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Memory Lane 53 years ago today ....

Forums New posts
Banksy said:
Mel Slack - Vinnie Jones modeled himself on Mel !
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His last game for us and his only start that season was when he came in for Sam McMillan in the cup tie at Swindon in Jan 69.
He was excellent.
Went to Cambridge United before they got elected to the league and played with John McKinven and Trevor Roberts in their first season in the league.
 
TSG said:
Great memories here, thanks to all for the read.

Billy Best, always my favourite player, while Chester was my first away game age 12, following on from my first home game, also goalless; I think the Gods were trying to tell me something ?
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When I think of the ability and determination in that fantastic team that didn’t get promoted from the fourth division it is stunning.

The drivel promulgated by Sky and sucked up by the current ‘coaches’ that football is far superior today just doesn’t cut it.

In fact it’s absolute bo**ocks.

Imagine that lot agreeing to play the MM tippy tappy?!?

No chance.
 
mfurok said:
When I think of the ability and determination in that fantastic team that didn’t get promoted from the fourth division it is stunning.

The drivel promulgated by Sky and sucked up by the current ‘coaches’ that football is far superior today just doesn’t cut it.

In fact it’s absolute bo**ocks.

Imagine that lot agreeing to play the MM tippy tappy?!?

No chance.
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There’s plenty not to like about the Sky coverage,but it’s the latter half of the last century that we’ve been talking about, R. And looking back at the top teams of those times : WBA,Manure,Wolves,Liverpool,Leeds,Derby,Forest—none of them would have stood a chance against the present Man City or (full-strength)Liverpool line-ups, not to mention the great continental teams of recent years like Barcelona,Bayern Muenchen,Real,Juve etc assuming of course that the worst fouls got punished and games are played on a decent surface.
 
mfurok said:
When I think of the ability and determination in that fantastic team that didn’t get promoted from the fourth division it is stunning.

The drivel promulgated by Sky and sucked up by the current ‘coaches’ that football is far superior today just doesn’t cut it.

In fact it’s absolute bo**ocks.

Imagine that lot agreeing to play the MM tippy tappy?!?

No chance.
Click to expand...
Players are much taller than 50+ years ago and a lot more physical and far less skill full . Pitches are probably smaller - remember Phil Brown making Roots Hall narrower. Goal size has stayed the same.

As it is impossible to make grounds/pitches bigger perhaps football should move to 10 or even 9 aside.

Academies just produce clones. I wanted to a centre forward ( ha ha ) - what kids want to be a lone striker!

I‘ve seen loads of “strikers” - 2 goals in 20 games - transferred this window. God help football.
 
Im sure it was after the Chester game (5-1) or maybe after the Exeter game (6-1),King Billy scored in both games a hatrick..i like many after the game went to the players entrance to get his autograph.
When he came out,he was like the "Pied Piper" of Roots Hall.
All the kids..aged about from 10-13 went for him for his autograph...which he done happily.
Years later i felt sorry for the rest of our team..John&Sammy Mac,Bentley,Birks etc..coming out seeing all these young Blues fans,pen in hand...and nobody asking for their autographs...only King Billys.....on the plus side for the rest of our team,they got home a half hour quicker than Billy !!!!
 
Zeuss said:
Yes,Moore didn’t play much because he wasn’t very good !
Errol Crossan was phenomenally fast—even faster than Woodley. Present day players are usually physically superior,of course,and I’d been thinking Traore of Wolves was the fastest around until I saw a youngster at Bayern Muenchen.Amazingly,wing-back Alphonso Davies is,like Crossan, a Canadian !
Peter Corthine like one or two others mentioned here, eg Eddie Clayton wasn’t a winger.Dudley(Duggie) Price and John Baber contributed more as goalscorers rather than as elusive wide-men.
An out and out right- winger whom I failed to mention,got moved back to right-half after a couple of seasons ,and later to right-back:Tony Bentley.
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All these Canadian connections. Tony Bentley of course emigrated to Canada a while back. He had joined at the start of my first season as a regular supporter (although I'd seen a number of odd games the previous season). I remember he did start off on the wing but I'm sure Billy Wall was pretty much a regular there for a good chunk of that season.
 
Players come and players go but king Billy is in my mind the best ever in a blues shirt. Technically Stan will never be matched and fredy is up there as well. In the late sixties and early seventies I idolised Billy and a few years ago managed to blag my way into the directors box and got my replica shirt signed by the man himself. It hangs proudly in my house now.
 
Voice of Reason said:
Players come and players go but king Billy is in my mind the best ever in a blues shirt. Technically Stan will never be matched and fredy is up there as well. In the late sixties and early seventies I idolised Billy and a few years ago managed to blag my way into the directors box and got my replica shirt signed by the man himself. It hangs proudly in my house now.
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Football is so brilliant.

I remember those first two games Billy played.

I remember telling anyone who cared to listen that the last thing we needed was a short arsed forward who couldn’t score goals and was released by the Cobblers.

Hey ho.

Billy, it must be wonderful that after more than fifty years those of us that are still here still adore you.

Keep safe mate.
 
mfurok said:
Football is so brilliant.

I remember those first two games Billy played.

I remember telling anyone who cared to listen that the last thing we needed was a short arsed forward who couldn’t score goals and was released by the Cobblers.

Hey ho.

Billy, it must be wonderful that after more than fifty years those of us that are still here still adore you.

Keep safe mate.
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"Thank You" to everyone for the kind messages you have added to this thread regarding the legend that is Billy Best.
Billy is always so deeply touched by people's good wishes, and the fact he is remembered by so many fans of a certain age even after some 50 years. It certainly will be my pleasure to forward these onto him. #Billy Best The Legend Lives On.
 
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