Paul Peterson

Paul Peterson enjoyed a long and proud association with Stevenage Borough; part of the squad that lined up against ON Chenecks. It was, of course, the United Counties League Divison One clash that marked Boro’s first ever senior game back in 1980. Boro’ wasn’t the first Stevenage side that Peterson had been a part of either; Stevenage Athletic were beneficiaries of his services in the mid-1970s. That club went out of business, however; Peterson then part of efforts to establish a “new” club.

He was already into his 30s by the time he made his “debut”, but such was the value of his Football League experience from spells at Leeds United and Swindon Town that he was assistant to manager Derek Montgomery from the 1981-2 season. It was during that campaign that some raised question marks over how long his playing days could last; the match programme from a Courage Floodlit League encounter with Royston suggesting he was playing “on borrowed time”.

It was a knock sustained against British Timken Duston that forced his hand in the end. It opened up an old ankle injury, which needed five stitches. He told the Boro’ programme: “The old scar tissue will not stand up to the knocks, so it makes sense to give up”. Peterson still remained assistant after Derek Montgomery resigned his post in late 1982, appearing in the Boro’ dugout next to Frank Cornwell and Paul Fairclough in years after.

In doing so, he was cementing his place in the club’s history books as he played his part in Boro’s rise.