ALL WHITES MAKING HISTORY.

Today I am in the shadow of the Beehive. No? It's the New Zealand Parliamentary Building in Wellington. Been in a little Italian restaurant  nearby, ,run by a Kiwi and some orientals, all serving delicious Italian grub with associated brilliant New Zealand wines.

Sport? Well the owner, who is of an age, played for the All Blacks, we discovered, and if you don't engaged people, then you don't find out. This man played for the New Zealand international rugby side around about the time that I was on a teaching exchange in Christchurch, just after the 1982 World Cup (Soccer).

You may remember-of course you won't- that NZ got to the final stages on the WC'82 and were plonked in a remarkable group with Scotland, USSR and Brazil. The All Whites, very much in fourth slot.

To get to the finals in Spain, NZ had to play through Indonesia, Taiwan, Fiji and Australia and THEN qualify against China, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. No mean feat.

In Spain, it was very much what the bookies predicted with Scotland thumping the All Whites 5-2 with Strachan, Wark 2 goals and Dalglish in the mix. NZ got the game back to 3-2 at one point with goals from Sumner and Woodin.

Brazil won 4-0, as Zico ran a mock and theN USSR won 3-0. Getting a goal off Scotland was the major achievement, so the Kiwis went home with some pride. Soccer still plays second fiddle to rugby of course, but in every corner of every nation there is a glimmer of soccer success and hope for the next time, even with footballers from Miramar Rangers, Invercargill Thistle and Gisborne City!

IN MEMORIUM-UNITED

Keith Dewhurst, born in Oldham, went to Rydal independent school in North Wales and Peterhouse, Cambridge. With a degree in English from one of the top universities in the world he worked as a yarn tester in a local cotton mill. Between 1955 and 1959 he worked as the reporter on Manchester United on the Manchester Evening Chronicle.

He has also written a fine book called Underdogs in 2012, following the historic 1879 FA Cup run of Darwen FC, in those days a team with Football League qualifications and many plays. Dewhurst had Manchester United in his soul and at boarding school he would revel in the Football Pink paper, with all the results and comments of local games and reporter Alf Clarke brought this news to him at school on Saturday evenings, a man reputedly who turned out for United once when they were short at Grimsby!??

Today Dewhurst writes about the Munich Air Crash in which Clarke had perished, his last missive, telling of the delays to their flight home .Ten days later Dewhurst filled Clarke's shoes.

Dewhurst suddenly had access to the club's inner circle and it was there that he saw the marvellous post disaster work of Jimmy Murphy. Here was a coach who liked a drink, smoked, played piano and was a genius in inspiration. It wasn't tactics that he imparted but discipline. In 1958 after the dreadful disaster, he was employed by the Welsh national team to considerable success in the Swedish World Cup where his home nation, Wales reached the quarter-finals.

Dewhurst writes about the success that United remarkably achieved later in 1958, reaching the FA Cup Final, progress in the European Cup and beyond, as the Busby Babes re-emerged. There was Bill Foulkes, who had an Italian tailor in London, Mark Pearson a winner at three card brag, the laundry ladies at the ground, Omo and Daz, and many more personal observations. Busby and Charlton of course "reincarnated".

The memorial service is at Old Trafford today at 1.45pm, remembering the time when Manchester United was suddenly everybody's favourite team (well second favourite then).

http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/munich-remembered.html

NICK NACKS

This is nice website to play around with:
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spurs/
OK, I have homed in on Spurs but you can try others.
In 1901 Spurs won the FA Cup from being a Southern league club and they beat Sheffield United 3-1, the first time that RIBBONS were hung on the trophy.
In 1908 on returning from tour, they club had been given a parrot which died when Arsenal overtook then in the division.
In 1963 Spurs became the first British team to win a European trophy when they beat Athletico Madrid 5-1 in the European Cup Winners Cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilw0NXnIYbc  good game, shocking pitch at Feyenoord! Greaves 2, White 1, Dyson 2. Name the others?

In May1972 Spurs became the first club to win the UEFA Cup Final, beating Wolves 3-2 on aggregate (1-2 Chivers 2 at Molineux and 1-1 Mullery at WHL).
http://int.search.mywebsearch.com/search/video.jhtml?id=XNxdm019YYgb&n=77edc526&pg=video&pn=1&ptb=308DCB58-2A13-42C4-993A-77A59B6C34C6&ptnrS=XNxdm019YYgb&qs=&searchfor=Spurs+v+Wolves+1971&si=CJeTnrb1k7ECFZMctAodh14dkA&ss=sub&st=sb&tpr=sbt
December 2000 Les Ferdinand scored the 10,000th PL goal for Spurs at Fulham 4-0

FEBRUARY 4th COME BACK.

Is it a day for comebacks? Spurs were 0-1 down to Liverpool, so not really a big turn round, as the game ended 2-2. Much for the  pundits to consider and considering the controversy, a fair result.

On February 4th 2004 Spurs were 3-0 up over Manchester City in an FA Cup 4th Rd replay. Previously the two had drawn 1-1 in Manchester. King, Keane and Ziege had put Tottenham 3-0 and in the clear. Joey Barton, of course, had already been on a Yellow card but then argued with the ref and got sent off. City down to 10 men. Joey you are too intelligent-but you can't be right all the time.

In the second half, City manager's, Kevin Keegan's team talk (yep-Kevin), inspired Distin to score after 3 minutes, Bosvelt after 69', Wright-Phillips at 80' and Macken in the 90th, which brought about a remarkable come back.

There have been others..... In 1908-9 Newcastle were drawing 1-1 at home in the Tyne-Wear derby. Sunderland scored 8 in the second half to win 9-1. Newcastle bounced back the next eleven league games to win them all and take the Championship (the then 1st Division)

On December 21st 1957, Charlton Athletic reduced to 10 men after 15 minutes were 5-1 down to Huddersfield Town. In the second half they battled back to 6-5 up, Town equalised and with the last kick of the game, John Ryan scored for the Latics 7-6!

Blackpool recovered from 3-1 down to Bolton in the 1953 FA Cup Final, now well known as the Matthews' Final. He mesmerized the injured Bolton full back, Eric Bell, (no subs in those days) to sculpture a 4-3 victory.

On March 19 1966 Spurs led Aston Villa at half time in a league game 5-1. Villa fought back to 5-5. I think I mentioned a similar "folding" between Spurs and Burnley in 1960! See recent blog!

THE CLARETS "JUG"

Today, I watched Burnley play Manchester City on the TV and know a coach from our junior club who would have been at Turf Moor watching the home team, maybe dreaming of the season that made Burnley famous. Not sure he is old enough to have a proper memory of that occasion?
The 1959-60 season saw the unfashionable Burnley steal the First Division Championship pipping the "fashionable" Wolves by one point totalling 55 points after losing 11 games and drawing 7. 

By coincidence, Burnley played Manchester City at Maine Road on the final Saturday of the season (2nd May 1960). Trevor Meredith and Jimmy Robson appeared on BBC TV this morning remembering the match. Meredith was a reserve who replaced the injured England international, John Connelly on the right wing, and scored the winner in front of nearly 66,000. Score 2-1. This was the first time that season that the Clarets had led the table.

Wolves were robbed of the historic achievement of winning three Championships in a row and an FA Cup and League Double. Never mind, Spurs did that the next season (1960-1) with 66 points, 8 ahead of Wolves with Burnley in 4th place.

Burnley bounced back in 1961-2 beating Tottenham into second place and coming runners up to the extremely unfashionable Ipswich town, managed by Alf Ramsey. Tottenham got their own back at Wembley beating Burnley in the FA Cup Final 3-1, missing a second Double.
In 1962-3 Everton won the Championship with Spurs 2nd and Burnley 3rd.

STAN'S THE BIRTHDAY MAN.

February 2nd, 2022 the day AFTER Stanley Matthews' birthday. I could have named my son Stanley, I went for Matthew. Stanley was my hero footballer when I was a lad. My brother went for Tom Finney, the other great "winger" in England's football and another "Lancastrian". Matthews of course was born and bred in Stoke, but transfered to Blackpool in his pomp and stayed there was a long time before finishing his professional career-OVER 50 years old at Stoke, completing the circle!
Sir Stanley would have been 107 today; here he is in Stoke's "colours", his first club, showing the feint and body swerve of a skilful right winger. 

I have included Sir Stanley previously, in several blogs, because he is one of the true heroes of British (World) football-here are a few:-
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/matthews-win-is-nations-loss.html
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/two-more-football-league-founders.html
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/tailored-made-for-football.html
http://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/black-man-white-face.html
and some action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HRpvcRn0w
and something more for you to read, on a rainy day;
https://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/10/12/sir-stanley-matthews-and-the-story-of-englands-humble-wizard/

Somewhere above, I may have recorded that I met Sir Stanley a couple of times. The most exciting was when a teaching colleague of mine, whose family knew the Matthews' family well, persuaded Stanley to come and coach a Charterhouse XI made up from 1st XI schoolboys, Old Carthusians (Charterhouse old boys) and Staff, that played the Royal Military Academy XI at Sandhurst in Surrey! I played, Matthews coached, what a moment!

That afternoon, Sir Stanley was modest, intelligent and shared the occasion with us teachers, old boys, boys and military staff. I have no idea what the score was....probably a cleverly constructed draw with lots of goals. The Sandhurst Academy hospitality, as ever, provided a brlliant tea (cooked) and a bar  (even the lads supped a beer). What a perfect day!

David Miller, Old Carthusian, footballer (right winger) and noted author and journalist published Stans'  "authorised" biography. Matthews died 22/2/2000.

NOT SO TREMBLY AT WEMBLEY.

I was overwhelmed by the brilliant performance of the SPURS last night as they dismantled Manchester United, but sadly not at White Hart Lane. Still the Wembley hoodoo seems to have been brushed aside and there were records broken or nearly broken.
The attendance at the rented National Stadium was 81,978 a Premier League record.
Christian Eriksen scored his 50th goal for Spurs, (Harry Kane did not reach his "ton").
The first goal was scored in 10.48 seconds, beaten only by Alan Shearer (Newcastle v Man City 2-0 10.4 secs Jan 2003) and Ledley King (Spurs v Bradford City 3-3 9.9 secs Dec 2000).
SOON Spurs will be playing at their new stadium, fittingly the last game at WHL was between Spurs and United and here's the programme-

The first match between the two clubs was played on 28th January 1899 when Tottenham played NEWTON HEATH at Northumberland Park. 15,000 watched an FA Cup Rd 1 draw 1-1 which then allowed Spurs to win the replay 5-3 at Bank Street, Clayton on February 1st. 6,000 watched. Both Spurs' Scottish brothers, Henry and Fred Erentz, played in the first game.

The 11th September 1909 was the date of the next game when Spurs played their first match in the top flight (First Division). 32,275 watched a 2-2 draw with goals scored from Bobby Steele's two penalties. It was the first use of the new Archibald Leitch designed West Stand at the Lane (see programme above).

Most other matches between the two clubs have been in the old Division One or the Premier League (from 1992) apart from a number of FA Cup ties, a UEFA Cup Winners Cup tie in 1963 (work that out), the Charity Shield in 1967 (3-3) AND 8 matches in Division Two between Sept 1931 and Feb 1938.
Overall United have won 89 times, Spurs 51 and draws 48.

I saw the two play on September 3rd 1960 at The Lane, the season of the Double and a couple of other times too.