Helston Senior Cup special feature

'THE celebrations after the game were unforgettable. They picked up the captain and carried him all the way into town'.

It will be interesting to see if current Helston Athletic skipper Jamie Thomson receives the same treatment as Clifford Casley did when he lifted the Cornwall Senior Cup for the Blues some 76 years ago.

Casley's triumphant parade with players and fans was recalled by Sam Real earlier this week when he spoke to me about his memories of the cup final replay, ahead of next month's Westinsure Cornwall Senior Cup final between Helston and Bodmin Town.

Sam was just nine years old when he decided he to make the short walk down to Helston's old pitch, situated close to where the Flambards Theme Park is now.

It was a sight Sam, who will be 85 in September, had never encountered before as 'what felt like the whole town' turned out for Helston's big day.

The Blues had drawn the first final against Truro City 1-1. A toss of the coin, Sam revealed, meant the sides would replay in Helston.

He said: "It was a great game, end to end and there must have been thousands there.

"Rex Holt, who was a schoolmaster, scored a hat-trick and Phil Harry also scored.

Unforgettable

"The celebrations after the game were unforgettable. They picked up the captain and carried him all the way into town."

The pitch where Helston enjoyed their greatest 90 minutes would just a couple of years later be used as a cornfield as football made way for World War Two.

Sam added: "There wasn't really that much to where they used to play. There weren't any changing rooms so everybody had to get changed at a cafe in town."

Mr Wills was the chairman of Helston at the time, and owner of 'Wills' Cafe' in the town.

Sam said: "I don't think there have been that many cafes used as changing rooms, but nobody cared too much because the food was lovely."

Sam would later go on to play in goal for his hometown club, making well over 1,000 appearances, as well as becoming a regular in the Cornwall county side.

He said: "I played 11 seasons for Cornwall and I enjoyed every minute of it. We came up against some very good sides and had so many great games.

"I was talking to somebody recently and they were telling me I must have played well over 1,000 games for Helston.

"I spent one season at Truro but Helston were always my club. I had so many good memories with them and won a lot trophies. I don't even know where half of them are now.

"Winning the Charity Cup was probably my proudest moment as a player."

Even after finally hanging up his gloves at the age of 44, Sam, who spent more than four decades working as a telephone engineer, remained close to the club, helping out wherever he could.

Historic

And around half a century after watching Helston's historic cup win, Sam was given one of the winning medals by the family of Helston's cup-winning goalkeeper Ben Stephens.

He said: "I asked the family what they had done with the medal, they still had it and gave it to me, which must have been around 20 years ago."

These days, trips to Helston's Kellaway Parc home aren't as frequent, with much of his time spent maintaining his garden at home in the town.

But 76 years after watching Helston win the cup as a boy, Sam has been invited by the club as a VIP guest for the Easter Monday final at Saltash United's Kimberley Stadium, along with Jimmy Williams, who was also at the 1937 final.

Sam said: "It is a really nice gesture, of the club to invite me to the game as their special guest. I spent many very happy years at Helston and it would be great to cheer them on in the final again."

It remains to be seen, however, if Helston's players could muster the strength to carry Thomson all the way back down to Helston if they do win the cup.