Number 6
November
29th 2016
The curse of the Manager of the Month
Award
In
my November 2nd Blog (Number 2), I was speculating on the identity
of the next Red Rose County manager to bite the dust. As usual I made the wrong
call, suggesting it might be Owen Coyle at Blackburn. In the same edition I was
commiserating with David Flitcroft, whose Bury club had lost six on the bounce.
Having subsequently lost another three league games and suffered a 5-1
hammering at AFC Wimbledon in their FA Cup replay, it was inevitable that he
would go. This however is the man who was voted Division 1 Manager of the Month
in September and had hitherto been successful at Gigg Lane. There is a fag
paper thick line between success and failure in football and managers tread
that thin line weekly.
September must seem a long time ago to David Flitcroft
Some may advocate that the
advert for the position of manager should be accompanied by a Government Health
Warning. For those non-believers, may I suggest they look at the chart below
which indicates that only 5 of the area’s 18 clubs have employed their current
manager for over 12 months? The Fergusons and Wengers are the exception in this
industry and even more so in Continental Europe. There appears to be an “end
by” date for most managers; a shelf life as if they are a supermarket
commodity. But it is also something of a roundabout for the ones who have had
success before finally “losing the plot”. They usually find re-employment quickly.
Carl Robinson was snapped up by Charlton Athletic last week, days after being
sacked by MK Dons. Hope for David Flitcroft then?
Current managers at Red Rose County clubs in order of length of
service.
Pos
|
Club
|
Manager
|
Start Date
|
Length of Reign in
Months
|
1
|
Morecambe
|
Jim Bentley
|
13.05.11
|
66
|
2
|
Burnley
|
Sean Dyche
|
30.10.12
|
49
|
3
|
Rochdale
|
Keith Hill
|
22.01.13
|
46
|
4
|
Preston North End
|
Simon Grayson
|
18.02.13
|
45
|
5
|
Accrington Stanley
|
John Coleman
|
18.09.14
|
26
|
6
|
Liverpool
|
Jürgen Klopp
|
08.11.15
|
12
|
7
|
Barrow
|
Paul Cox
|
23.11.15
|
12
|
8
|
Manchester United
|
Jose Mourinho
|
27.05.16
|
6
|
9
|
Blackpool
|
Gary Bowyer
|
01.06.16
|
5
|
10
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
Owen Coyle
|
02.06.16
|
5
|
11
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
Phil Parkinson
|
10.06.16
|
5
|
12
|
Everton
|
Ronald Koeman
|
14.06.16
|
5
|
13
|
Manchester City
|
Pep Guardiola
|
01.07.16
|
4
|
14
|
Oldham Athletic
|
Stephen
Robinson
|
09.07.16
|
4
|
15
|
Fleetwood
|
Uwe Rosler
|
30.07.16
|
4
|
16
|
Southport
|
Steve Burr
|
08.09.16
|
2
|
17
|
Wigan Athletic
|
Warren Joyce
|
02.11.16
|
1
|
18
|
Bury
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Ronald Koeman
He has managed 9 clubs in 16 years,
sacked only twice. Where will he be in 2018?
The best Manchester
City XI I
have had the privilege to watch.
Chosen by Mike Ryan
League appearances for club in brackets
Bert Trautmann (508),
Tony Book (244), Vincent Kompany (223), Mike
Doyle (448), Glyn Pardoe (305),
Yaya Toure (198), Colin Bell (394), David de
Silva (198), Kevin de Bruyne (38),
Francis Lee (249), Sergio Aguero (161),
Captain Tony Book,
Manager Joe Mercer
Mike
said that right and left back were the hardest slots to fill, believing that
they have never had world class players in these positions. Has anyone out
there any different views on that or on any other of the players that Mike has
chosen?
Incidentally,
following last week’s article on the best ever Blackburn Rovers side, readers
mentioned several centre backs, each of whom played at the top level and is
worthy of being thrown in the mix. There was Matt Woods, signed from Everton in
the late fifties who played in the 1960 Cup Final. The other two were regular
team mates in the first decade of this century. One was Congolese international
Chris Samba, the other being Kiwi international captain, Ryan Nelson.
Performances
of the last week
Newcastle United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1 (EFL
Championship)
Tribulation turned to triumph on Tyneside
for a Rovers side which was looking every inch relegation fodder. As they said
on Radio Lancashire, this was “a coupon busting result”. The Geordies had won 9
on the spin; the Rovers had accumulated just 4 away points but Charlie Mulgrew,
now looking like a rare inspired signing by the blues, notched the winner.
Charlie Mulgrew
Manchester United 4 Feyenoord 0 (Europa
League)
For Lancastrians, who support their
local clubs, there is probably more antagonism towards the Red Devils and their
followers than any other top club. It may be jealousy, but it is probably aimed
at their supporters in the public eye who see it as just another fashion item.
But being honest, United is a great Red Rose County club and I would much rather
it achieve success than Arsenal or Chelsea. By the standards set by Ferguson, they
have been suffering of late so this victory over the 1970 European Cup winners ought
to have done them the power of good. Pressure should have been reduced on their
besieged manager, but then came Sunday’s bottle kicking incident. Cue head
shaking in the Owner’s Lounge.
Morecambe 2 Plymouth Argyle 1 (EFL Division 2)
This was another shock result.
Morecambe had not won in their last 7 home games, whereas the Devon side had
won the last 7 on their travels. But an away banker it certainly was not as a
Michael Rose penalty and a header from the skipper Peter Murphy, the
ex-Accrington Stanley player, secured a much needed win for the Shrimps.
Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Barrow 4
The East London club had been Football
League residents for 10 years until being relegated to the National League in
May. Barrow however, on a long unbeaten 20 game run, travelled down from
Cumbria on Saturday and totally dominated the game. Byron Harrison scored
twice, taking his tally to 16 for the season as the “Bluebirds” leapfrogged the
“Daggers” into 3rd spot while announcing themselves as serious title
contenders.
Games
to look forward to this week
Manchester City v Chelsea (Premier League)
Saturday 12.30
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is
the media’s match of the day. Two hot sides, each packed with quality players;
a tummy tingling encounter. Hazard and Costa versus Aguero and de Bruyne would
pack any stadium in Europe. If both teams attack it could be a classic, but
Chelsea may opt for a defensive set-up and hit City on the break. I hope not.
Sheffield United v Bolton Wanderers) (FA Cup
Round 2) Sunday
There is equally no doubt as to the FA
Cup match of the day. Second and third in League 1, these are the class of the
field. Both of the clubs have their names engraved 4 times on the trophy, albeit
the last time for United was in 1925. Bolton’s last triumph was Nat Lofthouse
inspired in 1958, but which club will win this particular war of the roses?
Nat Lofthouse with the FA Cup 1958
Ashton United v Spennymoor Town (Northern
Premier League) Saturday
Ashton is in its twelfth consecutive
season in the league with top five finishes in the last two seasons. Sadly they
are unable to attract large crowds (averaging 165 per match), placing them 23rd
out of 24 in the attendance league table. They are just 2 points behind the 5th
placed club, level with Saturday’s opponents but the well supported Durham side
will bring lots of support. It is a game both sides need to win if they are to
challenge for promotion.
Cleethorpes Town v Bootle (FA Vase Round 3)
Saturday
A list of entries numbering around six
hundred clubs has now been whittled down to the last 64; five more wins
required before Wembley Stadium beckons. Cleethorpes Town from the North
Lincolnshire coast is currently top of the Northern Counties East Premier
Division, a similarly ranked league to the North West Counties where Bootle
plays. So it is a clash between two teams in top form; a real 50/50 tie. The
winner could go all the way.
Quiz
of the Week (Answers at the foot of the
Blog)
All of the answers have Red Rose
County connections
1
Paul
Stewart, who sadly dominated the news last week, started his professional
career and made over 200 appearances in Divisions 3 & 4 for which club?
2
Which
current manager holds the record for most consecutive conversions of penalty
kicks (25) in La Liga and has allegedly scored more goals than any other
defender in the history of world football (195)?
3
For
which club did Tommy Briggs score 7 goals v Bristol Rovers in 1955?
4
Which
National League North club was only founded in 2005?
5
Steve
Bruce, Owen Coyle and Malky McKay have all managed which club within the last
10 years?
6
Which
North West Counties Premier Division side bears the same name as a former
football stadium which hosted 18 FA Cup semi-finals between 1928 and 1994?
7
Manchester
United’s Adnan Januzaj is currently on loan to which Premier League club?
8
Which
Premier League club did Accrington Stanley knock out of the EFL Cup this
season?
9
Which
Premier League player who scored this weekend will have a statue of himself unveiled
very soon?
10
How
many players from Red Rose County clubs played in the 1966 World Cup Final?
Post Weekend
Musings
Is
it not ironic if not inevitable that Morecambe FC, on being taken over by a
foreign business man in September would not be able to pay the players’ wages
at the end of October? Perhaps we need to give Senor Lemos the benefit of the
doubt this time but it does beg the question about the English Football League’s
depth of investigation when completing the mandatory “Fit and Proper Person”
check.
The retired Stevie G. A legend.………or
not quite?
Every
now and then, a footballer comes along whose name becomes synonymous with the
game itself. So far in this century, I believe that Beckham, Gerrard and Rooney
have achieved that status. For the Huyton born lad, it all reached a crescendo
on that May 2005 evening in Turkey. The AC Milan v Liverpool Champions League Final
(undoubtedly the game of the decade) was one of those events where you can
picture where you were at the exact moment Gerrard led his battered troops back
on for the second half. Within 15 minutes, the Reds had pulled back a three
goal deficit, owing much to their regularly maligned keeper Jerzy Dudek,
particularly in the penalty shoot-out. But it was Gerrard who led the comeback,
just as he did at Wembley the following season when they defeated West Ham in
the FA Cup Final. Captain of his country and 114 caps in his trophy room, is
this not what defines stardom? I first came across him as a fourteen year old
in my capacity as the North West selector for the English Schools’ FA. He was
tiny but with his slide rule passing, his ability to keep possession by deftly
turning away from danger and total mastery of the football, even the wife would
have spotted him. He represented the North West but he was rightly considered physically
too immature to play at Under 15 International level. When I next saw him, he
had just broken into the first team at Anfield and I was stunned by the
physiological changes which had taken place. He was now athletic, strong and
quick and he had grown to the perfect height for a mid-field player. Somewhere
along the road I felt he had lost the ability to open defences with an eye of
the needle pass, but his raking long passes were his signature ball. Was he
Liverpool’s best ever? So difficult to compare but Dalglish certainly and Suarez
fleetingly have the edge in my opinion. A better captain than Emlyn Hughes?
Let’s simply say that Steven Gerrard was a great player and a great leader, but
only the future will determine if he is to be a legend beyond the banks of the
Mersey.
Steven Gerrard: 2005 and all that.
Ronald
Koeman started like an express train as the “Toffees” made such a promising
start to the season. Now, one third of the way through, the club has managed 1
win in their last 8 league games. Everton also has a relatively new foreign
owner in Farhad Mashiri and to be fair, we need to give him and Koeman time,
but I am sure that the loyal and long-suffering Goodison fans need no reminding
that their trophy room is full of 23 year old cob-webs.
He
last played for England in 2007, he last played in the Premier League in 2012
and his last competitive game was for Blackburn Rovers over 2 years ago. Yet
Sean Dyche was happy to pick the 37 year old Paul Robinson to face the
free-scoring Manchester City attack on Saturday. He made lots of saves but if
he has an ambition to become the oldest ever goalkeeper in English football,
Robinson needs to know that Neil McBain kept goal for New Brighton in the 3rd
Division North in 1951 at the age of 51 years and 120 days.
Tier 11 Club of the Week
The Kings of Amateur
Football on Merseyside
With a name evocative of days gone by, Waterloo Dock was
founded in 1963. Based close to the beating heart of what was once a bustling
sea port and ship building city, its first manager was Jimmy Davies who stayed
in charge for 50……yes 50 years. The FA has acknowledged this as a record in
English football. Davies presided over a club which has totally dominated Merseyside
football at amateur level. It entered the Liverpool County Combination in 1970,
being champions on 17 occasions. Equally impressive is that the club has never
finished lower than 5th in the Premier League and until Saturday had
still to drop a point this season. It has won countless cup competitions and in
1985-86, reached the 4th Round of the FA Vase, losing to Warrington
Town. Twenty years ago the FA tightened up on ground criteria for entry to this
national cup competition so playing at Edinburgh Park, a venue without
floodlights close to Queens Drive, the club is now ineligible for the “Vase”. It
will be interesting to see if it can regain its title from Aigburth People’s
Hall this season.
Quiz Answers
1
Blackpool 2 Ronald Koeman 3 Blackburn Rovers 4 FC
United of Manchester
5 Wigan
Athletic 6 Maine Road 7 Sunderland 8 Burnley 9 Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
10 5: Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, Bobby
Charlton, Alan Ball, Roger Hunt.
Number 6
November
29th 2016
The curse of the Manager of the Month
Award
In
my November 2nd Blog (Number 2), I was speculating on the identity
of the next Red Rose County manager to bite the dust. As usual I made the wrong
call, suggesting it might be Owen Coyle at Blackburn. In the same edition I was
commiserating with David Flitcroft, whose Bury club had lost six on the bounce.
Having subsequently lost another three league games and suffered a 5-1
hammering at AFC Wimbledon in their FA Cup replay, it was inevitable that he
would go. This however is the man who was voted Division 1 Manager of the Month
in September and had hitherto been successful at Gigg Lane. There is a fag
paper thick line between success and failure in football and managers tread
that thin line weekly.
September must seem a long time ago to David
Flitcroft
Some may advocate that the
advert for the position of manager should be accompanied by a Government Health
Warning. For those non-believers, may I suggest they look at the chart below
which indicates that only 5 of the area’s 18 clubs have employed their current
manager for over 12 months? The Fergusons and Wengers are the exception in this
industry and even more so in Continental Europe. There appears to be an “end
by” date for most managers; a shelf life as if they are a supermarket
commodity. But it is also something of a roundabout for the ones who have had
success before finally “losing the plot”. They usually find re-employment quickly.
Carl Robinson was snapped up by Charlton Athletic last week, days after being
sacked by MK Dons. Hope for David Flitcroft then?
Current managers at Red Rose County clubs in order of length of
service.
Pos
|
Club
|
Manager
|
Start Date
|
Length of Reign in
Months
|
1
|
Morecambe
|
Jim Bentley
|
13.05.11
|
66
|
2
|
Burnley
|
Sean Dyche
|
30.10.12
|
49
|
3
|
Rochdale
|
Keith Hill
|
22.01.13
|
46
|
4
|
Preston North End
|
Simon Grayson
|
18.02.13
|
45
|
5
|
Accrington Stanley
|
John Coleman
|
18.09.14
|
26
|
6
|
Liverpool
|
Jürgen Klopp
|
08.11.15
|
12
|
7
|
Barrow
|
Paul Cox
|
23.11.15
|
12
|
8
|
Manchester United
|
Jose Mourinho
|
27.05.16
|
6
|
9
|
Blackpool
|
Gary Bowyer
|
01.06.16
|
5
|
10
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
Owen Coyle
|
02.06.16
|
5
|
11
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
Phil Parkinson
|
10.06.16
|
5
|
12
|
Everton
|
Ronald Koeman
|
14.06.16
|
5
|
13
|
Manchester City
|
Pep Guardiola
|
01.07.16
|
4
|
14
|
Oldham Athletic
|
Stephen
Robinson
|
09.07.16
|
4
|
15
|
Fleetwood
|
Uwe Rosler
|
30.07.16
|
4
|
16
|
Southport
|
Steve Burr
|
08.09.16
|
2
|
17
|
Wigan Athletic
|
Warren Joyce
|
02.11.16
|
1
|
18
|
Bury
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Ronald Koeman
He has managed 9 clubs in 16 years,
sacked only twice. Where will he be in 2018?
The best Manchester
City XI I
have had the privilege to watch.
Chosen by Mike Ryan
League appearances for club in brackets
Bert Trautmann (508),
Tony Book (244), Vincent Kompany (223), Mike
Doyle (448), Glyn Pardoe (305),
Yaya Toure (198), Colin Bell (394), David de
Silva (198), Kevin de Bruyne (38),
Francis Lee (249), Sergio Aguero (161),
Captain Tony Book,
Manager Joe Mercer
Mike
said that right and left back were the hardest slots to fill, believing that
they have never had world class players in these positions. Has anyone out
there any different views on that or on any other of the players that Mike has
chosen?
Colin Bell (1966-1979) Considered City’s
greatest post-war player until the arrival of Aguero
Incidentally,
following last week’s article on the best ever Blackburn Rovers side, readers
mentioned several centre backs, each of whom played at the top level and is
worthy of being thrown in the mix. There was Matt Woods, signed from Everton in
the late fifties who played in the 1960 Cup Final. The other two were regular
team mates in the first decade of this century. One was Congolese international
Chris Samba, the other being Kiwi international captain, Ryan Nelson.
Performances
of the last week
Newcastle United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1 (EFL
Championship)
Tribulation turned to triumph on Tyneside
for a Rovers side which was looking every inch relegation fodder. As they said
on Radio Lancashire, this was “a coupon busting result”. The Geordies had won 9
on the spin; the Rovers had accumulated just 4 away points but Charlie Mulgrew,
now looking like a rare inspired signing by the blues, notched the winner.
Charlie Mulgrew
Manchester United 4 Feyenoord 0 (Europa
League)
For Lancastrians, who support their
local clubs, there is probably more antagonism towards the Red Devils and their
followers than any other top club. It may be jealousy, but it is probably aimed
at their supporters in the public eye who see it as just another fashion item.
But being honest, United is a great Red Rose County club and I would much rather
it achieve success than Arsenal or Chelsea. By the standards set by Ferguson, they
have been suffering of late so this victory over the 1970 European Cup winners ought
to have done them the power of good. Pressure should have been reduced on their
besieged manager, but then came Sunday’s bottle kicking incident. Cue head
shaking in the Owner’s Lounge.
Morecambe 2 Plymouth Argyle 1 (EFL Division 2)
This was another shock result.
Morecambe had not won in their last 7 home games, whereas the Devon side had
won the last 7 on their travels. But an away banker it certainly was not as a
Michael Rose penalty and a header from the skipper Peter Murphy, the
ex-Accrington Stanley player, secured a much needed win for the Shrimps.
Dagenham & Redbridge 1 Barrow 4
The East London club had been Football
League residents for 10 years until being relegated to the National League in
May. Barrow however, on a long unbeaten 20 game run, travelled down from
Cumbria on Saturday and totally dominated the game. Byron Harrison scored
twice, taking his tally to 16 for the season as the “Bluebirds” leapfrogged the
“Daggers” into 3rd spot while announcing themselves as serious title
contenders.
Games
to look forward to this week
Manchester City v Chelsea (Premier League)
Saturday 12.30
Without a shadow of a doubt, this is
the media’s match of the day. Two hot sides, each packed with quality players;
a tummy tingling encounter. Hazard and Costa versus Aguero and de Bruyne would
pack any stadium in Europe. If both teams attack it could be a classic, but
Chelsea may opt for a defensive set-up and hit City on the break. I hope not.
Sheffield United v Bolton Wanderers) (FA Cup
Round 2) Sunday
There is equally no doubt as to the FA
Cup match of the day. Second and third in League 1, these are the class of the
field. Both of the clubs have their names engraved 4 times on the trophy, albeit
the last time for United was in 1925. Bolton’s last triumph was Nat Lofthouse
inspired in 1958, but which club will win this particular war of the roses?
Nat Lofthouse with the FA Cup 1958
Ashton United v Spennymoor Town (Northern
Premier League) Saturday
Ashton is in its twelfth consecutive
season in the league with top five finishes in the last two seasons. Sadly they
are unable to attract large crowds (averaging 165 per match), placing them 23rd
out of 24 in the attendance league table. They are just 2 points behind the 5th
placed club, level with Saturday’s opponents but the well supported Durham side
will bring lots of support. It is a game both sides need to win if they are to
challenge for promotion.
Cleethorpes Town v Bootle (FA Vase Round 3)
Saturday
A list of entries numbering around six
hundred clubs has now been whittled down to the last 64; five more wins
required before Wembley Stadium beckons. Cleethorpes Town from the North
Lincolnshire coast is currently top of the Northern Counties East Premier
Division, a similarly ranked league to the North West Counties where Bootle
plays. So it is a clash between two teams in top form; a real 50/50 tie. The
winner could go all the way.
Quiz
of the Week (Answers at the foot of the
Blog)
All of the answers have Red Rose
County connections
1
Paul
Stewart, who sadly dominated the news last week, started his professional
career and made over 200 appearances in Divisions 3 & 4 for which club?
2
Which
current manager holds the record for most consecutive conversions of penalty
kicks (25) in La Liga and has allegedly scored more goals than any other
defender in the history of world football (195)?
3
For
which club did Tommy Briggs score 7 goals v Bristol Rovers in 1955?
4
Which
National League North club was only founded in 2005?
5
Steve
Bruce, Owen Coyle and Malky McKay have all managed which club within the last
10 years?
Steve Bruce
6
Which
North West Counties Premier Division side bears the same name as a former
football stadium which hosted 18 FA Cup semi-finals between 1928 and 1994?
7
Manchester
United’s Adnan Januzaj is currently on loan to which Premier League club?
8
Which
Premier League club did Accrington Stanley knock out of the EFL Cup this
season?
9
Which
Premier League player who scored this weekend will have a statue of himself unveiled
very soon?
10
How
many players from Red Rose County clubs played in the 1966 World Cup Final?
Post Weekend
Musings
Is
it not ironic if not inevitable that Morecambe FC, on being taken over by a
foreign business man in September would not be able to pay the players’ wages
at the end of October? Perhaps we need to give Senor Lemos the benefit of the
doubt this time but it does beg the question about the English Football League’s
depth of investigation when completing the mandatory “Fit and Proper Person”
check.
The retired Stevie G. A legend.………or
not quite?
Every
now and then, a footballer comes along whose name becomes synonymous with the
game itself. So far in this century, I believe that Beckham, Gerrard and Rooney
have achieved that status. For the Huyton born lad, it all reached a crescendo
on that May 2005 evening in Turkey. The AC Milan v Liverpool Champions League Final
(undoubtedly the game of the decade) was one of those events where you can
picture where you were at the exact moment Gerrard led his battered troops back
on for the second half. Within 15 minutes, the Reds had pulled back a three
goal deficit, owing much to their regularly maligned keeper Jerzy Dudek,
particularly in the penalty shoot-out. But it was Gerrard who led the comeback,
just as he did at Wembley the following season when they defeated West Ham in
the FA Cup Final. Captain of his country and 114 caps in his trophy room, is
this not what defines stardom? I first came across him as a fourteen year old
in my capacity as the North West selector for the English Schools’ FA. He was
tiny but with his slide rule passing, his ability to keep possession by deftly
turning away from danger and total mastery of the football, even the wife would
have spotted him. He represented the North West but he was rightly considered physically
too immature to play at Under 15 International level. When I next saw him, he
had just broken into the first team at Anfield and I was stunned by the
physiological changes which had taken place. He was now athletic, strong and
quick and he had grown to the perfect height for a mid-field player. Somewhere
along the road I felt he had lost the ability to open defences with an eye of
the needle pass, but his raking long passes were his signature ball. Was he
Liverpool’s best ever? So difficult to compare but Dalglish certainly and Suarez
fleetingly have the edge in my opinion. A better captain than Emlyn Hughes?
Let’s simply say that Steven Gerrard was a great player and a great leader, but
only the future will determine if he is to be a legend beyond the banks of the
Mersey.
Steven Gerrard: 2005 and all that.
Ronald
Koeman started like an express train as the “Toffees” made such a promising
start to the season. Now, one third of the way through, the club has managed 1
win in their last 8 league games. Everton also has a relatively new foreign
owner in Farhad Mashiri and to be fair, we need to give him and Koeman time,
but I am sure that the loyal and long-suffering Goodison fans need no reminding
that their trophy room is full of 23 year old cob-webs.
He
last played for England in 2007, he last played in the Premier League in 2012
and his last competitive game was for Blackburn Rovers over 2 years ago. Yet
Sean Dyche was happy to pick the 37 year old Paul Robinson to face the
free-scoring Manchester City attack on Saturday. He made lots of saves but if
he has an ambition to become the oldest ever goalkeeper in English football,
Robinson needs to know that Neil McBain kept goal for New Brighton in the 3rd
Division North in 1951 at the age of 51 years and 120 days.
Tier 11 Club of the Week
The Kings of Amateur
Football on Merseyside
With a name evocative of days gone by, Waterloo Dock was
founded in 1963. Based close to the beating heart of what was once a bustling
sea port and ship building city, its first manager was Jimmy Davies who stayed
in charge for 50……yes 50 years. The FA has acknowledged this as a record in
English football. Davies presided over a club which has totally dominated Merseyside
football at amateur level. It entered the Liverpool County Combination in 1970,
being champions on 17 occasions. Equally impressive is that the club has never
finished lower than 5th in the Premier League and until Saturday had
still to drop a point this season. It has won countless cup competitions and in
1985-86, reached the 4th Round of the FA Vase, losing to Warrington
Town. Twenty years ago the FA tightened up on ground criteria for entry to this
national cup competition so playing at Edinburgh Park, a venue without
floodlights close to Queens Drive, the club is now ineligible for the “Vase”. It
will be interesting to see if it can regain its title from Aigburth People’s
Hall this season.
Quiz Answers
1
Blackpool 2 Ronald Koeman 3 Blackburn Rovers 4 FC
United of Manchester
5 Wigan
Athletic 6 Maine Road 7 Sunderland 8 Burnley 9 Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
10 5: Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, Bobby
Charlton, Alan Ball, Roger Hunt.
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