The Club originated as one of several ‘form teams’ in the sixth form of the old Northgate Grammar School and, after a couple of seasons of irregular friendlies, a full campaign of friendly fixtures was played in the 1966/67 season.

Younger readers might find it difficult to appreciate that local bye-laws barred games on Ipswich park pitches on Sunday Mornings, so, as the established leagues - the Sunday Combination and the Gippeswyk Sunday League - both played in the afternoons, it was necessary for teams wanting to play friendlies to vary their venues around the town, often with park-keepers turning a blind eye to what was happening.

Games were played without goal nets and usually each team had one football (brown, dubbined and laced up) available. The Tavs had a new set of shirts - ‘Wolves-style’ old gold and black - worn with black shorts and assorted socks.

At the end of the 1966/67 season we applied for membership of the Gippeswyk League. A late withdrawal of another club allowed us into the league only a week or so before the big kick-off but we managed to secure a ground - the picturesque Woolvestone pitch with very basic changing facilities - and sign enough players to enable us to field a side for our opening game. This was against Footmans (the pre-Debenhams store, of course) at Capel St Mary and we gave a good account of ourselves, twice leading, before losing 3-2.

The Gippeswyk League - even Division 2 - was a tough school and, although our second game brought a heady victory over RAF Bawdsey (Joint Club President John Steward scoring a hat-trick) we were soon in trouble playing wise and suffered some heavy defeats, with unrest - which led to a power-struggle within our ranks - adding to our problems.

Results continued to be poor but we ended the first season intact, if somewhat battered, a total of 138 goals having been conceded in 22 games!

The following season proved somewhat better although we again suffered some heavy reverses and finished the campaign struggling to raise a full side.

Amazingly, the season contained a record which remains unbeaten to this day - the one occasion when a Taverners first teamer scored 6 goals in a game - this being achieved by Brian Suttle as we beat Inter Celtic 11-2 at Bourne Park.

The final 60s’ season, 1969/70, saw Taverners relegated to the newly formed third division of the Gippeswyk League, although ironically an influx of players such as Ross Turtill, Adrian Dickerson, David Button, Martin Buck and goalkeeper Melvyn Williams resulted in us looking far more like a team than we had previously and we were in contention in most of the games we played.