July 30, 2021
Here it is, our new away kit for another crack at League One: The 703. It’s our tribute to Roger Thorndale, who passed away during the lockdown in May last year.
Sadly we have been unable to say a proper goodbye because of the effects of the pandemic, so this summer we’ve dedicated our new strip to our record appearance maker.
Roger started his Cheltenham Town career in 1955 and went on to make an unprecedented 703 appearances, a record that’s unlikely to ever be beaten.
The new design is stripped back to reflect the style of kit that the ever present right-back would have worn many times on his travels. The royal blue shirt will be matched by blue shorts and white socks, as it would have been back then.
We’ve etched his signature into the neckline of the shirt alongside his incredible record to inspire our current crop of players on the eve of our fifth campaign in the third tier.
Roger was described by Echo reporter Derek Goddard; as "not the quickest player but possessing a very good football brain and positional sense as well as being one of the best tacklers anywhere." A popular character among supporters and fellow players alike, Thorndale was a big part of the positive spirit within the club for seven decades.
His impact at Whaddon Road went well beyond his playing days and is still felt today. During the 1974/75 season he was appointed assistant manager by Denis Allen and went on to manage the reserves, bringing the likes of John Murphy and Steve Cotterill into the club.
Murphy remains a club director while Cotterill went on to secure promotion to the Football League, mentoring current boss Michael Duff along the way. The rest, as they say, is history. In later years he rarely missed a game and was a regular in the boardroom until passing in May last year.
As part of this launch we’ve made a film and it features some precious memories from his son Rob and Murphy, a former teammate and good friend. It also includes some rare cine footage of Whaddon Road during the 1960s, supplied by lifelong supporter Chris Carter, and is thought to be the oldest in existence. It’s a grainy gateway to a bygone era at the club.
• Watch the extended version, featuring plenty of stories and every second of the cine footage: https://youtu.be/WgxTXMKG5YM
By Cheltenham Town FC
