People of Note
Jesse Pye
See also Playing for England by Jesse Pye
Jesse Pye was born in Treeton, Rotherham on 22nd December, 1919.
After war service in North Africa and in Italy he joined Notts County Football Club , where he scored a hat-trick on his debut against Arsenal and had a great reputation with the fans after that.
He transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers in May, 1946, for a club record fee of £12,000. During his time at Wolves, Dennis Westcott and Pye, forged a partnership, which was one of the most feared in the country ! Between them one year they scored 60 goals with 41 coming from Westcott. In the 209 games he played, he scored 95 goals.
He was a member of the 1949 FA Cup winning team, scoring two goals in the Cup Final against Leicester City - Wolves winning 3-1.
A famous story told by Jesse Pye. Jesse said that Johnny Hancocks was ribbing him about missing an easy header. As a joke Jesse defended himself by blaming Johnny because the ball came with the lace facing his forehead. In those days the ball was a heavy leather one, and heading the lace could hurtbe painful. Jesse said that after that incident and for the rest of his career with Wolves he never ever got a ball from Johnny with the lace facing him. Jesse swore this was literal truth.
He moved to Luton in 1952 for £5000, in his first season at Kenilworth Road he netted 24 league goals.
His debut for Luton was on 23rd August, 1952 at Plymouth, his team lost 1-2.
If supporters thought that the 32-year-old was stepping down a division to see out his playing days gently, they were completely wrong. While at Luton, Pye took the young Gordon Turner under his wing to train and teach him into becoming the club's eventual record goal scorer.
His last appearance was on 2nd October, 1954, at home to Derby where his team won.In total he made 61 league appearances and scored 32 goals. Pye shocked everyone at Kenilworth Road, in 1954 when Luton were mounting their eventually successful promotion bid, by announcing his move to Derby.
In the news in 1954 was a report stating
- Middlesborough ponder spending a five-figure fee for Second Division Luton's England star, Jesse Pye, who has secured a transfer after club doctors recommend that Mrs Pye's sinus problems would benefit from a move away from Luton. Their chairman comments: "He is the pivot of all our attractive schemes. The whole thing is a tragedy for us."
While at Derby he was unable to save the team from relegation. He was at Derby from 1954 to 1956.
On 19th January, 1946 , Pye played inside right at the Victory International at Wembley. against Belgium and in front of a crowd of 85.000 , Pye scored one of the two goals in which England won 2 - 0.
At the end of his career he became player manager of Wisbech Town from 1960 to 1966. Over 4 seasons he scored 138 goals in total including Midland League games. Read the extract about Pye from the Wisbech Advertiser.
I understand that in the mid to late 60's, when Jesse was manager of Wisbech, he and his wife - a really lovely person - I am told, had a pub and two sweet shops in the town. Please read Gordon's story below.
Jesse Pye in Wisbech
When Jesse came to Wisbech in 1957 he first of all took over as landlord of the Mermaid Inn on Wisbech Market Place.
Sadly this establishment no longer exists as retail shops now occupy the site.
Around about 1960 he opened a sweet shop in Bridge Street which was handy for the children going to the two schools nearby and was also a place Wisbech Town Supporters could buy raffle tickets etc; to support the club. Once again this shop now longer exists having been incorporated into the adjacent Clothes Shop. The Pye's then left the Mermaid Inn and opened a second sweet shop in Victoria Road, this still exists as a general store but the frontage has changed over the years.
Jesse was also a valued member of the Alexandra Road Conservative Club Snooker team.
Jesse was signed by then Wisbech Town Manager Oscar Hold along with house-hold names such as Bobby Langton (England International, Preston N.E. & Bolton), John Crosland (Blackpool), John Downie (Man Utd.) and this team is still regarded as the 'best-ever' side to represent the town.
Finishing second to Peterborough United in the Midland League the team also reached the Second Round proper of the F.A. Cup losing 1 - 2 at Reading despite dominating the game.
Jesse will always be remembered for the goal that knocked out Colchester United in the First Round Proper at Fenland Park.
He took over as Player/Manager on March 1st 1960 and success came with a Southern League Division One Championship for season 1961/62.
He resigned in April 1967 and in 1968 sold his shops and moved to Blackpool where he ran a hotel.
Jesse Pye made 242 appearances for Wisbech Town scoring 138 goals.
Gordon Smith, Wisbech, 2004
Gordon is author of Wisbech Town Football Club: The Club's Record in the Football Association Challenge Cup
Jesse Pye died in Blackpool in 1984, aged 64.
He had a brother, Frank , whose son is an official of Treeton Cricket Club.
See also Playing for England by Jesse Pye