The LNER Encyclopedia

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top film! my dad knew "cloughie" , a Teesside legend. They seem a bunch of wet whining whingers nowadays. My 1st match was boro vs Leeds at Ayresome Park. 1974, 4-4. Loved it.

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Having watched 'my' team (Tottenham) win the Double and become the first British club to win a European trophy ( 1963 Cup-Winners Cup, 5-1 v Atletico Madrid in Rotterdam, yes I was there and Dave Mackay didn't play because of injury) I had more or less given up going to games by 1970. I agree with you that games were much more excting then with plenty of goals on the gluepot pitches of those days. But Rodney Marsh? Wasn't he the Aussie wicket keeper who invented sledging?

I do however have a Cloughie story from the Leeds period, can't remember if I've already told it on here but apologies if I have. Just after Brian had left Leeds, I was in the area following a steam special with some pals. We stopped on an overbridge somewhere on the east side of Leeds where the line runs in from York to await the special. Before long we were joined by the usual gaggle of local gawpers who wanted to know why we were standing there with cameras pointi8ng at the railway. We informed them: "Oh, haven't you heard, Brian Clough's coming back on a special train". Without exception, all the gawpers muttered dire curses, got back into their cars and immediately drove away .

Remember that, young man, next time you're out taking pictures.

The football may have been more exciting, but watching it was not always. What with being crushed against barriers by surging crowds every time the ball came into the penalty area, having men behind peeing down the backs of your legs, and darts occasionally thrown from the upper tier of some stands, it was not always the most enjoyable experience.

And yes Rodney Marsh was an Aussie wicket keeper, but not the same person as the QPR and Man City striker, who was later a Sky Sports reporter/pundit until his infamous comment about the Toon Army.

Then the 1970s came, along with the more organised football violence. Mention of Spurs reminds me of being an away supporter at White Hart Lane, and into the second half I became aware of a group of twenty-something men in smart suits standing some way below me, but with their backs to the pitch. I assumed they were watching the away supporters, and decided to make an early exit well before the match had ended.

I was at another away match, at Ipswich, and after the game the away supporters were corralled back to the railway station by police, but when we got there the station staff would not allow the front of the group (about 2000 strong) onto the platform. They were jammed up against glass fronted areas and ticket barriers, but still the police on horseback were forcing the rear of the group into the station. Suddenly all the glass gave way under the pressure and everyone poured onto to platform. There was blood and broken glass everywhere, but no crowd trouble.

Of course the next day there were 3 inch high Sunday tabloid headlines of how football hooligans went on the rampage in Ipswich and smashed up the railway station.

The football may be full of overpaid cheats, rolling on the ground trying to con the ref these days, but at least the spectator generally has a more comfortable time.

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Yes, I was a big fan of Cloughie in both his roles, as a player and a manager. Remember when he was on TV as a pundit? Early 1970s, England v Poland in a world cup qualifier, and we lost. The names he called their goalie! It must have been that which put the FA off making him England manager, though he would have been the best man for the job.

Back in the '60s I used to go to a lot of away games by train. It was a good way of combining two interests, railways and football. BR used to run special trains for the big clubs' fans to go to important games. I don't remember any trouble or bad behaviour on the trains that I went on, but then Spurs didn't lose many games in those days so we were usually in a good mood after the matches.

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Micky wrote:Good stories there guy's my friends were all Spurs fan's this was back arund 1970-72. I'm talking about Rodney Marsh that use to play for QPR Flamingo. Yes i remember the football violence and damage done to B.R. Mk-1 coaches in particular not a pretty sight. All in all though the game it's self was alot more exciting back in the 1970s if i happen to see a game nowdays i've lost interest by about 5 minutes into the first half!. Getting back to 'old big ead' Clough like they all keep saying at the end of anything about him ''HE WAS THE BEST MANAGER THAT ENGLAND NEVER HAD!.''

Yes, Micky, I think there were millions in the country who agreed with those sentiments about Brian Clough and England manager, especially after the 1973 match against Poland where England failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup Finals. However, given the upmarket nature of the bigwigs at the FA, I cant see Cloughie fitting in at all there and it would have just been "light the blue touch paper" stuff until they found a way to sack him.

And I am not sure Brian Clough would have been the darling of the hypocritical media, especially the newspapers. Remember their treatment of (late Sir) Bobby Robson at the European Championships in 1988? Then the sharp contrast with him becoming almost idolised by the same people 2 years later (and he would have been made a saint had we not lost in the semis on penalties).

Robsons resignation had been turned down at least twice before the 1990 tournament, because he had had enough of the press turning on him as soon as results didnt go our way. And I think it was Robson who suggested Clough as his replacement, but of course the FA never wanted him, so he never got the job.

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Micky wrote:Some of them 'football specials' that were run in the late 1960s/early 1970s were absolutely THRASED TO PIECES while in traffic arriving at it's final destination minus windows, seating, fire extinguishers and just about anything else that wasn't screwed down!. I remember seeing a football special passing Welwyn Garden City station one Saturday around 1972/73 from the vantage point of the s/box and there must of been about 20-25 BTP on board WITH DOGS standing in the gangeways on a train made up of about 10 or so B.R.Mk-1 coaches heading northwards one Saturday teatime after a London game.

There was a rumour circulated in some quarters, possibly by enthusiast magazines, that BR used ancient Mk1 stock for the worst Footex services in the early 80s because the fans would do most of the inside demolition job for free, instead of having to pay contractors to do it.

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Here's my football story. You'll probably get a chuckle out of it, but going down to Highbury from Stevenage we'd always 'moon' waiting passengers gathered on the platform at WGC by sticking our butts out of the window as we sped by on the up fast. That was the extent of our 'vandalism' in those days - good clean fun by lads just out for a laugh, nothing damaged.

Not a futty fan but remembering back some years the Boro had been playing away, and the special returned into Saltburn looking worst for wear, almost every window smashed (the class 40 was undamaged !) , maybee our Brian was at the time Middlesbrough center forward , and apparently the Boro had lost - nothing new there then !

mr B ... Slaggy Islander, the home of Wilf Mannion.

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