Can you spot yourself or any Blades fans you recognise?

[Cerberus Blade]

Were you bald in 1969?

No I was bald in 1956 though when I was a foetus.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Taken at John Street players tunnel on 17th April 1971, we beat Birmingham 3-0 that day

View attachment 45883

Looks like Bill Shankly was on a secret scouting mission (white coat man above Roger Hynd's head)

 

[XM657]

Have you got one of the kop end of John St? A very young SEB would probably be on the fence at the front.

Try this one

 

[Going t lane]

Bloke in sheepskin, sure its my old nxt door neighbour from wybourn, always had pipe, have 2 check it out with my parents. Passed away late eighties. Top bloke.

 

[BushBlade]

Back when no one had any muscle tone whatsoever.

No gyms really in those days, apart from the odd one for boxers and ‘bodybuilding’. Which is what any kind of weight training was considered in those days.

You never saw people jogging either.

From memory I think it started in the early eighties and had become more mainstream by the end of the decade.

Of course, lots of people did manual labour and built up what muscle they had from digging, carrying heavy things etc.

I’d guess Keegan was one of the first footballers to train like an athlete.

 

[Dnblade]

No gyms really in those days, apart from the odd one for boxers and ‘bodybuilding’. Which is what any kind of weight training was considered in those days.

You never saw people jogging either.

From memory I think it started in the early eighties and had become more mainstream by the end of the decade.

Of course, lots of people did manual labour and built up what muscle they had from digging, carrying heavy things etc.

I’d guess Keegan was one of the first footballers to train like an athlete.

That's right BB,we had to rely on Chest expanders haha,then i progressed to a Bullworker...I'm sure I remember a mate of mine even sent off for some Steroids they used to advertise in the national papers.

 

[BushBlade]

That's right BB,we had to rely on Chest expanders haha,then i progressed to a Bullworker...I'm sure I remember a mate of mine even sent off for some Steroids they used to advertise in the national papers.

You can see how effective they are

 

[cahill]

I was on the kop for that match. I joined the RAF in September that year and my mate was a Blues fan, so we used to go up to St Andrews as we were stationed at Hereford. Ah the memories

 

[Sean Thornton]

Not football related but here's SteveBlade at Cheltenham.....

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Great photos SB,I was on the Kop and Gil scored the first goal at that end which was even better than the diving header...left channel,40 yards out...moved away from a couple of Brum players,passed another before running across the last 2 defenders before cutting between them to get through on goal and blast it past the Keeper...fantastic goal...I've posted about it before,but the roar of the crowd as he got through on goal sort of went into a hush just before he struck the ball...you could here the thud of the ball when he struck it...Francis only 16 aswell for them,great days.

It was indeed a fantastic goal, DNB, but I can’t agree with your recollection that Gil “blasted” it. Denis Clarebrough in his excellent book described it as follows: “...a magnificent goal from Gil Reece, who slipped the ball past the City goalkeeper after dribbling past three or four defenders (the numbers tend to grow in the telling)...”

“Slipped” is how I recall it, too, and this picture tends to confirm it.

We can both agree that it was a great, great day which saw the Welsh Wizard at his very best. How lucky we were.

 

[BushBlade]

View attachment 45898

It was indeed a fantastic goal, DNB, but I can’t agree with your recollection that Gil “blasted” it. Denis Clarebrough in his excellent book described it as follows: “...a magnificent goal from Gil Reece, who slipped the ball past the City goalkeeper after dribbling past three or four defenders (the numbers tend to grow in the telling)...”

“Slipped” is how I recall it, too, and this picture tends to confirm it.

We can both agree that it was a great, great day which saw the Welsh Wizard at his very best. How lucky we were.

They’ve missed the ‘D’ off Desso.

 

[BerksBlade]

Can't remember whether I went to that game. If I did Bob Latchford is roughly in front of where I would have been standing ...

 

[Rufus Smalls]

Looks like Jonny Morris has took time off from Animal Magic to carry out policing duties for he day.

 

[Greenwich Blade]

If you have the same picture to the right of the tunnel I'm pretty sure I'll be on it

Happy to help.

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

Happy to help.

View attachment 45900

F##k me! Theres Peter Beardsleys twin!!

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

Mickey Quinn (minus his tache) on the sheepskin coat chaps shoulder!

 

[Cerberus Blade]

View attachment 45898

It was indeed a fantastic goal, DNB, but I can’t agree with your recollection that Gil “blasted” it. Denis Clarebrough in his excellent book described it as follows: “...a magnificent goal from Gil Reece, who slipped the ball past the City goalkeeper after dribbling past three or four defenders (the numbers tend to grow in the telling)...”

“Slipped” is how I recall it, too, and this picture tends to confirm it.

We can both agree that it was a great, great day which saw the Welsh Wizard at his very best. How lucky we were.

I remember that. In the programme the following match I’m sure it said something like “Gil dribbled past 6 players, 2 program sellers and a steward before putting it in”

It was a magnificent goal. I remember being on the kop and we all went silent just before he dispatched it. It was because he went past everyone with such ease that we genuinely thought the whistle must have gone and he was just carrying on regardless. It was like time had stood still. An amazing goal from one of the best dribblers of a ball I’ve ever seen. And also, let me say, that lad could head a ball he wasn’t the tallest but he could jump like a salmon!

He gets forgotten sometimes when we reminisce about the Woody/Currie era, but he was one hell of a player. A legend no less.

 

[Bannerman]

Gil Reece was a terrific player and he and Woody were a great combination. Two different styles which meant that if one wasn't having any joy out of a particular fullback they could swap wings and give the defender a different problem.

Gils party piece was the horizontal diving header, particularly from a long right wing cross from Woody. Remember one against Everton which raised the roof.

 

[Hartley Hare]

Look at the state of that football!

HH

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Look at the state of that football!

HH

It’s a “Casey”. Nowt wrong wi that. Bit too heavy for today’s Jessie boys mind yer. Can you see Grealish of Aston Villa heading one of them?

 

[Silent Blade]

Gil Reece was a terrific player and he and Woody were a great combination. Two different styles which meant that if one wasn't having any joy out of a particular fullback they could swap wings and give the defender a different problem.

Gils party piece was the horizontal diving header, particularly from a long right wing cross from Woody. Remember one against Everton which raised the roof.

His goal against Everton

 

[Cerberus Blade]

His goal against Everton

I wish I’d have known you when they used to do “Spot the Ball” competition in t’ Star. Silent. I’d be a bloody millionaire now!

 

[Edinblade]

Those kids at the front will be almost 60 now !
I should know

 

[Edinblade]

Just noticed Trevor Hockey near the back above the second players head.

 

[1888to1889]

Wrong side of tunnel for me

 

[Bannerman]

Look at the state of that football!

HH

Not only that look at the shirts. Talk about a missed opportunity for branded products and market awareness!
As for the railing around the pitch, absolute travesty of a lost opportunity for advertising internationally famous products.

Pitiful, it's almost as though the players just wanted to turn up and play football and the spectators just wanted to turn up and watch them.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

No I was bald in 1956 though when I was a foetus.

I was one of those in 1956 as well, don’t remember being bald though.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

Gil Reece was a terrific player and he and Woody were a great combination. Two different styles which meant that if one wasn't having any joy out of a particular fullback they could swap wings and give the defender a different problem.

Gils party piece was the horizontal diving header, particularly from a long right wing cross from Woody. Remember one against Everton which raised the roof.

Was the Everton one in The F A Cup?

 

[Bannerman]

Was the Everton one in The F A Cup?

Now you come to mention it I think it was. I've reached the age where my memory is selective. Some things I can remember as if it happened yesterday others need a reminder.

 

[Dnblade]

View attachment 45898

It was indeed a fantastic goal, DNB, but I can’t agree with your recollection that Gil “blasted” it. Denis Clarebrough in his excellent book described it as follows: “...a magnificent goal from Gil Reece, who slipped the ball past the City goalkeeper after dribbling past three or four defenders (the numbers tend to grow in the telling)...”

“Slipped” is how I recall it, too, and this picture tends to confirm it.

We can both agree that it was a great, great day which saw the Welsh Wizard at his very best. How lucky we were.

Yeah, it looks that way from the photo and your own recollection Shala.. To be honest It was a struggle to see the ball hit the back of the net with people in the way,I just heard the sound of the ball being struck, so thought he must have put something on it.. Pity there's no footage as it was such a great goal...it was a masterstroke when they decided to move Gil from the wing to play up top with Bill that season, and Salmons in his old position on the left,he was on fire in that run in.