Programme plea for ex-Town star

SUPPORTERS of Town are being asked to raid their lofts and dig out old football programmes to help replenish the collection of former Posh player John Turner.

The popular and likeable former goalkeeper saw his playing career ended at Peterborough United when he suffered a broken leg during the club’s famous 1-0 win over Leeds United in the FA Cup third round in 1986.

Before then, Turner played one game for Huddersfield during the 1974/75 season when he signed for the club on loan from Derby County.

After his playing career ended, Turner became a publican at his adopted home near Torquay.

Last week, however, his pub – the Jolly Sailor in East Ogwell, near Newton Abbot – sadly burnt down and with it went many of Turner’s programmes, pictures and other memorabilia from his playing days.

Now, Ogwell resident Kevin Spencer is calling on fans of John’s former clubs – Doncaster Rovers, Reading,

Torquay, Chesterfield and Peterborough – to help find programmes from the games in which John represented their club, or old photographs and newspaper cuttings they may have involving John.

“John told me of the days events when the pub caught fire, but his eyes filled with tears when he told me that he had lost all of his programmes from his career,” Spencer said.

“I am appealing to fans of his former clubs to search their lofts to see if they have any programmes featuring John that they are willing to donate to him. I have managed to get his last ever programme – Peterborough v Leeds, when he broke his leg which ended his career – and I am trying to get his debut programme for Doncaster Rovers 1974.

“But he made many others from his days at Reading, Chesterfield and Torquay as well and we would love to try and replace as many as we can do.”