|
|
Post by gateman49 on Mar 15, 2015 21:44:30 GMT
Sam was the master of the corny joke and he seemed to have a never ending supply of them. Yes, he did help to organise the away travel in those long gone days before the motorway system was completed.
If I'm allowed to wander from Colchester to the far north, I particularly remember two incidents both, I think on the same trip, the away match at Darlington when we were robbed of both points and had to settle for a 0-0 draw. I recall that Feethams was a strange ground approached through a public park but that isn't what I remember most. There were, I think, seven Wallace Arnold coaches full of fans and we had to stop at their depot at Seacroft in Leeds to refuel such was the distance travelled.
What has stuck in my memory is that on the way back going over the Pennines the crackly coach radio was turned on so we could listen to Henry Cooper v Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title.
The other incident was farcical if not downright dangerous. We were coming back along the part built M5 and the convoy of coaches missed the exit to the A38 and had to go onto the M50 (there was no viaduct over the Warwickshire river Avon until much later). So there we were merrily heading for Wales in the middle of the night. What did the coach drivers do? As there was no central crash barrier on motorways in those days, they only stopped and did a U turn straight across the grass central reservation and back we went the other way to the M5!
(if Jon wants to move this post to somewhere more suitable, no problem and apols for misusing the thread)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2015 22:40:37 GMT
I particularly remember two incidents both, I think on the same trip, the away match at Darlington when we were robbed of both points and had to settle for a 0-0 draw. I remember the Cooper-Ali fight that 21 May. I can recall the Everton v Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup final the previous Saturday. But Darlington v Torquay United? I've no memory of any of our away matches causing me much interest at all. I was going to the occasional home game; I was buying football annuals and magazines. Those results must have registered with me, surely? It's intriguing the Darlington fixture was as late as 21 May. Was earlier bad weather leading to all manner of rescheduling? Well, no. My News of the World Football Annual 1965/66 says the game was always arranged for that day. Indeed Torquay United were originally due to play Notts County at Plainmoor the following Saturday. Instead that was brought forward by a few weeks. The fixtures were more uneven in those days. The last full Division One programme, on a Saturday, was 30 April. Yet there were seven top flight fixtures earmarked for the Saturday afterwards. The weekend of 6/7 May saw the final complete programme in Divisions Two, Three and Four. Beyond that there were further Division Three and Four fixtures spread across eleven dates between 9 and 28 May. Viewed from the present-day perspective you could easily imagine it to be part of a complex TV deal. |
|
|
|
Post by gateman49 on Mar 15, 2015 22:58:54 GMT
Yes we had to wait until the result of a match at, I think, Newport County confirming our promotion a week or so after that Darlington match so it was bitten finger nails for quite a few days as matters were 'out of our hands'.
Was it anything to do with the World Cup being in England in 66 (I can't think that it was myself though)?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2015 23:31:44 GMT
1964/65 was scheduled to end tidily on 23/24 April. Four fixtures on the Friday night; the rest on the Saturday.
1966/67 was another scruffy conclusion through to 27 May.
1967/68 was due to end on 10/11 May with a near-complete Football League programme which was around four fixtures short over the four divisions.
|
|
sam
TFF member
Posts: 341
|
Post by sam on Mar 16, 2015 10:04:19 GMT
My diary entry for Friday May 20th 1966 (aged 13). The 589th day without missing a Torquay United home game.
Caught coach in Paignton car park at half past seven. Going to Darlington to see Torquays last match of the season. Travelling to Somerset up to Bristol. I haven't a clue when I went to sleep.
Saturday 21st May - Woke up in a coach at different intervals in the early hours of the morning. Went in motorway cafe. Ate heartily. Arrived in Darlington at quarter to ten. Went to football match. Torquay drew 0-0 with them. great match. Got in coach. Stopped in Leeds and another motorway cafe. Went to bed at 8 oclock Sunday.
A mere 36 hour round trip watching the Gulls, with a fellow 13 year old mate. No parents.
|
|
|
|
Post by stefano on Mar 16, 2015 10:50:56 GMT
My diary entry for Friday May 20th 1966 (aged 13). The 589th day without missing a Torquay United home game. Caught coach in Paignton car park at half past seven. Going to Darlington to see Torquays last match of the season. Travelling to Somerset up to Bristol. I haven't a clue when I went to sleep. Saturday 21st May - Woke up in a coach at different intervals in the early hours of the morning. Went in motorway cafe. Ate heartily. Arrived in Darlington at quarter to ten. Went to football match. Torquay drew 0-0 with them. great match. Got in coach. Stopped in Leeds and another motorway cafe. Went to bed at 8 oclock Sunday. A mere 36 hour round trip watching the Gulls, with a fellow 13 year old mate. No parents. Yes I remember great discussion between my Mother who said that I couldn't go and my Father who said it would do me good. Father won I'm pleased to say! I got on at Newton Abbot railway station at 8pm, and was on the coach mentioned earlier that did a U-turn on the motorway. It was definitely heading the wrong way into Wales and the only different memory I have is I was sure it was on the way up to Darlington rather than on the way back. Unless of course we had two of our coaches do the same thing! By about 11am we were having a kick around on the Feethams pitch, I remember Merse being one of the protagonists, but got thrown off by a grumpy and disgruntled groundsman. Don't really blame him mind. The Stubbs goal was of course never offside, but 0-0 was enough to go up although we had to wait for Newport County to beat somebody, I think Colchester or Tranmere, to confirm it. The Feethams attendance of 16000 was quite incredible really, and any youngster seeing that in print these days would be convinced it was a typo and an extra nought had been added. Leaving the ground we had to walk through a cricket ground with a game going on as it was late May. And a year later we did it all again. 8pm departure from Newton Abbot bound for Ayrsome Park, Middlesbrough. We had a tour of the ground in the morning (it was of course one of the 1966 World Cup venues), I remember a massive crowd (I have 27000 in mind but not completely sure), and it seemed a very long journey home after a 4-0 thumping which I seem to remember could easily have been worse. Damned impressed you've still got your diaries from that era Sam. I shredded mine. Too much 'evidence'!  |
|
sam
TFF member
Posts: 341
|
Post by sam on Mar 16, 2015 11:10:57 GMT
Ha, what fun we had and amazing freedom.
By evidence do you mean entries similar to the ones I penned for the away trip before on the Saturday 30th April to Colchester (569th day without missing a home game).
Woke up somewhere in the country. Arrived in Colchester at nine. Torquay beat them 2-0. Great match. Beautiful women there. Short skirts. Six inches above the knee. Had breakfast there too. Clarke scored two goals. Tom Northcott hit the post. Didnt have no dinner or tea. Caught coach home. Went through London. Went to bed at four in the morning.
Weather. Morning - Sunshine. Boiling hot sunshine
Afternoon - Still the same. No rain for week.
|
|
|
|
Post by stefano on Mar 16, 2015 11:16:01 GMT
Ha, what fun we had and amazing freedom. By evidence do you mean entries similar to the ones I penned for the away trip before on the Saturday 30th April to Colchester (569th day without missing a home game). Woke up somewhere in the country. Arrived in Colchester at nine. Torquay beat them 2-0. Great match. Beautiful women there. Short skirts. Six inches above the knee. Had breakfast there too. Clarke scored two goals. Tom Northcott hit the post. Didnt have no dinner or tea. Caught coach home. Went through London. Went to bed at four in the morning. Weather. Morning - Sunshine. Boiling hot sunshine Afternoon - Still the same. No rain for week. Yes I was on that one as well. That was my first away trip (other than Exeter) and I think that departure time from Newton Abbot was midnight. Two supporters coaches for that one, but I remember we created a hell of a lot of noise particularly being on an open terrace behind the goal. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 12:00:54 GMT
This is all too early for me. My first away trip was not until Reading; the final game of the 1967/68 season. That was towards the end of my first year at secondary school. Perhaps the change of schools heightened my awareness of Torquay United. I'm enjoying these tales of Darlington. Gateman talks of crossing the Pennines. That sounds strange until you realise that may have been the best way of utilising the motorway system as it was in those days. See the map at www.cbrd.co.uk/motorway/chronology/1966.shtmlThis shows that, as of May 1966, the M1 had only made it as far north as Sandiacre on the A52 between Nottingham and Derby. That would have been of little use to anyone travelling from the south west. By contrast the M6 started on the Wolverhampton-Cannock road and headed north right up to Lancashire. There was still a gap in the West Midlands but, travelling at the dead of night, it wouldn't have been too difficult to connect with the M5 which ran the length of Worcestershire. How the Pennines was crossed is another matter bearing in mind the route needed to take in the Wallace Arnold depot in Leeds. No M62 yet so I'm guessing the A62 through Huddersfield, Oldham and Manchester. It sounds tortuous but again, given the timings, traffic would have been relatively light. Quite an outing come what may. |
|
|
|
Post by stefano on Mar 16, 2015 12:10:32 GMT
I was at the 67/68 Reading game as well. Another 4-0 defeat I think! That was my second visit to Elm Park, and the first was a defeat as well, 2-1 I believe. The route to Darlington was the A62 passing right through Huddersfield, Oldham, and Manchester - all very strange looking places for a young teenager from Devon! |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 13:36:28 GMT
And a year later we did it all again. 8pm departure from Newton Abbot bound for Ayrsome Park, Middlesbrough. We had a tour of the ground in the morning (it was of course one of the 1966 World Cup venues), I remember a massive crowd (I have 27000 in mind but not completely sure), and it seemed a very long journey home after a 4-0 thumping which I seem to remember could easily have been worse. Nothing wrong with your grey matter, Stefano. You're spot on with the crowd - 27,160. ( Link) And these days, I'm sure we would love to get the size of home crowd that was at the reverse fixture. Not a giddy 27,000 but still an impressive 4,701. ( Link) |
|
|
|
Post by stefano on Mar 16, 2015 14:13:01 GMT
And a year later we did it all again. 8pm departure from Newton Abbot bound for Ayrsome Park, Middlesbrough. We had a tour of the ground in the morning (it was of course one of the 1966 World Cup venues), I remember a massive crowd (I have 27000 in mind but not completely sure), and it seemed a very long journey home after a 4-0 thumping which I seem to remember could easily have been worse. Nothing wrong with your grey matter, Stefano. You're spot on with the crowd - 27,160. ( Link) And these days, I'm sure we would love to get the size of home crowd that was at the reverse fixture. Not a giddy 27,000 but still an impressive 4,701. ( Link) Thanks for the links Florida. Yes damned good win at Plainmoor. It's not got our team or scorers in the link but I'm fairly certain Ronnie Barnes scored our winner with a belter into the roof of the net at what is now the away end. Happy days! Where did it all go wrong?  |
|
sam
TFF member
Posts: 341
|
Post by sam on Mar 16, 2015 15:03:11 GMT
The Middlesbrough match. 29th April 1967 ((936th day since missing a Torquay home game)
Woke up in the suburbs of Manchester. Saw George Best's boutique, Manchester United's ground, Leeds ground and Wolverhampton's ground. Saw parachutists for first time jumping from a barage balloon. Arrived at Middlesbro at nine-thirty. Torquay lost four-nil. The reason was because Middlesbro played brilliant. Came back long journey home again very rejected. Saw parachutists again. Slept most of way back. Stopped at big Wallace Arnold depot in Leeds.
Weather:
Morning Weak sunshine gave way to boiling sunshine
Afternoon Quote (hazy, dull later)
|
|
sam
TFF member
Posts: 341
|
Post by sam on Mar 16, 2015 15:11:13 GMT
Oh and the home game against Middlebrough on the 3rd December 1966 at Plainmoor (787th day since missing a Torquay home game). These are the full diary entries.
Woke up at half past nine. Went into town. Caught bus up Plainmoor. Richard came as well. Torquay have added four more bulbs on their floodlights. Now have twenty bulbs on each (bet even Jon didn't know that). Torquay beat Middlesbrough two-one. Very good referee although four goals disallowed. Two for Torquay and two for Middlesbrough. Sent away for some more badges. Went to bed at eleven twenty.
Weather:
Morning - Very cold. Sunny. No rain
Afternoon - A queer type of hail. Not exactly hail or snow. Sunny. Grey skies
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 15:40:12 GMT
Woke up in the suburbs of Manchester. Saw George Best's boutique, Manchester United's ground, Leeds ground and Wolverhampton's ground. Confirmation of the route. Far more exciting than getting on the dual carriageway at the Penn Inn and turning off a couple of miles short of the ground be it Chester, Hemel Hempstead, Scunthorpe or wherever. These diaries are a treasure. Is it too late to include them in the museum exhibition? There could even be a spin-off evening of readings: Sam's United Diaries: Football and Adolescence in the Sixties. I think Fleur should be told. |
|
