Thursday, 30 April 2020

Bannockburn 1967?

Back to Traditional kit. 


Don Howe replaces Dave Sexton. 

1967-68. 

Since about 1953, when Rangers were the opposition at the inauguration of the new floodlights, Arsenal had played Glasgow Rangers in friendly matches. They started as midweek games and then later changed to Saturdays before the official season started. 
They were played alternately at Highbury one year and Ibrox the next. 

I’d been to many of these games at Highbury and seen Scottish legends such as Jim Baxter, 
Willie Henderson, Ralph Brand & Eric Caldow. 
A few years later I would meet a couple of Glaswegian fellas when working in Spain, who have been great mates ever since, and one of them, Tommo, recalls seeing Arsenal at Ibrox a few times as a kid. 


Bannockburn 1967

In August 1967 Rangers came to Highbury for their  traditional bi- annual visit. 

At the end of the game we wouldn’t see them again until Nigel Winterburn’s testimonial in 1997.

Most of the pubs in Highbury were packed with Rangers fans since opening time but some of us managed to squeeze into the Gunners. 
Many older Scots were there and we enjoyed friendly conversations with them about football. 
One even gave me his Rangers lapel badge, which I still have. 

We decided to get in the ground early, about 2pm, and found the North Bank almost totally full of Rangers fans. These were not the usual teenagers that normally came with English clubs, but mainly middle aged men, pissed as newts. They actually had crates of bottled beer with them. 

We had to stand at the very back of the North Bank, for those that remember, the other side of the pathway that ran across from Avenell road side to Gillespie road entrance. 
There were a few fights before kickoff and fans were being ejected. What made us laugh was that one of the first to be led around the pitch was “Big Hughie” a Scottish Chelsea fan who we recognised.  

Sometime during the second half a number of bottles were lobbed in our direction as Arsenal fans around us had been singing. One of these hit Buster W in the mouth and he still has the scar on his lip as a reminder. Bonnie & Eddie H both managed to catch a bottle each and threw them straight back. 
Due to the slopping terrace they hit the girders above the Rangers fans and shattered all over them causing many to have cut heads and faces. They were not happy, to say the least. 

Within moments we came under a barrage of empty and even full bottles of beer. 
We had to scatter to the sides to dodge them as glass shards were landing all around us. 
A great big gap opened up and for the first time I saw police with truncheons drawn charge fans on the North Bank as the riot continued. 
Apart from the police fighting Rangers fans, some of us were fighting them but mainly on the fringes as we were vastly outnumbered and the Scots were drunken fully grown men. 
Thank fuck they’re on our side when we go to war!!!

Eventually, the police managed to gain control and the game resumed, the referee had stopped play because so many people had run on the cinders behind the goal. 

Afterwards the Rangers fans smashed up most of the pubs and some shops in Highbury and we had to lick our wounds and beat an honourable, I think?,  retreat. 










For those who don’t know, Bannockburn was a famous Scottish victory against the English. 


For the North Bank boys things could only get better, and they did!!!!

We won Quiz Ball. 
Thanks to Ian Ure, Terry Neill, Bertie Mee, Jimmy Young & Cardrew “the cad” Robinson. 

Next post Friday 1/5/2020

1967-68 continues. 

High ho, high ho it’s off to Spurs we go. 

Comments- oldgunnersandgooners@gmail.com

Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Going Back.

                                                             
                                                                    Going Back.

                                                            I think I’m going back,
                                          To the things that I remember so well in my youth.

                                                            I think I’m returning to,
                                     The days when I was young enough to know the truth.

                                                       “Adapted from song by the Byrds. “


                                                                  Season 1966-67

In the summer of 1966 Bertie Mee was appointed manager of Arsenal. He recruited Dave Sexton as his assistant and within a few weeks had signed Colin Addison, George Graham & Bob McNab.

Younger players such as Simpson, Storey, Rice, Sammels, Court and Radford were now becoming established squad players also.
Things were definitely taking shape on the field.

Off the field things were changing amongst the younger fans also.

There had always been a large banked terrace at the Northern end of Highbury stadium since it was built in 1913.
Like many football grounds at that time with a similar high terrace, Liverpool and the two Sheffield clubs etc, it was called the Spion Kop after a famous battlefield hill in South Africa during the Boer War.
It then had a few more names such as Gillespie Road end, Laundry end, North Terrace and before the roof was put up in 1935, the Clock End.

As organised hooliganism at football grounds began about 1965 and spread rapidly across the country, it became necessary for away fans to congregate together in stadiums, railway stations and pubs etc for self protection.
This naturally became the norm at home games as well.

At Arsenal the young friends who’d met on the coach trips were now meeting behind the goal and others were joining them to sing and chant songs about the team and players.

Other fans at other grounds were doing the same and had named their “ends”, Stretford End, Shed, Kop, Boothen end, Gladwys rd, Scratching Shed, Leazes etc.
Man City actually had a side terrace named the Kippax.

At Arsenal it was very hard to sing a song about the Laundry end or North Terrace so one day after a few beers, we agreed to call it the North Bank the same as West Ham & Wolves.



                                               When North Bank was Clock End.

During 1966-67 the North Bank reputation for noise and aggression gained momentum and in December 1966 I decided to make a banner with the name on because The Arsenal hierarchy were still calling it the North Terrace in the programme and other media.

My dad actually did the lettering layout as he said my original was a mess.
So after a few hours it was ready to take to Bristol Rovers for the 3rd round cup game in January 1967.

However, during that season Chelsea, Everton, Man City & some others had been involved in fighting on the North Bank.
Remember, the away fans were not segregated in those days.
That came in 1970.
To their credit Chelsea always came in there but never actually took it over until about ten years later in the mid 70’s.





North Bank banner debut at Bristol Rovers 1967. 

When I met Charlie George a few years ago, he was gutted he hadn’t got this photo earlier as he mentions in his autobiography that he’d told the trainer, Tom Whalley, he was injured and couldn’t play for the reserves that weekend. 
Charlie can be seen under the “N” of North on the banner. 

I was holding one pole with my cousin Johnny the other. 
There’s a few of the old firm in there as well. 

Many years later Putney, Hoyboy, myself and a few of the others would reflect on how we and many more of our generation  all met up in those days through our fanatical love of The Arsenal. 

As I went through the Rovers turnstiles I saw my old mate George H waiting to go in and when I got to the top of the steps into the terraces there was a big surge forward. For some reason, known only to himself, a copper grabbed me and frogmarched down to the exit gate just as George H was coming in.

When he saw me being thrown out he fell about laughing, saying “you’ve only been in there 2 minutes”.  As it wasn’t all ticket I just paid to get back in, as you did. 
Luckily Johnny was holding the banner. 

In the 4th round we drew Bolton away and on arriving in the ground were put behind the goal where Bolton’s noisiest fans stood, when were police going to wise up?
Within minutes a fight broke out and I saw a big bloke hit a little Arsenal fan who’d been jumping up and down chanting. So I hit the big fella and said “pick on someone you’re own size “. It turned out that he was a plainclothes copper and he clumped me back and tried to drag me out. Other coppers arrived including a Sergeant and all my mates gathered around me. Johnny told me to pretend I’d got a broken jaw and needed treatment. So I told this to the sergeant and he said “alright we’ll take you to the infirmary then”. I replied “No thanks, I want to go to hospital”. They let me go, I think because they were laughing so much. 

We then went back to Manchester on the coach for a drinking session as was usual in those days. 

The Bolton game had ended in a draw so, at the replay on the 22nd February 1967 the North Bank banner was unfurled at Highbury for the first time, announcing to the world who we were. 

Eventually, the police would ban Flags and banners because the poles were being used as weapons. 

Not before the 5th round away at Birmingham though!!


Bolton replay. 



On the way to St Andrew’s, Birmingham’s ground, Arsenal fans were pelted with billiard balls from an upstairs window of a pub. Needless to say the pub was stormed and damaged. 

Inside the ground Arsenal fans were in the opposite end to the where the main Birmingham fans stood, so decided to march along the terrace on one side, with the North Bank banner, to change ends. 
The “Brummies” weren’t happy to say the least, especially as despite some fierce fighting we wouldn’t budge. This carried on into the streets outside after the game. 

Another dream gone. 






The North Bank was now becoming well known across the country and we’d usually meet up in the Gunners pub before home games, leaving about 2.30 to enter the ground where Hoyboy and others were waiting. 
“Jock” the copper would usually be waiting there also and we’d ask him “ how many away fans in today?”  He’d reply “a few hundred or maybe a couple of thousand”, depending on the team. 
Next question “ how long Jock?”  His reply “You can have 3 to 4 minutes”. Thanks Jock!!
Then everyone would charge in and attack the away fans until Jock tapped you on the shoulder, truncheon drawn, saying “ that’s it, stop fighting or you’re nicked “. 

It was during this season that Putney, George H and me decided to go in the “home end” at Leicester for some unknown reason. Obviously, we were thrown out. Looking back, it’s just as well, because we had red & white scarves on. 

When Arsenal played at Fulham we stood on the fairly new “Hammersmith end” and as Fulham have always been and still are a family club there wasn’t much trouble. 
Except for some reason a fight broke out down the front and Granty went charging down to join in. 

Unfortunately for him, he shoved 3 large “Paddies” out of the way and they punched him and broke his nose. 
He was carted off to hospital and was waiting for us at Earls Court station after the game. 
He got a bit upset when we all started laughing at the bandage and plasters on his face.  
He gets even more upset when we remind him that he’s the only fan to ever get beaten up at Fulham. 

There was also an historic game on a Friday night at Highbury in March against Man Utd that was broadcast either on pay tv or back to Old Trafford live or both. 

On arriving in the ground it seemed that hundreds of United fans were already in the North Bank. 
The police had formed a line to stop Arsenal fans getting to them but I always remember Yarns arriving with a wooden pole, don’t know how he got it in, reaching over the copper’s heads and hitting United fans with it. Some United fans were also sitting down on the terrace and Putney went berserk, dragging them to their feet before clumping or head butting them. 
Hoyboy has told me that one of the funniest things he remembers is Putney pulling individual United fans through the police cordon one by one and bashing them. 

We got to the middle in the end with the police pushing United fans towards the Gillespie Rd exit. 



1966-67. 
Someone had bright idea to get rid of white sleeves. 




George Graham arrives. 



Bob McNab arrives. 




Happy days are coming!!!


Next Post -Thursday 30/4/2020. 

Wembley, Wembley here we come. 

Comments-  oldgunnersandgooners@ gmail. com

Tuesday, 28 April 2020

Finally, A Trophy.

                                                                28/4/1970.

Finally, after 17 years waiting for Arsenal and 13 years for me, we win a Major trophy.

On what we become possibly the noisiest and most emotional night Highbury would witness, Arsenal overcame a 3-1 defeat by beating Anderlecht 3-0.

We had gathered in the “Gunners” pub as usual but left very early as the game was not all ticket and we realised that every Arsenal fan was going to be there if possible.
We took up what had become our usual spot, behind the North Bank goal, half way up, ironically about where my Uncle Bill had fought his scouser 6 years before.

You’ll have read the match report elsewhere by now so I’ll only confirm what others have said about when the final whistle went.
Absolute bedlam!!!
Fans on the pitch, fans and players crying and the noise, what a noise!!

Don’t they know it’s a library???

Hoyboy got Charlie George’s shirt and still has it.

Hard to get in a pub afterwards but they did stay open until early hours. I don’t think the police wanted a riot on their hands.

Little did we know that next season it was going to get even better.

So please raise a glass or two to those responsible for this great night in our history;

Bertie Mee, Don Howe and All the players, especially
Geordie, Geordie Armstrong, Geordie Armstrong on the wing who’s sadly, no longer with us.

The Programmes. 


We did it!!

Bob Wilson & North Bank celebrate. 


Captain fantastic. 

Geordie, Geordie Armstrong. 


Fans join Frank on the pitch. 


At the next home game the players proudly showed off the trophy. 



Bertie’s first also. 


How appropriate for a true Arsenal man. 



Many years later I was privileged to meet some of them;

Geordie. 


Bertie. 


Don. 



The 3 goalscorers. 

Jon Sammels 


John Radford 

Eddie Kelly. 

Bob Wilson. 
The man who kept them out. 

Onwards & Upwards. 



 Next post Wednesday 29/4/2020. 

Back to Season 1966-67. 

When it becomes the North Bank. 

Comments- oldgunnersandgooners@gmail.com






Sunday, 26 April 2020

World Cup Winner 1966.

   My Hero leaves - I’ll see him again in 1993. 
100 goals in 156 appearances. 


FA Centenary Celebrations.





1966.


Arsenal’s World Cup Winner. 

George Eastham was the only Arsenal player to be in the triumphant England squad in 1966. 
He has no official recognition of this achievement at Arsenal, not even a banner on one of the walkways over the railway from Drayton Park. 

I had a schoolmate, Steve C, who’s father bought 2 match tickets for every tournament game at Wembley for his 2 sons. After the first game Steve’s  brother went on holiday and his dad offered me his tickets and also one for the only game at White City stadium all at cost price. 
This match was Uruguay vs France and at 0-0 was one of the most boring games of the tournament. 
However, future events more than compensated for this. 

As we were going through our Mod phase we drove to the games on Steve’s Lambretta scooter, which enabled us to park easily. 
So, we saw the ugly side of football with Argentina and the beautiful side with Portugal along with a resilient Mexico where the genius of Bobby Charlton finally wore them down. 





The autographs bottom left are from the Portugal team. 

If everyone who’s said they were at this final actually got in, then Wembley would have been 10 times the size it was on that momentous day. 

I know that Steve C and I were there and also Granty whose dad got him a ticket from the hotel he worked at in London. 


                                                                  World Champions


                                                                   They think it’s all over


                                                                           Is it over?


                                                                               It is now!!!


Next Post on Tuesday 28/4/2020. 

Finally, a trophy at Highbury. 

Comments-  oldgunnersandgooners@gmail. com