Number 36 June 27 2017
Red
Rose County Footballing Legends
(Number 9)
Jimmy
Armfield (Blackpool)
One
club men such as Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher are the last of
the genre, but for many years they were common place in the Football League.
One such player was Jimmy Armfield. He was born in Denton, close to Manchester,
but was evacuated to Blackpool as a 6 year old during the war. He was re-united
with his family who relocated in the seaside resort, there being spotted by the
then manager as one for the future. He made his debut in 1954 as a 19 year old,
part of the Matthews/Mortensen side and with his pace, his ball skills,
tenacity and defensive intelligence; he soon became one of the best right backs
in the land. He was the first attacking full back I ever remember seeing. The
closest he came to honours for the Tangerines was runners-up spot to the Busby
Babes in 1956, but by 1959 he had become a regular in the England side,
captaining them on 15 occasions. In total he gained 43 caps and was voted the
best right back in the world following the 1962 World Cup in Chile.
Unfortunately an injury in the period before the 1966 tournament enabled George
Cohen to grab the number 2 shirt and although in the 22, Armfield never
featured in any of the games; substitutes not being allowed in those days of
course. Blackpool struggled in the late 60s, being relegated in 1967 but Jimmy’s
experience helped them back into the top division in 1970. They fell back the
following season when the right back played his 569th and final game.
Intelligent and with a sky high status in the game, it was no surprise when
Bolton Wanderers invited him to manage soon after retiring. He guided them to
the 3rd Division Championship in 1973 and a year later, the
high-flying Leeds United offered him the manager’s post after the hiatus caused
by Brian Clough’s infamous 40 days in charge. The Yorkshire side were
unfortunate to narrowly lose the final of the 1975 European Cup to Bayern Munich
but after 4 good seasons at Elland Road, he took up the pen, writing regularly
on football for the Daily Express and later commentating for Radio 5Live for
many years. An OBE, CBE and the title of High Sheriff of Lancashire followed
and, still much loved in Blackpool where his statue adorns the street outside
Bloomfield Road, he has recently battled cancer. Respected throughout the game,
he is a true Red Rose footballing legend.
Quiz of the Week (Answers at the foot of the Blog)
Each question has a Red Rose County club connection
1 The U/20 World Cup, which saw an England squad packed with Everton youngsters triumph a few weeks ago, was hosted by which country?
2
Larry Lloyd won a 1st Division winner’s medal with
Liverpool in 1973 and then a second one with which other club several years
later?
Larry Lloyd; hard man centre half signed by Bill Shankly from Bristol
Rovers
3
Which Scotsman scored a hat-trick of headers for Everton v
Bolton in 1997?
4
Who has been the only Scotsman to score 2 Premier league
hat-tricks, doing so for Blackburn Rovers in 1997 and 1998?
5
Who was the former Welsh manager who played 139 times for Bolton
Wanderers between 2004 and 2008?
6
Who, having joined Manchester City in July 2010, is the only
current City player to have notched up 300 1st team appearances for
the club?
7
Who kept goal for Manchester United between 1966 and 1979,
starting on 539 occasions; a record for an Old Trafford keeper?
8
Who signed for Ipswich Town last week but in 2014 and 2015, was
Preston North End’s leading goal scorer?
9
Burnley striker Sam Vokes was signed by the Clarets from which
club in 2012?
Sam Vokes; has proved to be a shrewd signing for Burnley
10
Ian Henderson scored 15 league goals for which Red Rose League 1
club in the 2016-17 season?
Post Weekend Musings
Many
of us will remember only too well the shocking scenes at the 1989 semi-final at
Hillsborough where 96 football supporters lost their lives as the Liverpool v
Notts Forest game kicked off. As we are seeing with the Grenfell Towers
tragedy, the authorities only seem to wake up and act when it is too late and
this certainly happened 28 years ago when Lord Justice Taylor produced his
report within 4 months; a report which changed the face of English football and
its grounds. Had it been set in motion several years before when, for all sorts
of reasons, everyone knew that soccer stadia were decidedly unsafe places, the majority
of the 96 would still be alive. Amongst a raft of recommendations, the
honourable judge stated that crash barriers and fences must go and that
spectators must all have ticketed seats. For once the various authorities acted
in unison and football became a game to watch whilst seated. From its very
formation in the 1880s, only the “posh” sat down at games. The grounds were
mainly terraced and in all of the countless games I saw prior to 1989, I cannot
remember occupying a seat in the stands at Blackburn Rovers. The only time I
was seated was as a little boy when I actually sat on a crash barrier supported
by my dad or in front of the wall on tiny benches, literally feet away from the
players. For the Rovers v Burnley 6th Round replay in 1960, I
actually sat on the grass along with hundreds of boys and when they were taking
long throws, we somehow had to crawl to one side to enable the thrower to take
his a run up. The true spectators stood and it produced hairy moments. I
remember regularly watching Leeds United at Elland Road in the 60s when I was a
student in the city. When there was a goal or a near miss, those at the back
surged forward and your body was propelled in whichever direction. As the crowd
settled, you made your way back to meet up with your mates who could have
relocated 10 yards away from you. All this has disappeared following the Taylor
Report and football is more family orientated, safer for women and children. I
have to say however that I much prefer to stand when watching a game. When I
watch Non-League, Schoolboy or Boys League matches, I feel more comfortable and
enjoy the freedom of movement that it gives, but being realistic, I am not sure
that I could cope with the types of scrum that I encountered in Leeds at my current
age. The reason why I mention this is that Shrewsbury Town have applied to
install “safe standing areas” at their modern Greenhous Meadow ground. Standing
was allowed in the Taylor Report for clubs in League 1 and 2 and below, but any
ground constructed after 1994 had to follow Taylor legislation. Apparently
Glasgow Celtic were given permission to install a 2,000 plus standing area last
season and reports say that it is safe and improves the atmosphere at the game.
Shrewsbury Town believe that it encourages more singing and vocal support which
is probably true and they are not talking about wide open terraces. The
expression railed seats is being used and of course many away fans in
particular do stand illegally for the full 90 minutes in front of their seats,
but the authorities have to think carefully before decisions are made. The game
is now safer and fortunately the images from Hillsborough seem from another age.
The thought of standing may rekindle my love of nostalgia but “safe rather than
sorry” ought to be the mantra for our current football and local authority
administrators.
The Kop at Anfield in 1983, pre the Taylor
report.
According to legend, it was impossible to
reach a toilet during the game so the pocket of the fellow in front would suffice;
it was very much a male dominated environment
Old Trafford as it is now, post Taylor report
Seated, structured and safe, with ease of
access to clean toilets, bars, food outlets and TV screens. It is appropriate
for the whole family, whatever their needs.
What
will constitute success for our Red Rose clubs in 2017-18?
It
seems like only last week that we were hailing the triumphs or bemoaning the
disasters of our clubs as the 2016-17 season drew to a close but here we are in
late June, awaiting the results of the Champions’ League 1st
qualifying round. Nothing of interest to the Red Rose clubs yet but the players
could well be back in training next Monday at the start of a new adventure. We
all begin with optimism but this has to be mixed with realistic expectancy and
this is what I have tried to do below regarding our Tier 1 to Tier 6 clubs.
Last season was largely disappointing in the North West. London took control of
the major prizes and although United achieved a double of sorts, it was less
than expected from a club with its financial clout and world-wide magnitude.
The Championship was a disaster with both Wigan and Blackburn being relegated and
only the promotions of Bolton and Blackpool relieved the gloom lower down the pyramid;
the exception perhaps being the exploits of the unheralded Fleetwood Town. In
the non-league world, AFC Fylde continued to amaze and are now in Tier 5, but
can 2017-18 bring back the glory to enhance our football heritage?
|
Club
|
Tier
|
Success Criteria
|
|
Manchester
City
|
1
|
It has to be Champions for Guardiola. No
excuses this time
|
|
Liverpool
|
1
|
Top 3 will be seen as progress for Jürgen
Klopp’s side
|
|
Manchester
United
|
1
|
No excuses for Mourinho this time. Top 2
will be the aim.
|
|
Everton
|
1
|
Progress will be to break into the Top 6 for
Ronald Koeman
|
|
Burnley
|
1
|
It can only be survival once again for the
over-achieving Clarets
|
|
Preston North End
|
2
|
On the current budget, a Play-Off place will be seen as progress
|
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
2
|
It has to be consolidation with a mid-table
position their goal
|
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
3
|
Anything less than a Play-Off spot will be
seen as a disaster
|
|
Wigan Athletic
|
3
|
Mid-table and consolidation will be Paul
Cook’s aim
|
|
Fleetwood Town
|
3
|
As lightning does not strike twice,
mid-table consolidation
|
|
Rochdale
|
3
|
Another Top 10 finish will be seen as a
success at Spotland
|
|
Oldham Athletic
|
3
|
John Sheridan will be looking at mid-table
as progression
|
|
Bury
|
3
|
On their budget, the Shakers will accept
anything 20th or above
|
|
Blackpool
|
3
|
With all the off-field problems, they will
be looking at survival
|
|
Accrington Stanley
|
4
|
A look at the Play-Offs will be John
Coleman’s goal this season
|
|
Morecambe
|
4
|
Anything safe will be a bonus with their
off-field problems
|
|
Barrow
|
5
|
After last season, a slight progression will
be the Play-Offs
|
|
AFC Fylde
|
5
|
In spite of moving up a level, the Play-Offs
will be in their sights
|
|
Southport
|
6
|
The club has to consolidate for a season, so
survival is vital
|
|
Salford
|
6
|
With their budget, promotion will be their
only goal
|
|
Chorley
|
6
|
They will do well to reach the Play-offs yet
again
|
|
Curzon Ashton
|
6
|
This over-achieving club will be happy to
finish mid-table yet again
|
|
FC Utd of Manchester
|
6
|
For this sleeping giant, it must be the
Play-Offs
|
Gazing
at the picture in Tiers 7-10, can Warrington Town continue to improve and make the
Northern Prem Play-Offs and how will the newly promoted Lancaster City fare? Similarly
can Atherton Collieries continue their form up in Tier 8 and is it time for
Clitheroe to leave their comfort zone and battle for honours? In the North West
Counties League, all eyes will be on City Of Liverpool. Can they make it 2
promotions on the bounce in only their 2nd ever season but will
their landlords at Bootle FC put them in their place? Watch this space.
Review of the EFL League
1, 2016-17
A
quartet of Greater Manchester clubs headed the Red Rose contingent in League 1
last season with a solitary Lancashire club adding to the number. All five
found themselves in either a promotion or relegation battle, with the Trotters
returning to the Championship. Bolton Wanderers were always favourites to go
back straight back up. In spite of the unseemly Board Room wrangling and
threats of folding, they are still a big club with a substantial ground and
they brought in the experienced Phil Parkinson from Bradford City to steer them
away from troubled waters. They were in the top 3 for virtually the whole of
the season in spite of selling Zach Clough their best player, finally finishing
comfortably behind Sheffield United in the second promotion place. Fleetwood
Town were the season’s shock side. Miraculously sustaining winning form on
measly gates which averaged out at 3,272, they pushed the top 3 every inch of
the way before having to finish in a club record 4th place in Tier 3. Uwe
Rosler was only appointed manager a week before the season commenced but he
quickly found the winning formula for the players at his disposal. Tight at the
back, fast to break forward, they were involved in the closest of close
Play-Off semi-finals. They lost 1-0 at Bradford City and try as they might,
they could only manage a goalless draw at Highbury Stadium in the 2nd
leg. Conor McLaughlin took his tally of Northern Ireland caps into the mid-20s
and he is now a regular fixture in the Michael O’Neill’s side. The words “Rochdale
FC” and “promotion” are rarely found in the same sentence, particularly
promotion to the Championship but Keith Hill’s men gave it their best shot,
finally finishing in 9th place, 4 points adrift of the Play-Offs.
The manager certainly has made Spotland into something of a fortress and no
side relished a trip to the western Pennines to face “The Dale”. The other two
Greater Manchester clubs spent the majority of the season facing relegation. Oldham
Athletic were in their 20th year of consecutive League 1 football,
something of a record below the Premier League these days, but they hovered on
the brink for much of the year. They failed to win a game for almost 2 months
but the return of John Sheridan as manager was the catalyst for much improved
defensive performances. They only conceded 6 goals in their last 15 matches,
sufficient to escape relegation by 4 points and 4 league positions. Bury made a
fine start under David Flitcroft and they won all 5 league matches in
September, including a 3-1 away win at the newly relegated Milton Keynes.
Unfortunately for Flitcroft, the good run came to an abrupt end as they
embarked on a 12 game losing spree which culminated in the manager being
sacked. Chris Brass steadied the ship but it was only when Lee Clark arrived
from Kilmarnock that safety was assured by 1 point. Fortunately they had James
Vaughan’s 24 goals to thank for pulling off a rescue act. Bolton have left for
pastures new but the Red Rose clubs will increase to 6 this season as Blackburn
Rovers and Wigan Athletic drop down from the Championship.
Quiz
Answers
1
South Korea, 2 Nottingham Forest, 3
Duncan Ferguson, 4 Kevin Gallagher, 5 Gary Speed, 6 David Silva, 7 Alex
Stepney, 8 Joe Garner, 9 Wolverhampton Wanderers, 10 Rochdale FC.
