Before Truro City’s rise from the old South Western League to National League South level, success for the club had been in short supply.
There had been three league title successes during the last decade of the 21st century, which was started by the appointment of Steve Massey as manager in 1992, but that aside, City were, for the most part, also-rans in Cornish football.
Before that, Truro, with Colin Chegwyn scoring for fun, the side claimed a SWL and Cornwall Senior Cup double in 1969-70.
The Treyew Road trophy cabinet was regularly occupied by silverware in the late 50s and early 60s however, with City claiming South Western League and Senior Cup glory.
The team was built around a strong spine with defensive lynchpin Harold Jefferies marshalling City’s defence. Jefferies joined Truro from arch rivals Falmouth Town in 1957 and would captain the Tinners for a decade.
At the other end of the field Basil Steer was City’s talisman and in the 1960-61 campaign, he scored an incredible 43 goals in just 28 league games.
He was equally as prolific in that season’s Cornwall Senior Cup with City coming agonisingly close to claiming a magnificent double, losing 3-1 in the final against Penzance.
Along with his 60-61 league title, Steer also won the South Western League Cup in 1958-59 and the Senior Cup a year later – Steer scoring the second goal for Truro in a 2-0 win over St Blazey.
Steer was from Tavistock and curiously owned a pet shop, but suffered with chronic asthma. He first came to prominence playing for St Blazey before joining Truro City.
After hanging up his boots, he took up golf and was one of the best amateur golfers in the South West.
He died, suddenly, aged 70 in February 2000, and will be posthumously inducted into the Truro City Hall of Fame.
