John Pritchard from theterras.com speaks to Weymouth FC Hall of Fame inductee Ian Hutchinson.
John Pritchard: What’s the first memory of playing for Weymouth?
Ian Hutchinson: My first memories of playing for Weymouth were sitting on the harbour side on a baking hot summers day, the day I signed thinking what a lovely place it was and the first preseason friendly against Rushden and Diamonds drawing 2-2, with Dave Laws scoring both who went on to become a cult figure with the club! What struck me was the fan base, the community and the potential the club had to go onto bigger things!
JP: Who was your first manager when joining the Terras?
IH: It was Graham Carr who signed me and a few other North East players including Lawsy and John Waldock. Graham played for Weymouth in the 70s, a tough tackling Geordie who took no prisoners as I found out after our first defeat! He also went on to manage Northampton, Blackpool and Kettering, unfortunately Graham resigned not long after the start of the season, John Waldock, David Laws, Paul Myers, Darren Campbell (Olympic gold medalist), Nicky Limber and myself used to stay in the Hotel that then Chairman Matthew McGowan had and Graham’s son used to work there as a waiter, he went on to become the famous comedian Alan Carr!
JP: Can you tell us about your first memory of scoring for Weymouth?
IH: I can remember all my goals as I didn’t score many! My first was in the local derby against Dorchester in the FA cup, I remember it as if it was yesterday, but won’t bore you with the details! That’s when I realised what the fan base was all about at Weymouth and the rivalry between the two clubs, as I had many more tussles down the years with them in front of full houses! Those were great days!
JP: Can you remember your first football shirt?
IH: My first football shirt was a Middlesbrough shirt, probably around late 70s, obviously born and bred there, I’ve supported them all my life and had a season ticket all my childhood, I’ve even managed to persuade my son Harry to support them who was born and bred in Dorset… well he didn’t get a choice in the matter really but he’s mad on them!
JP: Who was your first footballing hero?
IH: Well being a Boro fan, I had many over the years, players like Tony Mowbray and Bernie Slaven were my ultimate heroes watching them week in week out, but on a bigger scale the likes of Bryan Robson. But my main one was Glenn Hoddle, who was an absolute class apart with his range of passing and technical ability, he could ping a ball on a ten pence piece from 60 yards, he was genius!
JP: What was the first football match you ever went to see live?
IH: My first ever match was obviously a Boro match when I was about 6 at the old Ayersome Park, back in those days you didn’t need a ticket as I would just sit on my Dads knee! We played the great Arsenal team and we won 5-0, with Pat Jennings being the Arsenal keeper that day! So from then on in I thought week in week out I would be seeing the Boro win and score 5 goals every week…. oh how wrong I was!
