Len Allchurch

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I remember a goal he scored at the Kop end, where he dribbled along the goal line into the penalty area, beating defenders on the way, and then flicked it into the net once he got to the goal post, with all the opposition mesmerised. Would need "Silent" to tell us which match and year.
 
Sharrow Snuff Mill said:
I remember a goal he scored at the Kop end, where he dribbled along the goal line into the penalty area, beating defenders on the way, and then flicked it into the net once he got to the goal post, with all the opposition mesmerised. Would need "Silent" to tell us which match and year.
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I was only 3 when he left us!
 
originaltrueblade said:
Not many mention him. What a great winger he was. Signed by John Harris from Swansea he added to the great sixties team. I didn’t realise he passed away last year. A great servant for United and Wales. Who remembers him?
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Hope you've had a chance to look at the thread mentioned by Silent, above. Some signings don't work, some take time, some work instantly. Len's impact was immediate, filling the key gap in the team and scoring winning goals in the promotion push. And he moved into a house near us, so we passed his front door on the way to play footy in the park.
 
Sharrow Snuff Mill said:
I remember a goal he scored at the Kop end, where he dribbled along the goal line into the penalty area, beating defenders on the way, and then flicked it into the net once he got to the goal post, with all the opposition mesmerised. Would need "Silent" to tell us which match and year.
Click to expand...
Are you sure that was Len?
Think I saw most of his goals for the Blades at the Lane and the one you describe sounds very much like the one Barry Hartle scored against Leyton Orient, the game Len Badger and Bernard Shaw made their debuts for United.
 
originaltrueblade said:
Not many mention him. What a great winger he was. Signed by John Harris from Swansea he added to the great sixties team. I didn’t realise he passed away last year. A great servant for United and Wales. Who remembers him?
Click to expand...
Excellent player and signing by Harris.
Had the pleasure of watching him play at the Lane.
UTB
 
Kentblade said:
Excellent player and signing by Harris.
Had the pleasure of watching him play at the Lane.
UTB
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I too had the pleasure to see him play running down the wing with his arm nearly trailing on the floor good player and a lovely man spoke to him a few times at annual dinner utb
 
I remember him being my favourite Blace ( after Doc Pace) I also remember having heated debates with my Geordie mate as to was better, Len or his brother Ivor who played for Newcastle at the time.
 
I remember him stood on the wing with the ball at his feet, the defender came sliding at him, all studs showing. At the last slit second Len slipped sideways with the ball and the defender slid straight off the field. Len looked brilliant and the defender looked stupid. Was one great player in the first united team I ever started watching. Along with the likes of Alan Hodgkinson, Cec Coldwell, Joe Shaw, and Doc Pace.
 
Can just remember seeing him. The 'front five' when I first watching the Blades were Allchurch, Kettleborough, Pace, Jones (I never saw Billy Hodgson), Simpson.

John Docherty and Woody took over the right wing not long after. Len Allchurch played for a while in the Central league. Probably saw him more playing for the reserves than I did for the first team.

We may have won the Central League about 1966 as we had players who had enjoyed years of first team experience.

Add that to the Northern Intermediate success - real Glory Days.
 
Yes I saw him though I am amazed how good some memories are about particular instancies of play.It takes me enough time to remember what happened last week..;)
 



My first game was in that era - April 1961. I was 12 at the time and my cousin took me to the match against Derby at the tail end of the season and we achieved promotion at that game. I was immediately a lifelong Blade fan and attended home and some away matches until we left for Australia 3 years later. That team was full of great players Len included.
 
A master stroke by John Harris bringing Len in when he did ( he also brought in Hockey & John Hope the next time our promotion team was slipping )
I was there when he scored the winner at Leeds he made a big difference in the run in that season scoring some vital goals.
He had a strange gate about him dropping his arm and deceiving defenders in what seemed impossible positions ,he was a one off ( never seen anyone beat players in the same way.
After a few seasons he lost his place and was a regular in the reserve team.
One wig in the crowd used to shout ,come in no,7 your times up and sure enough he would acknowledge the humour (I think he was finding it difficult to keep the fitness levels required.
Great bloke great signing,we could have blown promotion without him.
 
peteribb said:
My first game was in that era - April 1961. I was 12 at the time and my cousin took me to the match against Derby at the tail end of the season and we achieved promotion at that game. I was immediately a lifelong Blade fan and attended home and some away matches until we left for Australia 3 years later. That team was full of great players Len included.
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You jammy git. Think of all the really shite Utd players you have managed to miss out on seeing, by moving to the other side of the world to avoid them back in 1964.
 
LSF said:
Are you sure that was Len?
Think I saw most of his goals for the Blades at the Lane and the one you describe sounds very much like the one Barry Hartle scored against Leyton Orient, the game Len Badger and Bernard Shaw made their debuts for United.
Click to expand...
I remember the newspapers saying “The Young Ones Have Arrived”
 
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peteribb said:
My first game was in that era - April 1961. I was 12 at the time and my cousin took me to the match against Derby at the tail end of the season and we achieved promotion at that game. I was immediately a lifelong Blade fan and attended home and some away matches until we left for Australia 3 years later. That team was full of great players Len included.
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To be fair, you haven't missed out on much glory in the last 50 years. But get yourself back quick now...
 
when you used to go early sixties , you knew the youngsters that played in the under 21 team at Ball Inn on saturday morning would eventually progress to the first team
it just seemed young players were destined to progress , not just here but at the majority of clubs in this way
its why celtic won the european cup in those days teams were mostly locals
remember seeing young alan birchenall and mick jones both do this
 
Weasel said:
You jammy git. Think of all the really shite Utd players you have managed to miss out on seeing, by moving to the other side of the world to avoid them back in 1964.
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Yes there have been some shite over the years but for many years we saw very little news of the blades in Oz. These days the internet has made it a lot easier to follow their fortunes. The last 16 months under Wilder has been a total revelation and last year was unbelievable especially after the total crap under Adkins. I may be many thousand of miles away but will always be a BLADE.
 
Len Allchurch.jpg

Used to deliver papers as a young 13 year old to the Allchurch's who lived at 28 High Storrs Rise which was a club house. The family always acknowledged me & my pal & he used to pick us up in his old Morris 1000 & take us to Bramall Lane on match days. He also provided programmes for away games & Welsh Internationals he played in. The photo is of Bingham Park pitch & putt taken in 1961. For the record when Len left SUFC Gil Reece followed him to the property.
 
LSF said:
Are you sure that was Len?
Think I saw most of his goals for the Blades at the Lane and the one you describe sounds very much like the one Barry Hartle scored against Leyton Orient, the game Len Badger and Bernard Shaw made their debuts for United.
Click to expand...
I am absolutely 100% certain !
 
peniblade said:
View attachment 33131

Used to deliver papers as a young 13 year old to the Allchurch's who lived at 28 High Storrs Rise which was a club house. The family always acknowledged me & my pal & he used to pick us up in his old Morris 1000 & take us to Bramall Lane on match days. He also provided programmes for away games & Welsh Internationals he played in. The photo is of Bingham Park pitch & putt taken in 1961. For the record when Len left SUFC Gil Reece followed him to the property.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it with the Gil Reece comment. Not a bad pair of wingers for one house! As it's international break: I once got round Bingham Park pitch & putt in 32. Can anyone better that? Graves Park can be included. I have never played an 18-hole course, but used to play at Bingham regularly as a kid. Never saw Len Allchurch there, though.
 
Sharrow Snuff Mill said:
I remember a goal he scored at the Kop end, where he dribbled along the goal line into the penalty area, beating defenders on the way, and then flicked it into the net once he got to the goal post, with all the opposition mesmerised. Would need "Silent" to tell us which match and year.
Click to expand...
I remember the goal well but unfortunately cannot remember much else about the game. Len was not the typical speedy winger, but a brilliant dribbler and crosser of the ball
 
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