Old Gunners and Gooners : Double Double Toil & Trouble.

Many thanks for the nice comments on the emails.
Glad it’s brought back memories of happy times and given a history lesson to the younger fans.

Double Winners 1970-71

Season 1971-72.

Double, Double Toil & Trouble.

Why Not?

My latest form of transport.

First glimpse of “Chippy”.

Opening Game.

First game of the season we’re at home to Chelsea and on entering the North Bank were surprised to see that all the Chelsea fans had been given the half of the Clock End nearest the West Stand.

Separating the two sets of fans had now become standard police policy at most grounds.

So the Usual Suspects & a few others decided to walk through the terrace under the West Stand, no seats there in those days, and enter the Clock End.

We adopted the same tactics previously used at Chelsea a couple of seasons before and went in single file right amongst them. On a signal we all turned and hit the nearest Chelsea fan and after they got over the initial shock and regrouped a mass brawl broke out.

As most of the police were stationed at the North Bank end, the fighting got so intense that the police band, no disc jockey in those days, had to put their instruments down and help the copper’s already trying to break it up.

The youth team paraded the trophies from the previous season before the game and we returned to an ecstatic North Bank.

The team’s form was a bit hit and miss up to Xmas and as a statement of intent, Bertie Mee paid the record fee of £220,000 for the England international Alan Ball from Everton.

Thousands of Arsenal fans went to Forest to see his debut on 27/12/1971.

For many years the crowd that day held the record for the highest attendance there.

Swindon.

We drew Swindon away in the 3rd round of the FA Cup and travelled there by cars.

Big Alex couldn’t get through the turnstiles, so they opened up the main gate to let him in.

After the game we ended up in a Night club where some locals picked on Eddie H and Schultzy, who’d gone outside for a puff. By the time we arrived they’d seen them off but Eddie H had used Schultzy’s portable radio to hit a few with and he was left holding the handle as the rest was in pieces on the ground much to our amusement and Schultzy’s displeasure.

Reading.

Away at Reading in the 4th round and we’re in the pub opposite the away end.

It’s packed and after a few beers I noticed Putney grabbing a soda syphon and as I can guess what’s coming next, I duck down behind a table.

He spots Hoyboy, who just gets out of the door before being soaked, so Putney decides to spray everyone in the bar. Chaos !!

There’s a scramble for the door and very soon the bar is almost empty and I grab a wooden hatstand and push a few out with it. The pub manager then comes out, the bar staff had also gone outside, and he asks what’s going on. I said two blokes cleared the pub and went outside. So he goes outside and we bolt the door and start helping ourselves from the optics.

Maybe, we should have cleared the till instead?

Anyway, after a few minutes there’s a copper looking through the window and the manager says

“ there’s a couple of blokes who’ve locked the doors and I can’t get in”.

I now repeat my previous question (Stoke away) from a few years ago and ask Putney

“what we fucking gonna do now?”.

I get almost the same reply but instead of having our backs to the wall, we climb over the one in the backyard of the pub.

Then we run around to the front where there’s a big crowd gathered at the windows and push our way to the front next to the copper. I ask him “what’s happening?” and he replies “ there’s a couple of lunatics who’ve locked themselves inside “.

We then entered the ground laughing.

When Pat Rice scored his “Tasty Goal” the Arsenal fans erupted as usual and one of them banged me on the head which didn’t help my headache from all the free Vodka.

So, I clumped him, not realising 3 coppers were standing right behind me. They dragged me through the crowd, over the railings and around the pitch to the nick.

I’m stuck in a cell with a couple of Arsenal fans and some Hells Angels who’d gone to the ground to fight Cockneys.

Everyone was ok and we swopped stories. I never told them I used to be a Mod though.

Suddenly there’s a hell of a noise in the police station and it’s the others who’ve come to get me out.

I was bailed to appear in court on the Monday and later got fined.

As I left the court, I was getting into my latest car, a Triumph Vitesse convertible, when the copper who’d nicked me came over and said “you’ve got a flash car and you’ve asked the judge for time to pay, typical Cockney bastard “.

I was at my mum’s the day after the game watching the highlights on the tv with my brother, when you see me being dragged out and marched off. My brother laughs and says “he looks just like you “. I just smiled.

Beware of the Soda Syphons.

Derby.

We’re away again at Derby in the 5th round and we travel up there in a few cars.

We end up in a pub near the ground and it’s quite large with a big bay window with doors either side.

After entering and having a few beers, we’d noticed that there was a small stage located in the bay window area between the doors containing the piano & drum kit belonging to the Resident band.

So, With Eddie H & Granty on Air guitars, Putney on piano & me on drums we started singing

our version of “Stay with me”, by the Faces.

The pub was now packed and within minutes a large gang of Derby fans entered through one of the doors followed by a number of police, I didn’t think we were that bad at singing though, and they surged across the pub towards the stage which resulted in the piano and drum kit ending up on the floor. Eddie H and others were now throwing bottles and glasses at the Derby fans and we ended up leaving by the other door. The pub suffered considerable damage but we were all ok.

This story was later described in a book as resembling a Wild West saloon bar fight in the movies.

On entering the ground the song being sung was

“ Char lie, Char lie,

Char lie, Char lie,

Born is the King of

High bury “

He lived up to it as well, scoring both Arsenal goals in the 2-2 draw.

The replay was on a midweek afternoon, because of the Miner’s strike, but 63,000 still attended.

After the game at Derby we all went to Nottingham for a night out.

There was a club there called the “Penny Farthing”, I think?

It was a 3 storey building with different types of music on each floor.

Motown, Rock & Reggae.

We signed in using the Arsenal players names and dispersed through the club where we met Alfie S and his mates. Most of us were on the Rock floor and after a couple of hours drinking Putney went to the toilet and found Eddie H off his nut on speed sitting in a sink berating all the locals and telling them that they could never take the piss out of Cockneys.

Putney went over to Eddie H and said “ Ed, one of them has taken the piss out of you as they’ve turned the taps on” Eddie H was sitting in a sink full of water without noticing.

More laughter!!

Eddie H said he woke up next day in his car on Ealing Common. He lived in Finchley.

Ajax.

We were knocked out of the European Cup by Ajax, who were in their prime, losing 2-1 away but gave them a fright in the 2nd leg when Peter Marinello should have scored after about 5 minutes but didn’t. A George Graham own goal settled it 1-0 to Ajax.

Cruyff swopped shirts with Charlie George afterwards, seeking him out to do so.

Many years later at a players reunion dinner Spooky spotted Marinello and asked me to take their photo together. I noticed that Marinello was upset after talking to another person about something in his autobiography, he’s had a hard life, and when he’d finished wiping his eyes I said “ are you still upset about missing that sitter against Ajax?”

Peter smiled and replied “you bastards never let me forget that do you?” Very nice fella.

Stoke again.

After beating Orient in the 6th round we played Stoke again in the semifinals, this time at Villa Park.

I loved Villa Park because every time we were there, I knew we were in a semi final.

After drawing it’s up to Goodison for the replay. Hardly neutral as we had to pass Stoke to get there.

Apart from winning, it’s memorable only for Danny S punching a tout and grabbing a ticket and then getting grabbed by the tout who punched him back harder and took the ticket back.

More laughter.

Just our luck - Cruyff & Co!!

Cruyff - my favourite non Arsenal player.

Nearly!

Years later, Cruyff, back row 3rd from right.

In local veterans team in Spain with Charlie Mc & Tommo.

We’re on our way to Wembley again.

4 times in 5 seasons.

Cup Final 1971-72.

I missed this final as I’d gone off to work in the bars in Spain for the summer with Charlie Mc.

We had to listen on the radio while sitting in the sun.

A Hard life!!

Kenny H, Putney, Granty & Vic C would visit us later for more crazy times.

Many of the others never got a ticket because they were missing one token from the programmes.

Hoyboy never went, although he had a ticket, because the day before the match he was in Bow Street Magistrates court for an offence that wasn’t related to football.

When he was remanded in custody, Bonnie, who was in the public gallery, laughed and shouted to Him “ can I have your ticket?” Hoyboy gave it to the court usher to give to Bonnie.

Bob Wilson never made it either.