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


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