When a Rolls Royce pulled up outside his house in Cradge Bank, Spalding United goalkeeper Peter Roberts was about to be kept a promise from several months previous.
It was 1958 and stepping out of the pristine car was Kettering Town manager Tommy Lawton and the club’s chairman and secretary.
Peter had caught Lawton’s eye during the Tulips’ 3-2 FA Cup win over Kettering in front of 6,000 spectators at the Halley Stewart Field early that season.
Peter, now 79, said: “Tommy sidled up to me at the end of the game and said: ‘Now then, Peter. How would you like to play for Kettering next season?
“I said: ‘Very much so!’
“Tommy said ‘Well, don’t you do anything until you hear from us again’.
“The next season was nearly upon us before I did.”
It proved a great signing for Southern League Kettering. In November that year Peter played the game of his life when The Poppies met Peterborough United – then top of the Midlands League – in the FA Cup first round proper.
The match, in front of a crowd of 17,800 at London Road (the highest attendance in the FA Cup that day), was recalled in a Posh programme last month.
Peterborough United historian Peter Lane wrote: “Kettering goalkeeper Peter Roberts was in fantastic form keeping his side in the tie saving shot after shot (I remember this as one of the best displays I had witnessed by a goalkeeper).”
The match ended 2-2, with Kettering snatching a late equaliser through Bill Draper.
That meant a replay was necessary and five days later 11,400 fans crammed in to the Poppies’ Rockingham Road ground to see the rivals’ rematch – and again Peter was in fine form.
Draper headed Kettering into the lead after just 50 seconds and made it 2-0 on 19 minutes.
Peter Lane wrote: “The home supporters were truly rocking in their Rockingham Road home. Posh then continued with their onslaught with hero Roberts almost denying the boys in blue single handed.
“It took 66 minutes for Posh to break through when Roberts made his one and only mistake in both games.
“(Dennis) Emery sent a tame left-footed shot through a crowd of players, the diving Roberts seemed to have had the ball almost in his hands but to his horror the ball spun from under his body to trickle into the net.”
Posh went on to score again and grab a winner in extra-time.
Peter, earning £9 per week in his part-time role, played four seasons for Kettering, missing just one match.
“I clashed with a centre-forward in about my third season,” he said. “I didn’t notice I was injured until I got back into my goal but his thumbnail had sliced my thigh open!”
Spalding United re-signed Peter but he played just three games before Midland League Boston United came calling after their number one suffered a broken leg. The former Gleed School pupil also turned out for Stamford, March Town and Bourne Town during his career.
Peter’s son-in-law Alan Barnsdale said: “I thanked Peter Lane for his lovely tribute to my father-in-law and he asked if he could meet a hero of his from 1958. So we met up in Spalding for a coffee and a chat.”
Peter Roberts is still an occasional visitor to the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field and was impressed with Pat Rayment’s UCL title-winning side last season.
“It was too good for that division,” he said. “Pat has done a good job but the test will be next season against stronger opposition.”
It’s fair to say that however well the Tulips fare in Evo-Stik Division One South, it’s unlikely Rayment will be pitching up in a Rolls Royce to sign a player.
