WARNOCK WARHORSE APPOINTMENT AT THE PALACE

Neil Warnock at nearly 66 years old has revitalised his footballing career by signing again as manager at Crystal Palace. Warnock is a real warhorse, having been involved in playing and coaching teams at the higher levels for most of his life. He first played for Chesterfield in 1967 and then moved on to Rotherham, Aldershot, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe, Barnsley, York and  Crewe, playing over 320 times but only scoring 36 goals from a wing position. He then began his management career in 1980 at Gainborough Trinity, moving on to Burton Albion, Scarborough, Notts County, Torquay, Huddersfield, Plymouth, Oldham, Bury, Sheffield United (his boyhood favourite team), Crystal Palace (2007-10), Leeds, Queens Park Rangers and now back at Palace. He achieved promotion with seven of them, including taking Notts County, Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers to the top tier of the English League. Warnock is highly superstitious and has revealed many bizarre rituals including stopping at all traffic lights following a win regardless of whether they're red or green, watching the film "When Saturday Comes" the day before a big match, using the same razorblade, only urinating when he has held on for as long as possible and remaining in the dressing room after the players have left to play.

Born in Sheffield, he is a lifelong supporter of the Blades, with whom he had his longest managerial spell at eight years, taking them to promotion to the Premier League in 2006 plus the League Cup and and FA Cup semi finals in 2003. We shall miss his contribution to Talksport!

PERFECT TEN FOR HATTERS HERO

Joe Payne, born in Brimington Common near Chesterfield, played centre-forward for Bolsover Colliery and signed by Luton Town, where due to injuries to colleagues, Payne was played at centre-forward for Luton Town on Good Friday, 13 April 1936 in a match against Bristol Rovers. He scored 10 goals in a 12–0 Luton win, still a Football League record.

The following season he scored a record 55 goals as the Hatters (Luton was famed for making straw boaters) won the Third Division South championship. In his time at Luton he scored 83 times in 72 games. In 1937 he made his only appearance for England, scoring two goals in the 8–0 victory over Finland.

A year later he was signed by Chelsea for a large fee, scoring 10 goals in 21 appearances, but his career was then interrupted by the Second World War. Following the war, Payne spent a short spell at West Ham United (netting 6 in 10 games) before retiring.

A plaque commemorating Payne, who died on 22 April 1975, aged 61, is affixed to the outside of the Miner's Arms public house in Brimington Common. A lounge at Kenilworth Road stadium is named in honour of Joe Payne. Below, Payne scores one of his ten.

ERQUY PERKY BUT REF GETS THE VOTE

The first round of the Cup is a big moment in any season, so today, a Sunday, when I was bored with walking along a pristine sandy beach bordering the French Atlantic, my researcher, yes the same Bill Rogers as yesterday, decided to look up the local football matches kicking off this afternoon. The serious games were too far away, so we plumped for Evron FC v Union Sportiv Erquy, two clubs near Val Andre, my holiday resort, and Lamballe, the home of Les Chevaux du Haras; huge horses of regal stature. It was West Sussex league div 1 standard, frenetic, passionate and short of a delicate touch. But despite the lack of finesse, the game panned out to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes. We were hoping for a penalty shoot out but with minutes left, visitors Erquy, the bigger club scored and won. Sad for the home team that looked as though they might snatch a win. Amongst the chaos, the referee, he had no name and there was no programme, was superb. His wife on the terrace agreed that he stood no nonsense. Spot him in the red top!

PRESTON Ps IN A POD

Browsing through the football results this afternoon, I noticed a result between Preston FC and Stirling University in the Lowland League in Scotland. My mind turned to Preston, Lancashire thinking there might be another "Berwick" sneaking across the border to play in an easier league!! Not North End of course. But my researcher, one Bill Rogers, quickly put me right, fas he researched Preston Athletic Football Club, a Scottish senior club based in the town of Prestonpans (site of a famous battle in 1745)  in Lothian playing in the Lowland League, nicknamed the Panners and play at Pennypit Park. Too many Ps.

Founded in 1945 and entering the senior ranks in 1994, when they joined the East of Scotland League. They first qualified for the competition proper in 2002-3 losing 1-0 at home to Hamilton Academicals in the First Round. Naturally the club is aiming to progress through the divisions and hope not to do a Gretna.

GLORY, GLORY, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, THE SPURS GO LIMPING ON.

In tonight's Europa league qualifier, Tottenham Hotspur were never going to find it an easy tie. Away from home, on a dodgey pitch in Larnaca (not the hosts home stadium),  the Cypriot league runners-up had taken an early lead through Adrian Sardinero. Roberto Soldado and Harry Kane (an Englishman) scored in six second-half minutes as The Spurs fought back from a goal down to gain two valuable away goals and a victory against AEL Limassol. It was Erik Lamela's introduction after the break that made the difference and from Lamela's lofted ball, Spaniard Soldado levelled by firing in a volley and then shortly after, Kane found the top corner with a great strike from the Argentine's pass. The return leg at White Hart Lane is on 28 August, with the winners assured of a place in the group stage. Mauricio Pochettino, in charge of the club in a European match for the first time, was clearly relieved to see his new side gain an advantage after Spurs were outplayed in large periods by these European minnows. Keep it on the island!

THE VOICE OF FOOTBALL DIES

James Alexander Gordon, the voice of BBC radio's classified football results for the past four decades, has died after making his final broadcast last year. The 78-year-old Scot first began reading the football results in 1973, a year after joining the BBC. Gordon said last month that it was "great sorrow that I have to give up the most exciting part of my career, the classified football results", adding: "They have been my life."  

The announcer's "wonderful inflections and stresses" were loved by many listening to the Saturday evening scores on radio. Many listeners said that Gordon's inflection would reveal the result of a match before he had completed the sentence. Nobody will be able to say 'Wolverhampton Wanderers' with quite such mellifluous tones.

Gordon was born in Edinburgh in 1936 and spent much of his childhood in hospital after contracting polio as a baby. In 1999 a link with school parent and MP David Mellor brought JAG to Charterhouse to help the school celebrate the Millennium football season. The school played a local club under the old rules of football in the first half and then the modern laws in the second half. Both teams wore 19^th century kit and retired FA referee Ray Lewis (who refereed the Hillsborough disaster semi-final) blew the whistle. JAG read out the weekend Premier results at half time.

JAG was succeeded on the 5pm Saturday results on BBC Radio 5 Live by Charlotte Green, the former Radio 4 newsreader; the first woman to read them. She is carrying on the tradition.

SHEFFIELD RULES, OK?

Just to get the new season roaring along,  I’m reading “Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters”, written by Daniel Gray, who travels through the country, casting a wry look at England and football. Sheffield gets a chapter, because we all know that the “Sheffield Rules” heavily influenced the Laws of the Game. Gray writes that these rules restricted hacking and handling and allowed the forward pass. He also tells us that the rules introduced corner flags, umpires, corners, goal kicks, throw ins, crossbars, the halftime change of ends and the tradition of drawing cup ties from a hat. Sheffield FC side even taught London how the head the ball, in a match played at Battersea Park in 1866, a technique created when handling the ball by outfield players was outlawed. Sheffield Wednesday’s Jimmy Lang became the first paid player in 1876, paid by a cutler who did not expect him to work during the day. The first floodlit game at Bramall Lane in 1878 attracted a 20,000 crowd, Sheffield also gave the world printed fixture cards, football columnists, shin pads and a Saturday evening sports’ paper, still produced as the “Green ‘Un”. Bramall Lane has had football played there since 1862 and therefore becomes the oldest football club. Rab Howell, famed for playing in the very successful Sheffield United side of the late 1890s, is the only English  international of gypsy birth. Another "first".

You can also find reference to United’s William “Fatty” Foulke who at 20 stone was a legend in goalkeeping and entertainment. Red Sheffield had great success in that period before the First World War and indeed won three Cup Finals and were runners up in the league during a four year period. Playing in the “Khaki Cup Final” in 1915 did not please everybody in the country when most were at war or going to join up. Of course, the FA and the Government had put their heads together and decided that the final should go ahead against Chelsea, to raise morale in the country. It certainly raised United’s as they won 3-0. The next final was not until 1920.

WOMBLES v DONS: CAPITAL GAME

Today's Capital Cup 1st round throws up a classic tie between MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon. MK Dons was founded in 2004 following the relocation of what was Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes. Wimbledon FC was founded in 1889 and played as an amateur and semi-professional club until it gained election to the football League in 1977, eventually reaching the First Division in 1986. When the FA demanded that clubs played at all seater stadia, Wimbledon had to leave their old ground at Plough Lane and shared with Crystal Palace, which proved unsatisfactory. To remain in the Football League, a relocation to Milton Keynes in 2003, where a hockey stadium would provide a good home, was required but this was not unanimously agreed by the club supporters so a new club, MK Dons, was formed. 

MK Dons abandoned any claim to Wimbledon's previous history and past trophies were held by Merton Council. Wimbledon FC had won the FA Amateur Cup in 1963 and then sensationally beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final in 1988 to achieve a double that only one other club had achieved, the Old Carthusians (FA Cup 1881 and FA Amateur Cup 1894, 95 and 97). History shows that the Royal Engineers also achieved this double although under two different names.

Back in Surrey, AFC Wimbledon emerged like a Phoenix in 2002, formed by the local and loyal members of the old club, joining the 9th tier Combined Counties League. The new club gained five promotions in nine seasons, rising into the 4th tier of Football League. 

In December 2012 the old and new clubs met in the 2nd round of the FA Cup, MK Dons winning 2-1 away from home and today they meet again.

HOCKADAY AWAYDAY NO HOLIDAY AGAINST HOLLOWAY

Barnsley born Mark Beevers made Millwall's Ian Holloway's day when he scored following a corner routine, against Leeds at the Den yesterday. It was a case of Holloway v Hockaday when Leeds' "manager?coach?director of football?" was in charge of the first game of the season in the Championship. Shaun Williams also provided a home special from a penalty to make sure that Leeds United continue to fret about their future. Nobody quite knows who pulls the footballing strings at Leeds although trigger happy owner Massimo Cellino probably has his own agenda. Dave Hockaday comes over as a genuinely enthusiastic, modest and honest coach who may have been thrown into the lions' den. Against Millwall his team could not claw themselves from defeat. It could be a long season.

TUNNEL VISION FOR CHURCH

The start of the new season; what do I do? Barnsley v Crawley Town or a local game? By the time I thought about it, the clock had moved round to 2.45. No chance of getting to Oakwell, so it was to local Penistone Church, where I witnessed a significant date in the club's history, as they were playing their first ever game in a higher pyramid league-Northern Counties League east division 1. So important is the club now that they have to have a "tunnel" to bring the players onto and off the pitch. This contraption is rolled out at appropriate times whereas the referee and his assistants merely had a bit of tape to form a corridor for them to walk down-no security therefore! Some Shirebrook supporters were not impressed with this ref who looked a little like Howard Webb and might have broken the tape to get at him.

The game was a good one, with opponents Shirebrook, a colliery town near Nottingham, seemingly the more experienced side, but they couldn't hit a mine shaft with their shooting, whereas Church nipped in with two goals and they hung on. Great news for Church who have been aiming for this higher status for a while now. Whilst I was there I met The Football Traveller, Chris Bedford, who promotes pyramid footy and spends a lot of time watching games such as this, which he writes up in his weekly magazine, sponsored by Cherry Red Records. It all counts and adds to the prolific archive of association football. Check out his website:www.the football traveller.com

LOAD OF BALLS

Early footballs ranged from human heads, stitched up cloth, animal and human skulls to pig or cow bladders. The Romans would kick the decapitated heads of their victims and an entire village would kick an animal skull along a path to a nearby “opposing” village square.   A Medieval custom was to take pig bladders used from livestock killed in preparation for winter sustenance and inflate them. They would play a game using their feet and hands to keep the "ball" in the air. The animal bladder balls were eventually covered with leather for better shape retention. In 1836 Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber. Prior to this, balls were dependant on the size and shape of the pig's bladder. The more irregular the bladder, the more unpredictable the behaviour of the ball was when kicked. However; it would not be until the twentieth century until most balls were made with rubber bladders. In 1855, Charles Goodyear designed and produced the first vulcanized rubber soccer balls.  The following picture shows the Charles Goodyear ball that is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame which is located in Oneonta, NY, USA shown below: ( a museum I have been to!). In 1863, when the first FA laws were agreed, the size, weight and circumference of the ball was formalised.

Animals get their own back however. There are many cases of animals invading pitches. Jimmy Greaves became a cropper when in a World Cup game against Brazil in 1962 a dog ran onto the pitch and Greavsie, being quick, caught it. It pee’d on him and Garrincha, the very famous Brazilian winger, adopted the mutt after the game.

THE WALL DOES ITS JOB?

An excursion on my bike to Hadrian's Wall yesterday led me and trick cyclist, John Coombes, past a number of Northern clubs. OK I have mentioned West Auckland before (see previous) but finding local league, Haltwhistle Utd FC proved a bit of a problem, especially on our delicately hybrid cycles. The pitches,where most of the club's teams play, was under a bypass, near a railway and on a floodplain. Isolated, there would be no point having a plush club house because it would be ransacked judging by the local graffiti. Nevertheless, we met an old boy and his terrier near the green containers that were the changing rooms, who had played for the club in its halcyon days and when we spoke of Bobby 
Robson he had a tear in his eye. Neighbours along the wall, Hexham FC, play in the second division of the Northern Alliance and have a very nice pitch in the middle of a community running track by Waitrose. They were Division Two champions in 2012 and are plying their trade with the big boys now. With Carlisle to the west and Newcastle to the east, football has a strong tradition. Hadrian may have intended to keep the Scots out, but the mix of bravehearts and Geordies along this part of the UK makes for good football. I wonder if much will change should the "vote" give Scotland independence?

The lads from north of the border will need work permits.

THREE HAMPDENS

On 9 July 1867, “a group of gentlemen met for the purpose of starting a football team”. The Queen’s Park Football Club was born. It soon became a leading exponent of the game and was one of the founder members of the (English) Football Association as well as its Scottish counterpart. It regularly provided the Scottish players in the earliest international matches. Proud of its amateur status, and showing a confidence in the game’s future, the Club’s general committee in 1903 purchased 33 acres of land on the south side of Glasgow and built the largest and most technically advanced stadium in the world, Hampden Park.

It was immediately adopted as Scotland’s National Stadium and became a Mecca for clubs and international players everywhere. Its natural bowl shape and extensive terraces sustained attendances of around 150,000. In those days, crowd control was less stringent than now. 

Arguably the most memorable European Cup Final, Real Madrid v Eintracht Frankfurt, was held at Hampden in May 1960 with Real winning 7-3. Over 130,000 Scottish supporters were spellbound. These days, crowds are restricted as a safety measure.

The first Hampden Park was overlooked by a nearby terrace named after Englishman John Hampden, who fought for the roundheads in the English Civil War. Queen's Park played at the first Hampden Park for 10 years beginning with a Scottish Cup tie in October 1873. The ground hosted the first Scottish Cup Final, in 1874, and a Scotland v England match in 1878.

The club moved to the second Hampden Park, 150 yards from the original, because the Cathcart District Railway planned a new line through the site of the ground's western terrace. The new ground opened in October 1884. 

In the late 1890s, Queen's Park requested more land for development of the second Hampden Park. This was refused by the landlords, which led to the club seeking the present 30 acre site. James Miller designed twin grandstands along the south side of the ground with a pavilion wedged in between.

Hampden Park was the biggest stadium in the world when it opened in 1903 and along with Celtic Park and Ibrox, the city of Glasgow possessed the three largest football stadia in the world at the time. In the stadium's first match, on 31 October 1903, Queen's Park defeated Celtic 1–0 in the Scottish league. The first Scottish Cup Final played at the ground was an Old Firm match in 1904, attracting a record Scottish crowd of 64,672. The first Scotland v England match at the ground was played in April 1906 with 102,741 people in attendance, which established Hampden as the primary home of the Scotland team.

ON TOUR? OR BLOWN TO BITS

This weekend, as the country remembers the start of the First World War, I have to mention the 1000 or so Carthusians, members of the "Public School in Godalming", who fought and died for their country in the two World Wars. As August 1914 came round, over 600 boys associated with the school, signed up, fought and died. About 300 died later in World War 2. Many other schools all over the country suffered similar losses.

Thomas Rowlandson (pictured) was an old boy of Charterhouse School and he was a member of the famous Old Carthusians Football Club. As a goalkeeper, with family roots in Darlington, he played for Cambridge University, Sunderland in 1904-5, England XIs  and the famous Corinthian FC of England. He perished on the parapet of a German trench, ahead of his men, fighting and leading in 1915, at the Somme. A year before his death, in August 1914, the Corinthian Football Club was heading to Brazil on a goodwill football tour, when they heard, on landing at Pernambuco, that hostilities had started in Europe. Two Carthusians in the tour party, John Fosdick, a Cambridge Blue and John Tetley, who played for the Corinthians, immediately found another ship heading to Europe and they joined the war as soon as they could. Fosdick died in action in 1915 and Tetley during the build up to Ypres in 1917. Worth reflecting on this the next time you don't get a decision from the REF!