Such sad news to hear of the passing of Mike Bickle - to a generation of fans, a true legend. I have just finished writing a family history - I thought I would do it while I could still remember! Of course, there is plenty about Argyle, as not supporting them was not an option within my family. Here is a short extract, and my memories of 'The Milkman'.
''Another sporting highlight of my time at Montpelier was the daily arrival of a milkman who worked for the Co-op dairy – a certain Mike Bickle. He played part time for St Austell, and was a prolific goal scorer, attracting the attention of professional clubs. He continued to both play football and deliver our daily free milk to school. Yes, in an effort to promote good health all schoolchildren were given free milk. Personally, I avoided it if at all possible. It was just kept in crates and, in warmer weather, was warm by the time we came to drink it. Anyway, once it was known that Mike was going to sign for our beloved Argyle, we used to wait for him to arrive and cheer him as he stacked the milk crates in the playground.
In December 1965 Mike Bickle signed for Argyle and went on to score 74 goals in 195 games before moving to Gillingham in November 1971. Sadly he broke his neck and although he recovered he injured his shoulder in his comeback game and he retired from the game. The ever reliable Wikipedia informs us:
‘’He returned to his native
West Country but there is no record of him having any further involvement in football’’
This is not strictly true, as those of us who subsequently played in the Mayflower Five -A -Side League at the old Mayflower Sports Centre will testify.
Who could that somewhat sturdy looking player with the 1950s looking quiff possibly be? Oh gawd, it really is Mike Bickle, and we are about to play against him. As Argyle supporters we loved Mike Bickle. He was local, scored lots of goals and was wholehearted, always giving his all. He seemed to play with a real sense of fun – he was doing what so many of us would have loved to have done in by playing for his local team.To play against him was a different matter, he was strong, rugged and played with all the wiliness of an old pro. Nightmare.''
Thanks Mike, I am sure quite few of us almost found they had something in their eye when they heard the news yesterday.
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