Forty-eight years ago, Posh were playing for their fifth consecutive Championship Title. We were heading the league on 50 points before this last game of the season at home to the northerners Consett.

Hot on our heels were North Shields with 47 points and with a game in hand, but we had a far superior goal difference of 103 goals for, with only 35 conceded as North Shields scored 73 against 24 goals. So a victory would confirm us as Champions. Only two weeks previous Consett had held us to a 1-1 draw on their ground.

Prior to this important match at London Road our skipper Norman Rigby was presented with an electric clock (pictured) by Club Chairman, Cyril Palmer, this was to mark Norman's 350th Midland League appearance for the Club.

Posh began the match looking anything like champions and indeed were trailing 1-0 after only 14 minutes and straight after should have been two goals behind after the same Consett player (Glendinning) hit a great shot against the bar. Rigby then woke his team up and after 24 minutes centre-forward Jim Rayner headed the equaliser.

Four minutes later Peter McNamee shot us into the lead. Posh began at last looking like Champions and little left winger Jimmy Sheavills scored four minutes after to make it 3-1 after good work from Billy Hails (pictured above) and McNamee. Ellis Stafford then sent a long ball down the centre to McNamee who coolly dribbled round the goalkeeper to score in true Mac fashion.

Only three minutes after half time Billy Hails scored number 5. (Little did he know he had the honour of scoring the very last goal for Posh in the Midland League)? Consett pulled a deserved goal back after 70 minutes, but five goals in just 25 minutes were too good for the visitors.

Posh left the pitch with jubilant fans giving them a Champions reception from the 5,813 crowd. Little did we know at the time this would be the last game Posh would play in the Midland League, for a few weeks later on 28th May 1960, we were at last elected to the Football League taking the place of Gateshead.

Although they finished 5th from bottom of the 4th Division they only received 18 votes, with bottom Club Southport on 29 votes, Hartlepool on 34 votes and Oldham on 39 votes, Posh being elected with 35 votes. Ironically the initials of the four elected Clubs spelt POSH!

Billy Hails was the only ever present player for the season closely followed by defenders Jim Walker and Norman Rigby, missing only one game each. Centre-forward Jim Rayner finished as top scorer with 24 League goals. During the last few weeks of this season (1959-1960) Posh had to struggle with a series of injuries, but did well to soldier on to become CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!

Posh team: Walls, Stafford, Walker, Sansby, Rigby, Chadwick, Hails, Dunne, Rayner, McNamee, Sheavills.

Well that's another season finished and what a fantastic season it proved to be as it was back in 1960 and I hope you enjoyed my memories as I have enjoyed reliving them to you all. Hope to see you all again next season.

And it's POSH WE ARE!...

by Peter Lane