From Chris Hayne in Quintrell Downs, near Newquay on 15/10/2013 ...

I took the opportunity to have a look at your words on Harry Cann, born 1905. As a small kid (I'm now a silver surfer) I knew him. My late father pointed him out to me and being also of North Cornish descent he was delighted to say he was one of the finest keepers Argyle ever had. In fact, my late mother's eldest sister went to school at Tintagel with him. When I was aware of who he was and became in awe, he was working for what then was North Cornwall Water Board which was subsumed within SWW on merger. He maintained a trim, lean appearance into retirement. My father told me that on arrival ...  More

From Chris Hayne in Quintrell Downs, near Newquay on 15/10/2013 ...

I took the opportunity to have a look at your words on Harry Cann, born 1905. As a small kid (I'm now a silver surfer) I knew him. My late father pointed him out to me and being also of North Cornish descent he was delighted to say he was one of the finest keepers Argyle ever had. In fact, my late mother's eldest sister went to school at Tintagel with him. When I was aware of who he was and became in awe, he was working for what then was North Cornwall Water Board which was subsumed within SWW on merger. He maintained a trim, lean appearance into retirement. My father told me that on arrival at Argyle, the then manager’s advice to Harry was to keep his nose clean and not get into the wrong clique at Argyle, where drinking and gambling on cards and horses was a temptation.

I went to senior school at Sir James Smith’s Grammar at Camelford. We always had a strong football team and one of our players, before I got into the school team, was called David Blewett (over 60 caps for Cornwall), who at the age of 16 was playing SW League football for Wadebridge. In those days both Argyle and Exeter City had sides in that League. Harry Cann was team manager at Wadebridge, probably circa 1960. I asked David (a right winger) one day, do you ever get coached with words of wisdom from an old pro like Harry? He replied "all he says to me is cross to the far post boy, far post". I do not know how long this managership lasted at Wadebridge but most certainly in those days he would not have made a big fortune to retire on, as today. He was certainly trim, lean and also athletic-looking in his retirement. Even wearing wellies, he had a quickness of step about him as he went about his work.

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From Ray Worden in Delabole on 12/11/2013 ...

Like Chris Hayne, I remember Harry Cann from his later years. I remember my Dad telling me how he played in the same team as Harry and also against him before he turned professional and what a fine player and man he was.

My own memory is when I was a young goalie back in the late sixties and Harry was manager of his home town team, Tintagel FC, he came to my house with a signing-on form because Tintagel were short of a 'keeper in the Bodmin & District League. I felt quite honoured that someone of his status felt I was good enough to play in his team, so had no hesitation on signing on the ...  More

From Ray Worden in Delabole on 12/11/2013 ...

Like Chris Hayne, I remember Harry Cann from his later years. I remember my Dad telling me how he played in the same team as Harry and also against him before he turned professional and what a fine player and man he was.

My own memory is when I was a young goalie back in the late sixties and Harry was manager of his home town team, Tintagel FC, he came to my house with a signing-on form because Tintagel were short of a 'keeper in the Bodmin & District League. I felt quite honoured that someone of his status felt I was good enough to play in his team, so had no hesitation on signing on the dotted line.

Good to see Chris Hayne on here too, as I was at Sir Jim's at more or less the same time as he was and remember what a fine school football team we had in those days under the guidance of Alfie Hooper.

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