I generally think I have been lucky in life, but from time to time one of Bert’s posts makes me question that assumption. I have been going behind the goal on the Kop for more than 60 years, and it is a matter of great disappointment that I have thus far not managed once to touch the football. It was small compensation that watching Hallam FC a couple of days after Xmas just recently, I managed to showcase my goalkeeping skills with a perfect catch; I am still in dispute with family members over my method of returning the ball. They claim it was a horrible sliced kick; the reality is I was showing how to kick the ball with the outside of the foot, hard and low, to release the wing-back in a quick counter-attack.
I generally think I have been lucky in life, but from time to time one of Bert’s posts makes me question that assumption. I have been going behind the goal on the Kop for more than 60 years, and it is a matter of great disappointment that I have thus far not managed once to touch the football. It was small compensation that watching Hallam FC a couple of days after Xmas just recently, I managed to showcase my goalkeeping skills with a perfect catch; I am still in dispute with family members over my method of returning the ball. They claim it was a horrible sliced kick; the reality is I was showing how to kick the ball with the outside of the foot, hard and low, to release the wing-back in a quick counter-attack.
I got my little finger to the ball when it bounced onto the Kop in the 2-1 over Chelsea in the 1974/1975 season. My little finger had mud on it from the ball and I said I'd never wash it again. That lasted a couple of hours tops.
That's the only time I've touched the ball in a match; my dad on the other hand collected the ball off the John Street Terrace steps, threw it to a waiting Paul Garner whose throw-in landed at John Matthews' feet - he dribbled it forward a few yards then thumped it home from 25 yards for a last-minute equaliser in a 3-3 against Cambridge United in December 1978.
I got my little finger to the ball when it bounced onto the Kop in the 2-1 over Chelsea in the 1974/1975 season. My little finger had mud on it from the ball and I said I'd never wash it again. That lasted a couple of hours tops.
That's the only time I've touched the ball in a match; my dad on the other hand collected the ball off the John Street Terrace steps, threw it to a waiting Paul Garner whose throw-in landed at John Matthews' feet - he dribbled it forward a few yards then thumped it home from 25 yards for a last-minute equaliser in a 3-3 against Cambridge United in December 1978.
For some reason for the match my dad bought us stand tickets for the John Street Stand.
Cardiff were now 3rd bottom of the 2nd division and we were sitting on 5th position of the 1st division so I was extremely confident that we had a better team and Cardiff had a much weaker team since we beat them 9 months earlier. Looking at the front cover of the programme there was a photo of a young lad (could be Man City's mascot for the 1969 FA Cup final, Man City wore black and red shirts) wearing a striped shirt (not sure if it is red and white) carrying the FA Cup made me even more confident that ir was going to be our year for the FA Cup.
Early in the game Cardiff, attacking the Kop End, had a throw in from the cricket pitch area. I had read about Bobby Woodruff's famous long throws from football magazines and I got worried when he got the ball in his hands. His throw went high and our defence was all at sea misjudging the swerve in the ball. The ball bounced to the far post and Don Murray was the first to head the ball into the net. Soon after we equalised as Ian Mackenzie headed in a Woody corner.
1st half action
The second half was strange as we were less likely to get the winner and Cardiff hit two late goals to make it 3-1 to them. I missed the 3rd goal as I was sulking looking away refusing to look toward the Lane End after they got their 2nd goal. I sensed the dismay from the spectators in the Kop so I had a quick look at the Lane End and the ball was already in the net. My FA Cup dream had got shattered and I cried making my way to the exits with my dad.
From the programme
You may be wondering why I am including the two laundry ladies in this post. Fast forward 18 years later I was surprised to see that the lady on the right was still employed at SUFC as you can see from the still at the bottom of the post. It was taken from the United documentary that was shown on BBC2!
The first half was quite memorable as referee Keith Walker (who refereed our 2-0 defeat at Man U a few months earlier and he was to become our club secretary in late 1972) had Billy Bremner and Geoff Salmons booked early in the game.
I was stood in the Scratching Shed with my dad behind the goal where Allan Clarke scored with a header (see below video from 3 mins 37 secs)
Just before half time, Keith Walker was in the centre of action again as he gave a foul against the already booked Salmons, got him to turn round to see the number 8 on the back. Players from both sides surrounded the ref. I was fearing the worst, I am sure most of the spectators who stood in the Scratching Shed could lipread Keith Walker telling Salmons "you are going off!" and then there was a heated discussion by players from both sides. I was confused that Salmons was staying on the pitch, thinking that he may have refused to leave the field. Looking at the match reports this evening, I hadnt realised that Bremner had persuaded the ref to change his mind about sending off Salmons.
Richard Ulyatt in the Yorkshire Post wrote: 'It was hard, unyielding and sluggish; a test of players' strength and referee's patience. Get on with the game, never mind the ball, might well have been the day's order. The gem of a shot Gray made for Leeds and Hope saved for Sheffield; the astute move by Scullion which nearly provided an equalising goal; even the winning goal, scored by Clarke in the 16th minute with a header from Jones' splendid cross after he and Madeley had shrugged off a succession of challenges, were minor, almost incidental, excitements. 'What dominated the day was the crunch of boot on bone, expected or felt, fair or illegal, and the determination of the admirable referee, Mr Keith Walker, to stand no nonsense. He said as much in the first minute when booking Bremner for a foul on Salmons. He said so again a few minutes later when booking Salmons for fouling Lorimer. He said so when booking Hockey for fouling Bremner and was even more emphatic when sending off Salmons and then, before the player had started walking, having second thoughts. "I told the player," Mr Walker said afterwards, "that next time he would go and I was influenced in my decision not to send him off by Bremner appealing to me on his behalf." Bremner, be it said, was the man fouled"
Dont remember anything about the 2nd half.
Scores, scorers and line ups of matches that day are in below link
Blades 0 Arsenal 5 (George 2, Graham, Simpson, Kennedy)
A miserable day it was! Looking at the reports, the reporters said we were the better side in the first 20 minutes before Arsenal scored the 1st goal, I do not remember this but unfortunately I still remember 4 of the 5 Arsenal goals well and Alan Ball posturing towards the end of the match!
John Hope had the long shot from George Graham well covered and it wasnt a powerful shot but he failed to hold it and Charlie George was quick enough to tap the ball in
I dont remember the 2nd goal. For years I always thought it was after Hope's poor kick (I thought it had happened similar to Derby's 1st goal 10 weeks later) but the description of the goal in the reports states the assist was a long clearance from Bob Wilson.
1st half action.
The 3rd goal was the worst of all, it happened at the Kop End, when a soft shot by George Graham went through Hope's legs.
Peter Simpson scored the 4th goal and got injured in doing so and needed a long medical attention but he got up and was able to carry on.
The 5th goal was the best of all, Ray Kennedy coolly skipped a couple of challenges outside the box and fired in a low shot past Hope.
I am surprised that there was no mention in the reports of Alan Ball sitting on the ball to taunt us. It happened either between the 4th and 5th goal or after the 5th goal. He had received the ball outside the box at the Lane End and carried on running with the ball not far from the John Street touchline. He had plenty of space with no opponent being near him and then he decided to sit on the ball for a second or two before looking to pass the ball to a team mate. I was a bit confused at what I had just seen so I looked at my dad asking him "what's happened there?". My dad glumly replied "He has just sat on the ball to taunt us!". I didnt find it funny. Unfortunately I wasnt at the Lane to witness TC's revenge 21 months later because I was 160 miles away at a boarding school! Years later I was talking about the Alan Ball incident with my dad. He said Nip Hague (a big Blade from Dronfield who used to travel in the same coach as me to away matches) went berserk in the terraces and was about to climb over the railings to run on the pitch to confront Ball but Jimmy Beresford (from Unstone) grabbed hold of him and made him stay in the terraces.
I think I had forgotten to take a copy of the top of the report Green Un report as I couldnt find it in the saved files!
Scores, scorers and line up of the day's matches are in the below link.
Two days later the Morning Telegraph were reporting that John Hope was dropped from the squad to travel to Israel the following weekend (FA Cup 4th round weekend)
For some reason for the match my dad bought us stand tickets for the John Street Stand.
Cardiff were now 3rd bottom of the 2nd division and we were sitting on 5th position of the 1st division so I was extremely confident that we had a better team and Cardiff had a much weaker team since we beat them 9 months earlier. Looking at the front cover of the programme there was a photo of a young lad (could be Man City's mascot for the 1969 FA Cup final, Man City wore black and red shirts) wearing a striped shirt (not sure if it is red and white) carrying the FA Cup made me even more confident that ir was going to be our year for the FA Cup.
Early in the game Cardiff, attacking the Kop End, had a throw in from the cricket pitch area. I had read about Bobby Woodruff's famous long throws from football magazines and I got worried when he got the ball in his hands. His throw went high and our defence was all at sea misjudging the swerve in the ball. The ball bounced to the far post and Don Murray was the first to head the ball into the net. Soon after we equalised as Ian Mackenzie headed in a Woody corner.
The second half was strange as we were less likely to get the winner and Cardiff hit two late goals to make it 3-1 to them. I missed the 3rd goal as I was sulking looking away refusing to look toward the Lane End after they got their 2nd goal. I sensed the dismay from the spectators in the Kop so I had a quick look at the Lane End and the ball was already in the net. My FA Cup dream had got shattered and I cried making my way to the exits with my dad.
You may be wondering why I am including the two laundry ladies in this post. Fast forward 18 years later I was surprised to see that the lady on the right was still employed at SUFC as you can see from the still at the bottom of the post. It was taken from the United documentary that was shown on BBC2!
I had never seen them lose (I didn’t attend the home defeat v Hull that season .
I went to the fa cup game v Cardiff but forgot my money . Spent the game looking up at the fans who were standing in the ledge section of the cop for reactions
As you say we lost 3-1 but I had still not technically seen Utd lose
I remember Spiegler,the missing captain,playing in the 1970 World Cup & from the World Cup soccer stars sticker book.
I’m sure some of the Dynamo Kiev team you will mention in a weeks time were in the same tournament/ book.
Went to the Dynamo Kiev game (although they were referred to as Kiev Dynamo in those days) expecting us to wallop a crap USSR team, only to find out that they could actually really play and their win was no fluke. Was this the friendly where Currie played on the right-wing and was brilliant? Or was that against someone else? Silent?
Also played Dundee United in a friendly match in the early 70s and they were also unexpectedly good. Can't remember the score of that one though.....
Yeah, I think I Dave Berry was our 'celebrity' team member. Ted Moult was the best celebrity playing for Forest. He knew everything. He always went for 'Route 1' - 'Can't be tackled'.....
Went to the Dynamo Kiev game (although they were referred to as Kiev Dynamo in those days) expecting us to wallop a crap USSR team, only to find out that they could actually really play and their win was no fluke. Was this the friendly where Currie played on the right-wing and was brilliant? Or was that against someone else? Silent?
Also played Dundee United in a friendly match in the early 70s and they were also unexpectedly good. Can't remember the score of that one though.....
Yeah, I think I Dave Berry was our 'celebrity' team member. Ted Moult was the best celebrity playing for Forest. He knew everything. He always went for 'Route 1' - 'Can't be tackled'.....
John Short (Coach), Frank Barlow, Tom Fenoughty and Dave Berry were in our team in 1966/67 season we beat Motherwell but lost to Leicester (Isobel Barnett being the highest scorer). For 1967/68 season, Geoffrey Wheeler was in our team instead of Dave Berry and we lost to WBA
No match for the Blades but clearly remember MOTD that night! Non league Hereford's giant-killing win against Newcastle in the FA Cup 3rd round replay, that goal we see several times over the last 50 years on tv and the scenes of the long goal celebrations on the sticky pitch. Felt sorry for ex-Blade John Tudor who was playing for Newcastle but I was pleased for ex-Blade Colin Addison who had not long become player-manager of Hereford. Dont think at the time I was really aware of another ex-Blade Ken Mallender (number 3) and that he was playing for Hereford.
In my conversations with John Tudor along with speedymcgeady when John was the landlord of Rock Tavern in Dronfield during the 1992-93 winter, he said he clearly remembered being behind Ronnie Radford's equaliser as the ball went all the way to the net but had not realised how spectacular the goal was until he saw it again on MOTD.
No match for the Blades but clearly remember MOTD that night! Non league Hereford's giant-killing win against Newcastle in the FA Cup 3rd round replay, that goal we see several times over the last 50 years on tv and the scenes of the long goal celebrations on the sticky pitch. Felt sorry for ex-Blade John Tudor who was playing for Newcastle but I was pleased for ex-Blade Colin Addison who had not long become player-manager of Hereford. Dont think at the time I was really aware of another ex-Blade Ken Mallender (number 3) and that he was playing for Hereford.
In my conversations with John Tudor along with speedymcgeady when John was the landlord of Rock Tavern in Dronfield during the 1992-93 winter, he said he clearly remembered being behind Ronnie Radford's equaliser as the ball went all the way to the net but had not realised how spectacular the goal was until he saw it again on MOTD.
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