Can I have your autograph now?
Granty has contacted me to say that Whitty still hasn’t paid him for the Anderlecht trip.
Bonding Forever.
Season 1963-64
I was now 13/14 and going to away games on my own by coach with the Arsenal Supporters Club.
Later in the season my classmate George H decided to join me.
We then went to various grounds in the Midlands and North together.
These coaches would leave Highbury Crescent opposite Highbury & Islington tube station at 7.30am for the Midlands and 10.30pm the night before for Northern grounds.
Nothing much had changed on the pitch, forwards were scoring plenty, especially Joe Baker and defence leaking again.
This was highlighted in one of the greatest derby games versus the team from the Lane ever seen at Highbury.
They had star players such as Greaves, Mackay, Jones, White & Smith playing and were winning 4-2 with 5 minutes to go when Joe Baker scored and in the last seconds Geoff Strong equalised. Most of the 68,000 crowd went crazy and remember there was no segregation in those days, but no trouble. Different times indeed.
To confirm the stats. Arsenal scored 90 goals and conceded 82 that season.
In the FA cup we reached the quarter finals and drew Liverpool at home again with their fans all over the North Bank and us losing again.
However, there was one incident that has passed into folklore for my generation, when mine and many others hero Joe Baker got fed up with Big Ron Yeats ( Liverpool captain) kicking him up in the air from behind every time Joe got the ball.
Incredibly 5’8” Joe turned and punched 6’ 4” Ron and felled him, giving him a few more digs on the way down.
Obviously, they were both sent off and I think that hurt us more than them.
A legend was created.
In 1993 my mate Spooky & I were privileged to meet Joe and many Scottish football legends at his testimonial dinner in Edinburgh, more about this in future posts, when I gave him a framed print of this incident. He was thrilled to bits as he now had the evidence to show his golfing pals.
So another season and dreams gone.
Joe Baker fells Ron Yeats.
1964-65
Frank signs for Arsenal.
In October 1964, Frank “Tick Tock” McLintock signed for Arsenal from Leicester. A couple of weeks before I had been there when we had played them away.
Frank was, in my opinion, one of the greatest signings Arsenal have ever made and was a captain in every sense of the word.
We never saw another like him until Tony Adams emerged.
Friendships were formed which have lasted to this day through a common love of “The Arsenal”.
We have been either best man or godparent to each other and our kids and still meet for a drink now and then.
David S used to parade at away games.
Soapy used to run on the pitch before kick off and take a corner hitting an old brown leather ball into the penalty area, then running in and smashing it into the empty net, to the delight of the crowd. He’d then calmly climb back on to the terraces.
Old Flo went everywhere and always stood at the front of North Bank at Highbury.
David S used to parade around the pitch before games and either be applauded or pelted depending on the the location.
This was Arsenal away support in more innocent times.
George H and myself went to Darlington for the FA cup game by coach and when we got there decided to go to the station to meet the “football special “ from London.
As the train unloaded we joined the fans marching to the stadium and stood behind the goal we had been allocated.
Remember, no CCTV, no mobile cameras, no police videos, only seating for people in the stands.
As there were no songs at that time, Beatles & Stone’s just becoming popular, fans used to do rythmic clapping.
Clap clap. Clap clap clap, clap clap clap clap Arsenal, was a common one. 25 years later this would evolve into “Ooh to, Ooh to be, Ooh to be A Gooner”
About 20 minutes before kickoff Soapy decided to take his customary corner but when he smashed the ball into the net in front of us some local fans invaded the pitch from the side. This resulted in initially 2 Arsenal fans, then many more fighting with them.
George H and me couldn’t believe it as we’d not seen this at a match before.
The first 2 gave me my first glimpse of my mate Hoyboy and Alfie J.
After the game most Arsenal fans departed on the train leaving those on the coaches to enjoy the delights of Darlington before their departure about 10pm.
As we were still only schoolboys George H and I weren’t allowed in pubs where most of the fans had gone so we went in a cafe and then wandered the streets until we were confronted by a large group of locals who decided they were going to beat us up.
Well, laws or no laws we weren’t going to get a hiding so ran for our lives until we reached the pub where Barry B, the coach steward, and others were drinking and crashed through the doors gasping for breath. A lucky escape.
We decided there and then that we wouldn’t be so naive from then on.
In the next round we were knocked out by Peterborough, one of the worst days in the history of Arsenal.
The day was famous for 4 things;
1- The result.
2- Winston Churchill’s funeral.
3- Cousin Johnny remembering me threatening to hit some bloke with my rattle who was chanting Peterborough, Peterborough Ooh Ooh Ooh in my face.
4- The last away game I went to in England with my brother.
Arsenal fans at Peterborough.
Another dream gone.
Next Post 25/4/202.
Bonding Forever Part 2.
Comments - oldgunnersandgooners@ gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment