Tyrone Shoelaces

The next week is massive. If he can’t summon up a win out of those two games I agree it’s a taxi for Ismael.

He only said clever looking.

That was one but there was a better one on the opposite page. “ Academies’ false dawn.” “ System that builds to a climax when players turn 18 is laced with problems “ by Dr Chris’s Platts.

I don’t know wether you read “ The Guardian “ but in today’s edition there’s a very interesting article regarding youth football, U-21’s, loans etc etc.

Then he hardly played for Palace and drifted out of the game.

BBC are reporting that the latest club to show serious interest in Wharton is Man Utd with Palace quoting a fee of £70 million.

That really is opening Pandora’s Box.

Even under the chicken chokers this was pretty unbelievable. What had they got to gain ? Having said that what have they got to gain in owning the club ?

17,201 at the Huddersfield v Bolton game last night. Just saying.

Mm, not how I remember it. I thought Andy played the deeper role with Reg playing alongside Big Fred.

Billy Stewart - Sittin’ In The Park

Freddy Fender - Before The Next Teardrop Falls

That’s not how it worked in my opinion. Reg wore the old number 8 and Andy wore Bryan’s number 10 My impression of Reg that day was he was exactly what he was. A player Everton let go as a young player, then made a bit of his name for himself at 4 th Division Southport. His ability was a level or two below the old First Division. My abiding memory of him that day was of a golden chance falling to him in the Darwen End in the second half. I’d made my way back to that end at half time. When the chance came he was really slow to get a shot away and his attempt was blocked. He did well at Oldham when we let him go but I think that was his level

If I’d have been JDT I would have sincerely and profusely apologised for a complete no show in the biggest game of the season right after the game. The fact that he didn’t consider it necessary told me he either didn’t realise the importance of the game, which is really bad for any manager of our club, or he was too arrogant to admit he’d ballsed up big time. Maybe it was a case of both. I never felt the same about him after that game. He lost me there and then. My Rugby League team appointed a new Australian coach. At a “ Meet The Coach “ event he asked for questions at the end of his little speech. One guy stood and said “ Just two things Steve, beat Oldham, and beat Oldham ! “ We played Oldham in the traditional pre-season “ Friendly “ known as “ The Infirmary’s Cup “. Not just because players ended up in the Infirmary afterwards but plenty did over the years. The new coach treated it as pre season run out and subbed players left right and centre. Just to give all the players some game time. Oldham didn’t and they won convincingly. That coach was on borrowed tine as far as the fans were concerned from that day on. He didn’t last long.

Yeah he got a hat trick that day. He ran their big money signing Scottish international centre half Ian Ure ragged. I remember one of them clearly. Again I was right behind the goals at the Blackburn End. Fred had a shot a goal but he kicked the ground as much he kicked the ball. It just rolled towards Jim Furnell in the Arsenal goal who inexplicably let the ball go through his legs. The ball just made it over the line. Andy Mac stood in for Dougie that day and he was brilliant. We never missed Bryan. Reg Blore stood in for Andy. I was standing behind the Darwen End goals before the kick off. When Rovers started playing towards the Blackburn End I was making my way along the Riverside to get behind the Blackburn End goals when Arsenals Joe Baker raced through the middle of our defence to slot the ball past Fred Else in the Rovers goal. That must have been after 2 or 3 minutes. I thought “ We’re going to be up against it today. “. Little did I know. We just went out and battered a very good Arsenal team. Fred was unstoppable that day. When he was in the mood he was Shearer level without a doubt. I consider myself blessed to have seen that team play at their best. They were a goal scoring machine when they were in the mood. They just demolished teams. No team since has been quite as entertaining.

I was at the Blackburn end right behind the goals. So I got a perfect view of Fred’s “ wedding gift “. Funnily of all his goals that’s the one I remember best.

As I said, it was the first game after the big freeze in 1963, we did well to have any grass at all. Widnes RL club tried to beat the freeze by putting some fancy chemical on their pitch. That killed all the grass !

Me too, it was the first game after the big freeze in 1963. Fred Pickering had got married that Saturday morning and both teams gave him a guard of honour when they came out. They really gifted Fred a goal later on. We’d been on the attack and it broke down with the Utd goalie getting the ball in his hands. He threw it out to Albert Quixall about 30 yards from goal. As he did that Fred was crouching down tying his boot lace. Quixall got the ball under control but he was quickly closed down, so he turned around and passed the ball back to the keeper, just as Fred stood back up ! The ball went straight to him and he just turned and banged the ball past the keeper into the back of the net. Matt Woods, Denis Law, Fred Else and John Bray in the photo.

It wasn’t just that they won those World Cups it was how they did it. The 1970 team was the best team I ever saw.

A great game run by idiots.

Always with his head up.

I take it you never saw Brazil between 1958 and 1970 ?

Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken

That was when teams only needed one centre half. Number 5.

I can’t see what Rogers did the other night apart from one or two little passes. He was just making up the numbers.