BBC / Blue Peter Archive

[49er]

58 minutes ago, Stoopid said:

Me too - went to that one with my flat mate who was a QPR fan. Was supposed to be staying round his folks' place in London that night. He got mardy and disappeared after the match and I'd no idea of the address...

Spent an interesting evening in the West End finding an alternative place to sleep (that's another story).

Met up the next day and hitched back to Weymouth (where we lived at the time). Took 2 days to get home (and for him to get over it).

Can't beat the 70s!

I was only nine years old so had to listen to Radio 2’s second half commentary with Alan Parry and Peter Jones

[boots60]

2 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Also got a feeling Joe Waters (of blesséd memory) was in that Grimsby team. Man, it feels like several lifetimes ago.

Incidentally remember an 'ITFC' scrawled (in paint) on one of the walls of the Kop (from the Leeds replay). Was there for years. Always irritated me. Though graffiti on football grounds' walls is another 20th Century phenomenon  - now almost extinct - that I kind of miss.

"Millwall you will die" was on the wall behind the kop for many years.

 

They never did.

 

[Stoopid]

36 minutes ago, 49er said:

I was only nine years old so had to listen to Radio 2’s second half commentary with Alan Parry and Peter Jones

Was quite a game. Joe Waters and all that. We had the old open end at Loftus Rd - massive City turnout.

Poor old Joe never really reached those heights again. Recall him being particularly inneffective against Liverpool in the semi at Old Trafford a few weeks later. 

He wasn't the only one, to be fair. Don't think he made the side for the heartbreaking replay at Villa.

[Stoopid]

10 minutes ago, boots60 said:

"Millwall you will die" was on the wall behind the kop for many years.

 

They never did.

 

Perhaps it was a more general philosophical point. In the end, we'll all die.

There again, perhaps it wasn't...

[49er]

23 minutes ago, Stoopid said:

Was quite a game. Joe Waters and all that. We had the old open end at Loftus Rd - massive City turnout.

Poor old Joe never really reached those heights again. Recall him being particularly inneffective against Liverpool in the semi at Old Trafford a few weeks later. 

He wasn't the only one, to be fair. Don't think he made the side for the heartbreaking replay at Villa.

I recall that Barry Davies said ‘ Paddy Walters you’ll go down in history...’ QPR were a good side at the time - Francis, Thomas, Bowles. They almost won the title the following season

[Stoopid]

1 hour ago, 49er said:

I recall that Barry Davies said ‘ Paddy Walters you’ll go down in history...’ QPR were a good side at the time - Francis, Thomas, Bowles. They almost won the title the following season

Yeah - it was pretty unexpected to beat them. Apart from the Cup we were pretty dire that season. Best performance was probably Luton in the 5th round. 

Was convinced we'd win it that year. Memories of the finals in the 60s were still raw.

One day...

[wokinghamfox]

I remember either New Years day or the day after in 1979 and our game v Bristol Rovers was the only football league match played that day because of that tent.

 

However it was so cold that the pitch froze as the game wore on and players were struggling to stay upright. The ref just had to get it finished and we won 3 1 I think. Stood in the kop bloody frozen. Seem to remember a certain Gary Lineaker making his first team debut that day.

 

Edited 21 January 2020 by wokinghamfox

[smudger63]

51 minutes ago, wokinghamfox said:

I remember either New Years day or the day after in 1979 and our game v Bristol Rovers was the only football league match played that day because of that tent.

 

However it was so cold that the pitch froze as the game wore on and players were struggling to stay upright. The ref just had to get it finished and we won 3 1 I think. Stood in the kop bloody frozen. Seem to remember a certain Gary Lineaker making his first team debut that day.

 

It was against Oldham New Years Day, i was there too, and it was absolutely freezing, Lineker made his debut, played on the wing, and done nothing, Dave Buchannon made his debut up front, think he scored if i remember rightly, and Bobby Smith made his debut, after we signed him from Hibs, i think he scored too.

The following game Andy Peake made his debut.

[smudger63]

2 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Yeah - it was pretty unexpected to beat them. Apart from the Cup we were pretty dire that season. Best performance was probably Luton in the 5th round. 

Was convinced we'd win it that year. Memories of the finals in the 60s were still raw.

One day...

We were doing alright that season until we beat QPR in the quarter final, we were 6th at the time, but our form dipped after that game, maybe because we were thinking more of the Liverpool Semi Final to come than the league, and then we got worse after we lost the Replay at Villa Park, i think the disappointment knocked the stuffing out of us. The FA Cup in those days was the thing we all wanted to win, it really was special.

[smudger63]

4 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Was quite a game. Joe Waters and all that. We had the old open end at Loftus Rd - massive City turnout.

Poor old Joe never really reached those heights again. Recall him being particularly inneffective against Liverpool in the semi at Old Trafford a few weeks later. 

He wasn't the only one, to be fair. Don't think he made the side for the heartbreaking replay at Villa.

Stringfellow played in the replay.  We were not in the game at Old Trafford, how we even got a replay is a mystery, Liverpool battered us. We gave a decent account of our selves in the replay though, and until the Keegan lob over Shilton, it could have gone either way.

[damolcfc]

*tries to find the BIG STORY when prince charles came to see how we where recycling water off the filbo roof*

(Or something like that)

#LCFCmassive 😁

[Stoopid]

8 hours ago, smudger63 said:

We were doing alright that season until we beat QPR in the quarter final, we were 6th at the time, but our form dipped after that game, maybe because we were thinking more of the Liverpool Semi Final to come than the league, and then we got worse after we lost the Replay at Villa Park, i think the disappointment knocked the stuffing out of us. The FA Cup in those days was the thing we all wanted to win, it really was special.

Absolutely. And you're right - just looked it up - we really did dip towards the end of the season. Think that's what coloured my memory of that year.

That and the crushing disappointment of the semi (though our support was amazing that night).

Maybe next week's semi at the same venue offers some (small) redemption for that far-off night.

Hope so...

[Stoopid]

8 hours ago, smudger63 said:

Stringfellow played in the replay.  We were not in the game at Old Trafford, how we even got a replay is a mystery, Liverpool battered us. We gave a decent account of our selves in the replay though, and until the Keegan lob over Shilton, it could have gone either way.

Yeah - the Old Trafford game was a bit of an embarrassment to be honest. They should have butchered us. 

The replay - as you say - was another matter.Felt we deserved it, but Keegan was the difference...

We'd have battered Newcastle in the Final, by the way.

[Head Honcho]

On 21/01/2020 at 16:14, ultrafox said:

Also in 1973.... Old England vs Rest of Europe with a host of star veterans including ..Ferenc Puskas

 

I wrote an article about this for The Fox many moons ago...and just found an old posting of my article .....for those who like a little nostalgia.

 

https://www.xtratime.org/threads/when-puskas-came-to-filbert-street-1973.120135/#post-1743551

I was searching for info on this match and came across your post.

 

I was also at the game. Even now people think I'm mad when I say who I saw that night or rather that cold cold night

 

I do seem to remember having a programme but can't be 100% certain about that. Something in the back of my head says I had one. 

[deep blue]

On 21/01/2020 at 15:42, 49er said:

When the bad winter weather set in we were almost guaranteed to be on tv as the ‘tent’ ensured that the pitch was playable. Wasn’t such a great idea when we lost 6-2 to Birmingham though

That was like our defeat at Arsenal in 2016, in that we remained unbeaten for the rest of that season (and went on to be to promoted as champions).

Edited 27 March 2021 by deep blue

[Spudulike]

1 hour ago, Head Honcho said:

I was searching for info on this match and came across your post.

 

I was also at the game. Even now people think I'm mad when I say who I saw that night or rather that cold cold night

 

I do seem to remember having a programme but can't be 100% certain about that. Something in the back of my head says I had one. 

'Portly Puskas', yeah that's how I remember him. I thought that George Best played but I guess not. In those days I went to just about every game at Filbert Street including charity matches and FA Cup replays not involving City. 

[ultrafox]

2 hours ago, Head Honcho said:

I was searching for info on this match and came across your post.

 

I was also at the game. Even now people think I'm mad when I say who I saw that night or rather that cold cold night

 

I do seem to remember having a programme but can't be 100% certain about that. Something in the back of my head says I had one. 

The programme can still be found on ebay occasionally.

 

Here's one

..https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OLD-ENGLAND-V-REST-OF-EUROPE-1973-INTERNATIONAL-CHARITY-FRIENDLY-PUSKAS-CHARLES-/293999349754

 

I still don't know why this match is never mentioned in any edition of "Of Fossils and Foxes"

[surrifox]

On 21/01/2020 at 20:04, boots60 said:

"Millwall you will die" was on the wall behind the kop for many years.

 

They never did.

 

“Millwall up the Loins” was on a wall just outside Waterloo station for many years 

[demon_dog]

If I recall correctly the tent was made by a company at Heather / Ibstock (down in the dip between the two).

 

[1972 Fox]

On 21/01/2020 at 15:42, 49er said:

When the bad winter weather set in we were almost guaranteed to be on tv as the ‘tent’ ensured that the pitch was playable. Wasn’t such a great idea when we lost 6-2 to Birmingham though

 

13 hours ago, deep blue said:

That was like our defeat at Arsenal in 2016, in that we remained unbeaten for the rest of that season (and went on to be to promoted as champions).

Time clouding the memory somewhat here.

 

The 6-2 defeat at home to Birmingham was in the old first division (top flight) in the 1976-77 season. We definitely didn't go unbeaten for the rest of the season after that game.

[Foxaholic ME]

13 hours ago, Blue Fox 72 said:

 

Time clouding the memory somewhat here.

 

The 6-2 defeat at home to Birmingham was in the old first division (top flight) in the 1976-77 season. We definitely didn't go unbeaten for the rest of the season after that game.

We lost 8 after that including the last 3 finished 11th  after which Bloomfield whose contract was up left to let in Frank McLintoch   probablly the worst decision made at the club

[Head Honcho]

On 27/03/2021 at 20:47, Spudulike said:

'Portly Puskas', yeah that's how I remember him. I thought that George Best played but I guess not. In those days I went to just about every game at Filbert Street including charity matches and FA Cup replays not involving City. 

Amazing when you think about it. Thanks to going to football matches we can say where we were on a particular day 48 years ago lol.