No 2: How many pairs of brothers have played for Ware in the same match?
I was asked questions along the lines above following Saturday’s game against Hadley when both Gabriel and Roman Chapps (making his debut) played for us. So let’s take a look at the last sixty years (I could go further back but it becomes more difficult) and hope that I haven’t missed anyone out. If I have, drop me a line.
Louis and Leigh Rose
We don’t have to go far back for this pairing with Leigh and the late, lamented Lou having made 424 appearnces between them and scored 80 goals in total. A large proportion of those 400 plus games would have seen both brothers playing in the same match. We also remember that the brothers each made their 200th appearance for the club in the same game, the 4-2 win over Hertford on 10th April 2023. Leigh scored one of our goals. They played their last game together sixteen days later in the play-off semi-final at Biggleswade, a 4-1 win in which Louis was injured and thus unable to play in the final at Didcot Town.
Kieran and Kazim Bishop
Both appeared together in the first game under manager Kem Kemal following Inanc becoming chairman. It was a 3-1 defeat at Heybridge Swifts on December 28th 2013. Kazim has inevitably been overshadowed by his brother who scored 66 goals in 99 appearances in that era. Kieran scored another two goals for us when he returned for another spell of 18 games more recently. In total the brothers made 153 appearances between them with Kazim, a talented midfielder scoring twice. Their last match together for Ware was on the 29th August 2015 in the 4-0 FA Cup defeat at AFC Sudbury.
Sam and Jimmie Berry
Sam was an established member of the successful side that won the Isthmian League division two championship in 2005/6 and went on to reach the FA Cup first round in 2007. Jimmie joined us in the latter part of the 2007/8 season. They both played their last games for the club in the same match, a 3-2 win over East Thurrock United on 30th April 2011. By that time Sam had made 256 appearances for Ware and scored 34 goals. Jimmie played 69 games scoring theee goals.
Neil and Scott Garrod
Neil made 96 appearances for the club starting in August 1992. All but one of those appearances was as part of the starting line up. Scott came the following season and made 37 appearances scoring six goals. The brothers’ last appearance in the same match was on 7th May 1994 in the 3-1 win at Collier Row. Their late father Phil played 12 games for Ware (he had a long career with Hertford) but those matches included our run to the first round of the FA Cup in 1968 including the game at Luton itself.
David and Dennis Greene
These two midfielders from Harlow played together in the 1988/9 season under manager John Godleman. Their last game together was on 20th September away to Vauxhall Motors, a 3-2 defeat in which David Greene scored. Both departed after that though David returned for the 2001/2 season and scored three more goals. Dennis returned as manager in 2007/8 and went on to success as manager of Boston United. In total the brothers made 23 appearances between them and scored seven goals.
Brian and Peter Stockwell
These brothers are Ware born and bred with Brian finishing his career on 265 appearances and 77 goals. Peter ‘s more modest figures are 24 games and eight goals. Peter’s debut was at the end of the 1965/6 season at Herne Bay alongside Brian. They played together in thirteen more games though in one of those (at Vauxhall Motors in the FA Cup 3rd qualifying round) Peter came on as a substitute for his brother so maybe they didn’t technically play alongside each other in that one.
The Chapmans, three brothers in a game
Okay, I said I wouldn’t go back more than sixty years but I couldn’t let these men go without a mention. The Chapman brothers C, B and F formed the complete half back line in the Herts Charity Cup match against Hailey Rovers on September 24th 1910 which we won 5-0 with all the goals scored by G Newell. The Chapmans were at it again in the following week’s Herts County League match with Hatfield United. That was a 4-2 win with two goals each from Jack French and Harry Blakes who himself played multiple games alonside his brother George.
