Yes, winters did used to be a lot worse. 1947 and 1963 were particularly bad but most years we had quite a bit of snow. I remember playing a Yorkshire League game in 1967 on Easter Saturday. The temperature was over 70 degrees and it was like playing in mid-summer. Easter Sunday morning I got up and there was a foot of snow on the ground! In '47 and '63 there was no central heating. Upstairs, there was no heating of any kind. That was the downside, the upside was that as I didn't have a car I didn't have to worry about the tyres.
This is a photo (hope it works - first try!) of my Grandfather's football team circa 1900. My Grandfather is third from left back row. Don't know anyone else on the photo other than Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the right hand side of the back row. The team is either Old Xaverians (who still play in the Liverpool Zingari League) or Valkyrie FC. I have his medals for both clubs. The Chief Engineer of the Titanic, who went down with the ship, also played football for Valkyrie FC. Johnh
Hot dogs are 99% water, its like eating a water balloon made of skin
Over 31 years ago, when I was 14 yrs of age, I rang up Elland road and asked to speak to the manager, amazingly I was put through, and the then manager 'Sniffer Clarke' not only took my call, but genuinely engaged me in conversation for what felt like half an hour. Allan who had just lost his right hand man Martin Wilkinson explained that promises he had been made had not been followed through; he had all but signed Joe Jordan prior to AC Milan coming in for him, he had then gone for Gary Thompson, until there was a change of manager there (dave sexton I think who knew him from the U21s, and there was a reason why the Andy Gray deal hadn't happened; possibly because he didn't want to lose Arthur Graham. There was also a Peruvian lad I think we had been interested in. But that was the past, what was really enlightening was his plans for our first season in division 2. He accepted, he would probably have to sell John Lukic, however he assured me we had a great talent coming through in the shape of a lad called David Seaman. I feel sure he also mentioned John Scales. He then went onto reveal he had plans in place to sign midfield general from Bolton (his wages were an issue) and a talented left footed midfielder out of Liverpools reserves. The players Peter Reid & Kevin Sheedy, were of course to go on to be an integral part of a great Everton midfield. I think I urged him to have a look at Paul Rideout of Swindon, who I think had just scored a hatrick for England schoolboys on the TV. He then went on to tell me there was a lot of politics in the England set up; I don't think he played for the schoolboys and I suspect Allan would carry a grudge!
What might have been had Allan been allowed one more season, 4 up and coming internationals to add to the Gray brothers, Paul Hart,Kenny Burns, Jasper, Arthur Graham and Frank Worthington.
Allan was soon to be relaced by Eddie, players were sold to reduce costs and we headed off to cleethorpes (another story altogether) more in hope than expectation.The rest is as they say history. I know there are a few contributors on hear that have been in and around the managers & players of yesteryear .... Has anyone got any insight into non publicised deals that got away?
In the early 1950's my father's job had moved the family from Liverpool to Leeds. I was 15 years old and had just left school. My Dad said that I had two priorities: To get a job and to make new friends. I knew he was right but my priority was to find a football team to play for as it was the middle of the season. We lived in Headingley, about 10 minutes walk from the cricket ground. I can't remember now how I made contact with them but I got a game with Old Farnley Boys' Club. This seems odd now, as Old Farnley was way out the other side of Leeds. Conveniently, the 49 bus went to Old Farnley from close to where we lived and the terminus in Old Farnley was next to the football pitch. I don't remember that the team was particularly good or that we won anything, but I remember three players from that team: Keith Senior and Barry Haxby who went on to have very successful careers with Farsley Celtic and Barry Waite who was a prolific scorer of goals in the Leeds & District League (and, I think, the West Yorkshire League). We must all have been late developers!
At the end of the season I realised that my ambition to become a professional footballer wasn't going anywhere, so remembering Uncle Charlie's advice (see 'we've come for a trial') I waited until the Yorkshire Post had announced that Leeds United had commenced training for the next season, and wrote to the manager asking for a trial.
After about a week, I received a letter back asking me to report to Elland Road at 7 pm the following Tuesday. I packed my boots, socks and shorts in an old hold-all (I assumed shirts would be provided) and not risking being late, went straight from work. I arrived a bit early and was hanging about in the car park behind the main stand. (This was the stand that got burned down in 1956 - I had nothing to do with it and have got an alibi, I was in Singapore at the time!). A man came up to me and asked if he could help and I showed him the letter. He took me through a door in the rear of the stand and into the home dressing room. He gave my letter to another man who entered my details in a book and measured me and weighed me. He then told me to get changed. No one gave me a shirt so I had to wear my office shirt. I rolled the sleeves up but it still didn't look like a football shirt, so not only was I very nervous but I felt like a right prat! By this time the dressing room was filling up and they all seemed like grown men.
(In truth, they were probably late teens or early twenties, but they looked like men to me). We went out onto the training pitches and went through a training routine. Now I had never 'trained' for football just relying on natural fitness, so I was well and truly cream crackered after a short time. I came in trailing last in all the disciplines but no one seemed to mind. Then finally, we started a practice match. I was asked what position I played and I said 'centre half', so that's where I played. I think the other players realised I was a lot younger and went easy on me. I only remember two things about the game. One was when I wasn't quick enough to get out of the way when two players went for a 50/50 ball and I got caught up in the tackle. It was like being hit by a ten ton truck! The other was when I cut out a very dangerous cross and cleared it upfield. I was feeling very pleased with myself until one of my co-defenders berated me saying 'don't just kick it anywhere, find a man'.
When we got back into the dressing room the man who took my details was talking to another man and I saw him give my letter to him. The new man came over and said 'you need to see Harry Derbyshire, he will be here on Thursday at 7 pm, come back then and give him the letter'.
On Thursday I returned and was pleased to see that most of the players were the same age as me. I found Harry Derbyshire and gave him my letter. He said 'what position do you play?'. I said centre-half and could see by the look on his face that it wasn't the answere he hoped for. As quick as a flash I said 'I've also played left full-back and right full-back (I hadn't played either). His face brightened up and he said 'can you play left back on Saturday?' So I was, at last, going to wear the famous yellow shirt with blue sleeves, except that the Juniors played in very smart shirts but they were dark blue (almost navy) with yellow sleeves and collars!
The reason I couldn't get in the team as centre-half was they had an Irish lad by the name of Paddy Stanley who was a very good player playing in that position. He had been brought over from the Irish Republic by Leeds and was in 'digs'. I was happy to be in the team even playing left full-back. If Paddy Stanley didn't play for any reason then I was moved to centre-half.
I played for Leeds Juniors until the dreaded brown envelope dropped through the letter box inviting me to join the Army. I didn't envy Paddy Stanley having to live in 'digs' while I had the comforts of home, but he had the last laugh as, being from the Irish Republic, he didn't have to do National Service.
I actually did three years as I wanted to go abroad. If you signed as a three year regular then you could 'claim' an overseas posting. I served in Singapore and Malaya and had my 21st birthday on the returning troop-ship in the middle of the Indian ocean. I had been given another letter by Leeds United when I first went into the Army, this was a letter of re-introduction in the event the manager changed. My demob was at the beginning of May 1957 so I was too late for the 56/57 season. In the summer of 57 I went for a trial game at Elland Road but after the game they said that I was too old at 21! My Leeds United career was over!
Paddy Stanley was still playing for Leeds. He was a regular in the reserves but found his path to the first team blocked by big Jack Charlton.
True story.
I was eight when D-Day took place. One day on my way to school in Liverpool, a convoy of American trucks came down the East Lancs road. They were full of American soldiers and there were so many that I had to stop to watch. They took so long to pass by that I think there must have been 100 trucks. I was stood on my own and there were not many people about. Suddenly, I heard a shout from a truck that hadn't yet reached me. I saw someone wave and as the rear of the truck got level with me, two soldiers threw a load of sweets to me. They came down like rain. I waved a thanks and gathered them up. There were so many that I filled all my pockets and still had a load to stuff down my jumper. There were sweets, chocolate and chewing gum, so much that it represented several months of sweet ration. I legged it home and dumped it all on the table. My mother's mouth dropped open and when I told her what had happened, she had a weep. I think the American soldiers were going to the Liverpool docks to board ships for D-Day. Every year I think about this incident and hope that the soldiers who collected and threw the sweets made it through the war OK. Just my little memory of D-Day.
Back in 1969 as a young 17 year old I decided that I wanted to do as many games in a season as I could so the only way to get some cash was to work and do a load of overtime. I worked in a plastics factory in Pickering North Yorkshire in the packing department as my day job, that was a very boring existence but to earn the extra money I would do 3 hours overtime a day either as a "powder monkey" that entailed filling the machines up with plastic pellets or I filled a hopper with the rejects and they were turned back into plastic pellets. How I now admire anyone that works in a factory as those days in did my head in on the boredom level.
A true story from my time there was my boss didn't like me, think he thought I may become a threat to him. Anyway we were playing Scum that season and he told me I had to work that Saturday morning before the game. I knew it was going to be tight catching the coach and as soon as I clocked off I ran like a madman to catch the coach and see my mates. When I got to the allotted pickup point, dressed in my Leeds scarf it was obvious the coach had left. I just sat there almost in tears as I was go into miss the game when a Rolls Royce stopped and wound down the windows and I recognised the driver as the owner of the factory. He asked me what was wrong and I explained I had to work and had missed the coach. He said he was going to the game as he was a season ticket holder and offered me a lift.
We passed the Supporters Club coach just before York and the factory owner honked his horn at the coach as we passed it and I waved at my mates from the passenger seat of the Roller. Needless to say when my boss heard the story Monday morning he went mental and from that moment on made my life hell but you know what it was worth it
Terry's FC (of York) one of the early pioneers of Ladies Football. Back row 2nd from left is my mother who was a big Leeds fan of course.
Selby White
I was an old git when all that was going on.
If I did something similar it would include a Wireless, a Gramophone and a car without a starting handle
I know many people, including some on here, have felt the families of the victims of Hillsborough should have let things lie, grieve and move on. The release of the report today goes to show why they've been right to fight for the truth.
Sources this morning said it would be more shocking than anyone expected and they weren't wrong: not that Liverpool fans weren't culpable, not that the South Yorks Police lied and covered up the truth but maybe the scale of that cover-up.
Quite aside from the volume of witness statements (164) which were edited, mostly to remove criticism of the police, the revelation of the post-mortem results are the most shocking:
There was clear evidence from the post mortem reports that 28 of those who died did not have traumatic asphyxia with obstruction of the blood circulation, and asphyxia may have taken significantly longer to be fatal. There was separate evidence that in 31 the heart and lungs had continued to function after the crush, and in 16 of these this was for a prolonged period. (These numbers cannot be added to the 28 as some featured in both groups.)
It was asserted repeatedly, by the Coroner, by the High Court in the Judicial Review proceedings and by the Stuart-Smith Scrutiny, that the effects of asphyxia were irreversible by the time each of those who died was removed from the pens. Yet individuals in each of the groups now identified could have had potentially reversible asphyxia. Resuscitation of an unconscious person with a heartbeat is much more likely to be successful than if cardiac arrest has already occurred, as was previously assumed. While they remained unconscious, these individuals were vulnerable to a new event, particularly further airway obstruction from inappropriate positioning.
It is not possible to establish with certainty that any one individual would or could have survived under different circumstances. It is clear, however, that some people who were partially asphyxiated survived, while others did not. It is highly likely that what happened to these individuals after 3.15pm was significant in determining that outcome. On the basis of this disclosed evidence, it cannot be concluded that life or death was inevitably determined by events prior to 3.15pm, or that no new fatal event could have occurred after that time.
59 lives might have been saved
sheepy
Davycc - remember most of us are English by birth, Yorkshire by the grace of god. I don't think of myself as an Englishman, I am a Yorkshireman
True Sheepy, we can't help where we where born eh. I'm here sitting in a small country that gets 364 days of rain, 4hrs of sunshine a year and and the best day out is going to look at some funny shaped rocks that some stupid giant built to get to Scotland and everyone does this during the 4 hrs of sunshine so you can't get near the fecking things.
Then again I could have had the misfortune of being born rich in Brazil having to support a mediocre national football team and have to spend my days forced to sit on a roasting beach watching horribly under dressed stunning women playing beach games... ahh thank god for Northern Ireland.
There comes a time in every player’s life when he decides – or his agent tells him – to write his life story. A couple of interviews with a ghostwriter later and hey presto we have 200 pages of guff and absolutely zero interest from the book-buying public. Wayne Rooney has already written two books. That’s one more than he’s read.