MAN OF THE MATCH 1968

On Friday evening I was lucky enough, with my other half, to be invited to the "Dark side", yes Lanacashire, for a friend's retirement do at Stamford Golf Club. Peter Wood has been part of Hulme GS, Oldham since he was 11 years old, boy and man. A fit and well shaped 60 year old (or so) he is taking his teacher's pension and spending it on golf balls and visits to Diggle FC where he once graced the hallowed turf.

The party was fun and full of characters some of whom had played for the school side, for the Independent Schools' representative team and maybe even a step higher in non-league football.

I met an Old Hulme boy called Mark Aston, who was the master in Charge of Football at Bury GS when I ran football at Charterhouse. We had played against his team in the ISFA Cup and at other times. South did not meet North a lot, but on this occasion we were drawn away against Bury in the quarter-final of the cup in dark December. It was memorable! My son Matthew, as captain of the Charterhouse team, scored a goal and led his team to a squeaky 2-1 victory on a swampy pitch, partly covered by the previous night's snowfall. We lost the final! Prior to the Bury game we had beaten Queen Elizabeth's GS, Blackburn in the round of 16 and in their side was Chris Porter who has made his career as a professional. So we weren't a bad side, not that one makes a team!

Go to Greater Manchester and talk to somebody there about football and mention the name Aston and you will have to suffer a long diatribe about the famous son of Manchester United, Johnny Aston, This was Mark's DAD!!

A lean and clever footballer, Aston starred in the memorable 1968 European Cup Final played at Wembley against Benfica (Eusebio and all). Aston was given man of the match and I remember watching him fly down the wing setting up chances for his team mates, the likes of Bobby Charlton and George Best. So Mark has some DNA pedigree and he was a good player too making it into the ISFA U18 squad.

John, a winger, was part of the United youth system, making his debut in 1965 against Leicester City, after which he played for United 154 times with 25 goals. He then went to Luton Town (174-31 goals), Mansfield Town (31-4) and ended at Blackburn Rovers (15-2).

At United he won the European Cup, First Division Championship and played in the Charity Shield twice and the Intercontinental Cup Final. But he never played for his country. (The United European Champions team-Aston is back row second from left as you look at it)

Johnny's father, (Mark's grandfather) was  a left back (and sometime CF!!) who in the United youth system from 1939 and it took seven years for him to make his debut against Chelsea in 1946. He then played 284 times for United scoring 30 goals and post war won the FA Cup nullifying Stanley Matthews' and Blackpool in 1948.
He also won a First Division Championship medal and 17 England caps, including being part of the embarrassing loss to the USA in the 1950 World Cup. It wasn't his fault.

He suffered from tuberculosis in 1954 which ended his playing career, but John senior went on to coach at United and was chief scout under Wilf McGuinness and Frank O'Farrell.

At the turn of the 21st Century, John senior was the only living player to have played at all FOUR of United's "home" grounds. Can you name them? Careful!!
He died in 2003.

So, for me, it was a privilege to meet people with such illustrious connections to the great game. It was grand party and there is always something to help me write this blog!