MATCH 5: SPURS 0-1 ARSENAL ON 3RD MAY 1971. ALMOST EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO & ARSENAL CLINCHED THE LEAGUE TITLE AT WHITE HART LANE...

 A CRUSHING EVENING…

SPURS 0-1 ARSENAL, 3RD MAY 1971…

My best two mates at college were John Follett, a Millwall fan and Martin Phipps who followed Spurs. Mart was a decent centre-forward himself and when Spurs were to have a pertinent say in whether Leeds or local rivals Arsenal won the league-title on May 3rd, 1971, it was suggested that a few of us should travel to White Hart Lane on that memorable Monday. One of the lads borrowed his mother's car for the occasion and around lunchtime we set out from Reading. We were aware that a huge crowd was expected but what we saw when we arrived at the ground was not entirely anticipated. 

It was not an all-ticket affair and queues were forming all round the stadium for the evening kick-off but it was only 3.20pm! The car was left too close to the ground for my liking but no parking restrictions were visible and I made no comment. We had intended to find a food-joint but due to the throng of people, we had little choice but to join the fairly orderly, snaking lines of expectant supporters. By all accounts, some 100,000 people were locked out of the ground that night and 51,192 forced themselves through the turnstiles… 

COULD I BE ON THE PICTURE?

The entrances were opened very early, unsurprisingly. I guess this was done to shift the ever-growing mass of spectators but the mood began to change. Orderly queues became panicky and people rushed and pushed towards the turnstiles from any position. We were fortunate, for we were able to twist and wrestle clear of the stampede and make for an opening gate. And so it was that we witnessed a famous match. 

THE ARSENAL SQUAD...

A no-score draw would have given Arsenal the title by the narrowest of margins, 0.013 of a goal. A win would obviously have been preferable but defeat or a score-draw would have sent the trophy to Elland Road, leaving Arsenal to contest the FA Cup Final against Liverpool the next week, maybe as a mere consolation. Spurs had finished third in the league but well behind the other two protagonists and their players had been promised a £400 pounds bonus per man, should Arsenal lose, thus nullifying talk of handing the title to their rivals. 

PAT JENNINGS CLAWS AN ARSENAL CROSS AWAY...

MORE PRESSURE ON SPURS...

RAY KENNEDY: MATCH WINNER...

JENNINGS DOWN TO COLLECT AGAIN...

THE STATE OF AFFAIRS...

Leeds actually played in a testimonial match that evening in Hull, alleviating their problem of huddling around radios and twitching… 

The crowd noise was deafening yet I felt like I shouldn't have been there. I didn't really belong. Pat Jennings saved early from Charlie George but Spurs then linked well, culminating in Martin Peters' drive clipping the Arsenal crossbar, yet the Gunners ended the half in the ascendancy. Bob Wilson was injured at the feet of Joe Kinnear, almost precipitating a punch-up, then Alan Gilzean failed to get a touch to Cyril Knowles' low cross and Arsenal creaked. As the game noisily yet nervously careered towards a 0-0 draw and Arsenal's title, Jennings made a fine save from Jon Radford's header but Ray Kennedy headed George Armstrong's resulting cross into the net off the crossbar. Three minutes to go, Arsenal were in the lead but also in a cleft stick. An equaliser for Spurs would mean the title going to Leeds & Arsenal's nerves looked terribly frayed as the players defended desperately and Wilson pounced on the ball in a crazy goalmouth melee as the seconds ran out. 

KENNEDY'S LOOPING HEADER...

JENNINGS & CYRIL KNOWLES ARE BEATEN...

...& ARSENAL CLAIM THE LEAGUE TITLE...

Odd really that Spurs had won at Leeds earlier in the season and Jack Charlton had not been impressed by that or Arsenal’s eventual victory at Spurs. My mates and I struggled off the terraces and joined the throng filing from the ground, squeezing through sardine-packed exits and spilling onto the street. We clutched at each other as we tore away from the marauding masses to locate our transport back to Reading. 

The car looked different somehow. The hood and trunk sections were scratched and curiously the roof was crushed in, to the horror of the owner's son. We could do no more but sympathise and attempt to push out the dents from inside the car. We alerted the police but as the crowds finally began to disperse, the constabulary was of little use except to explain that young children had been placed onto the vehicle earlier in the day when the crowd congestion had been at its worst. They said that the car might even have saved lives… 

We never did find out how the driver's mother reacted to the damage but that game, fifty years ago has remained in my memory ever since. 

And Arsenal won the cup too…

MATCH 4: THE WATNEY CUP 1970, READING 2-3 MANCHESTER UNITED...

 The Watney Cup Round 1, 1st August 1970…

Reading 2-3 Manchester United

Having completed my first year at Teacher Training College at Bulmershe, Reading, studying P.E., I had seen Reading FC’s fortunes change also. When I arrived there in late 1969, the first match I saw was a 2-3 defeat to Walsall, a club from my neck of the woods but after that, the Biscuitmen or Royals, whichever nickname one prefers, enjoyed a turnaround of fortunes and had Malcolm MacDonald not scored a belligerent late winner for Luton at Elm Park towards the close of the season, Reading might just have been promoted instead of the Hatters. 

So because Reading had smacked in a huge number of goals during that season, they, like seven other top goalscoring teams in other divisions were invited to take part in the Watney Cup in pre-season, 1970-71. They were drawn against Manchester United, who fielded Alex Stepney, Pat Crerand, Willie Morgan, Dennis Law, Bobby Charlton, Brian Kidd and George Best on that summer’s afternoon. This tournament was the first ever to be sponsored… 

AN 8-0 THRASHING OF SOUTHPORT MEANT A WATNEY CUP SLOT FOR READING...

I was still on my summer break on that date back in Birmingham but I made my way down to Reading by train to see the team which possessed goalkeepers Death and Pratt (surely a firm of undertakers?) take on a star-studded visiting outfit. Steve Death, who had played once for West Ham United, was not a tall ‘keeper but had good reactions, whilst John Pratt was by all accounts a local schoolteacher… Death would play the remainder of his career at Reading, amassing 471 games.

DEATH PLUNGES TO GRAB A CHARLTON CROSS IN FRONT OF KIDD...

I wrote after the game that the sun blazed down upon a rich, green playing area and most spectators wore as little as they could get away with in the ‘Cup Final atmosphere’. 

LAW, RETURNING FROM A KNEE INJURY, ENJOYS THE HOT READING WEATHER...

Reading, I wrote, played some attractive football, engineered by the ‘brilliant’ Tony Wagstaff, with his brother Barrie playing in centre defence. Bobby Williams was also creative and only Stepney’s fine save prevented the latter from ‘steering the Biscuitmen home’. 

STEPNEY DEFLECTS A HABBIN SHOT...

Death did make some marvellous saves too, although his kicking was ‘suspect at times’ and marred his performance, whilst United’s Stepney had been in fine form, ‘changing my opinion of him’ as a goalie… Death plunged about during the first-half, making some timely interceptions but his team pushed United back and it was Stepney who in truth kept Manchester in the tournament…

DEATH BLOCKS AT BEST'S FEET...

However, the most memorable aspect of the encounter was that Reading’s right-back Wil(fred) Dixon, generally the unsung hero, took the sting out of Best, so that the Irish winger never really got going and he was overshadowed by Morgan, who was also given a rough ride by Reading’s Dennis M. Butler. Clearly, Dixon gained legendary status at Elm Park on that day for his exploits of marking Best closely and usually tackling the winger cleanly. He played 153 times for Reading and would later feature for nearby Aldershot too… 

WIL DIXON, LEFT: A SUPERB MATCH AGAINST THE WIRY BEST...

Butler was indeed ferocious in the tackle for the hosts and Terry Bell blossomed in attack alongside my favourite Reading player, Les Chappell, with Dick Habbin as the ‘centre-forward’. Bell was praised afterwards by United’s Crerand but incredibly at the end of that season, it was Bell’s late own goal at Villa Park which sent Reading crashing down to Division 4 and saved Walsall from the drop. He was released in 1973 after scoring 20 goals in 87 appearances for the Biscuitmen, before Aldershot snapped up the forward. He netted 49 times for the Shots in 124 appearances. 

LES CHAPPELL...

During the opening period, Stepney made fine saves to deny Chappell and Williams, as Manchester struggled against the eager Division 3 outfit. Typically, the team under pressure scored first, when defender Paul Edwards dived to head a long free-kick by Tony Dunne past an astonished Death. Clever play between Chappell and Gordon Cumming though, allowed Habbin to shoot and he applied a simple rebound equaliser after Stepney had saved his initial shot.

EDWARDS OPENS THE SCORING FOR UNITED...

HABBIN REGAINS PARITY FOR READING...

Charlton then scored, although he was perilously close to being flagged offside as Kidd freed him and the England player moved on to smack a rising drive past Death. The ‘keeper then erred twice in conceding goal three to United, for his weak kick fell to Charlton some 35 yards from goal and it appeared that Death thought that Charlton’s ensuing drive from downtown was going wide and he made no attempt to save the effort as it rushed into a corner of the net.

CHARLTON SMASHES IN UNITED'S SECOND GOAL...

1-3 at the break, although United would have felt flattered by the scoreline but after the interval, Wagstaff and Williams combined, Chappell headed the ball down for Cumming to race onto and he beat Stepney from 6 yards. Ex-United player Nick Murphy joined the fray for Reading and he quickly brought a fine save from Stepney, before heading into the Manchester net, only to be flagged offside.

STEPNEY FOILS HABBIN AGAIN...

Williams scorned a good late chance for the hosts and Stepney made a superb save from Chappell as time ebbed away but United held on, only managing two Law efforts, which were thwarted by Barrie Wagstaff and fellow defender Stuart Morgan. Law also had a strike cancelled out for offside during the second period.

CUMMING RAPS READING'S SECOND GOAL PAST STEPNEY...

Derby County beat Manchester United 4-1 in the Final…

The Reading game had certainly been a memorable match for me and oddly, after Aston Villa had been relegated to Division 3 in 1969-70, I had looked forward to seeing them play at Elm Park… Yeah, you guessed it, the game was scheduled for the October half-term holiday… I travelled to the match on an Aston Villa Travellers’ Club coach but stayed in Reading to begin my studies again after the weekend…  

HOW THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER'S CARTOONIST SAW THE MATCH...

Villa won 3-5 in an extraordinary match, another to write about soon…

MATCH 3: DIVISION 4 IN 1987 WHEN UNDERDOGS ALDERSHOT BEAT WOLVES 3-0 ON AGGREGATE TO WIN THE FIRST PLAY-OFF FINAL...

 The One That Got Away…

Wolves 0-1 Aldershot

(4th Division Play-off Final Second Leg: 

Shots won on aggregate, 3-0…)

Play-off football took place for the first time in May 1987 and after Wolves had finished 4th in Division 4 they would have to play 5th place Colchester United over two legs for the right to contest a Final. Their opponents would be the winners of the tie between 6th place Aldershot and, uniquely, Bolton Wanderers, who had finished 21st of 24 teams in Division 3. 

THE WOLVES SQUAD...

Wolves won 0-2 at Colchester, courtesy of goals by Rob Kelly and the prolific Steve Bull and although the second leg ended 0-0, Wanderers probably expected to be playing the other Wanderers, Bolton in the Final…

WOLVES ATTACKING THE COLCHESTER GOAL...

However, the Shots beat Bolton in the home leg of their contest, with Gary Johnson (the current Torquay United manager of course) slipping the only goal into the bottom left corner of the net. The second leg ended 2-1 to Bolton at Burnden Park after 90 minutes, Darren (‘Big Bugger’) Anderson netting for the Shots and a brace (including a late penalty) by Tony Caldwell replying for the hosts, which sent the tie into overtime. 

ALDERSHOT'S 1986-87 GROUP...

THE FIRST STRIP CARTOON FROM ALDERSHOT'S FANZINE, 'SHOTS IN THE DARK' (ShITD) WHICH FEATURED CENTRAL DEFENDER DARREN ANDERSON, THE 'BIG BUGGER'... 

Remarkably Shots’ Glen Burvill shot low into the Wanderers’ net to clinch the victory for his team during the extra-time period…

BURVILL, BARNES & SMITH CELEBRATE A CUP SUCCESS v OXFORD DURING THE SAME SEASON... 

I had watched Aldershot play a few times whilst at College in Reading from 1969-72, hence my interest in this match. I had also seen Shots play several times when they had visited Walsall, Hereford, or Port Vale since finishing at college.

MY DAUGHTERS SAW ONE OF SHOTS' GAMES AT WALSALL & EMBARRASSED 'SHOTS IN THE DARK' SUPREMO ANDY JONES.
HE PUBLISHED THEIR 'COMMENTS'... 

In the Final, a Friday night first-leg tie at the Recreation Ground ended 2-0 to Aldershot, through goals by skipper Ian McDonald and a Bobby Barnes penalty, in front of a noisy crowd of 5,069.

THE PROGRAMME COVER...

The second-leg was played on a Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, the 25th May before 19,962 spectators and I was privileged enough to be able to attend, despite going through a dreadful period in my life at that time. I dragged my father along to the game and we sat in the John Ireland Stand, as Molineux was in the process of being upgraded. £4 for me and £2 for my dad… 

THE MATCH TICKETS...

Wolves were expected to beat Aldershot, despite the two-goal deficit, for they fielded Steve Bull and Andy Mutch in attack, who were regular goalscorers. Wolves had finished the season 9 points ahead of Aldershot and Wanderers’ manager Graham Turner mentioned that fact after the match but every team knew the play-off rules for that season, beforehand…

THE TEAM SHEET...

My own report of the game has never before been seen, so here goes…

As Aldershot’s team coach backed precariously between yellow gates and into the match arena at Molineux, a passing Wolves fan remarked “They look worried you know…” Shots’ skipper Ian McDonald waved towards a familiar face in the busy car-park, Coach John Anderson enquired as to the whereabouts of the players’ entrance and then the driver’s coach was swallowed into the stadium, followed by a tiny Beacon Radio outside broadcast van, ready to transmit the play-off tidings across the airwaves of the West Midlands.

Molineux’s deserted old grandstand looked a sorry reminder of glory days past and adjacent to that a once popular terrace lay dormant also, contrasting sharply with the high banked terrace opposite, seething with expectant Wanderers’ fans. The recently built John Ireland Stand housed mainly home supporters in the upper tier but the lower tier had been reserved for Aldershot’s travelling loyalists.

As the noise level rose in the Wolves’ den, a fox was seen to race up a partly overgrown soil bank at a corner of the stadium between the new grandstand and the packed end terracing of home supporters. It vanished from view amongst shrubs at the base of an outside wall… 

The one that got away… 

Ally Robertson was suspended for Wolves, so Nicky Clarke and Floyd Streete were to defend centrally, whilst Barry Powell replaced Rob Kelly. Shots were unchanged from the first leg, still missing the injured Tommy Langley and the suspended Glen Burvill. 

NO DIGITAL CAMERA IN THOSE DAYS BUT I TOOK A FEW SNAPS.
THE TEAMS EMERGE...

Aldershot began steadily and ‘keeper Lange’s apparent calmness became a feature of the first half hour. Steve Wignall and Colin Smith began an aerial warfare with Bull and Mutch from the first whistle, as Wolves’ goalie Mark Kendall despatched punts without the slightest delay after each routine collection of loose balls.

Fortunately for Shots, the hosts generally seemed in too much of a hurry in their approach work which played into the hands of the largely unruffled Aldershot defence. For much of the opening half, Mutch and Bull were unsuccessful in their attempts to gain aerial supremacy, thus failing to provide service for the potentially dangerous Robbie Dennison and Andy Thompson, or even use their own undoubted pace to attack the target themselves.

Three chances were created but Bull fired wildly over the crossbar after Smith’s awkward headed clearance had fallen invitingly for him with Lange well out of his goal, then Thomson drove an effort too high, following one decent head-on by Bull. Finally, fine work by McDonald for Shots forced Mutch too wide to get in a worthwhile shot at goal.

IAN McDONALD, RIGHT...

Lange dealt confidently enough with most crosses delivered by Wolves and turned a long effort by Powell over his crossbar. The frustration and difficulties being experienced by Wanderers began to affect Bull, who was cautioned for inciting a nasty kicking match with Shots’ Andy King. King in fact was filling an important role for the guests, occupying a central position and using his sheer experience to disguise some untidy ball control.

McDonald had covered the threat of Dennison well, rarely leaving left-back Paul Friar to cope alone and the skipper was always capable of spraying long left-footed passes to relieve pressure on his defenders. From an attacking point of view, Aldershot relied on the willingness of Gary Johnson to follow up long passes, the ability of Mike Ring to hold up the ball and the promise of Bobby Barnes to escape the restraining arms of Wolves’ left-back David Barnes. Kendall smothered, then lost a 20 yard King shot but Johnson recycled the ball and assisted Ring for a 10 yard drive which the recovered ‘keeper did well to deflect away at full length.

The first-half thus ended with Aldershot’s defence holding firm and not lacking in confidence.

LANGE LEAPS...

After the break, Dennison and Thompson became more involved for Wolves, running at the Aldershot defence from deeper positions and with Powell at last being allowed the opportunity to use the ball instead of watching it soar over his head, Shots looked threatened.

Lange was fortunate not to have to move to save Dennison’s downward header from Thompson’s neat right-flank centre, before Bull ran clear but he rushed his pass across goal and the despairing Thompson saw the ball bobble behind him in front of a vacant target. The unbalanced Mutch fired wastefully too high from a pass by Bull and a shot from distance by Mick Holmes took a lifting deflection and forced Lange into his second push-over save of the afternoon.

BULL WITH HAIR...

Lange also dealt comfortably with a variety of long passes and crosses, although his defence remained resolute too, under this period of pressure, interrupted only by a long, measured chipped shot by McDonald which was well watched and tipped over the crossbar by Kendall.

As Wolves’ cause became more desperate, Aldershot broke to score a killer goal. A long pass forward by McDonald led to Johnson running shoulder to shoulder with Streete along the left touchline. Ring had been slow to retreat after a previous Aldershot break, presumably because of a knock he had taken earlier in the contest and in those days, technically he was in an offside position but he was certainly not interfering with play.

Johnson won a rebound off Streete’s legs and made for the left byeline, his centre being slightly deflected by a defender. The ball soared across the face of goal, well beyond the far post and was collected by Bobby Barnes, who turned inside David Barnes, successfully shrugging off the full-back’s usual holding attempt and fired a low 10 yard left foot shot, which flew across Kendall and just inside the far upright.

BARNES HAS SCORED FOR SHOTS...

The supportive Aldershot fans had been rewarded, Bobby Barnes slid towards them on his knees and Division 3 vanished for Wolves as instantly as that fox had disappeared earlier from the same den…

BARNES NOW WORKS FOR THE PFA...

Delighted Shots players applauded their applauding fans and the play-off outsiders had surprised the strongly supported favourites Wolves, leaving thousands of their supporters reflecting on the hurried over-anxiety of their team which had failed to shake the composure of an Aldershot crew determined not to lose concentration or relinquish its advantage…

ABOVE & BELOW: SHOTS CELEBRATE...

Lange, Wignall and Smith performed stealthily throughout, McDonald and King offered experience and Giorgio Mazzon outweighed his lack of creativity by playing the role of destructive ball winner with good success. Full-backs Barry Blankley and Friar tidied up loose balls neatly enough and for the most part they forced Dennison and Thompson out of the danger zones. Ring’s deceptive ball carrying skills, Johnson’s honest leadership in attack and Bobby Barnes’ wing-threat combined to form a trio of forwards playing to their strengths. 

PROMOTED!

As I stood applauding among saddened, disbelieving and retreating Wolves supporters, I noticed McDonald acknowledging the support given to his Shots team during the memorable game. I remembered then my five year old daughter Lucy’s reaction on Friday May 22nd, the night of the first leg, as I was reading her bedtime story. The first progress report on Beacon Radio sadly announced that Aldershot led Wolves by 0-1, with a fine shot by Ian McDonald.

COLIN SMITH: A POWERFUL FIGURE...

At this point she yelled, “Ian McDonald, daddy, he’s scored a goal..!” At the age of 3 she knew the Aldershot players by name and the numbers they usually wore but one name had always been her favourite, Ian McDonald… 

SKIPPER IAN McDONALD...

Mazzon, Burvill and Anderson were involved in a car crash following Aldershot’s big night and Giorgio retired from football in 1988, following the head injury he had suffered.

GIORGIO MAZZON...

Shots were relegated in 1989 and the club folded in 1992…

ADVERT IN ShITD & BELOW, MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER WENDY LIKED HER T-SHIRT A LOT, ALTHOUGH HER MUM USED A BLACK MARKER TO BLOT OUT THE WORD 'BUGGER'... 

Wolves won Division 4 and 3 in consecutive seasons but the above play-off game, like that pesky fox, was the one that got away…