Chris Elliott: Blues 1984-87
Player intro:
Chris Elliott (1984-1987)
Unfortunately, an Arsenal Supporter
Studied History at Girton College and played as a Striker for the Blues throughout his 3 years at Cambridge
Figure 1 - CUAFC Blues 1984/85
BACK (left to right): W.Wesson A.Marshall R.Girdlestone J.Rentoul G.Baker C.Elliott B.Randall
FRONT (left to right): C.Evans G.Harper M.Potts G.Walsh A.Whyte P.Roberts
What was your journey like to Cambridge and how did you come about being a CUAFC player?
I don’t think that this method of entry into the University exists any more but I stayed on at school after A Levels for a 7th term in the sixth form and took a Cambridge entrance exam in history. I had chosen St Catharine’s College as my first choice, primarily because there was a tenuous connection with my school and it was also perceived as one of the stronger footballing colleges. That application was unsuccessful but I was picked up in the pool by Girton. In my final year Girton entered Cuppers for the very first time in its history and we dispatched Catz 5-1 in the quarter finals…most gratifying! As for CUAFC, I attended the Freshers Trial in early October and made the first team squad. The team in 1984 was without doubt the strongest of the three teams I played in but, as luck would have it, there was a slot for a ‘Number 10’ which I gratefully filled.
How would you describe your playing style and what modern day footballer would you compare yourself to?
I’m not sure any Premier League footballer would welcome the comparison! I wasn’t particularly quick and moaned and whinged a lot to teammates if the service wasn’t absolutely perfect. However, I had a decent touch and understood the game pretty well. I needed strong, willing runners around me but could link up the play well. Maybe a touch of Teddy Sheringham- a fellow perma tanned Essex wideboy.
What was the set-up (coaching, league, Hawks etc.) and training like back then for the Blues?
We trained every day apart from Sunday, with match days usually on Wednesday and Saturday. Most of the training, plus home fixtures, took place at Fenners, a little bit of a trek from Girton obviously, but well worth the journey to play on an amazing surface. Once a week we had an F.A coach to oversee drills, tactics and the team set up, but mostly training was organised and driven by the Captain. I played under three exceptional Captains but must give a special shout out to Graham Walsh who skippered the team in 1984. I know several of the current squad will have met Walshie on the 2020 Miami Tour, which Graham so generously sponsored. He might have mellowed somewhat with age but he was a fearsome competitor and an incredible motivator. In truth he frightened me a bit but I desperately wanted to perform for him more than any other Captain or Coach in my football career.
What was it like balancing playing for the Blues and your academics at Cambridge?
Not terribly difficult as I read History. Living out of town in Girton I quickly made the decision that the cycle ride to the Sidgwick Site for morning lectures was an unnecessary inconvenience. One essay per week and one hour of supervision was far from onerous. In my final year I studied ‘U.S Social and Economic history during the Civil War’. My supervisor was a remarkable woman, Professor Charlotte Erickson. Not only was she regarded as one of the pre-eminent scholars of this period of history, but she was also a fanatical Gooner. At least three quarters of our weekly one hour meet was set aside to discuss Arsenal’s many shortcomings and to speculate on whether the new Manager, George Graham, might be able to turn it around (Answer: ‘yes’). The remaining fifteen minutes we would discuss the manifold shortcomings of my written work and whether I would be able to turn it around (Answer: ‘only just’).
What was the best goal you scored for Cambridge?
As a student I once took part in a very similar article to this in the student newspaper ‘Stop Press’. I was asked exactly the same question. My witty response ‘Too many to choose from’ was a mistake on two counts. Firstly, it invited considerable derision from those who didn’t appreciate it was intended to be tongue-in-cheek. Secondly, and more pertinently, it just wasn’t true. I was never that much of a prolific goal scorer. However, my best goal, by a considerable margin, was a volley in the 1984 Varsity Match to finish off a really slick, incisive team move.
Figure 2 - Chris Elliott Goal in the 1984 Varsity Match
What was your favourite match you played with the Blues?
Every CUAFC player will understand the significance of the Varsity Match and how success in that fixture can define the whole season, regardless of other results. I was extremely fortunate to play in three Varsity Matches, all at Wembley, and to win all three. Staging the Varsity Match at Wembley had become an anachronism and only one more was played there before it was moved to an alternative venue. We weren’t nearly accomplished enough to merit playing at such a prestigious stadium but it was a privilege gratefully accepted. So in terms of a ‘favourite’ match it would be impossible to differentiate between the three Varsity fixtures. The traditional post match dinners with the Oxford team at the ‘Oxford and Cambridge Club’ in Pall Mall were almost equally memorable. It was really difficult not to lapse into a demeanour of smug condescension but, in truth, none of us tried terribly hard to avoid it!
What was the hardest match you played in for the Blues?
In Summer 1985 CUAFC toured South East Asia for a month, playing ten matches in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. We played the Malaysian Tigers, a mix of full international and intermediate players, in Kuala Lumpur. They were strong and fit and more relevantly, much more used to the stifling heat and humidity. It’s probably the most physically draining match I’ve ever played in. We lost narrowly 1-0 but it was comfortably our best performance of the tour.
I remember you saying that CUAFC played against some top professional teams like Arsenal, Ipswich etc., what was it like playing against such sides?
For me, Varsity Match excluded, these fixtures were the highpoints of the season. We played Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Norwich City and Ipswich Town. They would typically field a team comprising a blend of Reserves and Youth team players, but also occasionally a high profile First Teamer coming back from injury. I remember Charlie Nicholas and Tommy Caton turning out for Arsenal and Alan Sunderland and Kevin O’ Callaghan for Ipswich. We’d normally get a bit of a run around. I’d say maybe 0-3 was a ‘par’ result, although we did hold Ipswich to a 1-1 draw one year. As an avid Arsenal fan it was a special thrill to play against young players who were soon to become Arsenal legends, amongst them Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Paul Merson, David Rocastle and Michael Thomas. I think I still have Keown’s stud marks imprinted on both ankles!
Who was the best player you played with at Cambridge?
This answer doesn’t need a lot of deliberation. I was lucky to play with some excellent footballers at Cambridge, many of whom played semi-professionally at some point in their careers. But there was one undergraduate, Steve Palmer, who went on to play in the Premiership with Ipswich Town and also enjoyed an illustrious career with QPR and Watford. I believe he is the only top flight footballer in the modern era to have studied at Oxbridge and I’m almost certain he will be the last. Steve was strong and fit, very technically accomplished, and could strike a ball incredibly well with either foot. He was a class above everyone else. He also represented Cambridge University Cricket Club at Fenners (in the same side as Michael Atherton) and I’m certain he would have won a Blue had he not decided that he wanted to focus on his studies in the Summer term. I vaguely recall he played county hockey too. On top of that he was a really modest, unassuming, likeable bloke. Sickening!
What was college football like during your time and how good were at Girton?
College football was thriving and competitive. Since Girton had only turned co-ed eight years earlier in 1976, the college had never entered Cuppers. However, in my final year, we had two Blues, a Falcon and some really strong League players. We entered Cuppers and reached the semis where we were rather controversially squeezed out 3-2 AET by Downing. It was massively disappointing because it would have been a remarkable achievement and we were as good as any other college. Since I left, Girton has progressed hugely as a football college, attracting many Blues players and enjoying considerable success in Cuppers and the 1st Division, particularly from the mid nineties to the mid noughties.
Figure 3 - CUAFC Blues 1985/86
BACK (left to right): B.Randall A.Spurling S.Rouse S.Lant G.Bell R.Sismey T.Warner
FRONT (left to right): P.Earl C.Elliott M.Potts R.Girdlestone G.Baker C.Evans
Looking back on your time with CUAFC and Cambridge, is there anything that you would have done differently?
If you look carefully at the photographs you’ll probably agree I should have used a different hairdresser. But from a footballing perspective it was the most enjoyable period of my career and I’d change nothing. My only minor regret was that I didn’t take up the opportunity to travel around an ‘unspoilt’ South East Asia after the 1985 tour. Instead, I came home to earn money to pay back the £500 I’d borrowed from my Dad to pay for the tour. I advise current students to make the most of the time you have and to travel as extensively as you can, now that restrictions are slowly disappearing.
Any advice for current and future CUAFC players?
It’s obvious advice really but just savour every minute. Embrace the camaraderie of being part of a tight knit family. Most of you will probably never be part of a club where you spend as much time training, playing and socialising together, so cherish the bonds and friendships that this closeness creates. Oh one last piece of advice. Don’t ever contemplate defeat to the Dark Blues!
Figure 4 - CUAFC 1986/87
BACK (left to right): J Hinton N.Craggs R. Mather I.McKinnon S. Palmer P.Bail T.Warner
FRONT(left to right): C. Elliott A.Spurling R.Girdlestone R.Sismey N.Jenkins S.Bradley
If you would like to share your story of your CUAFC experience, please get in touch with Ben Adam at alumni.cuafc@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!
