Fellow old farts will like me be sorry to hear that yet another childhood Town hero Duncan Welbourne has passed away

So sad-knew him personally. Nearly 300 consecutive games for Watford  R.I.P.

Rip Duncan you were one of my favourites.

Towards the end of the 1962-3 season injuries forced Town to field an all-home grown half back line of Duncan Welbourne, Keith Jobling and Tony Knights. A lot of locals compared this to the pre-war local greats line of  of Betmead, Hall and Buck. But anyway it worked well and Duncan became a regular.

I was only a lad at the time and could never understand why Grimsby let him go for such a paltry fee of £1300. I suppose to be fair it was overcrowding. We were endowed at the time with great midfield players like Ron Cockerill, Brian Clifton and then Bobby Ross and Ron Foster with Angus Davidson as back up. But when he went to Watford Duncan converted to full back.

Watford were a struggling team then, not much money and a poor ground but Duncan Welbourne was there through their rise up the divisions to 1973 overtaking Grimsby Town along the way. I remember they beat us 7-1 and fool that I was I went with my Watford supporting mate who thought Stuart Scullion was Jesus and Duncan Welbourne was God! I don't know about that but he was a smashing little wholehearted player. RIP Duncan.

RIP Duncan  before my time  but a Mariner

I've looked back in my "Mariners Bible" and can see his last season with us was 63-64

Before my time too but I heard the news of his passing on RH too, so here to remember another fallen Mariner

RIP Duncan  :B

Remember watching him play for 3 or 4 years...  RIP Duncan... and thank you..

didn't he get sent off with Graham Rathbone v Scunthorpe. Town scored late on and I think Rathbone got a 10 week ban dont know about Welbourne though

Quoted from sajs

didn't he get sent off with Graham Rathbone v Scunthorpe. Town scored late on and I think Rathbone got a 10 week ban dont know about Welbourne though

That was Don Welbourne who I don't think was any relation. He played 200 odd games for Scunny. Duncan was born in Scunthorpe and played as an amateur in their juniors/reserves but signed as a pro for Town.

You are right about the ban though, it was when the FA was having a "clampdown" but that only applied if you were not a Div 1 player like Keegan or Bremner.

Beat me to it RR

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

That was Don Welbourne who I don't think was any relation. He played 200 odd games for Scunny. Duncan was born in Scunthorpe and played as an amateur in their juniors/reserves but signed as a pro for Town.

You are right about the ban though, it was when the FA was having a "clampdown" but that only applied if you were not a Div 1 player like Keegan or Bremner.

Duncan was Don's older brother and went to Watford in 1963.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Duncan was Don's older brother and went to Watford in 1963.

You are right. Memory fail there! ;)

Duncan Welbourne was a terrific player for us and I could never understand why we let him leave.

I remember the 7-1 loss to Watford which was in the autumn of 1967. I was going out with a lady from Watford and we made a point of watching the results on the teleprinter on the BBC in some TV shop window. It said

Watford 7 (seven) Grimsby 1

She took me to the nearest pub to get over the shock and disappointment.

Very sad to hear he has passed away.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Duncan was Don's older brother and went to Watford in 1963.

Johnny Scott and Ron Rafferty also left in 1963

Quoted from golfer

Johnny Scott and Ron Rafferty also left in 1963

Yes, both were around 30 by then. Ron had struggled with an injury and played a few games in midfield in his last season. Johnny went to York for a year but I always got the impression with Johnny that he was none to keen on the training. ;)