Gerry Summers RIP

[1973Blade]

RIP Gerry Summers. He must have been one our oldest former players.

Former West Brom player and Wolves and Walsall coach Gerry Summers dies

Gerry Summers, who was Albion's oldest former player, has died aged 90, his family have confirmed.

www.expressandstar.com

 

[Silent Blade]

The last survivor of the 1961 promotion side that played more than a handful of league appearances that season. I remember going to watch Oxford v Blades in January 1971 and outside the players entrance after the match, my dad pointed Gerry (Oxford's manager) out to me, explaining that he used to play for us.

 

[Aycliffe Blade]

Gerry Summers was a regular starter when I started watching the Blades - very early 60's.

 

[XH536]

Sad news.
RIP Gerry Summers.
Member of the 'Dependables'.

 

[Peter Fisher]

RIP Gerry. He was the first Blade autograph I got together with Doc Pace whilst watching Yorkshire v Derbyshire at Queens Park Chesterfield.

 

[Belvedere Blade]

Sad news
RIP Gerry Summers

 

[Bladesthorpe]

Yes part of the best half back line in my lifetime and I've been watching us for over 70yrs, Richardson, J Shaw, Summers, class. Don't think they would have stayed on the pitch very long in todays football, a tackle in those times is a red card now.
RIP Gerry and thanks for the memories.

 

[Brynner]

Yes part of the best half back line in my lifetime and I've been watching us for over 70yrs, Richardson, J Shaw, Summers, class. Don't think they would have stayed on the pitch very long in todays football, a tackle in those times is a red card now.
RIP Gerry and thanks for the memories.

Agree totally. Brian Richardson, Joe Shaw and Gerry Summers were the half back line up when I first started watching United. All great players in their own right with differing strengths. As you say, RIP Gerry and thanks for the memories.

 

[metalblade]

Gerry Summers was a regular starter when I started watching the Blades - very early 60's.

Me too.

 

[metalblade]

RIP Gerry, part of an early 60's team that picked itself really.

 

[HarryHaslam]

RIP Gerry

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Truly the end of an era. He was part of a lineup which played together for several years, and for those of us growing up at that time that collection of players created a strong sense of identity. I was lucky enough to have him and Hodgy come to do half a dozen coaching sessions with our school team in the early 60s, when they were doing their coaching badges. Both of them came across really well.

 

[Silent Blade]

Top left, photo taken after beating Derby 3-1 to clinch promotion in April 1961

 

[neverknowinglywrong]

Remember him well playing alongside Joe. RIP

 

[Bert]

Truly the end of an era. He was part of a lineup which played together for several years, and for those of us growing up at that time that collection of players created a strong sense of identity. I was lucky enough to have him and Hodgy come to do half a dozen coaching sessions with our school team in the early 60s, when they were doing their coaching badges. Both of them came across really well.

Did they have coaching badges in those day? It sounds very doubtful to Bert.

 

[Snowflake]

Agree totally. Brian Richardson, Joe Shaw and Gerry Summers were the half back line up when I first started watching United. All great players in their own right with differing strengths. As you say, RIP Gerry and thanks for the memories.

The defence behind them wasn’t too bad either !!

 

[blade too long]

oh for a player like him now , solid strong intelligent
or one with just one of those traits

first team I watched he was a fixture in , sadly will be missed

my first away league game was a 2-0 win at stoke
goals from Wagstaff and the bald eagle Kettleborough
Summers was a superb player

 

[blade too long]

oh for a player like him now , solid strong intelligent
or one with just one of those traits
sadly will be missed

my first away league game was a 2-0 win at stoke. 1963
goals from Wagstaff and the bald eagle Kettleborough
Summers was a superb player and was chief supplier to Allchurch and Pace

in todays football hed do well in the assist column

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Did they have coaching badges in those day? It sounds very doubtful to Bert.

It was 1963, or perhaps 1964. They were in some way preparing for going into coaching/management. They came on 6 successive Wednesday afternoons, and had a couple of hours with the first and second elevens. As first eleven goalie, I got a lot of personalised coaching from my hero, but I didn’t blame him for my continuing inadequacies. For the first session I was startstruck and wore the Supporters Club metal badge on my jumper; Hodgy gently suggested that wasn’t wise. So I learnt something.

 

[bornablade]

The last survivor of the 1961 promotion side that played more than a handful of league appearances that season. I remember going to watch Oxford v Blades in January 1971 and outside the players entrance after the match, my dad pointed Gerry (Oxford's manager) out to me, explaining that he used to play for us.

There's an irony there Silent. As that team from the early 1960's began to retire it took a long time and several experimental line-ups for John Harris to replace it. It could be argued that the team and result at Oxford in January 1971 was the game that we saw the turn around.

I always thought that I'd seen that famous back 5 & Hodgy play together but over the years of reading posts on here I don't think that I did.

I always remember being intrigued by the shop on Abbeydale Road - Summers and Pace.

RIP Gerry.

 

[Hartley Hare]

Some great photos here.

RIP Gerry.

Sincere condolences to family and friends.

HH

 

[Brynner]

The defence behind them wasn’t too bad either !!

Definitely, with Hodgy in goal, Cec Coldwell and Graham Shaw full backs. Of course back then the centre half was one of the half backs, but was primarily the heart of the defence. Joe Shaw, what can you say, what a player. Not big in stature, but a supreme reader of the game, ahead of the times in some respects, a Bobby Moore or even later a Paul McGrath, before that role became the norm. Memories that last a lifetime. Thankfully I started my Blades journey around that time.

1) Alan Hodgkinson
2) Cec Coldwell
3) Graham Shaw
4) Brian Richardson
5) Joe Shaw
6) Gerry Summers
7) Len Allchurch
8) Keith Kettleborough
9) Doc Pace
10) Billy Hodgson
11) Ron Simpson

Some changes at times, but the main go to favourite team of the early 60's for me.

 

[AnglesWithDirtyFaces]

in todays football hed do well in the assist column


View attachment 180645

RIP Gerry

I think this is a great photo. Maybe we should think if having this as our away kit for next season.

 

[Robby Blade]

Did they have coaching badges in those day? It sounds very doubtful to Bert.

Of course they had the badge. It was a circular badge sowed onto their Darlows track suit top that said Coach.

 

[Snowflake]

Definitely, with Hodgy in goal, Cec Coldwell and Graham Shaw full backs. Of course back then the centre half was one of the half backs, but was primarily the heart of the defence. Joe Shaw, what can you say, what a player. Not big in stature, but a supreme reader of the game, ahead of the times in some respects, a Bobby Moore or even later a Paul McGrath, before that role became the norm. Memories that last a lifetime. Thankfully I started my Blades journey around that time.

1) Alan Hodgkinson
2) Cec Coldwell
3) Graham Shaw
4) Brian Richardson
5) Joe Shaw
6) Gerry Summers
7) Len Allchurch
8) Keith Kettleborough
9) Doc Pace
10) Billy Hodgson
11) Ron Simpson

Some changes at times, but the main go to favourite team of the early 60's for me.

A time of “dangerous” tackles ! So how did most of this team play nearly all the matches ?

 

[reedy63]

RIP Gerry Summers,my late Dad told me how great he was.

 

[Brynner]

A time of “dangerous” tackles ! So how did most of this team play nearly all the matches ?

True, plus no substitutes back then. There were certainly some hard 'uns, not to mention dirty bastards . In winter time most of the pitches were nothing short of mud baths. Obviously, they were nowhere near as fit as now, but seemingly not as prone to hamstring, acl injuries etc. Some of them were probably smoking 40 to 50 fags a day . Young namby pambies these days .

 

[United Aren't Back.]

The last survivor of the 1961 promotion side that played more than a handful of league appearances that season. I remember going to watch Oxford v Blades in January 1971 and outside the players entrance after the match, my dad pointed Gerry (Oxford's manager) out to me, explaining that he used to play for us.

You'll recall the 'Summers Summers what's the score? ' as we trounced Gillingham, late 70s, apparently Gerry had been saying Gills would win.
Nov10 1979.
4 0.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Definitely, with Hodgy in goal, Cec Coldwell and Graham Shaw full backs. Of course back then the centre half was one of the half backs, but was primarily the heart of the defence. Joe Shaw, what can you say, what a player. Not big in stature, but a supreme reader of the game, ahead of the times in some respects, a Bobby Moore or even later a Paul McGrath, before that role became the norm. Memories that last a lifetime. Thankfully I started my Blades journey around that time.

1) Alan Hodgkinson
2) Cec Coldwell
3) Graham Shaw
4) Brian Richardson
5) Joe Shaw
6) Gerry Summers
7) Len Allchurch
8) Keith Kettleborough
9) Doc Pace
10) Billy Hodgson
11) Ron Simpson

Some changes at times, but the main go to favourite team of the early 60's for me.

Football has improved in many ways, but for those of us that grew up with a settled team, the sense of identity of a club has been weakened. Between the ages of about 7 and 15, United to me meant a lineup like the one you have set out above. They might not have been the best in the world, but they were ‘our’ players. It came as a shock when things changed. I guess I started a year or two before you - I would have as number 8 Billy Russell (part-time footballer, modern languages teacher, what a story), and find it difficult to choose between Kevin Lewis and Allchurch at number 7. That was a messy transition.

 

[originaltrueblade]

A regular in the team when I first started watching wonderful first touch with his left foot. A joy to watch. Great player in probably Uniteds greatest post war team RIP Gerry
Hodgkinson
Coldwell
Shaw (G)
Richardson
Summers
Shaw (J)
Allchurch
Hodgson
Pace
Russell
Simpson

Remember it like yesterday