A MADAGASCAN OWN GOAL.

With the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying round being played this weekend, I thought another cup tie would entertain us, before the result start flowing.

On October 31st 2002, Stade Olympique de L'Emyrne Antananarivo (SOE) were a club with high hopes of making a name for themselves! The club won the Madagascan League title in 2001 and advanced into the second round of the African Champions League. They beat Olympique de Moka of Mauritius in an "island derby" preliminary tie, twice postponed due to political unrest and then beat Petro Atletico of Angola in the first round on penalties-there was no home leg for SOE due to unrest still. Eventually the team lost out to a Mozambique team but intended to retain their home title.

There was a round robin play off between the top four clubs and this took place over 11 days.
SOE needed to win their penultimate match to have any chance of pipping ASAdema (local rivals) but were held to a 2-2 draw against another club, Domoina Soavina Atsimondrano (DSA), as the referee allowed a very late controversial penalty.

So when SOE faced Adema next and an early decison went against them, their manager Ratsimandresy Ratsarazaka, already persecuted, ordered his team to score own goals in protest.
They did, 149 of them.

Rat was suspended from football for three years, four of his players were suspended until the end of the season and SOE didn't win much that year apart from amusement.
By the way, the other club in the 4 way play off was US Ambohidratrimo, a commentator's nightmare.

PRIMROSE BLOSSOMS AT 74

Happy Birthday Bob Wilson (74) and Diego Maradona (55). Let's talk about Robert (Bob) Primrose Wilson OBE, born in Chesterfield  and was an alumnus of the local Grammar School. As a teenager his father insisted on his academic career which meant he missed the chance of signing for Manchester United.
Bob's Scottish mother followed the tradition of giving the child her maiden name as a middle name! Bob was awarded his OBE in 2007 for his services to a Cancer Charity he runs called The Willow Foundation, which helps sufferers of malignant schwannoma, an illness his daughter died from at the age of 32 in 1998.
He came from a large family which suffered the sad war time deaths of two brothers, one shot down in a Spitfire and the other killed a s rear gunner in a Lancaster.
He went to Loughborough, studied history and physical education and I believe wrote a dissertation on the swerve of a football.
At 6' Wilson was not a big goalkeeper but he played in three Arsenal double winning teams, appeared over 230 times between 1963-74 and was renowned for his bravery, especially when diving at forwards' feet head first. He only played twice for Scotland in 1971.
He also had a short spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers in their reserves up till 1963 and after his playing career finished he was the Arsenal goalkeeping coach for 28 years until 2003, when he retired and continued a successful career in broadcasting.

THE CRAZY GANG MAKE IT TO MEADOWHALL

I suppose the logic is that having visited Meadowhall (shopping Mall) today, by the busy M1, on the outskirts of Sheffield, that I would bump into somebody special and so I did.

With most of the world shopping, it's half term, there are new films at the Vue and teenagers modelling their new creations, purchased last time they went to Meadowhall, I wandered into Waterstone's and found the Sports' Shelves as usual.

I picked out "The Crazy Gang" biography. Not the crooners of the 1940s but David Bassett's mob that took football by storm in the 1980s. Just browsed through it especially the index to see if Charterhouse or the Old Carthusians got a mention. they didn't.

Margaret Thatcher said "If we can sell Newcastle Brown to Japan and Wimbledon can get to the First Division, then surely no achievement is beyond our reach". They broke boundaries in football.

The club rose to the topflight in England, my son and I saw Wimbledon beat Liverpool at Wembley in the 1988 FA Cup Final, Charterhouse Old Boys (the Old Carthusians) held the accolade of being the only club to win the FA Cup (1881) and the FA Amateur Cup (1894, 1895, 1897). This was an achievement Wimbledon FC also achieved in modern times (Amateur 1963 and FA Cup 1988). No other team has done this!

Wimbledon FC sent a team to play the old boys at Charterhouse one day to commemorate the centenary of the FA Cup win in 1981. Bobby Gould played.....enthusiastic or what?
I played against Wimbledon when knocking around in the south as a teenager and played with David (Harry) Bassett (captain of the side) for the FA XI, under Charles Hughes against the Army at Aldershot, when I could play.

And so it was, I heard a shopper asking about "The Crazy Gang" book at the counter, and thought, "too much of a coincidence" so I grabbed the book and showed him it. He didn't want the Bud Flanagan and the Crooners, he wanted the footy book.

I enquired why he was interested in it, he said he played a bit; I pursued the investigation and it turned out that he was Andy Sayer who at 17 years old signed forms and did play for the Dons between 1983-88, 58 times and scored 15 goals.

A nippy winger, he also played for Fulham up to 1990 (53/15), Leyton Orient up to 1992 (30/6) and also had loans abroad and for Sheffield United before heading to the great southern "semi-pro clubs" as they were in those days, Slough Town, Enfield  FC, Walton and Hersham, Leatherhead. Tooting and Mitcham and Egham Town. He served his time well.

I believe he is a scout working on the continent from time to time and has been linked to Liverpool and Man City-no idea why he was in Sheffield; maybe looking up some old team mates from his loan spell?

Go buy the book and learn how Dolly Parton, the Army, FA Prelims and the old team minibus played their party in the Crazy Gang's success.

ALFRED TAKES OVER FROM WALTER

I am afraid I have just missed an important anniversary, when on the 25^th October 1962, Alf Ramsey was plucked from a successful club managership at Ipswich Town FC, to be named as the next England manager, with the prospect of taking the national team to the home based World Cup finals.

Ramsey had inherited an England team that had been educated and brought into the modern world of football by Walter Winterbottom, who as an ex-teacher and "amateur" coach, had revived England's fortunes a little after the dreadful post war slump.

Appointed in 1946, he was part of an "International Selection" committee, which was a bit more advanced than the previous arrangement, whereby an England FA official and a "trainer" usually from a London club alone, ran the team selected by the FA. He also had the title of the first "Director of Coaching".

Ramsey had played for Southampton and Spurs as a defender and after this playing days, taken the Suffolk club from Football League Division 3 South to the First Division Championship in 1962, an remarkable effort midst all the success of Spurs' Double year (1960-1) and the competition set by other clubs such as Wolves, Burnley, Manchester United and Everton.

Ramsey had played 32 times for his country and captained it three times. Ramsey confidently predicted that England would triumph in 1966, and he was right!

Have a look at these other blogs which document some of his achievements.

http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/and-did-those-feet-in-ancient-times.html

http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/rattin-maradona-simeone-god.html

IT'S SPOOKY TIME FOR THE BIGGER BOYS

The mysteries of the FA Cup continue to surprise as Didcot Town FC, lowest ranked team in the 1st Round draw were paired with Exeter City, a fully fledged Football League Club. In the fourth qualifying round the Railwaymen beat ten man Brentwood Town after being 0-2 down, in front of 347 people.

Last season it was Warrington FC that were drawn out of the velvet bag with Exeter. Some coincidence, but then Halloween is not far away.

Exeter may be calling on the spirits to help them ward off the evil Diddy men.

Several National League sides fell to lower level opposition this weekend, with Kidderminster in front of a 2,000 crowd falling to Stourbridge 3-0. 

Southport lost to the Class of 92 Team Salford City and other teams biting the dust were Wrexham, Gateshead, Barrow, Woking, Torquay and Gloucester City. 

So best wishes to Gainsborough home against Shrewsbury, Worcester City away at Sheffield United, AFC Fylde at the Den Millwall, Alan Devonshire's Maidenhead United at Port Vale, Basingstoke at Cambridge United, Staines Town at Leyton Orient.

Other tasty ties are:

Altrincham v Barnsley, Crewe Alexandra v Eastleigh, Aldershot v Bradford City, AFC Wimbledon v Forest Green Rovers and AFC United v Chesterfield.

Longest trip? Carlisle at Plymouth Argyle.

So the First Round Proper brings the magic of the cup to be played between the 6-8th November and this week it is the First Round qualifying of the Trophy and the Vase First Round proper. It's a lovely time of year with some hopefuls falling to the ground and many shooting to the stars. How about Northwich Victoria v Stocksbridge Park Steels or Odd Down v Camelford. worth a visit.

CLASS OF 92

On Thursday, on BBC1 at 9pm,  there is the first episode of the "Class of 92", a documentary about the doings of the now famous group of young footballers who started their careers at Manchester United. 

I was in one of the several club bars behind the main stand at Crystal Palace FC, with my school team, that had been invited by Ron Noades to watch Palace play United in a league match in the early 90s. Noades' son was at the school at the time. Ron, was Chairman of CPFC and he kindly invited the squad to watch this glamorous league game.

Several of the locals in the bar thought some of the teenagers with me, smartly dressed in suits, collars and ties, were part of the Manchester United Youth team that had been so successful that season. We were quite good footballers but not that good and nobody looked remotely like David Backham, but they milked it!

The United Youth team notably included the Nevilles, Butt, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham.

The TV story is about their careers and their latest investment in Manchester based, Salford City FC. Salford qualified for their first FACup first round proper on Saturday when they dispatched Southport 1-0, in the fourth qualifying round. This is Salford's first appearance at this heady level. This interest in a local side such as Salford is encouraging for Non-League football.

Another Manchester club, FC United, the club formed by disillusioned Man U supporters at the Glazer takeover, has also progressed, after beating Sporting Khalsa from the Midlands, the lowest rank team in the draw. Cheap curry and rice was on offer to the crowd at Khalsa's ground that was heaving with their biggest crowd of 2252.

The draw is tonight at 7pm on BBC2, Radio5 and BTSport. A local derby maybe?

TOWN DOWN-COUNTY BOUNTY

Today (when the clocks go back) I went to the John Smith's (Galpharm) Stadium, Huddersfield and managed to stay away from the ale!

Hepworth United Junior FC were hosted by HTFC, at the ground before Town's home Championship match against Derby County. We took 40 kids and their parents, one girl only (disappointing) and several coaches, so that the children could form the Guard of Honour as the teams entered the arena before the game and the kids had a close look at their local heroes.

After the flag waving, the match started and there was much seat clacking, fighting, hot dog disposal and shouting "junior" abuse at the ref and opposition goalie (England international Scott Carson), the little people went on to the pitch at half time to shoot at goal.

The two young goalies got twenty shots to save, the kickers got one shot each! Not a great use of resources, but the kids didn't seem to mind, as they returned to their seats eager to continue the occasional viewing of the game and paper throwing.

With Guildford local boy and veteran Mark Hudson in the Town defence trying to keep the Rams at bay and Tom Ince, starring for the visitors, the game drifted on with some excitement, as Town, went 0-1 down, drew level, but then lost the plot and never looked like making up the difference. Final score 1-2.

Jed Steer in the Town goal, was my man of the match, as he made many good saves-he had to.

For Town manager, Chris Powell, it is back to the drawing board, but for County manager, ex Real Madrid coach and one time Surrey schoolmaster and Corinthian Casuals player, Paul Clement, the afternoon was successful and surely there is a bright future for this well qualified young coach. Read these!
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/an-englishman-abroad.html
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/its-not-too-late-those-who-dream.html


Previous 46 encounters at Huddersfield v Derby: Home team won 24 Derby won 6 Drawn 16

OCs TAKE UP THE BATON

As I was pulsating to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" in Sheffield City Hall this evening, performed by the Halle Orchestra, I was enjoying the conducting of Sheffield born, Ryan Wigglesworth, an Old Carthusian.

Ryan joined the school for sixth form, as a music scholar, and from there he ventured to Oxford University and Cambridge too, as a fellow of Corpus Christi College.
So Charterhouse can admit to sculpting two years of his life and this evening, I enjoyed reflecting on famous Old Carthusians.

Tomorrow is an important day for Carthusian football.
It is the First Round of The Arthur Dunn Old Boys' Cup. (I have to qualify Old Boys as those attending the Public Schools of the time). The Old Carthusians play the Old Foresters at Godalming.

The Dunn was first played for in 1902-3 and the competition was designed to revive old boys' football in the country, which was being overtaken by professionalism. Teams below are OCs.

Arthur Tempest Blakiston Dunn, an Old Etonian, who played in the FA Cup winning Old Etonian team in 1882, was behind the formation of this historic competition.
Before the Cup could get seriously under way, he tragically died, but his friends ensured that the Cup became a fitting memorial to Arthur Dunn. It has.

The following "Public" schools entered the first competition:
Bradfield, Brighton, Charterhouse, Eton, Felsted, Forest, Harrow, Lancing, Malvern, Radley, Repton, Rossall, Shrewsbury, Westminster and Winchester.

Forest School in Snaresbrook, Essex, produced two internationals namely Percy Fairclough in 1878 and FRED PELLY in 1893-4. Present Old Carthusian, Fred Palley, may be amused.
Forest School is the only school to have played in the FA Cup, reaching the quarter-finals in 1993-4 and losing to Great Marlow. The boys also played ties against Preston North End (lost) in their pomp, Grimsby Town (won) , Middlesbrough (lost) and Watford Rovers (lost) through till 1888-9.
The school would claim to be very much part of the foundation of the FA, just as Charterhouse can.
The Old Carthusians have won the cup more than any other team.
Last season the 100th Arthur Dunn Cup Final took place at the Imperial Sports Ground, Teddington and the OCs beat the OFs 3-0 after extra time. Good game! Matthew Bailey hold aloft the ADC.

NAME A FAMOUS BELGIAN?

Tonight's Europa League match between Belgian club, Anderlecht and Tottenham Hotspur is shrouded in controversy before the game is played. Whether Harry Kane is fit or if Anderlecht can spring a surprise over an English club in European competition, are small concerns compared to the history of this fixture.

In 1984 the two clubs met in the two legged final of the European Cup Winners Cup and there were 1-1 draws in Belgium and then at White Hart Lane. Tottenham won the penalty shoot out 4-3.
Parks, Falco, Archibald, Galvin, Mabbutt, Stephens, Hughton, Miller, Thomas and Roberts made up the side.

Danny Thomas missed his penalty but the Belgians were losing their bottle and some players did not want to take responsibility and missed two.

Tony Parks the Spurs goalkeeper, celebrated long into the night and had to get a 6am taxi to the BBC for an appearance on breakfast television. When he arrived at the studios he was in such a state, that he put back in the taxi and sent home.

Brian Clough was gutted that his side Nottingham Forest failed to reach the final that year, having been done by a bribed referee, who earned £27,000 and who gave a very dodgy penalty to Anderlecht, a fact that only surfaced in 1997.

When Anderlecht visited Tottenham they were not allowed to train on the club's pitch and had to put down jumpers for goal posts on a local pitch with long grass and no goals. That riled them.

The Tottenham players on the other hand were tempted to boycott the second leg of the final because Irving Scholar the chairman refused to give them bonuses from the lucrative TV money. He said that the club would play the youht team instead and Steve Perryman had to negotiate on behalf of the squad.

Manager Keith Burkinshaw was a popular figure and before the final he and the team was told that he was going to be sacked after the game, so the players were playing for him, not Scholar!

Finally, there was a nasty atmosphere before the second leg after a Spurs supporter had been shot dead in a Belgian bar before the first leg match. With hooliganism very much a pre-match feature in those days, the place was crawling with police, but that didn't help. NOW READ THIS........

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/tottenham-fans-attacked-in-brussels-pub-ahead-of-spurs-vs-anderlecht-after-belgians-threw-bricks-and-a6704106.html

BACK TO THE FUTURE AND PAST

I went back to the past last night at the Nottingham Playhouse where I saw Georgie Fame (72 years young) and his two sons, play out all his great numbers and a few of other blues/jazz superstars. It was a delightful concert with the gents' lavatory queue as long as the ladies' as most of the audience was of a similar age and drinking too much Nottingham Ale. We can't hold it like we used to.

Today is "Back to the Future" day and the media have been all over it like a rash.
So what better than to think about football on October 21st?

Famous birthdays include Guarnizo Gento born in 1933, a Spaniard and canny winger, he won SIX European Cups with Real Madrid when the ECup was in its infancy. Between 1952-71 he played 599 times for the Spanish club and for his country.

In contract Paul Ince was born in 1967 in Ilford and the feisty midfielder he would have had his work cut out to catch Gento, but when he did (or if?) the bandy winger would have known all about it.

Of course 30 years ago Howard Kendall was in his pomp and what great acknowledgements there have been in the press since his untimely death. Football was certainly fun in those days. Everton were First Division champions by 13pts (90 in total) and also winners of the European Cup Winners Cup. In that era, the Toffees' progress was spoilt somewhat by the ban of English clubs imposed in Europe after the Heysel Disaster, otherwise Howard would have had more to show for his managership.

Oxford United won promotion to the First division after only 23 years in the Football League, with Stoke, Sunderland and Norwich in the bottom three of the top division.

It is hard to believe but the untouchable Frenchman, Michel Platini, playing in midfield for Juventus, was the owner of the Ballon d'Or and we assume there were no rigged votes!

If you have a few bob to spare today, donate it to the Michael J Fox fund for Parkinsons.

BRONZE IN THE FRAME AFTER BRONZE.

England Lionesses coach Mark Sampson is on a 10 person short list for FIFA's Women's manager of the year. The 33 year old has been rewarded for his contribution to England's bronze medal in the World Cup last summer. He joins three other English nominees; Colin Bell of Frankfurt, Laura Harvey of Seattle Reign and John Herdman of Canada.

Portsmouth born, USA coach Jill Ellis, is also on the list.
The USA's trio of  Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe, all part of the World Cup Gold Medal winners, are on the list for Player of the Year but the surprise is that there is no English female listed for the Ballon d'Or.
Lucy Bronze of Manchester City, after her two goals in Canada, was short listed for the Player of the Tournament.
Bronze, England captain Steph Houghton and keeper Karen Bardsley were named in the World Cup All-Star team.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34570945

FALLING IDOLS IN TORRID FINALS

Here was a bright idea; what about an Inter-Continental Cup??? A "final" pitting the Champions of Europe (finalised by the winners of the then European Cup against the Champions of South America's Copa Libertadores), to stir up emotions. 

The first leg of the 1967 Intercontinental Cup Final on the 18th October, brought a few issues including torrid behaviour, dreadful fouls and flared tempers which did football no favours at all. 

The final between Argentinian  and South American Champions, Racing Club v the Scottish and European Champions, Celtic, attracted 170,000 people in the first leg of the final at Hampden Park.  

Celtic won 1-0 but lost the second game 2-1, at El Cellindro de Avellaneda,  making a 2-2 aggregate. In the play off the Argentinians won 1-0 in Uruguay. 

Celtic's Jimmy Johnstone, their nippy winger came in for some "treatment" during the final where the South Americans did what they were good at. See photo....

The following year Manchester United had a rough two legs against Estudiantes of Argentina. In La Bombonera, in the La Boca region of Buenos Aires, only 25,000 watched the home team win 1-0. Whereas 63,500 were at Old Trafford to witness United only draw 1-1, giving the trophy to their guests. 

Juan Ramon Veron, father of Juan Sebastian Veron scored in the opening minutes, George Best got sent off and Willie Morgan equalised in the final seconds; it was not enough.

The reputation of this competition was dented by the end of the 1960s, and in the 1970s some European clubs refused to take part and replacement clubs had to be found. 

In the 1980s the matches were played as a one off final in Tokyo and that seemed to take the sting out of the event. 

Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Aston Villa all made runners up in the 1980s and Manchester United won in 1999, beating Palmeiras of Brazil in Japan. 

The clubs that have had most wins include Nacional, Penarol of Uruguay and Boca Juniors of Argentina, whilst in Europe, Real Madrid, and AC Milan have had most appearances.

25 different clubs have won in 45 editions, with Argentina having 9 wins, Italy 7 and Brazil 6.

In 2000 the FIFA World Club Cup was initiated and from 2005 it has taken its place annually, when more teams from other continents have been involved.  

In 2008 Manchester Utd beat LDU Quito (a club with its origins in the city's university, Ecuador) 1-0 in Yokohama. 

In 2012 Corinthians of Brazil (founded and named after the Corinthians of England) beat Chelsea 1-0, also in Yokohama, Japan and in 2019 Liverpool, the most recent winners, beat Flamengo of Brazil in Doha.

Overall Real Madrid has won it 4 times, Barca 3, Corinthians 2 and the rest once each.

LEEDS LED OUT OF BANKRUPTCY AND UNITED BY AUCTION

In 1904 Leeds City FC was founded and the club joined the Football league the following year. The club did not have the happiest of times, with low attendances, no promotions and just as the famous Herbert Chapman was leading them out of the mire, WAR broke out. City was found guilty of financial irregularities during wartime, such as paying players which was not allowed.

The club was dissolved in 1919 and at the Metropole Hotel in the city, on October 17th, players were auctioned off along with other assets, in what was described as a "melancholy spectacle". Nine clubs bought 16 players totalling £9250. Leeds United was founded the next year.

Port Vale took over their fixtures to finish the season and ironically found themselves in a similar situation in 1968 but were "re-elected" by the other league clubs.
There is a Leeds City team formed in 2006, presently playing in the West Yorkshire League.

In 1905, another City club, Manchester, was found guilty of making illegal payments after a brilliant Cup and League run in 1904. 17 players from the club were banned and Manchester United manager, Ernest Mangnall stepped in early to nab three City bargins from the sale.

There was a lot of dodgy stuff going on in football those days.....nothing has changed.

FIRST EVER WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

On October 15th 1949, England and Wales played out their first ever World Cup qualifier at Ninian Park, in what was also the British Home Championship. Having joined FIFA when it was founded in 1906, the home nations withdrew in 1929 from the world wide organisation of football over the payment to amateur players.
So the four home nations missed the first three FIFA competitions, then the war got in the way and eventually the home nations used their own tournament to decide who would play in Brazil in the 1950 World Cup Finals.
England came first and Scotland second, but the Scots decided not to play because they had not WON the home championship!
Stan Mortenson and Jackie Milburn, with a hat trick, scored in the 4-1 defeat of the Welsh.
England went on to Brazil and were famously humiliated by the USA "amateurs". See also:
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/1950-beginning-of-end.html

ON TRACK FOR A GOOD GAME

In 1964 a major fire at the National Railyard at Shoreditch caused so much damage that it was scrapped and sold. Bought by investors the 2 and a half acre site area has been turned into a "pop up" sports' centre holding 8 five a side football pitches, 2 seven aside pitches a netball court and a cricket pitch, at the cost of £20 million. Very good news for the locals and good use of an old railway yard.

More remarkable is the Slovakian amateur football club, TJ Tatran Cjerny Balog, who host a working rail track along the side of their pitch, literally on the touchline and between the crowd in a stand and the pitch. The scheduled trains seem to run on time despite a match being on and the crowd gets a great view through the smoke and steam as well as the opportunity to do a bit of train spotting and listen to a train whistle.

Have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXIBP-gUz9o

Elsewhere, there is always something better than this clip provided by a trainspotter. How many league pitches can you see on a journey from Plymouth to Aberdeen? needless to say the answer is found in this article from the Guardian newspaper. There is a bit of "license" allowed.......
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/nov/04/football-grounds-seen-from-train-trips

LEGENDS

The Non League Football paper has much to offer us, particularly if you happen to be looking for news of old pros and football legends. Each week there is a new story.

Biggleswade United is a club, some would think, far detached from La Liga, but there is a touch of Spain in the Spartan South Midlanders, as Spanish football expert and club board member, Guillem Balague is offering them a new lease of life. As director of football he is working alongside ex Middlesbrough player, Gaizka Mendieta, (remember him?) who is with the youth team is gaining experience and taking his coaching badges. With head coach, Barcelona born Christian Colas they hope to play the Spanish way.

Alan Devonshire, remember him? Is managing Maidenhead United, who recently lost a valuable player from their ranks when their top striker was sent off in an FA Cup match against Winchester City. The FA   overturned the poor ref's decision. 

Spurs Legends, including Justin Edinburgh, David Howells and Darren Anderton helped raise £2,000 for an MS sufferer, Shelly Webb, at a charity football match against a Thurrock and Grays XI. 

And cuts at the FA have led to the retirement of FA historian David Barber, the Barber! Who joined the FA as historian in 1970 when he was also assistant to Alf Ramsey. I first met David when I was lucky enough to be chosen for an FA XI against Oxford University. David dealt with the important details of the various players selected and looked after us. He has watched over 6,400 games, many non-league, recording them dutifully on his blog. David is a legend in his own rite and I know he will continue his interest in all levels of football. 

Read the Non League Paper and find out about Steve Cotterill, Dean Saunders, Dean Holdsworth and more.

57 YEARS AGO

In 1958, Wales qualified for the World Cup Finals held in Sweden. They got there by default, not in a blaze of glory achieved by this year's Welsh team. Israel was refused entry to the finals when no Asian or African international teams would play them following the Suez crisis in 1956. Wales, having come second in their qualifying group, met Israel in a play off and beat them after a 2-0 victory at Ninian Park on the 5th of February 1958.

The next day was the Munich air disaster which took the lives of many Manchester United players.

In the finals, Wales drew their group games including a 0-0 with the hosts and eventual runners up. They then had another play off against 1954 runners up Hungary, winning 2-1. In the quarter-final, they met Brazil and Pele, who scored his first ever World Cup goal, losing 0-1. Glory in defeat.

It is 57 years since Wales last qualified for a major competition.

A GOOD WEEKEND HOME AND AWAY.

Sunday. It's been a cracking day. Once the wifi registered on my iPad, I was able to find out that non league weekend has been a successful one for my favourite sides. Hepworth United Juniors FC Under 12s undid Upperthong Hurricanes 6-2, so we now lie second in Division SIX of the Huddersfield and District Junior League. 

The Old Carthusians playing in an Arthurian League match beat rival Lancing Old Boys 2-1 at their place and now head the Premier Division. The Old Cs 2nd XI beat the Enfield Old Grammarians 6-2 in the London Old Boys Cup and the 3rd XI ended the Heathrow Seniors cup hopes with a 5-0 defeat.

Scanning the other Old Boys scores, I noticed, as I had half an eye on the gun emplacements across the sea on the Albanian Coast, that the Old Foresters, old boys from Forest School, Snaresbrook, beat Albanian FC in the Amateur Football Alliance cup. 

Albanian, from the Mill Hill area of North London, play in the amateur Football Combination Senior Division One. 

Meanwhile back on Corfu, our walk this morning, took us to a local bay and taverna where we found this Aris FC graffiti on a rock. Aris is a club near Thessaloniki in northern Greece. Must be keen supporters to have this kind of devotion so far from the club. Aris has existed since 1914 and takes its name from the God of War. It holds a remarkable record of not having lost a Cup home tie in various European competitions since 1968 and this includes ties against Chelsea (1970), Ipswich (1980) and Manchester City as recently as 2011.

ALPHA, BETA, GAMMA LEAGUE

Without the knowledge of local fixtures, I was invited by my wife to walk the coastal path from Villa Triton to Agni and back. It took all morning, I feel better for it and I did spot a couple of lads (under 12s?) in royal blue track tops, heading off from the village, in a car driven by a busy mum. It was the closest I was going to get to a football match today- Non League Football Day! I wonder which team they were heading towards, I need a dose of local footy.

On my journey I was phoned by the Hepworth United Ladies Coach and then the club Secretary during the walk, but I politely texted back that I was several thousand miles away and phone calls would be expensive, so can it wait?!

We are never far away from the great game, though the trip to Elefsina in western Athens to watch PAE AOK Kerkyra or Corfu FC, play their second league game was never on, but we dream. The opposition, Panelefsiniakos, lost 3-1 in what was an entertaining game, I gather. Don't know how they finance their travel in a cash challenged economy? 

Corfu have played two and won two this season, so perhaps the time when Kerkyra FC has suffered fortunes may be over. Recently banished from the league for dodgy fake transfers of shares, the club has had to merge with nearby village, Kassiopi, cleared debts and joined what is the Football League in Greece, one below the Super League, with a division of 18 clubs. 

Formed in 1969, the club moved up from the island league and developed a strong reputation at the national level. They play in the tidy stadium in Corfu town. Now is the time for rebuilding, just as Greece has to restore its image, so does Corfu FC.

LATE KICK OFF

Big day on the motor boat today, thinking whether we can find a bar to celebrate our brave England boys' thumping of Estonia. While out, it was the search for a sumptuous lunch that led our rudder man to dock at Nickolas' Taverna, a pleasant stop, where we ate much and learned that Lawrence Durell, the BBC, The Ark Royal all have enjoyed the host's hospitality. 

When questioned about the impending weekend league fixture for local team Corfu FC (Kerkyra FC), we learned that they were to play tonight, away in Athens. Not even our "kitty" would stretch that far; let alone the patience of our other halves. 

So it is Estonia, England, Mythos 5% lager and crisps to help Friday evening pass by. Bear in mind that Greece is 2 hours in front, so it will be 21.45 when they kick off..

What day is it tomorrow? You know, Non League Football Day! 

Here's another idea for your club. Pages Rangers in the Midland League Div 2 have started the Paget Need You campaign, trying to break their record attendance of 155, since they reformed. £1 entrance for tomorrow's game v Knowle and all food in the Crossbar Kitchen is half price. Chairman, Matthew Dainty said, "We like to do things differently here and initiatives like this are the sort of thing we like to get behind and market to the full."

Other clubs are giving cheap tickets to the armed forces, emergency services, NHS workers, schoolchildren, free hot dog, first drink and much more.

COR.....FU...GET OFF OF MY CLOUD

Went on a road trip this day, the pinnacle being the highest peak on Corfu, Mount Pandokrator at 911 metres asl and to spoil the view from a monastery and taverna, there were more aerials than you would find on the M1/M6 junction.

Did manage a view of a 3G footy pitch near to a Lyceum, and saw some lads kicking a ball around this evening on our return. Hardly the curtain raising effort for the  internationals tonight. Will we be allowed out to a local bar to watch one of the games? Or will we have to remain devoted to our better halves?

Whatever, the fact that Non League Football Saturday is coming up and you should be thinking of something to jazz up your club's weekend. 

Here is another idea...

Prostate Cancer UK want football fans to make a Non League pledge for Men United.

Take a friend to a game, Text Pledge to 70004 or visit prostatecanceruk.org/pledge. They have teamed up with Vanarama for a #WearTheWig campaign. There is also a sponsored walk to the Macclesfield and Kidderminster match at 12.45. Contact clubs involved.

NON LEAGUE DAY

Having survived a day with sporadic Internet and no Sky, one way and another, the €4 plastic 32 panelled footy ball and the villa maid have kept us entertained. She had precision passing to a tee and made a mockery of Jerry and Lew's tiki take. They never mastered the ridge in the patio around the swimming pool.

So no football to watch yet, but it is non-league football Saturday coming up, so here's another initiative helping to attract crowds; AFC Emley, in the Northern Counties East League Div One, are offering for a £10 online bought ticket, entry, a programme, arable ticket to win the famed Emley Big Breakfast, any food item with chips and a drink. Children under 13 go free. It can't get much than that. Come on you NFL fans. Go and support your local team. Apologies again for type face.....no idea how to remedy it.

HELLO Mr GRIMSDALE!

I am looking across a piece of the Adriatic Sea at the Albanian coastline, thinking about Norman Wisdom (the country's favourite comedian). I also wonder if we can take in a local match this week. Corfu does have a team that plays in the third division of the national league, I think, though our charming car hire man and the Scottish lady rep for the villa company were not sure why we would want to watch Kerkyra FC play. They both shrugged their shoulders and looked bemused. As a Scot she should realise the importance of watching any standard of football, especially the below average.

It is Non-League day on the 10th and all clubs below the FL should be doing their stuff. Each day I will remind you with an example of what can be achieved. This year if you find yourself in the first 50 attendees at Walsham le Willows in the Eastern Counties league, their game against Brantham Athletic , you will get a half dozen eggs given to you on behalf of sponsor Alan Marshall of Manor Farm Eggs. You can get them after the match just in case you have the urge to chuck them at the ref.

So much fun, but maybe not quite as much mirth making as the quiz in the Taunton Town FC match day programme which asks many obscure questions such as, how quick was the fastest sending off in English league history and who was given the red card?

Apologies for type face.....using iPad on Albanian border clearly not helping. 

Answers to me please. 

 Image from http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JNSDW0ZZL._SY300_.jpg.

VASE HAS PLENTY IN IT.

While I was lounging at Darwen FC yesterday, (read yesterday's post), West Didsbury and Chorlton FC (this is ONE club in Manchester), at their home ground (now at Chorlton), were giving Dinnington a bit of a pasting in the Vase. 15-1. Sorry but I have to mention it.

Nic Evangelinos notched 3 and the other goals were spread around eight of the team. The match report is gushing with pride and some sympathy for their poor opponents.

West Didsbury  FC was formed in 1908 as Christ Church FC, many did, mainly encouraged by the local church to keep the chaps out of the pubs on a weekend and not spend their wages. In the 1920s West Didsbury merged with Chorlton and used their ground and now play at Step 9 on the pyramid in the North West Counties League. The club has also recently celebrated their win in the League Cup against Abbey Hey 1-0.

Dinnington, from Rotherham, have had a difficult time, having formed originally in 1908, faded a bit and then had a revival in 2000 and in 2013-14 having joined the NE Counties League, they shut up shop only to re-emerge to play in the Black Dragon Central Midlands League North. Step 11 on the pyramid. The inevitably has a "phoenix" on their badge and play at Phoenix Park-how many times have I recorded this "from the flames moment"??

Elsewhere it was good to see Worthing United beat Epsom Athletic in the southern end of the draw. Worthing you will know suffered the sad loss of two of their players in the Shoreham Air Show disaster and this is in memory of them.

Oakwood took on another Sussex side, Lancing FC and at full time it was 4-4. AET 4-9! The lads from Crawley had had enough after 90 minutes. Formed as a school side from a local housing estate in the "new town", Oakwood has had a rapid rise to heady heights since their founding in 1962. They now play in the Sussex County League Division Two-BUT no longer in the FA Vase!!! after their drubbing on Saturday.

NICE BADGES EH?

ROVERS AT HOME, PROGRAMMES ARE RARE

It has been a good day so far-I am waiting for the World Cup rugby! My trip to the dark side took 120 miles round and I experienced the outskirts of Manchester, Bury, Blackburn and then the Boatyard Inn at Riley Green-a very genial pub by the canal.

AFC Darwen were playing West Auckland and I would show you photos of the visitors bus with the sign West Auckland FC First Winners of the World Cup emblazened on the front windscreen, but my phone is defunct.

The Darwen ground was very hospitable, with some old photos of the 1890s team (see yesterday) and a mannequin standing in the corner of the bar, dressed in club kit, that you could buy if you wanted to-the kit that is!
The crowd was small, despite this being a Vase tie, because Rovers were at home. Bad planning?
The locals were very charming and I joined in their chit chat about the club and its history.

West Auckland went 1-0 up, the home team then pulled themselves together and went 2-1 up, only to give away a last minute equaliser, so the game went into extra time. The club vice-chairman a very friendly guy, did not want to travel to the north-east on a midweek evening for a replay (it costs), so he hoped for a winner, but I am afraid the wheels dropped off in the last period and the visitors won 4-2.

While I was there, I did meet my two retired northern teachers, Taylor and Hopkinson; I also met two ground hoppers from Horsham (my home town) who like me had to badger old men for their match day programmes because Darwen only had a few printed (based on Rovers being at home) but not realising that Auckland would bring two coach loads of fans, dressed in yellow and black and eventually "aled up".

I got my programme from an elderly gentleman who was clutching the thing against his walking stick and making it creased.....I rescued it for £1. i think he was confused about the transaction. The programme is full of good stuff, if slightly "used".

More importantly, I did meet the son of Alan Kennedy-you know the old Liverpool player, who came to watch his son perform, albeit on the losing side, and to rub salt in the wound, he got injured and had to be subbed. One home supporter got this photo signed by Alan!

Finally, a home player was laid out in a tackle towards the end of the game and the emergency services had to be called. I hope he was OK??

Sadly Darwen will not be clutching a Vase at the end of this season.

DARING TO GO TO DARWEN ON THE DARK SIDE.

I'm off to Darwen tomorrow, yes Lancashire, where somewhere between Bolton and Blackburn lies one of the original football league clubs. No longer known as Darwen FC, the club has had its moments and was wound up, owing debts, in 2008-9, then rose like the Phoenix immediately to become AFC Darwen in the NW Counties League Division 2.
The club's origins around 1870, lie in rugby and cricket, which were played on the local cricket pitch, Barley Bank, the club eventually adopting the Football Association Rules in 1875.
In 1878, Blackburn Rovers visited their pitch for a friendly and 14,000 turned up to watch one of the first floodlit matches.
In 1879, Fergie Suter and James Love were signed on the club's books as professionals from Patrick Thistle and this started a row amongst various clubs over professionalism, which was not allowed! At this time the Lancashire clubs especially were sneaking Scots across the border to boost their teams. The ban on professionals ruling eventually changed, obviously!
The Scots boosted Darwen's football until they reached the FA Cup quarter-finals meeting the Old Etonians and accepting the rule that matches had to be played in London, Darwen travelled three times to the capital drawing 5-5, 2-2 and then capitulating to the OEs 5-6. What a thriller!
In 1880-1, the club had a splendid run in the FA Cup, meeting and beating Brigg, Sheffield, Sheffield Wednesday and Romford (15-0) until the semi-final, when they met their match in the great Old Carthusians, who if you didn't know by now, are the old boys of Charterhouse School in Surrey and in those days one of the great amateur teams. The old boys won 4-1 and went on to beat the Old Etonians in the final 3-0 at the Oval.
By 1891 the club joined the Football League with varied success, playing their last league game at Barley Bank against Newton Heath (now Manchester United) drawing 1-1 in front of 1000 supporters. The ground is now given over to housing.
The club took the main stand with them and ended up at the Anchor Ground where I shall be tomorrow with a couple of old Lancastrian teachers watching an FA Vase cup tie.
I shall be rooting for the Salmoners-if you read past blogs you will find out more about the visitors, West Auckland FC.
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/west-auckland-lose-fa-vase-and-world-cup.html

WHO'S TOP GOAL SCORER?

As Ronaldo popped in two more goals in Real Madrid's, European Champions League tie last night and Lionel Messi didn't, I got to thinking about the greatest goalscorers of all time. Ten quickly came to mind with the help of the www. OK it was a quiet afternoon and I didn't want too much sun.

Top man might be Gerd Muller, Der Bomber, of Bayern Munich, who scored 35 European goals in 35 matches. That's a ratio of 1:1.

Ference Puskas of Budapest Honved and later Real Madrid, known as the Galloping Major, made a fool of England and also club opposition in his career, scoring 36 in 41 games (0.88).

Close behind comes Jose Joao Altafini, a Brazilian, who with AC Milan and Juve scored 24/28 at 0.86.

These are familiar names, so are Alfredo di Stefano, with Real notched 49/58 at 0.84 and Messi, who at the moment trails at 0.78 75/96.

Ruud van Nistelroy who featured with PSV, Man U and Real, comes in at 0.77 (56/73), not bad for somebody who was signed by Sir Alex with an injury for £16m and came good!

Jean Pierre Papin, of Marseille and AC and BM, is seventh with 0.76 (28/37) with the Black Pearl, Eusebio of Benfica, top scorer in European Cups in 1965, 66 and 68 with 46/65, is 8^th.

Christiano Ronaldo (MU and RM) scored 76 in 116 at 0.66 with Romario, a Brazilian, of Barca and PSV also ratioed 0.66 with 20/32.

All these are great names and each one succeeding in differing periods of European competition.

Was it harder to score in the 1950-60s with heavy leather footballs and dodgey pitches or now with team strategy and technique finely tuned?

Top international goalscorers put Puskas in second place behind Ali Daei of Iran who scored 109 goals in 149 matches between 1993-2006; against whom?

Puskas comes second, Pele 5^th, Muller 12^th and Robbie Keane 14^th with 67 in 142 games.

Romario is 27^th , Christian Ronaldo 27^th and Wayne Rooney 43^rd with his 50^th goal scored recently.

Highest scoring player must be Arthur Friedenreich of Brazil (1909-1935) who scored an "undocumented" number of 1329 goals in his career. See photo.

Pele rates high (with his Milesimo, 1000^{th  i}n 1969) playing in his 909^th first class match, totalled eventually, 1363 appearances and 1279 goals! Some of his "career" goals may not pass the "official game" test-14 of his total apparently came in "military" matches.

Franz Binder of Austria and Germany (1930-49) in 756 matches produced 1006 goals.

Muller, Eusebio, Puskas, Romario and di Stefano all come in the top 9 in history, which confirms their success in European Cup matches.