Frank Barlow and Geoff Salmons

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Not sure Fred was playing for Red Rose in early 70's. He was approaching 50 by then, and Red Rose were still a top side locally having just made the leap from Sheffield Amateur League into the old Hatchard league (1st step on senior football ladder).

My first season in grown-up football was 1969-70. He had been retired a good few years when I played against him. The match was somewhere over Ecclesfield way, and I thought it was Red Rose. Whoever it was were many leagues above us, and we regarded the 5-0 defeat as a triumph.

 

[Silent Blade]

Not sure Fred was playing for Red Rose in early 70's. He was approaching 50 by then, and Red Rose were still a top side locally having just made the leap from Sheffield Amateur League into the old Hatchard league (1st step on senior football ladder).

I have read Green Un reports of him still playing local football in his mid 50s

 

[Bladesthorpe]

As a 15 yr old I signed for United as an amateur, we used to train Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Lane or the Ball Inn at Myrtle Rd. One Tuesday night I was on the end of a Dennis Finnegan tackle that resulted in a broken ankle, Archie Clark, John Short and Eddie Edwards were there and said I'd be fine and I'd just twisted it.
They all cleared off and left me to try to get home on the bus, I couldn't walk but fortunately for me Tom Fenoughty, Geoff Salmons and Frank Barlow carried me to Toms car and took me home. When we reached my house which was down Attercliffe, Geoff lifted me out of the car and put me over his shoulder and carried me up the entry knocked on the door and delivered me back to my family . They all became good mates, I wasn't good enough to be offered a contract but I always followed their careers closely.
It's 60 yrs since but I'm still grateful for their efforts that night.

 

[LSF]

My first season in grown-up football was 1969-70. He had been retired a good few years when I played against him. The match was somewhere over Ecclesfield way, and I thought it was Red Rose. Whoever it was were many leagues above us, and we regarded the 5-0 defeat as a triumph.

Me too, youth football was tough, but thrown into blokes football at 16/17 was err.... character building shall we say .
Certainly never came across Fred at Red Rose level type football, but think (as Silent Blade says) Fred was turning out at Friendlies League/Bible Class league stuff.
However, Albert Broadbent was certainly playing at high level local football in his late 40's.

 

[LSF]

As a 15 yr old I signed for United as an amateur, we used to train Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Lane or the Ball Inn at Myrtle Rd. One Tuesday night I was on the end of a Dennis Finnegan tackle that resulted in a broken ankle, Archie Clark, John Short and Eddie Edwards were there and said I'd be fine and I'd just twisted it.
They all cleared off and left me to try to get home on the bus, I couldn't walk but fortunately for me Tom Fenoughty, Geoff Salmons and Frank Barlow carried me to Toms car and took me home. When we reached my house which was down Attercliffe, Geoff lifted me out of the car and put me over his shoulder and carried me up the entry knocked on the door and delivered me back to my family . They all became good mates, I wasn't good enough to be offered a contract but I always followed their careers closely.
It's 60 yrs since but I'm still grateful for their efforts that night.

I too, trod that path in the quest to make a living from the game, and like you wasn't offered a contract.
I can concur that Dennis Finnegan was one hard bloke. He held nothing back in what passed for 'training' and was feared and respected in equal amounts by all who trained on the Ball Inn. (He was even more fearsome in the winter shed down at the lane, an absolute nutter/silent assassin).

 

[Farnboroughblade]

Whenever Salmons is mentioned, it takes me back to Man City‘s Main Road ground where he scored directly from a corner. Of all the goals I have seen over the many years supporting the Blades, that one is high in my top 10 greats.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I too, trod that path in the quest to make a living from the game, and like you wasn't offered a contract.
I can concur that Dennis Finnegan was one hard bloke. He held nothing back in what passed for 'training' and was feared and respected in equal amounts by all who trained on the Ball Inn. (He was even more fearsome in the winter shed down at the lane, an absolute nutter/silent assassin).

Keep these stories coming. Didn’t think of Finnegan as a hard man. He only played a few 1st team games, and perhaps because he had a white-collar job outside football, I never thought of him as a hard man.

 

[Silent Blade]

Whenever Salmons is mentioned, it takes me back to Man City‘s Main Road ground where he scored directly from a corner. Of all the goals I have seen over the many years supporting the Blades, that one is high in my top 10 greats.

March 1974

 

[LSF]

Keep these stories coming. Didn’t think of Finnegan as a hard man. He only played a few 1st team games, and perhaps because he had a white-collar job outside football, I never thought of him as a hard man.

Dennis was a porter at Middlewood Hospital in his day job. Unimaginable these days isn't it! Hospital porter during the day, 1st division footballer at weekend ( albeit as you say Hodgy, only on rare occasions).
Amongst us fledgling footballers he was feared for his ruthless approach, but like you say, didn't portray this character on the few occasions I say him play in 1st team.

 

[Silent Blade]

Dennis was a porter at Middlewood Hospital in his day job. Unimaginable these days isn't it! Hospital porter during the day, 1st division footballer at weekend ( albeit as you say Hodgy, only on rare occasions).
Amongst us fledgling footballers he was feared for his ruthless approach, but like you say, didn't portray this character on the few occasions I say him play in 1st team.

Scored quite a number of goals at reserves level. My dad said Dennis wasnt good enough for the 1st team.

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Absolutely this.

It became the blueprint for long term decline to Div4 (and then to be repeated a generation or two later). Sell your best players, replace with inferior ones (preferably journeymen from division below), results suffer, rinse and repeat. Geoff was the start of it all.

Aye
Although you could make a case that it bagan a few years afore with the (in essence double) departures of Jones & Birch, albeit for decent brass @ the time.
Whilst hindsight is invariably 20:20 flogging Salmons was indeed a ‘false economy’ for many reasons, not least of which was his graft which ‘allowed’ Currie to ‘perform’ although there would have been, (& ultimately was,) a far greater furore if TC was the one to go (first).
Similar poor decision a few years later when we reportedly turned down a £600k bid for Sabella from Sun’lun ( informed by a mesmeric individual display in a 2-6 gubbing that they still talk about up ‘ere) only to ‘lose’ him to dirtyLeeds for £200k less within a year (?)

 

[Tickhill Blade]

Of the 81 invited to Manchester for that get-together early in the 1974-75 season, 47 were destined never to appear for England.

But can you name them?

 

[blade too long]

totty cup is that now called the ladies fa cup final

 

[Silent Blade]

But can you name them?

No, I remember seeing a photo of Revie addressing the players in a meeting and I spotted John Tudor being one of the players

 

[XH536]

Did he used to have a shop up Meersbrook area?

I honestly don't know.
Sorry.

 

[ancientblade]

y

Aye
Although you could make a case that it bagan a few years afore with the (in essence double) departures of Jones & Birch, albeit for decent brass @ the time.
Whilst hindsight is invariably 20:20 flogging Salmons was indeed a ‘false economy’ for many reasons, not least of which was his graft which ‘allowed’ Currie to ‘perform’ although there would have been, (& ultimately was,) a far greater furore if TC was the one to go (first).
Similar poor decision a few years later when we reportedly turned down a £600k bid for Sabella from Sun’lun ( informed by a mesmeric individual display in a 2-6 gubbing that they still talk about up ‘ere) only to ‘lose’ him to dirtyLeeds for £200k less within a year (?)

your spot on september 67 was the start of it all when mick jones was sold by wraggy and weve been a selling club ever since

 

[Willie Carlin]

Played in both tournaments many years ago when I was at junior school. In those days if you got knocked out of the totty cup in the first round you went into the Barlow salmons shield. Don't know if it's same rules now.
Loads of players though who have played in these over the years who were good enough to make the grade but weren't seen.

It was a feather in your cap if you got a Totty Cup medal. Proud as punch when my Grandson got a winners medal playing for Swinton Fitz.

 

[Willie Carlin]

I remember Geoff Salmons playing against a very good Leeds Side at Elland road. In those days they always showed a game on itv on a Sunday afternoon that had been played on the Sat. Anyway we went to the game at Elland road. Billy Bremner went over the ball with a leg breaker of a tackle on Geoff. When it was shown on the Sunday Geoffs stocking was ripped all way down his shin. Dirty Billy didn’t get booked. When the game restarted Geoff knocked Bremner arse over shit with a tackle!!! and of course got booked for it.