FORMER long-serving footballer, manager and chairman Mike Jones has hit the back of the net with this archive picture of Tiptree Heath FC.

It was taken at the end of the club’s 1984/85 campaign, in which they won both the Colchester and East Essex League first division title and Tiptree Charity Cup.

To add to the sense of achievement, they won the league without losing a single game.

Mr Jones, who now lives in Halstead, played for Heath for 14 years until he was 40.

By that time, he was playing for the reserves and his last match was when the club won the Acorn Charity Cup, in 1988.

He said: “During my time with Tiptree Heath, I played and managed both the first and second teams, while also serving for a period as chairman, helping the club successfully apply and get into the Essex and Suffolk Border League.

“When I first started playing for Tiptree Heath, we played our matches on a pitch in West End Road.

“During the week, it was a farmer’s field where he kept a cow. Before kick-off, we would have to shoo the cow off the field and clear the pitch of pats!

“Some years later, we were lucky enough to move and enjoyed the use of Tiptree United’s training pitch, in Colchester Road.

“The season we won the league without losing a match was amazing.

“I remember every outfield player scored a goal.

“I played as a central defender, so rarely crossed the halfway line.

“The season was almost over and I was the only outfield player not to score.

“However, during one of the last few matches of that special season, we were winning 5-0 and awarded a penalty. The captain handed me the ball and, thankfully, I duly and happily completed the scoring set.”

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Mr Jones, 72, also recalls a funny story during his time as chairman, when one of his duties was trying to find new kit sponsors.

“One year I managed to get Gaffney’s of Tiptree to sponsor us,” he said.

“Gaffney’s were manufacturers of novelty items and Mr Gaffney wanted the words ‘Galaxy Novelties’ printed on the front of our shirts, which didn’t go down well with the team but he was paying so got his way.

“After the first game of the season, Mr Gaffney, who had said he was coming to see us play, phoned and asked why we hadn’t worn our new shirts.

“I told him we had but he said the team he watched had worn red shirts (rather than green and black) with another sponsor’s name on them.

“After some investigation, I realised he thought he had sponsored Tiptree United and had visited Chapel Road.

“In the end, he took it in good faith but I don’t think he ever came to watch us.

“A few years after I left the club they obtained new sponsors and became Tiptree Jobserve.

“However, although the club has been very successful, I don’t think anything matched that great season of 1984/5.”

Mr Jones was quick to sing the praises of well-known Tiptree character Norman Brooks.

He said: “Sadly, Norman is no longer with us but he carried out all sorts of jobs such as groundsman, kit washer, club secretary and many more odd jobs.

“Without him, and many other people too numerous to mention, the club would have not been the club it was.”