IN THE early ‘60s Binstead goal machine Terry Mursell joined Hampshire League giants Cowes after he caught the eye of their player-manager Pat Parker, who had played 150 games for Southampton.
The tall defender, who at one time was rated the best centre-half in Division 3 (South), told Terry if he had left his village club earlier he could have made it in the Football League.
Actually, Bournemouth had already gone down that road a year or two earlier and offered him the chance to join them, but his mother insisted he stayed on the Isle of Wight to get a real trade behind him.
Why was Terry, known affectionately as ‘Murse’, so special as a footballer?
In 1960-61, when Binstead won the Island League Third Division, he hit 69 goals in league and cup competitions, including twice netting five.
Binstead was the club he had played for since he was aged 14.
At that time, Terry was also in the same Hampshire Schools team as Bobby Tambling, who famously went on the play for Chelsea and England.
As their centre forward, young Terry hit a hat-trick in a match against Kent.
At Ryde Secondary (or Upper Grade, as many remember it), they were so proud of their star pupil, they held a special assembly to tell the school Terry had been picked for Hampshire.
At the same time, Terry was playing in the Island Schools representative side, which contained other rising young local soccer talents like Dave Young, Jimmy Yeates and Johnny Cotton.
During Terry’s early career at Binstead, they had a brilliant young team who stormed their way up through the divisions.
In the 1960-61 season, they had notched up a century of goals by Christmas and eventually won every game to clinch the title.
By the end of that season, Binstead had scored 200 goals and conceded just 20 — often rattling in a cricket score, which included a 19-0 and 15-0 win.
His team mates included John Mitchelmore, Eli Coshell, Fan Dyer and Norman Bayes.
Terry was signed by Cowes and began in their reserve side with other Island youngsters, who included ‘Smiler’ Brown, Arnie Olive and Terry Newton.
The Yachtsmen’s first team was laced with old professional footballers, but Terry forced his way in and was, on too many occasions, the only Islander in the team.
This meant long trips on his own to away games.
In the end, Terry returned to Binstead.
His pal, Dave Snodgrass, then tempted him to join East Cowes Vics and he helped them win the Hampshire League Third Division.
They only lost two games.
Terry and John Cotton, who scored so many goals that season, were a lethal double act up front.
The following season, in the second division, Cotton was a marked man, but that opened the door for Terry to rattle in the goals.
Robbie Mitchell, one of his team mates at Whippingham, had this to say about Terry: “He was so fast. He and Johnny Cotton were so good together.
“Terry was such a gentleman and we all liked him.”
Back in 1976, when I first interviewed Terry, he enjoyed being part of the Vics set-up at the time.
He said: “The atmosphere was so good — and so was the team spirit.
“All of those lads would tell you the same, but it was only what we made it.
“After every away game, Joe Reed came round and gave us 2s 6d tea money.”
Then Terry shocked the local soccer world by quitting the game for family reasons and the chance to build up his plumbing business.
After four years, Dave Snodgrass, then at Brading Town, tempted him back to football.
In 1971-72, the Romans won the Island League for the second season in a row and the much-coveted Hampshire Intermediate Cup, thrashing Horndean 4-0, with Terry scoring one, the legendary Tony Grimwade bagging a couple and the speedy Ian Russell completing the rout.
Terry moved back to Vics for a while before he ended his Island senior soccer career at Ryde Sports.
It was also a rather unique period for the Partlands club, who actually fielded an all-Wight team.
Previously, it was full of Portsmouth-based footballers. He enjoyed that spell with some of his old mates.
Also, he had a few years in local Sunday soccer with the East Cowes-based Robin Hood team.
Newport’s longest serving player of all-time, Eddie Walder, recalls the day he played for their reserve side against Binstead, as the first team did not have a game.
It ended 4-4 and was definitely the Walder and Mursell show. They both scored four goals apiece.
One of the best things to ever happen to Terry came in the mid-70s when he met his wife, Barbara.
It was in the Bugle Inn at Brading, then a regular drinking haunt for local footballers.
They formed a great partnership and were together for 42 years.
The couple loved fell walking and spent many holidays in the Lake District.
Terry also enjoyed returning to football later in his life to coach pupils at St Mary’ Primary in Ryde.
Among the attentive youngsters was his grandson, Rhys, which gave him an extra thrill.
Terry Mursell was such a natural footballer. Back in the ‘90s, when I last interviewed John Sothcott, another Island soccer great, he revealed to me Terry was the most complete footballer he had ever played with.
Ironically, they both should have made big time football.
Sadly, Terry died recently recently from coronavirus, following underlying health problems.
There is no doubt there would have been a full house at the Isle of Wight Crematorium to pay tribute to a fine footballer — but more than that, to honour such a wonderful man who made so many friends during his life.
For many of us, the sight of Terry Mursell in full flight and running at defences were moments to savour.
He was one of those special breed of footballers you would much sooner have in your team, rather than have to play against.
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