NOSTALGIA: New football club for Boston in 1964, bingo controversy in 1974, plus snapshot from 1994

A page right out of history ... Youngsters at Woolworths, in Strait Bargate, Boston, 20 years ago this week, with Fred Flintstone and best friend and next-door neighbour Barney Rubble.

* A public meeting was held in Boston for the launch of a new football club in the town.

More than 400 people packed the Assembly Rooms for the event, which saw the constitution settled for Boston Football Club.

It was also announced that Lincoln City would play the club in a friendly in the coming season – news that was met with cheers.

The formation of Boston FC followed the withdrawal of Boston United from the Lincolnshire League following a period of financial difficulties at York Street.

Among those at the meeting was the Mayor of Boston, Coun Bert Eyre.

He said: “I am no footballer, but as Mayor of the borough I am vitally concerned that Boston should have a professional football team.”

It was decided that 100,000 five shilling shares in Boston FC should be issued.

Inviting all to apply, Mr A. D. Beecham, president of Boston FC’s ‘caretaker’ committee, said: “We’ve got to raise a hell of a lot of money. We shall probably have to buy virgin land and start to build stands, and raise a new club from scratch.”

The club was expected to play its games initially at the Mayflower Sports Ground.

Forty-five years ago, 1974 ...

* Would bingo be allowed to take place in Boston’s Strait Bargate?

A plan to turn a disused outfitters’ shop into a prize bingo hall had been submitted to Boston and District Council by a Durham firm.

The premises in question was the former John Temple outfitters shop near the zebra crossing at 32/34 Strait Bargate (more recently a Socialites vape shop).

Boston’s Chamber of Commerce was to lodge an objection to the proposal.

“Prize bingo is not really suitable for the Bargate area and we will object,” said secretary Bill East.

* Boston had its own radio station.

However, the service was limited to Pilgrim Hospital where three Boston men had started broadcasting to patients three times a week.

The service, known as Radio Pilgrim, stated in May and served five wards, including a children’s ward on Saturday afternoons.

The three men were: Melvin Kennedy, 26, of Kingsway, his brother Martin, 23, of Spilsby Road, and Mike Carson, 26, of Wyberton West Road. Many would have already been familiar with the trio through their ‘Octopus’ discotheque.