Early Memories of Canning Corinthians 1972
From Phillip Claxton
My name is Philip Claxton. I was a member of the original Corinthians team of 1972. I played until my return to the UK in December 1975.
It is great to see that the team is still going.
I was wondering if any of that original team are still involved with the club?
The beginnings of the club were actually during 1971, when a group of players split from another club. I can’t for the life of me remember which team that was. I arrived in Perth in July of that year just a few weeks after the split, and started working for the tractor manufacturer Chamberlain Deere at Welshpool. There I met Bill Reilly, who became the president of the club, and Ray Noble a player. We worked shifts and I took a couple of hours off an afternoon shift for my first visit to Willeton Reserve with Ray, to have a trial. I didn’t have any kit and played in my work gear!! It went well. I remember hearing John Reilly comment on a tackle that I made against David Gard (a quick winger, who later played for the State team I believe), that he hadn’t seen a tackle like that in years!!! So I made a good first impression.
We took over the fixtures of a team thrown out of the Sunday amateur league, for the second half of the season, and finished unbeaten.
Some of the names I can remember are John Reilly, he was the main coach and player, with his dad, Bill as president. His brothers Mick and Kevin also played. Then there was Do Shrandt, although I have seen David Shrandt mentioned, I assume they are the same person. He was a prolific goal scorer. In our first full season in the Sunday league, we won the league and scored 102 goals for and 25 against, he scored 54 of those goals!! Other names I remember are Guy Gaudet (midfield), Tony Threlfall (centre defence), Tony Tuffin (forward), Derek Cooper (goalkeeper) and David Gard (winger). I don’t have any photos though, sadly.
We then applied to be in the league in our own right the following season and that was the official founding of the club. That first full season was really good to be part of, with us winning the league. I don’t remember how many games we played but we finished with 102 goals for and 25 against. Of those 102, Do Shrandt scored 54. We always said that if we hit him with the ball then nine times out of ten it would end up in the back of the net. If the ball was a yard away then it was somebody else’s as he wouldn’t have chased for it.
Perhaps a reflection of my contribution, ha-ha!
Paul Valentine, a classy midfielder who had been on Southampton’s books, who also assisted with the coaching.
Ray Noble, a winger, who I should have remembered earlier because I worked with him and Bill Reilly and was the person who introduced me to the team.
Last, but not least, Des Barnet. My main memory of him was that he drove me home from a game in Rockingham after I had been laid out with an elbow on the final whistle of the game!!
*** These are email extracts from Phillips early memories of the club
Do you know anyone who remembers any of the above-mentioned players?
If so please ask them to email
ccfc50memories@canningcityfc.org.au
Perhaps you would like to share with us your club memories as well.