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Tony Mahoney: "I was fortunate enough to captain a very good team"
Tony Mahoney talks about his 16-year journey at Gosport Borough
When I read out the incredible statistic of making 765 appearances over 16 years, a record for Gosport Borough, there was a self-effacing smile by Tony Mahoney, the typical humble face whenever praised.
However, that humble face is not to be deceived, as he was a fierce competitor, who expected nothing but 100% from not only himself but his teammates as well. The leadership he showed on the pitch earned Mahoney the captain’s armband at the young age of 23.
Under his leadership, the club went onto win two consecutive Hampshire league titles in 1977 and 1978, and promotion back to the Southern League Premier Division in 1985.
Though Mahoney seemed to be a natural born leader, the Lee-on-Solent born boy was not the most outgoing person. Whilst attending Gosport grammar school, now known as Bay House, Mahoney lacked confidence, however when he stepped on the pitch, a spirit grew within him.
“I got into the Gosport & Fareham district schools team, which was a good side at the time. Then I went to Gosport grammar school, I was captain, probably because I had a lot to say for myself. Where I lacked confidence at school, I made up for it on the pitch,” said Mahoney.
“I was fortunate enough to captain a very good team, and we went on to win the Hampshire youth cup.” Even decades after the win, Mahoney still manages to stay humble about it.
Mahoney then went on to play for two local Gosport League teams at the same time, playing with Brockhurst on the Saturday, and Achilles on the Sunday. His love of football meant that occasionally he played four times a week.
The hard work paid off, with Mahoney winning a couple of local Sunday league titles with Achilles, which ended up in an offer to play in Gosport’s last match of the 1972/73 season. The performance was good enough to impress manager Tony Higman, who signed Mahoney after the match.
Though success didn’t come straight away at the club, the 21-year-old was in-and-out as the team’s main striker, with the jump in division a big shock. The nerves and self-doubt, which had existed throughout his school life, now started to creep into football.
However, there was a blessing in disguise during an away match against Alton Town, in which Doug Stanley broke his leg. With Gosport one man down, Higman made the surprising decision to move Mahoney from a striker to a centre-back. The decision paid off, as Mahoney took to the position like a duck to water. He was fast, a great header of the ball, and knew how to mark a forward.
“I was the one chosen to go back into the defence out of the three forwards, I ended up playing okay, and the rest is history. The position suited me, I was quick and decent in the air”, said Mahoney.
“The way I thought as a defender was don’t let that guy ever get out of my sight. Give him a yard if need be, but when that cross comes in he’s not going to win unchallenged. As soon as you let someone in behind you, you’re in trouble.”
At the age of 23, Mahoney was appointed as captain of Gosport Borough. However, there was no real doubt about it not working out, after his success as captain at amateur and youth level, along with his adaptability, having moved from striker to defender.
Mahoney as captain expected every player to give everything. He was the local lad who understood the importance of the club to the fans and made sure the players knew the honour of playing for the club. The boy “who maybe had too much to say on the pitch” wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, if someone wasn’t pulling their weight.
Ex-Gosport Borough teammate, John Hawes said: “As a captain if he thought you weren’t giving 100% (even at training) he would let you know.”
Another smile came out of Mahoney as he remembered having a go at Hawes for not closing someone down during a game.
“We were playing away in Kent somewhere. The ball went down in the corner and John [Hawes] was meant to be chasing after it, he was sort of running down there a bit half hearted. Anyway I remember really having a go at him.
“One of the guys at the back said ‘Tony, he’s struggling a bit.’ Basically, it ended up he had broken a bone in his ankle. After the match, he did end up giving me the reply which was required.”
Despite the unrelenting expectations from Mahoney, he did have another side, in which he was able to put an arm around a player, and knew when encouragement would get the best out of a player.
Again that self-effacing smile appeared again as Mahoney described the softer side of himself as a captain. “It sounds like I’m blowing my own trumpet here, but I think I knew how to treat different players.
“I know some players didn’t need encouragement and a pat back on the back. But some players like Gary [Juryeff], who is probably the best player we ever had, liked a pat on the back.”
The carrot and stick capitancy approach by Mahoney helped lead the team onto multiple successes. Like a broken record, Mahoney as captain earned more silverware, with Gosport winning back-to-back Hampshire Leagues in 1977 and 1978.
The successive titles led to the club being elected to the Southern Football League. Though it might have been expected for the club to struggle against semi-professional teams, Gosport continued to surprise.
In their first four seasons in the Southern League, Boro’ never finished outside the top four, this was topped by Boro hammering local rivals Waterlooville 7-2 at Privett Park in 1981. Boro under the management of former club captains, Tony Brickwood and Peter Edgar, looked like an unstoppable machine.
“We were a decent team. Winning those two Hampshire leagues wasn’t a doddle, with the league having some good sides in it,” said Mahoney.
“When we went into the Southern League we were able to keep that core group of local Gosport lads together, which helped with our success. We grew in confidence as we won more games, and beat teams which were getting newspaper coverage, such as Dartford and Chelmsford.
“The real highlight for me during that period was when we beat Waterlooville 7-2. They were the biggest side in the area, and for a long time cherry-picked players from the Gosport area.”
However, like all good machines, as the pieces got older, momentum started to slow down and eventually broke. The lowest point in a so far flourishing career at Gosport was the relegation from the Southern Premier League in 1984.
As players started to come to the end of their career, the squad which had taken them to their highest league finish had thinned. Not only were there changes on the pitch but also behind the scenes, with changes in the boardroom, and Brickwood and Edgar seeing it as the end of their time as joint-managers of the club.
“Some of the guys had come to the end of their careers, the absolute main men, the likes of Ritchie Coulbert. It all meant we were pretty thin in terms of squad depth.
“There were tough times behind the scenes as well, with the changing of chairman, because bad results on the pitch tend to have an effect off the pitch. That was just a bad season for us.”
The self-doubt which grew during the season, spilt over to the next season, with the added pressure of being in an easier league. However, after Christmas, that winning feeling which the club had got used to came back.
With the team going on an incredible run of 16 wins in their final 19 matches, with promotion secured on the last game of the season, when they were 5-0 winners against Salisbury in front of 1,500 people. The self-doubt and negativity of the past year and a half was instantly forgotten when Boro’ returned to the Southern Premier League.
“We were slightly positive about being in an easier league, and our new signing Simon Pope, from Havant, but there still wasn’t a great atmosphere around the club. But after Christmas, we just couldn’t stop winning. Each Saturday you thought, not who are we playing, but who are we beating.
“The final game against Sailsbury was just perfect. We were well up for it, it was a beautiful sunny day and ended up being a comfortable victory. It was just a brilliant day for the whole club.”
During Mahoney’s last season (1987/1988) before retiring, he was able to show his leadership skills and utter determination to do well for Gosport no matter the situation. With the club looking likely to go down, many players would have coasted along during they’re final few games, however that did not fit the character of Mahoney.
Boro were able to go on an incredible run all the way to the Hampshire Senior Cup final, and ended up beating the favourites Farnborough at the Dell. This then followed a string of good results which meant that Gosport were five points clear of the last relegation place by the end of the season.
“That was one of my highlights, winning the Hampshire Senior Cup. Farnborough were definitely the favorites that night. During that season we had been playing a new style, under Trevor Williams, in which we actually played football, passing out from the back, which at the time was very unusual.”
It was a final season fitting to a player, who lived and breathed to play for his local club. The flame which still burned inside Mahoney at 37, when he retired, was still as strong when he joined the club at 21.
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