Post by Macmoish on Apr 17, 2011 9:06:26 GMT
To be honest, I'd never previously heard of him
From Norwich FAn Site "Sing Up The River End"
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Stars Of The Past - Percy Varco
Percy Seymour Varco was born on the 17th of April 1904 in the beautiful Cornish town of Fowey. Known better as an area of small winding streets and a slow pace to life that would inspire the literary talents of Daphne du Maurier and Kenneth Grahame, young Percy proved his sporting talents required a football, rather than the more customary fishing tackle. After playing local soccer, firstly for school teams and then Fowey Town, his skills were spotted by the closest club of any significance, Southern League Torquay United, across the border in Devon. He joined them in August 1923 on the first step of a journey that would take him from one side of the country to the other, and a place in the history books of Norwich City Football Club.
On arrival at Torquay, his reputation at Plainmoor flourished, and he was soon sold to Division One giants Aston Villa for £200. He was still young of course and he was limited to just ten league appearances, in which he scored a couple of goals. In 1926 he headed for London and the chance of more regular football with Division Three South QPR. He scored four times for Rangers in sixteen league games and it was during this time that the Canaries manager Cecil Potter brought him to the Nest, for a small fee. It was to prove a piece of shrewd business, for Varco turned into an immediate success, firing City to the top of their division for the first time in history almost single handedly.
He made his Norwich debut on the 27th of August 1927, finding the net in the 4-1 Division Three South win over Crystal Palace. It was the start of a remarkable first couple of months for Varco as he settled into the Norfolk way of life, which he no doubt found closer to his own upbringing. In total, his initial seven games in a City shirt yielded ten goals. After the Palace game he netted twice against Luton (a 3-1 away win), once versus Exeter City (2-2 away draw), again against Luton, this time in a 3-0 home victory, before grabbing a brace against his old team Torquay United, who by then had moved into the Football League from the Southern League (the game finished 4-0). He was absent for the next match at Walsall, but returned a week later to get another brace (in a 4-2 defeat at Northampton). His brilliant run ended with another, this time in the 2-1 home victory against Southend United. Between the 29th of August and the 17th of September, the Canaries were unexpectedly top of their division.
The impact of Percy Varco was immense. His goals turned him into an instant hero at the Nest where fans loved his direct, no nonsense style. It led to supporters chanting 'Give It To Varco' from the terraces as it was felt that was all that was ever needed - his ability to hold the ball, shrug off defenders and head off in the direction of goal was normally sufficient to bring the desired result. Varco was not a tall man - just 5ft 9 inches - but weighed in at 13 stones. He was a hard, tough character who could withstand shoulder charges and rough tackling. His beefy, robust style was also backed up by an incredible eye for goal.
Not surprisingly, Varco could not keep that fine ratio of goals up, and the Canaries slowly but surely slipped down the league towards their customary mid to low table position. But by the end of the campaign, Percy Varco had contributed 32 goals in 44 Football League and FA Cup appearances, including his only hat-trick in Norwich colours in the April against another of his former clubs, QPR.
Disaster struck the next season however. After netting twice in the 5-1 demolition of Bournemouth in the second match of the 1928-29 season, Varco was injured. It led to missing a few games and a goal drought on his return to the side. He was sidelined again, unable to shake off his fitness problems, but did get back into the swing of things in the December, netting three times in four matches. However that would prove to be the last the fans at the Nest would see of him for that season, as he finally succumbed to the injury. But the road to recovery was a long one for Percy - he did not appear again until November 1929 - though he did hit the ground running on his return with four goals in six games ! The last of these was on Boxing Day 1929 his final match as a Canary. It brought his career record at Norwich to 47 goals in just 65 games.
Huge disappointment came to the Norwich football community when Varco went back to the west country to play for Exeter City. They were robbed of the most effective striker seen at the club for many a long year. It was not long before Percy was back to business, scoring 41 league goals in just 81 games for the Devon club between 1929 and 1932. His legendary status also travelled with him - an Exeter street bears his name in recognition of his goalscoring exploits for the Grecians. Before he finished playing he had a short spell with Brighton & Hove Albion. After retirement from the professional game he returned to Fowey to work in the fish trade, and twice served as town Mayor. In 2003 he was made an inaugural member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.
Percy Varco, Canary legend, hero, and special player, passed away on the 29th of January 1982, in his beloved home town.
canaryseventyninety.blogspot.com/2011/04/stars-of-past-percy-varco.html
From Norwich FAn Site "Sing Up The River End"
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Stars Of The Past - Percy Varco
Percy Seymour Varco was born on the 17th of April 1904 in the beautiful Cornish town of Fowey. Known better as an area of small winding streets and a slow pace to life that would inspire the literary talents of Daphne du Maurier and Kenneth Grahame, young Percy proved his sporting talents required a football, rather than the more customary fishing tackle. After playing local soccer, firstly for school teams and then Fowey Town, his skills were spotted by the closest club of any significance, Southern League Torquay United, across the border in Devon. He joined them in August 1923 on the first step of a journey that would take him from one side of the country to the other, and a place in the history books of Norwich City Football Club.
On arrival at Torquay, his reputation at Plainmoor flourished, and he was soon sold to Division One giants Aston Villa for £200. He was still young of course and he was limited to just ten league appearances, in which he scored a couple of goals. In 1926 he headed for London and the chance of more regular football with Division Three South QPR. He scored four times for Rangers in sixteen league games and it was during this time that the Canaries manager Cecil Potter brought him to the Nest, for a small fee. It was to prove a piece of shrewd business, for Varco turned into an immediate success, firing City to the top of their division for the first time in history almost single handedly.
He made his Norwich debut on the 27th of August 1927, finding the net in the 4-1 Division Three South win over Crystal Palace. It was the start of a remarkable first couple of months for Varco as he settled into the Norfolk way of life, which he no doubt found closer to his own upbringing. In total, his initial seven games in a City shirt yielded ten goals. After the Palace game he netted twice against Luton (a 3-1 away win), once versus Exeter City (2-2 away draw), again against Luton, this time in a 3-0 home victory, before grabbing a brace against his old team Torquay United, who by then had moved into the Football League from the Southern League (the game finished 4-0). He was absent for the next match at Walsall, but returned a week later to get another brace (in a 4-2 defeat at Northampton). His brilliant run ended with another, this time in the 2-1 home victory against Southend United. Between the 29th of August and the 17th of September, the Canaries were unexpectedly top of their division.
The impact of Percy Varco was immense. His goals turned him into an instant hero at the Nest where fans loved his direct, no nonsense style. It led to supporters chanting 'Give It To Varco' from the terraces as it was felt that was all that was ever needed - his ability to hold the ball, shrug off defenders and head off in the direction of goal was normally sufficient to bring the desired result. Varco was not a tall man - just 5ft 9 inches - but weighed in at 13 stones. He was a hard, tough character who could withstand shoulder charges and rough tackling. His beefy, robust style was also backed up by an incredible eye for goal.
Not surprisingly, Varco could not keep that fine ratio of goals up, and the Canaries slowly but surely slipped down the league towards their customary mid to low table position. But by the end of the campaign, Percy Varco had contributed 32 goals in 44 Football League and FA Cup appearances, including his only hat-trick in Norwich colours in the April against another of his former clubs, QPR.
Disaster struck the next season however. After netting twice in the 5-1 demolition of Bournemouth in the second match of the 1928-29 season, Varco was injured. It led to missing a few games and a goal drought on his return to the side. He was sidelined again, unable to shake off his fitness problems, but did get back into the swing of things in the December, netting three times in four matches. However that would prove to be the last the fans at the Nest would see of him for that season, as he finally succumbed to the injury. But the road to recovery was a long one for Percy - he did not appear again until November 1929 - though he did hit the ground running on his return with four goals in six games ! The last of these was on Boxing Day 1929 his final match as a Canary. It brought his career record at Norwich to 47 goals in just 65 games.
Huge disappointment came to the Norwich football community when Varco went back to the west country to play for Exeter City. They were robbed of the most effective striker seen at the club for many a long year. It was not long before Percy was back to business, scoring 41 league goals in just 81 games for the Devon club between 1929 and 1932. His legendary status also travelled with him - an Exeter street bears his name in recognition of his goalscoring exploits for the Grecians. Before he finished playing he had a short spell with Brighton & Hove Albion. After retirement from the professional game he returned to Fowey to work in the fish trade, and twice served as town Mayor. In 2003 he was made an inaugural member of the Norwich City Hall of Fame.
Percy Varco, Canary legend, hero, and special player, passed away on the 29th of January 1982, in his beloved home town.
canaryseventyninety.blogspot.com/2011/04/stars-of-past-percy-varco.html