How Ray set a fast pace for grabbing goals
This week BEV OAKLEY examines the successful sportsman and Shrovetider Ray Storer
RAY Storer, a quiet, unassuming person, was and is a fine local sportsman.
Since 1999 golf has been his game, after excelling at a variety of sports earlier on in his life; including the supreme local honour of not one, but two Shrovetide balls goaled at Clifton.
The signs were there for Ray at school when he won colours for running. Aged just 16 he was wing-half for Ashbourne Town Football Club, playing in the East Midlands Regional League for six years, alongside Fred Hickmott, Stuart Bull, Brian Startin and Mick Gadsby. (Mick went on to play in goal professionally for Notts County).
In this league they had proper, paid refs and linesmen and it included Ilkeston Town, Eastwood Town and some Nottinghamshire colliery teams.
In one year, the team including Ray became runners-up.
Ray also played for Northcliffe United for two years, one of the top sides in Derby.
Another sport enjoyed by Ray was basketball, his team being undefeated champions of the Trent Valley Basketball league in 1965.
When he was 17, Ray trained twice a week to keep fit for football and Shrovetide.
Don Simmonds let him train with Ashbourne Rugby Club players once a week, and there was keep fit on a Thursday night.
In Shrovetide Football at this time, a trend of quickly-run balls to goal had developed in the 1950s.
Cec Challinor had goaled the quickest ball on record at 25 minutes in 1951 to the Clifton goal, and then helped his mate John Mansfield to run to Sturston in 30 minutes in 1959.
This trend continued in the 1960s with Peter ‘Piggy’ Harrison who goaled a quick goal in 1962 at Clifton.
Piggy had already goaled in 1960 and he goaled again in 1967 and was always in the mix to goal a fourth in the years to follow.
A memorable year for Ray Storer was 1966 when the 19-year-old was lithe and fleet of foot.
Ray, along with Bob Crane, Johnny Croucher and Mel Godfrey, got away to the Seven Arches with the ball thrown up by Stanley Matthews.
They crossed the Bentley Brook and then on to Bell’s Pastures where they entered the very deep and fast flowing River Dove.
Ray at one point disappeared under the water only to pulled up by Piggy Harrison who had joined the group.
They arrived on Mayfield Road where Piggy declared his intention to goal the ball saying: “I’m havin it” despite the fact that he had two balls to his name.
The group continued along Green Lane and were stopped just short of Clifton Mill.
The following year, 1967, was to prove luckier for Ray. This was the first time I would see the euphoria of a Down’ard goal returning to The Green Man Hotel.
Sam Longson had turned the ball up, rather late at 2.15pm on the Shrove Tuesday. A small hug broke away and the ball was taken up Smith’s Yard off Church Street.
Ray then took the ball along Belle Vue Road, passed St Oswald’s Hospital, across Mayfield Road and on to the railway line. Nobody could stick with his pace.
He was alone and as he approached Peach’s Farm, and became aware of a small van approaching.
Ray remembers thinking to himself:
‘Oh no, I am going to lose this ball’ as John Mansfield stepped out to meet him. But John said: “You carry on lad, it’s only a quarter to three”.
So Ray ran into the Clifton Mill where Shrovetide Committee member Fred Waterhouse of the Elite Cinema in Ashbourne was the only person there to witness Ray goaling the ball on the Mill Wheel at 2.50pm.
Ray was carrying on the tradition of fast goals. This was the first of three goals that day at the Clifton Mill, a feat never recorded and never repeated since.
The other scorers that day were Peter Harrison and Alec Smith.
Shrovetide was cancelled in 1968 due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, robbing Ray and the town of Ashbourne of a game.
However, the following year he picked the ball up in Station Yard and ran down the railway line accompanied only by a young Mick Betteridge junior.
When he reached Clifton this time there were people waiting and they were pounced on, and the ball was hugged for a while before it broke loose once again.
Ray managed to pick the ball up once again and he ran on to Ashbourne Golf Course where Lenny Dawson joined him.
They waited for the crowd at Clifton Mill to dispense and on the way down, they were running along, picking sticks up to have a draw at the mill.
Ray won the draw and goaled the ball with all its paintwork intact and it still looks the same today.
Paddy Kerr, when he threw up the ball in 2019, cited Ray Storer as an inspiration to him, in his speech at the Shrovetide dinner.
And it would be great to see two extraordinary players, who both goaled two balls; Ray Storer for the Down’ards and Paul Armstrong for the Up’ards, throw up the greatly desired leathers one Shrovetide soon.
Ray’s was the first of three goals that day at the Clifton Mill – a feat never recorded and never repeated since.
A NEW exhibition begins next month at Chatsworth, showcasing some of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire’s favourite pieces of art. Living With Art We Love will be taking place inside the house from Saturday, March 26 until Sunday, October 9.
Above, a glazed porcelain by Felicity Aylieff, is part of a large collection of works the Duke and Duchess have collected throughout their lives, much of which will be on display throughout the exhibition. Paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and textiles will be on public display, including a section of pieces by Lucian Freud, a friend of Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke.