Leicester 3-2 Leatherhead 1975

[smudger63]

I was at the Leatherhead game, 11 years old, with my Dad, my brother and his mate, and in the main stand enclosure, stood just to the side of the home dug out.

The thing is, because Leatherhead were the actual "home" team, they had the home dug out.

Well at the side of the dug out just in front of where we were standing, were a couple of Leatherheads officials sat on a couple of chairs, that had been put out for them. 

I think it was their chairman or Directors of the club, something like that anyway.

Apparently they had been invited into our directors box to watch the game, as was always the case with the directors of opposing teams, but they wanted to watch the game from the side lines, to be close to the action.

Well before the game had kicked off, one of these Leatherhead officials was having a bit of banter with my Dad, telling us how he fancied them to turn us over, and what the Leatherhead lip was going to do to us.

Of course they then go 2-0 up, with the lip getting the second goal for them, and this Leatherhead official was now in full banter mode with my Dad, giving him a bit of lip of his own.

All friendly banter i might add.

Anyway half time comes, and it`s 2-0 and he turns and smiles, and gives my Dad a bit more, saying he didn`t think it would be this easy!

Of course 2nd half started, and a poor back pass puts the lip through, who rounds Wallington and slides the ball into what was an empty net, until seemingly out of no where Malcolm Munro appears to clear it off the line.

If that had gone in 3-0, and game would have been over, but from that point, as others have said, probably a mixture of tiredness on their part, and a slightly better performance from us, seen us come back to win, much to our amusement and relief, with the banter between the Leatherhead official and my Dad, now firmly in favour of my Dad.

When the final whistle blew, the Leatherhead guy, shook my Dad by the hand, said how he had enjoyed the game and the banter, and then gave his Leatherhead rosette to my Dad.

We had that rosette for a number of years, it was a real quality rosette too, with a proper metal FA Cup shape, in the middle of the rosette, not one of these cheapo foil ones you used to get at the time.

It`s a game that i have often thought about over the years, partly because of how we almost got turned over by a non league team, but also because of the banter that was going on between what is sadly now my late  Dad and this Leatherhead official throughout the game, and because of that Leatherhead rosette he gave to my Dad, a memory that i have always carried with me.

One other thing that i don`t think has been mentioned on here, is that the Forest game away at Fulham had been called off that day, and we had some Forest fans go to the game to support Leatherhead.

Not that Forest were in the least bit bothered about us of course!

[FoxonMaui]

Note about Joey Waters, he played indoor soccer for the Tacoma Stars in the US for a few years. Remember seeing him play against the San Diego Soccers a couple of times. Will never forget his two goal debut for City against QPR in the FA Cup. Was right behind the goal for the two goals. Remember seeing myself and friends in a picture of his second goal in the Leicester Mercury. A memorable day out indeed?