Bernie's Scrapbooks - Part 3

25)  That Voice

Bernie would be the perfect town crier. It's not just the power of the voice (imagine him shouting 'Oyez! Oyez!)  but also the way it seems to proclaim key moments in City's history.

A quick recap:

He first announced himself to the world on the day the post-Hodge era began.

14 years later, on the day the fox appeared on our shirt, Bernie's gruff tones were part of the Filbert Street chorus for the first time.

Now, 14 years further on, comes another milestone. On December 5th 1962, early in our game at Wolves, Bernie's cry of support echoed around Molineux and was picked up by the BBC effects mic. It was broadcast across the UK later that night on 'Saturday Sport' (the forerunner of Match Of The Day).

It seems almost scripted - from Bernie's cry of 'Come on Leicester!', City sweep down field in style and score a thrilling team goal, setting up a 3-1 win that kicks off our famous Ice Kings winter.

You can hear it at 2.05 in this video.

Wolves v Leicester City 1962-3 - YouTube

26)  The Tank

Graham Cross, Leicester's record appearance maker, features prominently in the early 60s scrapbook. 

Here's the announcement of the first of those 599 appearances, in May 1961, with picture bottom left:

The article says: Graham Cross, the 17 year old Leicestershire lad, will make his first appearance in the League. He has bounded into the first team after making it plain he is a player of immense natural ability. He divides his time between Filbert Street and Grace Road, for he is a promising batsman on the staff of Leicestershire CCC.

Other articles that same week described him as 'in the John Charles pattern' and 'built along the lines of Duncan Edwards, with a similar style'.

Here he is again. Bernie clearly added the photo bottom right several years later:

27)  Bernie's Number One

When asked his all time favourite player, Bernie chose Dave Gibson. Here's a great article:

28)  Bernie and Noel

Bernie and Noel were great friends, and many of the tales told when Bernie died came from Noel's fond recollections. Here they are together in the early 60s:

Here's a short extract from the eulogy at Bernie's funeral:

When Noel was 15 and Bernie in his early 20s, they used to go to away matches together and Bernie would take a blue and white umbrella and hold it up outside the ground so people knew where to meet up.  A bit like a tour guide.  Noel still has that umbrella to this very day.

This photo in Bernie's collection is presumably the same umbrella:

29)  Wembley 1963

In our 1963 FA Cup run, Bernie cycled to both the quarter final at Norwich and the semi final v Liverpool at Hillsborough. Here's his precious ticket for the final:

Notice the date, May 4th, and the revised date of May 25th stamped across it. A record number of postponements in the bitter winter of 1963 led to the season being extended for three weeks.

It says 'Entrance H', which means City fans were at the end furthest away from the tunnel.

Here's a photo Bernie took that day

The reverse of the ticket gets a bit obsessive about the banning of cameras:

It makes you wonder what happened when Bernie arrived at the turnstiles. Did they try and confiscate his camera?

Was there an early example of the 'Bernie v Steward' confrontation that became such a feature of later years?

30)  Rosette

Cheaply manufactured, proudly worn, lovingly stored away for decades.

31)  On a Bernie RIP thread over on the Bentley's Roof forum, a poster called 'borebage53' remembered Bernie in his later years, and his 'song and dance in cabaret style on station platforms'. 

A fascinating observation, as the young Bernie harboured ambitions of becoming a variety entertainer. This is a letter from the early 60s:

Bernie was a regular at live events around that time, but only as an audience member, not as a performer.

As well as Louis Armstrong, he also saw The Beatles, plus Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, just before the car crash that only Gene survived.

32)  The Doog

Centre forward Derek Dougan was a showman who shared with our current number 9 a delight in winding up opposition fans. 

Here he is after we won at  Villa in the Cup in 1966:

The accompanying report explains what happened:

Dougan, cast off by Villa two years ago, sniped back at their fans who booed him every time he touched the ball. He was a goal scorer and goal maker in Leicester's 2-1 win, and finished the match prancing around the ground, one arm held high.

Here are those goals he scored and set up (for Mike Stringfellow):

33)  'The Best Goalkeeper In The Land'

Amazingly, that was what Liverpool fans chanted to Gordon Banks at Anfield in January 1966, as we learn from a report in the scrapbook. 

When we won 2-1 at Old Trafford a few weeks later, he was being hailed as the top keeper in the whole of Europe.

The timing was good for Gordon - with the World Cup approaching, he was cementing his position as Alf Ramsey's number 1. 

That win at Old Trafford was United's first home defeat in 40 games. Bernie kept six different reports of the game - including one from the 'Pink', the Manchester Evening News' Saturday results paper (below) - which suggests he was there in Manchester that day:

Here's another world class save - Bernie recorded this moment against United at Filbert Street earlier that season:

34)  El Bernie

Before that win at Old Trafford, United were the most talked about team in the land because of their 5-1 win at Benfica in the European Cup quarter final.

On the way home from Portugal, George Best was famously pictured in a huge sombrero, which led to him being dubbed 'El Beatle'. He was on his way to becoming the first real football celebrity. 

Around that time, Bernie came back from Mallorca with something very similar. 

Who's the fairest of them all? 

Sorry George, it's no contest:

35)  I Can Hold My Drink

Here he is in the same clobber.

36)  World Champion

That season ended with Gordon Banks a World Cup winner. Here he is at his own Town Hall reception:

37)  Leicester v Forest

From 1968:

38)  Bernie and Sylvia

July 27th 1968

39)  Seventies Heroes

After the late 60s there are a just a few items in the collection. Here's a couple:

40) Long Walk To Glory

Let's finish where we started - with the farewell to Peter Hodge and the arrival of Bernie. 

Go forward from that moment to 2021 and we finally win the Cup, with Bernie still around to see it. 

Go back 63 years from that moment to 1871 and you find two things happening almost simultaneously - the birth of Peter Hodge and the birth of the FA Cup.

So the 150 year history of that trophy was covered by the lives of those two City legends.

Only one of them got his hands on the Cup.

(the trophy isn't genuine, the joy is)