Who remembers these star shaped pin badges?
My ticket for England vs Rest of the World.
before a game. ( note suit & tie)!! (1965)
Season 1962-63
After the usual poor seasons previously (you could never call my generation “Glory Hunters “) expectations were running high as the new Arsenal was beginning to take shape built around a formidable forward line of McLeod, Strong, Baker, Eastham & Armstrong.
The problem was behind them was a shaky defence led by the big signing Ian Ure.
(Nothings changed there then).
The forwards would score 3 goals but we’d let in 4. Although some good young players were emerging from the youth team, Storey, Nelson, Rice, Sammels, Simpson & Radford for starters.
They would form the basis of the successful squad later.
Sadly, Billy Wright never got the recognition he deserved for this.
I admit I was one of those who protested about him in 1966 with chants, songs etc and on one occasion even a bonfire on the North Bank.
I even wrote a letter to him asking not to sell Joe Baker.
He replied that he had no intention of doing so. A few weeks later Joe signed for Forest.
Anyway back to 1962-63.
Most football matches were postponed for weeks due to a severe winter of heavy snow even in London. When the thaw came Arsenal beat Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday in the FA cup and although we were in the top half we didn’t look like winning the league.
Although we did qualify for Inter Cities Fairs cup. Arsenal’s first time in European competition.
In the quarter final of the FA cup we drew Liverpool at home and for the first time witnessed thousands of away supporters congregated together, remember they’d only been promoted a couple of years before, chanting and singing ( Ee aye addio, we’re gonna win the cup) was the main one. We’d not seen the Kop or heard “Never walk alone “ as it came later.
By now most of my family and I had moved to the back of the North Bank just under the roof (Avenell road side).
Just before kickoff my uncle Bill arrived and was moving towards his favourite spot behind the goal halfway up.
My brother spotted him and told him to join us as the middle was full of scousers.
Bill insisted on going on and apparently when he got to his usual spot there was a fella bigger than him standing there so Bill asked him to move, a pushing match started so Bill thumped him.
We could see and hear the commotion and saw police diving into the crowd and pulling two blokes out. As they were being led around the pitch we saw it was Bill.
He was the first Arsenal fan I ever saw thrown out of Highbury, but not the last.
He got fined in court later and my Aunt Doreen banned him from ever going to football again. Which he didn’t up to his death in1999.
Liverpool knocked us out and ended another dream.
The sight of those Liverpool fans singing and chanting together had awakened something in the 13-16 years old Arsenal fans who witnessed it although they didn’t know it at that time they would be drawn together the following season.
I also bunked off school to see England vs Rest of the World at Wembley.
This was part of England FA Centenary celebrations and I saw legends such as;
Yashin - Schnellinger - Masopust - Baxter - Kopa- Di Stefano - Puskas - Gento.
Next post 24/4/2020.
Bonding forever.
Comments - oldgunnersandgooners@gmail.com
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