Sherman, TC and the Tank 1968.

Sherman, TC and the Tank 1968.

I recently got to thinking about football from years ago, long before fans started to clutch at straws, and start to talk about the latest football shirts, and the latest loan signings. Words like cross, centre, chip, shot and pass seem to have been replaced by ball, strike and dink [can't find this word in't dictionary referring to football] and other terms and phrases. Centre back has replaced centre half. Does this mean the players playing to his left and right are called left back and right back respectively? If this is the case, are full backs still in existence? This new[ish] speak is also used by John Motson [poor man's Barry Davies, and poor man's Alec Weeks] in a screeching voice. Ugh.

Anyway, before Robbie Loving[uTB] moves this post to General Sports Chat, here are a cuppla things from 1968 I remember;

1. Sheffield Wednesday 1 Chelsea 1. League Division 1 [premiership].

I watched this match from the South stand having scrounged my way in via the shareholders. During the game, Chelsea's Alan [sherman] Birchenall was unmercifully booed and railed by the home fans every time he was in possession of the ball. I think the Wednesdayites [or Owls, as you say these days] were upset, either by Birchenall's good looks [compare Gerry Young], or that he had once played for The United from the other side of the city.

When Chelsea were playing with the roofless kop to their backs, one of their defenders cracked the ball out of defence. The ball stopped rolling when it went into touch at the corner where the South stand meets the Lemmings Lane end. There wasn't a ball boy in sight, nor was there a player to be seen in that area either. After what seemed like an age, Alan Birchenall started a long gentle trot from the half way line to retrieve the ball. Having picked up the ball he then bowled it underarm to the Wednesday goalie waiting in his goal mouth. As Birchenall was trotting back to his inside left position, he received a sincere loud tumultuous ovation from all sides of the full stadium. Well done Wednesdayites. They left Sherman in peace after that.

Directly after the match, I caught one of those back loader buses back into town. Having made my way to Midland station, I had a half hour's wait to get the chelsea players autographs on platform 6. Their train left at 18:00.

Extra;

Does anybody remember those comfortable dark blue, soft, leather look plasticy cushions in the south stand at hills'boro? They were oblong shaped, well padded and about 2 inches thick. After matches, regardless of result, some fans used to throw them down the stands towards the pitch. lol.

2. Sheffield United [The United] 1 Oxford United 2. League Division 2 [Championship].

I wetched this match from the John Street terracing having scrounged my way in via the shareholders. On this particular day I didn't climb the railings to make my way to the kop that had a roof. I usually went to the kop end, but stood on this day near to the players tunnel and dug outs. In and around the United dug out were manager Arthur Rowley,his assistants John Short, Harry Latham, Cec Coldwell and the sub. In Oxford's dug out sat manager Arthur Turner [well dressed man], trainer Ken Fish, and their sub. John Harris had recently become General manager at the Lane with Arthur Rowley taking over as team boss.

Oxford astounded me with their style of play, and deservedly deserved to win in front of the Match of the Day cameras. I was very surprised to see the cameras because this was after all a 'second tier' football match. I remember the MOTD cameras being there again not long afterwards [maybe following season]. On that occasion there had been seriously bad weather, possibly high winds in Lancashire where they had planned to record. I presume one of the producers had remembered the green, green grass of bramall Lane and had decided to bring his crew back to the home of football.

Anyrooad, I saw an incident during this game which I'd like to tell thee about;

In those days if you happened to be a player with an abundance of skill, you became a marked man, usually sooner than you thought. One of those player's was Tony Currie [TC] .

On the battlefield battling against Oxford, I saw TC going for the ball that was at least 60 - 40 in his favour, but he neshed it. Even though TC had only been at the Lane for under a year, he had become one of my favourite players. So with that in mind I was somewhat dismayed by him backing out of a tackle when the ball was his for the taking. Because of this incident, coupled with the fact The United had lost I went off TC very quickly.

For the next few days I brooded about the situation, then it dawned upon me, I saw the light. TC hadn't been worried about getting the ball, he was worried what would happen to him after he got the ball. The Oxford opponent in the incident was Ron Atkinson [aka The Tank]. Ron Atkinson was one of those big meaty thighed assassin types often seen in the world of football in them days. Nearly every team had one. If you got in the way of Big Ron, you ruddy well knew about it.

Come home TC, all is forgiven.

That day in 1968 my beloved Wolves drew 1 - 1 with Sunderland, and Everton beat Sheff Wed 3 - 0 at Goodison Park. I got the results by watching that bloke hang up those square metal plates with the scores on 'em over at the pavilion side of the ground.

Those were the days when the league teams played their matches on Saturday afternoons unless:

You went to home games of Stockport County, Doncaster Rovers and Tranmere Rovers at Edgeley Park, Belle Vue and Prenton Park respectively.They all played Friday evenings. Stockport had to compete with the Manchester clubs for spectators. Donny competed with Leeds United, and the Sheffield clubs for the same reason. Tranmere Rovers ditto the Liverpool clubs.

Zakes aka 69Brats.

Sherman &Mick Jones!!!!if only we cudda kept em till TC joined us.