ken_boden

Back row left to right, Geoff Cutts, Mr Smith, not known, Heppingstall, Ginner Waring, Slater, Tommy Dabbs, Heppingstall, Dennis Roebuck.
Front row, Alan Martin, not known ,Andy King, Brian Cox, and Ken Boden!!

British Career

Amongst Kens many friends were members of the Nightingale family who have a great history of footballers in their linage. Upon leaving school Ken joined Denaby Utd. who played their fixtures on Saturdays, but on Sundays he was was also playing for the Joker Pub team during the same period.

The coach back then was another local footballer Michael Hennigan who being impressed by Kens abilities asked him to move with him to Matlock Town as Micky had gained the coaching position there. Ken eagerly agreed and the two Thrybergh lads remained with Matlock for one season.

Micky had now been offered a coaching job with Gainsbrough and once again Ken moved with him, however the pair did not remain at Gainsbrough for long, Micky Hennigan lost his position as coach, and with that Ken decided to move to Bridlington Trinity where he remained for two years.

Leaving Bridlington he played next for Brigg Town and it is while playing at Brigg that Kens career was improved when he accepted an offer to play for Doncaster Rovers, the team where the famous Ian and Glyn Snowdin of Thrybergh played. Kens talent was recognized by Doncaster and he gained a position in the 1st team.

What was to follow in 1978 was to be probably one of the major decisions of his life, he was offered a two year contract to play for Newcastle KB United of Australia. Ken and his wife Shirley [ Nee Roddis of Thrybergh] were faced with the prospect of leaving behind family and friends and moving to a new country. Ken and Shirley took up the challenge and headed down under.

The Land of Sunshine

Newcastle KB were in the newly created soccer league and Ken soon established himself as a star of this new league and within his first two years of success he was awarded the club and league player of the year.

He was then offered a transfer to Sydney City F. C. for $30,000 which was a record amount at that time within Australia. Kens career was now on a roll his new coach was Eddie Thompson, who was to later coach the Australian Socceroos.
Our Thrybergh lad had already made the Socceroo squad whilst playing for Newcastle, and played against England twice, Northern Ireland, and the New York Cosmos. In the pre world cup games of 1982 the socceroos played New Zealand, the winners to go to the 1982 world cup in Spain, the first game was a 3-3 draw in New Zealand. Ken being a goal scorer in this game. The socceroos all went their separate ways, Ken continued his personal success winning 3 winners medals with Sydney City. Then followed yet another move when he moved across Australia to play for Perth Azzuri and North Perth Croatia, playing on for another three years our Thrybergh legend hung up his boots and retired.

Pictured above , Ken with the socceroos at the Sydney cricket ground in 1979.

THE INTERNATIONAL GAMES

[ A striker with a reputation of scoring plenty of goals [ Source: Official Match Program Australia]

From the Australian website
OzFootball
http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/PIndex.html

Boden, Ken
Date of Birth: 05-Jul-50, Thrybergh, England
Position: Midfielder

Socceroo Honours
Total - 26 app. 7 gls.
1979 - Wisla Krakow, Partizan Belgrade, New York Cosmos, Shandong (1 goal), Peking (1 goal), Shanghai (1 goal), Canton Army, Taipeo City Banki, Taiwan
1980 - England, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico (1 goal), Mexico, Greece, Israel, England B, Fiorentina, Leicester City (2 goals), Dinamo Zagreb,Hong Kong, Indonesia

1981 - Dinamo Zagreb, New Zealand (1 goal), New Zealand

Club Honours 1978 - NSL Player of the Year
1978 - NSL Leading Goalscorer
Playing Record
Hull City (England)
Scunthorpe (England)
Sheffield United (England)
Matlock Town (England)

1976/7 - Bridlington Town (England)
1976/7 - Doncaster Rovers (England) 1 app. 0 gls.
1978 - Newcastle KB United (NSL)

1984 - Sydney City (NSL) 5 app + 0 sub. 2 gls.
1984 - Sydney Croatia (NSL) 13 app + 4 sub. 3 gls.

When Ken was chosen to play for the socceroos he little realised that he was entering into an important chapter of the Australian socceroos, and that was to be part of the first Australian team to play against England in 1980 in a friendly game.

He walked on the field at Sydney Cricket Ground in front of an attendance of 45,000 people. on the 31st of May 1980 to play against the likes of Glen Hoddle, Paul Mariner, and Joe Corrigan. The final result being 2-1 in England's favour

On the 12th of June the socceroos played a friendly game against Northern Ireland who were being coached by the legendary Billy Bingham, this was also a 2-1 loss for the socceroos. They fared better in a following game at the Olympic Park Melbourne on the 15th of June and came away with a one all draw. The final game of the three match series was played at Adelaide South Australia, this ended in a 2-1 win for Northern Ireland.

In August of that year the Mexican team visited Australia to play two friendly games which resulted in a two all draw at Sydney 24th August and a one all draw in the second game on the 26th August in Melbourne

With the World Cup qualifying games looming in 1981Ken found himself heading for Greece with the socceroos where he played in a friendly held on the 11th November at Panathinaikos Stadium, Athens. The final score of this friendly game was a three all draw

Early December Ken found himself in Israel playing at the Municipal Stadium, Beer Sheva, where the socceroos came away with a 1-0 win.

This was followed by a game against Hong Kong on the 5th of December, now the ref. was so impressed with Kens game he asked him to leave the field, presumably to give Hong Kong a chance, ahem!, actually Ken recalls " I was tackled on the touch line and tried to get up to take a quick throw in, when he held me down, so the Thrybergh came out in me and I gave him a good kick, the problem was the ref was stood just 2 yards away, so off I went for an early shower!!!
The game ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Aussies.

The final game of this tour was against Indonesia at the Senayan Stadium in Jakarta, now if you noticed the dates of the preceding games it is obvious that the socceroos would have been somewhat jetlagged by this time, it was now the 7th December. Despite this the game was a one all draw.

The next year Ken was to play in two World Cup Games against New Zealand, the first game was a three all draw in which he scored a goal. The replay in Sydney was a 2 - 0 win by New Zealand.

Text Ken Boden and John Doxey
©
Many thanks to Ken for sharing his memories here
Ken would like to hear from old friends you can reach him at kent2@e-wire.net.au

Peter Hennigan [ Brother of Michael ]

I remember young "Kenny Boden" thin as a rake, I've seen more meat on a butchers apron. He used to take the mickey out of the older players, he was a gifted lad and deserves credit for his significant achievements. He was also a nice lad, very genuine and honest.

Top Of Page

Email John Doxey

STATEMENT :

I have no affiliation with any Trade Union, Political body, or organization regarding the information on this site. All information on this site is Factual and correct to the extent of my knowledge. There is no intent to cause offence to any individual. Should you spot an error please let me know and that error will be corrected.

PEASE NOTE:

This site is the result of over 7 years research, and compilation, should you wish to use any of the content for publication of literature please contact me. The poetry and life of James Ross, the story of St. Leonard's Cross, and other items on this site were compiled, and first published on this site in their present context as a study of Thrybergh. If you use this site as a source, out of courtesy, please give credit where it is due as I have done on this site where appropriate.
All text and pages as formatted and presented on this site Copyright John Doxey and may not be reproduced under any circumstances without consent. Photos, and information Copyright to Primary Sources where applicable