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Pitch Publishing (Brighton) Ltd - Tim Quelch

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275 pages

English

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Tim Quelch has spent 50 years following various struggling football teams. Some experienced only temporary hardships, such as Chelsea and Manchester City. Some became more longstanding victims of changing economics, such as Burnley and Preston. Some punched briefly, yet triumphantly, well above their weight, such as Northampton and Leyton Orient. Others remained well below the radar, such as Hastings United. It is a tale of improbable successes and abject failures; of inspired leadership and dogged hope; wrapped around with descriptions of the changing times - in English football and in life outside.

Informations

Publié par	Pitch Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
Date de parution	02 juillet 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781908051561
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0250€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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UNDERDOG!
50 YEARS OF TRAILS AND TRIUMPH WITH FOOTBALLS ALSO-RANS
By Tim Quelch
THANKS

I would like to thank the large number of people who helped me so much in writing this book. If I have overlooked anyone please accept my apology. I am deeply grateful to the former professional footballers who have given me generous amounts of their time: Martin Dobson, Geoff Nulty, Steve Kindon, Ken and Alan Ballard, Keith Tucker and Bob Seith. I am very appreciative for the terrific support I have received from other authors, notably Ivan Ponting, who encouraged me to write this book as well as granting me full use of his eloquently-written work. Niall Couper generously allowed me wide usage of his fascinating interviews with former Wimbledon F.C. players and managers. David Bull provided me with excellent Southampton F.C. material and a wide range of contacts. Roger Sinden allowed me full access to his lovingly assembled histories of Hastings United. David Steele generously gave me access to his illuminating Carlisle United material and very helpfully checked my draft chapters on the club. Justin Horton and Huw Richards also generously granted me access to their publications and helped with my draft Oxford United and Swansea City chapters. Paul Camillin gave me full access to his absorbing interviews with ex-Brighton H.A. players. David Saffer granted me access to helpful material within his Bobby Collins biography. Dave Thomas and Phil Whalley kindly gave me their permission to reproduce large extracts of their superb interviews with former Burnley F.C. players. Graham Brookland at Aldershot Town was extremely helpful, too, in providing background information, obtaining club photos and in proof-reading my draft chapter on the club s history.
I am very appreciative of all the publishing companies who have given me permission to reproduce extracts from copyright work: Eaglemoss, Random House Group Ltd., Bloomsbury Publishing plc, Lennard Associates Ltd, John Blake Publishing Ltd., Seaview Media, The History Press, Little, Brown Books, Football World, Desert Island Books, Penguin Books, Mainstream Books and Harper Collins. Some of the material I have used in the production of this book has lost its reference source or the acquired rights ownership could not be identified. I have endeavoured to seek permission from all rights owners. If I have inadvertently infringed copyright please accept my sincere apologies. I am writing this book to raise funds for the Alzheimer s Society. All of my royalties will be donated to this source. I hope, therefore, that any inadvertent breach will be considered kindly.
I am also greatly indebted to supporter websites: notably Ian Grant Matt Rowson at Watford s Blind, Stupid and Desperate , Paul at Bristol City s Three Lions and a Robin , Tony Scholes at Burnley s Clarets Mad, Phil Whalley of Clarets Archive, Workington s Workipedia site, QPR s Independent Review site, Fulham s Hammy End Chronicle, Swansea s scfc.co.uk and Dave at Leeds Mighty Whites site. Rival supporters came to my aid, too, including Rod Robbins and Nigel Woodcock. National and local newspapers and football magazines have provided rich sources of material. Thanks go to the Aldershot News Mail, Backpass magazine , BBC Radio Bristol, Bletchley Gazette, Burnley Express, Cumberland News, Brighton Evening Argus, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Guardian, Hastings St. Leonards Observer, The Independent, Lancashire Evening Post; Mail on Sunday; News of the World, Oxford Mail; Sunday Pictorial; Daily Sketch; Carlisle Times Star ; The Times; Northampton Chronicle Echo, the Observer Observer magazines, South Wales Evening Post, Sunday Express, The Sunday Times, Watford Observer, Charles Buchan s Football Monthly, Four Four Two and When Saturday Comes magazines. All of the above sources have helped me to present a more rounded portrait, not only of the football, but also of life in Britain over the last fifty years. A would like to extend a big thank you to photographer Ian Morsman for use of his excellent Aldershot Town shots, Howard Talbot for his terrific Burnley FC photography, the Press Association, Getty Images and Action Pictures for permission to use their excellent material, Burnley FC Chief Executive, Paul Fletcher M.B.E. for use of shots of his wonderful goal at Leeds in 1974, Pete Oliver at Burnley FC for use of 1972-73 Second Division Championship-winning team photo and the F.A. various clubs for use of programme covers.
Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my wife, Liz, and to my daughter, Lydia, for indulging my labour of love, to my friends, notably Phil Whalley and Roger King for proof-reading earlier drafts and suggesting helpful amendments and to my publishers for their supportive and experienced guidance throughout the production of this book.
Tim Quelch: July 2011
CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: Exiled From Main Street
KIND OF BLUE 1958 - 1962
THE 1958/59 SEASON
Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Norwich City v Tottenham Hotspur (F.A. Cup fifth round)
Yet more World Cup disappointment
Never had it so good ?
THE 1959/60 SEASON
Brighton Hove Albion v Aston Villa
The age of innocence or the age of naivety?
West Ham United v Huddersfield Town (F.A. Cup third round)
England v Sweden
The motorway age arrives
THE 1960/61 SEASON
Hastings United v Wisbech Town
Brighton Hove Albion v Burnley (F.A. Cup fourth round)
Freeing the soccer slaves
THE 1961/62 SEASON
Brighton Hove Albion v Leyton Orient
A short history of tractor boys in Suffolk
Burnley burn out
Beyond the Fringe
Farewell to the season of the underdog
PLEASE PLEASE ME 1962 - 1970
THE 1962/63 SEASON
Tonbridge v Hastings United
Disoriented O s chimed out
Suffering Suffolk
Brighton rocked
The case for the defence
1963: a year of living pruriently
THE 1964/65 SEASON
Brighton Hove Albion v Darlington
The Cobblers glass slipper
A Hunting We Will Go : Carlisle s Twin Promotions
Worked over by Workington
Fade to Grey
THE 1965/66 SEASON
Northampton Town v Fulham
Ramsey s World Cup-winning formula
THE 1966/67 SEASON
Wisbech Town v Hastings United
A tale of two Jocks
And a tale of A. Stock
It s all part of my Autumn Almanac
THE 1967/68 SEASON
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Paint it Black
It s the economy, stupid
THE 1968/69 SEASON
Preston North End v Chelsea (F.A. Cup fourth round)
Street Fighting Man : The end of the Sixties
THE 1969/70 SEASON
Burnley v West Bromwich Albion
World Cup willies
I DON T BELIEVE IN MIRACLES 1971 - 1979
THE 1970/71 SEASON
Colchester United v Leeds United (F.A. Cup fifth round)
Sound of the Seventies
THE 1971/72 SEASON
Burnley v Hull City
Hereford s gain: Barrow s loss
THE 1972/73 SEASON
Preston North End v Burnley
THE 1973/74 SEASON
Leeds United v Burnley
THE 1974/75 SEASON
Burnley v Wimbledon (F.A. Cup third round)
Carlisle United v Burnley
THE 1975/76 SEASON
Blackpool v Burnley (F.A. Cup third round)
THE 1976/77 SEASON
Carlisle United v Matlock Town (F.A. Cup third round)
THE 1978/79 SEASON
Brighton Hove Albion v Burnley
Watford s Miracle Maker
Video Killed the Radio Star : the end of the Seventies
BLUE MONDAY 1980 - 1987
THE 1980/81 SEASON
Oxford United v Burnley
Maxwell s Silver Hammer : Bust to boom and back again
THE 1981/82 SEASON
Swansea City v Leeds United
Bristol City: the price of loyalty
Put out more flags: the Falklands factor
THE 1986/87 SEASON
They came to bury Burnley : a near death experience
RISE 1987 - 2010
THE 1987/88 SEASON
Wimbledon v Liverpool (F.A. Cup final)
Two Tribes : Fear and loathing in Thatcher s Britain
THE 2007/08 SEASON
Exeter City v Aldershot Town
Things Can Only Get Better : the Nineties and Noughties
Final Word
REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION

Exiled From Main Street
I have never been attracted by easy, vicarious glory. Even as a kid I rooted resolutely for the Indians (sorry, Native Americans). Southern Dixie stole my affection for no better reason than they were the underdogs in the US Civil War. So, it was destined that my choices of favourite football teams should follow a similar pattern. I do not drool over failure, though. I simply believe that success should be hard-earned. What sets my pulse racing is a team of doughty competitors punching well above their weight, determined to beat their retreat when the going gets really tough.
Although I have remained largely faithful to one team, Burnley, for over forty years, I am no monogamist. I have always had an unstoppable urge to lend a struggling club my Jonah-like support. Ironically, my life as a football supporter began in the First Division, at Stamford Bridge, in the late fifties, but in those days Chelsea were a cash-strapped, faltering First Division side en route to Division Two. As soon as Tommy Docherty had transformed them into swish King s Road slickers my interest began to wane. By that time I had developed affections for two local sides - Brighton Hove Albion and Hastings United - as they immediately dropped like stones.
I came haltingly to football. My dad first tried to kindle an interest when I was five. He presented me with a birthday gift of a leather ball. We tried it out on a soggy surface in a deserted recreation field on a glowering autumn afternoon. The ball became impossibly heavy with excess moisture, barely trickling away from my flailing kicks. This did not seem like fun.
A year or so later I had to move to a new school in a distant town. Here, I discovered that Chix bubble gum football cards were hard currency. Staring at their crudely coloured images I couldn t imagine what the fuss was about. Most of the footballers were captured in stiff, perfunctory poses, their faces devoid of expression. They didn t seem to be having fun, either.
However, the faraway places they represented - Huddersfield, Sheffield and Burnley - seemed as