the bottom division. I wrote to 12 clubs offering sponsorship and thought Barking had the most scope to go forward."
Asked what his first impression of Mayesbrook he says: “It was hard to find – I drove past it! I was willing to help out and be involved and didn’t have any pre-conceived ideas. I liked the people and was made welcome and quickly felt part of it. That was nice as it doesn’t always happen.”
When it comes to planning for the future Peter urges caution: “We have to be realistic. I’m not going to make claims that are not achievable. I’m a hard worker and I’ll give it 110%. It’s all or nothing with me and if things go wrong we’ll dust ourselves down and go again.
“There’s no doubt this club should be playing a higher level of football. That’s the target for the next few years. Of course we know we need to improve the ground so there needs to be some major fund raising efforts to help that. We’re still waiting for the ground grading but we know we’ll need to foot the bill for at least one new stand.”
Peter also makes it clear that he appreciates the help he has received so far: “I don’t think I would be able to do what I’ve done without the support, commitment and knowledge of Dennis Elliott. That’s been really important because it took seven months to strike this deal with a lot of problems along the way. We’ve also inherited a lot of problems, it’s been an eye opener. We think we’ve achieved quite a lot in 3 months with the irrigation system and floodlights up to conference standard and working on replacing the boundary wall as well all the improvements to the club house. But there is an enormous task ahead. We’ve done as much as we can in a short space of time but there is a long way to go. The ultimate thing of course at some future date we’ll have to replace the clubhouse."
And it isn’t only the manager who comes in for praise: “A football club is about people and the supporters are a big part of that. Without supporters and a committee and volunteers we wouldn’t be here. It’s important for the players, especially at away games. They really appreciate it. Supporters are the lifeblood. I particularly enjoy the games where we have voiciferous support. It really makes you feel part of it. It’s obvious it makes a difference to the players but it does to me too.”
So it’s all hands to the pumps, not just for Peter, but for all of us.
Footnote by Mark: When working on the ground in the summer, when the place is deserted. I often visualise former heroes, whether it’s Chris Ballard speeding down the wing, or Nicky Crown bursting through the middle or Alan Hull firing home another goal, and think of the great days spent here.
It will be impossible now not to think of another Mayesbrook legend, Peter Webster, either stood in the director’s box with a mug of tea in his hand watching his beloved team. Or, as he was over the summer, making himself busy around the ground with a paint brush, or a rake, or whatever was needed. It will also be impossible not to feel incredible sadness that this wonderful man’s time in charge was cut short so cruelly.
God bless you Peter and thank you |
