DON, JOE, KEVIN, REG, TEL, FRANK,

On Saturday 11th May 1985, I was driving a minibus full of A Level students to Tideswell, Derbyshire, for few days' field trip in the Peak District. En route, listening to the radio, we heard news of the tragedy at the Bradford City v Lincoln City match at Valley Parade. A discarded match thrown down to the floor started a fire in the wooden Main Stand of the ground, underneath which lay paper from previous match spectators. The stand was soon engulfed in flames, leaving 56 dead and over 250 injured.

On Friday May 11th 1979
Despite having scored fewer goals than relegated Sheffield United, for their last match of the season Crystal Palace had everything to play for. They were fourth in the Second Division (now called the Championship) table but the top three sides, in the promotion spots, had all completed their League fixtures. Palace were catching up after a poor season of weather-related postponements. A win for Palace on that Friday night would see them finish top and deny great rivals Brighton the championship. A draw would see them miss out on the title, but still win promotion to the top flight, while a defeat would see them stay in the Second Division. A record Selhurst Park crowd of 51,482 witnessed a goalless first half against Burnley. Goals from Ian Walsh and David Swindlehurst in the last quarter of an hour gave the Londoners a 2-0 victory and the Second Division title!

On Tuesday May 11th 1976, Elton John played at a concert at Earls Court and on that day, Jim Bonser resigned as chairman of Watford FC, with his replacement being one Reg Dwight, aka Elton John. Elton said ' I'm really serious about this. I hope people will not treat this as a gimmick. I've supported this club since I was seven years old.' Graham Taylor was an early appointment as manager and between them in ten years they turned Fourth Division Watford into a club who had finished second in the top flight, reached an FA Cup final and had played in European competition. This was not a gimmick, as the appointment of Elton John proved to be one of Watford's greatest signings!

On Sunday May 11th 1975 England thumped Cyprus 1-0 in Limasol in a Euro Qualifier, Keegan scoring. A month earlier, Malcolm MacDonald (remember his bandy legs) scored all 5 in a 5-0 rout of Cyprus at Wembley.

On Saturday 11th May 1974, after England manager (remember the 1966 World Cup?) Alf Ramsey had been sacked by the FA and before the appointment of Don Revie as his successor, the Coventry City boss (at the time) was Joe Mercer, who became temporary manager of England for 7 matches in 5 weeks. The first of those games was on this day, when England visited Wales for an England Home International match played at Cardiff City’s Ninian Park ground. England won the match 2-0, the goals coming from Kevin Keegan, his first goal for England in his third appearance for his country, and QPR’s Stan Bowles, whose goal was the only one he scored in his five England appearances. The England team was: Shilton, Nish, Pejic, Hughes, MacFarland, Todd, Keegan, Bell, Channon, Weller, Bowles. That front line was "Maverick" wasn't it? Only Frank Worthington missing! Frank won his first cap in the next game v N.Ireland-we won 1-0. Scotland beat England in the next game 2-0. Frank only won 8 caps.

Joe Mercer’s seven matches in charge of England:- won three, drew three, but lost to Scotland. Many hoped he would take permanent charge of England but he didn't and back to Coventry City he went. In that time Joe cheered everyone up, but saw some of his players disgrace themselves: including Kevin Keegan taken away by local police, from the luggage carousel at Belgrade airport, where he was riding on the suitcases! The England players were prepared to boycott the game as a result. Joe solved it with diplomacy. Stan Bowles walked out of the squad, following his substitution v Northern Ireland and was not selected for the next fixture against Scotland.