CHAPTER 8
SPURS V RANGERS 1970
BLUE MONDAY?
● Pre Season
Friendly
● Monday 3rd
August 1970 ● Kick-Off 7.30pm
B A
C K G
R O U
N D
█ BLUE MONDAY
█
• BACK TO THE FUTURE
At the start of the 1960’s the
Spurs and Rangers teams were serial trophy winners but towards the end of the
decade they hadn’t matched their earlier standards. Could both clubs get back
to the very top? Certainly there was no need to be completely pessimistic. For
Spurs fans, the determination and presence of Bill Nicholson and the fact that
Spurs almost always won something when the year ended in a ‘1’ was cause for
confidence. For Rangers supporters, it was the return to Ibrox of Willie
Waddell and a man whose career was defined by success. Both men would demand
the highest standards for this Monday night joust.
• FRIENDLY
The good relationship between the two boards had been further cemented
when Spurs played at Ibrox in 1969 and the clubs toured together to contest the
Toronto Cup on 1st June 1969. Spurs won 4-3 in
█ THE BILL
NICHOLSON FAN CLUB █
• IBROX BRANCH
Rangers chairman, John Lawrence was a huge admirer of Bill Nicholson and
Spurs. In 1969 when the teams met at Ibrox,
• YORKSHIRE BRANCH
Don Revie, was another who thought the future looked bright for Spurs.
He told the Evening Standard, “I cannot understand what Spurs’ fans are beefing
about. Their team is good enough to win the FA Cup or the League Cup. In fact I
have a £1 bet with a friend that they will win a trophy this season.” The ‘Don’
was legendary in football circles for being as meticulous with money as he was
with preparing one of his dossiers on the opposition.
█ SPURS SINCE
1969 █
• SEASON 1968-1969. FALLING CROWDS
As we saw at the end of the last Spurs chapter, this season failed to
meet the standards set out by their manager and supporters, as evidenced by a
slump in League attendances down to an average of 34,407 from 42,393 the
previous season.
• SEASON 1969-1970. THE RE-SHUFFLE
~Enough Is Enough
Mediocre League performances and an early League Cup exit made the FA
Cup, Spurs last remaining chance of silverware. Following a surprise FA Cup
defeat at Crystal Palace in late January, Bill Nicholson lost patience and
decided that drastic change was required right away. Consecutive seasons
without a trophy or qualification for a European spot were viewed by their
manager as abject failure.
~Back To Square One
Bill Nicholson had left no stone unturned in his quest for drastic
improvement. In an interview on the eve of the match with Peter Blackman of the
Evening Standard, he told Spurs fans, “It was a disappointing season. We tried
numerous permutations, numerous new things. But when the season ended I felt we
were back to square one and that is no good at all.”
~Look On The Bright Side
One bright side for Spurs was their 1970 FA Youth Cup triumph.
Traditionally Spurs purchased most of their talent, so it was pleasing for the
management team and in particular youth coach Pat Welton whom they recruited
from the post of
~And Get Your Hair Cut
Not that Nicholson had come round to long hair, when the youngsters
posed for a team photo with the cup it had to be retaken at a later date when
he saw some of the haircuts or rather lack of them.
█ WILLIE
WADDELL ‘THE RANGERS’ RANGER’ █
• THE TRADITION
“In that word ‘tradition’ lies the secret and power of Rangers. Rangers
were built on discipline and character. Their discipline, code of conduct and
demeanour must be exemplary.” (Willie Waddell)
• TOTAL SUCCESS
Waddell’s career in football as a player and manager had been a ‘total’
success. A revered Ranger and
Waddell was Rangers best hope of turning things round. Not only was he a
player from the ‘Struth’ era who knew the club inside out. As a manager he
transformed
• ONE LOVE
Of course Willie Waddell loved the game, but more than that he had a
love of Rangers. As a youngster, Mr Struth offered him £2 a week to play for
Rangers and if he wanted more money, he would have to go somewhere else to get
it. His talent was such that he was offered treble that amount by
• ONE IMPRESSIVE CV
~The Ranger
August 1938
The sixteen year old makes a goal scoring debut versus
Arsenal.
1939-45
Works at Harland
& Wolff as an electrician during wartime.
Plays for
Rangers and Scotland’s wartime teams.
Comparisons
are made with Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews.
1946
Makes Full international debut for
1948-9
Stars in the historic Treble winning Rangers Team. The legendary ‘Iron Curtain’ defence hardly ever conceded goals whilst Waddell, Willie Thornton and Torry Gillick couldn’t stop scoring them at the other end.
1949-53
Collects a
Championship Medal and a Scottish Cup Winners Medal.
1954
Makes the last of his 17 full international appearances
for
1955-56
Waddell’s final season. Offered a free transfer to enable a lucrative final payday elsewhere but he didn’t want to end his career with anyone else. Finishing his career on a high as Rangers are crowned Champions.
1956
Works as a columnist with the
~The Manager
19th July 1957
Appointed manager of Kilmarnock.
1959-60
Championship Runners Up to Hearts. Scottish Cup Runners Up to Rangers.
1960-61
Championship Runners Up to Rangers. League Cup Runners Up to Rangers.
1961-62
Championship Runners Up to Dundee. League Cup Runners Up to Hearts.
1963-64
Championship
Runners Up to Rangers.
24th April 1965
On the last day of the season
~THE JOURNALIST
1965-69
Journalist
with the Scottish Daily Express.
1965-68
Twice
approached by Rangers to take over as manager. Twice Declined.
3rd December 1969
Named as the
new manager of Rangers.
• THE RETURN
Frankly, Waddell would not
have considered a return to football management for any other club but Rangers
and even then he made it abundantly clear to the board that he would only take
the job on his terms, namely that he was to have complete control of team
affairs. Speaking on the steps outside Ibrox alongside his chairman he
announced:
“I would never have returned for any other club but Rangers. I took two
days to think it over before accepting. I have the conditions I wanted for the
job. It is a tremendous job and it carries a great responsibility.” Rangers had
got themselves a living breathing disciple of Mr Struth, but who was ‘au fait’
with all the nuances and requirements of the modern game. Like his former
manager, he believed in discipline, teamwork and smart appearance.
Having taken over midway through the 1969-70 season, the remainder of it was used to take stock and experiment, as he assessed his staff both on and off the pitch. Now, Waddell was gearing up for his first full tilt at bringing some long awaited silverware back to Ibrox.
• WADDELL’S STYLE OF MANAGEMENT
~Team Pattern
Tactically he developed a pattern to suit the talent at his disposal and
new players were to be signed on the basis of their ability to fit into it. The
pattern at this time was based around a four man defence, a midfield of two
energetic and creative players and one holding player, and two quick and
skilful energetic wide players with Colin Stein at the apex of the attack.
Waddell was adept at identifying and analysing how well each player
fitted into the pattern and highlighting areas for improvement. Fitness was a
cornerstone for any team managed him and seemingly his number one priority upon
taking over at Rangers.
~Teamwork
Waddell’s style of motivation was based around ‘teamwork’ and
togetherness. He was keen that players did things together and narrowed salary
differentials in the first team to create a more united environment.
~Discipline
Gone though, were the happy days of
~Aura And John Greig
The once athletic physique had given way to middle aged spread,
nevertheless Waddell still had an aura. Always immaculately and suavely dressed
with every possible attention to detail. His thick black hair gelled backwards
and not a single hair out of place. The smartness exuded a certain toughness
and ruthlessness. He believed in some distance between himself and the players.
Fortunate to have John Greig, a model professional already as club captain who
as a youngster had been brought up on the traditional Rangers way of doing
things. Including putting across the ‘Boss’s Message’. Greig was not just
hugely respected but also very popular with his teammates, thus it was possible
for Willie Waddell to make his feelings known if not through himself then
through his captain. Waddell of course also had the tremendous respect of the
players, they knew of his career as a player and a manager.
~Ruthless
Players who did not do what they were told or performed below standard
did not get a second chance. He also showed that he would not let sentiment get
in the way of what was good for Rangers, by sacking former teammate Davie
Kinnear from the backroom staff after twenty six years of service. Laurie Smith
who had been physio during the
~Spin
One area Stein and Celtic had dominated was in manipulating the media. For
Scot Symon, the worst thing about being a football manager was having to deal
with the media. When you see the most accomplished and experienced of media
performing managers, find footage of them from their younger days and they’re
nowhere remotely near as confident and polished. And this was to be the case
with Davie White. Stein on the other hand had mastered the soundbite before the
word had even been thought up. I jokily noted that Arsenal’s George Allison
showed real Oscar potential in the Arsenal Mystery film and he was very good.
Stein was actually on another level to Allison, he could cynically adopt a tone
and persona according to whoever he was talking to and what message he was
looking to send out.
As a former pressman, Waddell was fully versed in the way that a modern
manager needed to come across. Similarly he knew the value of good relations
with the press and the need to give them good copy as well as creating the
right image for the club.
~Public Relations
In a similar vein he noted the importance of striking a good rapport with
the fans. A hero in the eyes of Rangers
fans, he was well aware of their massive value to Rangers in terms of their
cash through the turnstile and vocal encouragement. Given his time as a
journalist I suspect he wanted the fans to be treated as he himself would. With
this in mind he did something completely different upon taking over to
underline his commitment to them.
He had a face to face meeting with delegates from Rangers Supporters
Clubs at Ibrox shortly after taking up the post. Demand to see him was so
great, they had to have two sittings to fit in the thousand fans who turned up.
He talked candidly of his ambitions but also reminded the audience that
revitalising the club would take time and there were to be no short term fixes.
Sometimes serious but interspersed with a mix of humour and anecdotes it
galvanised them.
█ THE
CLEAROUT █
• NOTHING PERSONAL
“Sentiment will never be driven out of soccer, yet in the unrelenting
demands of professionalism, changes are inevitable.” (Willie Waddell, Rangers
Wee Blue Book 1970-1971)
This was a euphemism for ‘a night of long knives’ as Waddell sought to
clear the decks at the end of his first season as a starting point for a new
era. Experienced campaigners: Jim Baxter, Dave Provan, Norrie Martin and Erik
Sorensen were all released. Orjan Persson was made available for transfer. The
writing had been on the wall when Waddell used the last part of the campaign to
introduce new players.
Practically all that remained in the backroom from the
• THE BACKROOM TEAM
At this point Waddell had not made any major signings preferring to give
youth its chance. His first task was to get his backroom staff correct and in
retrospect, the recruitment of Jock Wallace (see ‘Jock The Giant Killer’ in
1967) as coach from Hearts in June 1970 was perhaps to be his most crucial
signing. In addition to getting one of the best coaches it also made good sense
to have a younger man in the backroom to relate to the players.
Until Wallace’s appointment, Waddell was out on the training ground with
players, but it was not now something he felt best suited to. With fitness
fanatic Jock Wallace putting the team through their paces and leading by
example, Waddell could watch and apply his knowledge of the game instead of
having to make sure players were carrying out orders.
Supplementing Wallace were former player Stan Anderson as assistant
trainer and Tommy Craig as physiotherapist.
• PUTTING A NEW TEAM TOGETHER
In fairness to Scott Symon and David White, they left Waddell with some
very good players. The new manager was however keen to blood younger players, perhaps
as a former ‘prodigy’ himself, Waddell believed if a player was young and good
enough, he should be picked. Maybe he saw younger players as more respectful
and easier to mould and to have more fitness and enthusiasm than the older
players. Certainly he wanted to eliminate any cynicism from the dressing room
and in Ibrox tradition have players who would wear the shirt with absolute
pride and dedication.
His only foray into the transfer market had been to sign a 6’4 giant of
a goalkeeper called Peter McCloy from Motherwell.
~There's Only Two Bobby Watsons
One of Waddell’s earliest missions had been to recruit a new young
goalkeeper. Peter McCloy had been acquired in a swap for Bobby Watson and Brian
Heron in Spring 1970. However, on Rangers pre-season tour he had experimented
with another goalkeeper and Bobby Watson. This one aged twenty came from
Glasgow and was considered an excellent prospect. In keeping with Waddell’s
template was Alex MacDonald who had been signed by his predecessor from St
Johnstone for £50,000. Small in stature but extremely versatile and like his
new coach a fitness fanatic. He brought non-stop energy and no little skill to
the midfield. Rangers also fielded eighteen year old Alfie Conn whose father
was a former Scotland international with Hearts. He had already represented
Scotland Schoolboy and Youth teams and his talent obvious, exactly the sort of
youngster Waddell was looking to give a chance to.
█ THERE’S
ONLY ONE BOBBY WATSON █
• THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!
I was particularly touched to receive a
█ SPURS 1970 █
• YEARS
2 CHANGES 4
From the clash in 1968, seven
players remained. The new additions were Steve Perryman, Ray Evans, Martin
Peters and Roger Morgan. Bill Nicholson’s decision to sell Jimmy Greaves was sadly
in time proved to be a shrewd one. Perhaps the squad was still too small but at
least some homegrown talent had emerged into the side with Perryman and Evans.
Ray Evans was very fit and enthusiastic right back. A player somewhat
ahead of his time in that he was most comfortable going forward and creating
attacks. Steve Perryman from West London was a former England Schoolboy, (And
Yes QPR tried to sign him!) and the teenager broke in to the Spurs team in the
second half of 1969-70 season. Already impressing people in the game with his
skill and maturity allied to a fantastic workrate.
Roger Morgan, twin of QPR’s Ian Morgan joined Spurs for £100,000. His
Tottenham career had been hampered by injuries. A skilful winger with an
accurate cross but the main criticism of his play was a lack of consistency.
World Cup winner Martin Peters
joined Spurs in a record deal which saw Jimmy Greaves move in the opposite direction
to West Ham in March 1970 with Peters valued at £200,000. Still only twenty six
and capped at every level by England he was a very clever goalscoring
midfielder. Pundits referred to him as the player ten years ahead of his time
for his ‘unflashy’ ability to either score or create goals, instead of
dribbling past players, he would simply but perfectly time a run into the
space. (Spurs John White was given his ‘Ghost’ nickname for his ability to do
this at the turn of the decade.) An underrated header of the ball and dead ball
specialist.
•
A CHANGE OF FOCUS
“The money is there in football to be used in football. Our experience
shows that is has been necessary to buy big, because our supporters wanted in
that way. For years our aim has been to acquire one big name each season. The
supporters have not really supported Youth football here. But this has got to
change and our youngsters have got to have a chance. We have got to find our
own players.”
(Standard
Supplement interview with Peter Blackman 26th September 1970)
• BEST BUY?
He also revealed to Peter Blackman that his best acquisition was his
first foray into the transfer market when he bought Dave Mackay.
P R E – M A T C H B U I L D
U P
█ SPURS HOLIDAY
1970 █
• SUNSHINE
At the end of the 1969-70 Season Spurs went on a holiday/club tour to
• DIY
Two players spent the summertime doing DIY in their homes.
• FISH AND CHIPS
Cyril Knowles went home to
• OR PELE
Alan Mullery and Martin Peters were of course part of the
• SHORT SHARP SHOCK
Having returned from their sojourns, in mid July, the Spurs team
reported back for training at Cheshunt. A fortnight later than usual for
training, given that it was a World Cup Summer. Upon the players’ return they
worked primarily on body fitness in a shorter but sharper ‘pre-season’. The
players trained six days per week, morning and afternoon. With nine-a-side
matches in the middle of the day to sustain a competitive edge and make it more
enjoyable.
█ PRE SEASON █
• OR BLUE MOONLIGHTING
For young Glaswegian bank worker Bobby Watson, this was an exciting
time. The twenty year old Rangers fan from a family of fanatical supporters had
just signed for the club. Starring in goal for Ardrossan Winton Rovers in their
excellent Scottish Junior Cup run he came to Rangers attention following a
superb display in the semi finals. His sterling efforts in the tournament had
played no small part in him being later crowned Scottish Junior Player of the
Year. The confident young Rangers goalkeeper enjoyed some humorous banter with
the presenter of the award, a certain Jock Stein.
Bobby was a latecomer to goalkeeping having spent most of his youth
playing as a right winger before filling in for an absentee goalkeeper and
never looking back. Interestingly the young man’s favourite players were still
all outfield players, namely: Jim Baxter, Dennis Law and John Greig. During a
Rangers trial game he had the privilege of marvelling at the still brilliant
skills of one of these men, the not now so slim Jim.
When the Rangers club official visited the Watson household in July 1970
to formally invite Bobby to sign for Rangers, it was the probably the easiest
signing he ever had to make as it was a dream come true for all the family and
pens were poised long before the ring of a doorbell. It later transpired that
Bobby then booked time off for a holiday from his employers not to
celebrate but because he was invited to join Rangers on their pre season tour
of
• LIVING THE DREAM & GENTLEMAN GERRY NEEF
He then made his Rangers debut against
█ RANGERS
WEEKEND █
• ACTION
The first team had the day off on Saturday 1st August but for Rangers
backroom staff it was business as usual. Rangers fielded a ‘Young XI’ away to
Albion Rovers. Emphasising the growing importance of home grown talent, Willie
Waddell and his entire staff travelled to the game. Along with directors,
George Brown, David Hope and Ian McLaren.
The game finished 1-1, Rangers goal scored by a sixteen year old
substitute and ground staff boy, Alec Morrison. Amusingly the 4000 crowd did
not know who he was as the Rovers tannoy was broken. This ‘young’ Rangers team
was to include a number of future stars including Peter McCloy, Derek Parlane,
Derek Johnstone and Alex Miller.
• INACTION
John Greig, Willie Henderson and Alex McDonald were receiving treatment
for injuries collected on Rangers pre-season tour of
M A
T C H
D A Y
█ INFLATION █
• TICKETS
Football
hadn’t got any cheaper to watch at the Lane since Rangers last visit. Seats in
either the East or West stands would now set you back 18/-.
• SPURS
Alan Mullery and Martin Peters back from the Mexico World Cup of 1970
were set to play their first games since returning. Jim Blair of the Evening
Times anticipated a tough evening for Rangers, estimating that the Londoners
forward line contained £450,000 worth of talent.
• RANGERS
Rangers brought a fifteen man party to London. Willie Waddell knew full
well that it was going to be a demanding evening. Telling Ken Gallacher of the
Daily Record, “I know how hard this game is going to be. But we have taken on
these games because we knew they would be hard. We had it tough in
More power to him. A tough pre-season gives the manager an idea of the
players’ character and once the season starts, they will find it comparatively
easier against the opposition.
█ DREAMING █
• MONDAY MORNING BLUES
Young Bobby
Watson returned from weekend football action to his day job at the bank.
Despite his success in
• HOPE FOR A LIFT
At Lunchtime, eyebrows were raised by customers and staff alike as a
Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the bank. The owner, Rangers director David
Hope was on his way to the airport and he had the important task of collecting
a goalkeeper on route. Bobby was under the impression that he had been brought
down as cover and looked forward to enjoying a very different Monday from what
he expected. He’d only ever seen Spurs and their host of star players on
television so it was going to be a treat to see them play his beloved Rangers
in the flesh. Beats the day job anyway.
• YOU’RE PICKED
Mid afternoon the pair touch down in
• TEAMTALK
Willie Waddell was not a great one for rousing team talks. His
philosophy was that everyone knew what was expected from them and he was
slightly aloof in the dressing room in the style of Scott Symon.
M A T C H R E P O R T
SPURS : 1 Pat Jennings 2 Ray
Evans 3 Cyril Knowles 4 Alan Mullery (C) 5 Mike England 6 Phil Beal 7 Alan Gilzean 8 Steve Perryman 9 Martin Chivers 10 Martin Peters 11 Roger Morgan.
Long sleeved white shirts with a rounded neck and cockerel on ball motif
to the left breast. Blue nylon shorts and white socks.
RANGERS
: 1 Bobby Watson 2 Sandy Jardine 3 Billy Mathieson 4 John Greig (C) 5 Ron McKinnon 6 Dave Smith
7 Willie Henderson 8 Alf
Conn 9 Colin Stein 10 Alex MacDonald 11 Willie Johnston.
Alas the groovy shirts of Summer 1969 had been dispensed with and
replaced with long sleeved blue cotton shirts with a rounded neck and the
initialled GRFC on the left breast of the shirt. White nylon shorts and red socks
with a white top.
Referee : Mr R Kirkpatrick (
Linesmen : Mr J Craigie (
FIRST HALF
Like two years ago, Spurs kick towards the Paxton Road Goal, Rangers
towards the Park Lane End.
Bobby Watson is immediately forced into action making fine saves from
Martin Chivers and then Alan Gilzean.
Never one to miss a trick, Bill Nicholson noted Rangers choice of young
goalkeeper and has made instructions for his players to give him a full
examination. Balls are
16 mins : GOAL 1-0 SPURS
Roger Morgan delivers an inch perfect cross for Alan Gilzean to run on
to. The former
17 mins : SPURS GOAL DISALLOWED
An almost identical copy of the goal is scored a minute later, but is
ruled offside.
Rangers come back into the game with more possession but the problem is
getting the ball into Spurs penalty area. Colin Stein looks lively, but the
North Londoner’s greater directness makes them seem the more likely to score.
29 mins : GOAL 2-0
A Martin Chivers’ lob is headed home by an unmarked Roger Morgan.
HALF
TIME SCORE : SPURS 2 RANGERS 0
SECOND HALF
Spurs come back in to the game. As well as receiving a buffering from
Gilzean and Chivers the young goalkeeper also has to contend with Spurs giant
centre half Mike England at set pieces. Despite this, he continues to bravely
come for everything and follows his captain’s advice to knock him out of the
way when coming for a ball. The downside of course is that running into John
Greig is akin to running into a granite cliff and it’s every bit as painful as
contending with the Spurs big men. The young goalkeeper barely out his teens is
still filling out and the big men he faces are of course fully grown and in
peak physical condition.
71 mins : SPURS GOAL DISALLOWED
Dangerman Chivers scores again but it is disallowed for handball.
The goalkeeper has certainly won the respect of his illustrious
opponents. Following another cross and a collision with Alan Gilzean, as the
pair rise the
FINAL
SCORE : SPURS 2 (Gilzean, Morgan) RANGERS 0
Attendance
: 26,168
• A MINOR SKIRMISH
The crowd behaviour was good, save for a minor skirmish between the fans
after the match which resulted in the arrest of one Londoner and two Scotsmen. Certain
elements of the Spurs crowd winding up the Rangers fans during the game,
chanting, ‘Celtic Celtic.’
The fall in attendance from the previous Rangers visit in part
reflecting the slump in crowds at
• POST MATCH
Chairman Sidney Wale presented a radio to Spurs guest of honour, Jock
• 1967 AND ALL THAT
The next day Rangers heard the news that they were paired with Bayern
Munich in the 1st round of the Cup Winners’ Cup, a re-run of the 1967 final.
• GOALKEEPERS
For many years until he retired, upon the final whistle Pat Jennings had
a splendid sporting ritual. He would wait for his opposite number on the
halfway line so that they could shake hands and walk off together. Sharing
praise, offering sympathy or to crack a joke.
If possible, the great
P O S T M A T C H
R E A C T I O N
• THE SCOTTISH MEDIA
Jim Blair of the Evening Times considered Rangers display as
indifferent.
He was very impressed with Steve Perryman. Describing him as, “One of
the most mature eighteen year olds I have seen playing in first class
football.” The other Spurs players to catch his eye were Alan Mullery and
Martin Chivers. His pick of the Rangers team were Watson, Mathieson and Stein.
Ken Gallacher writing in the Daily Record felt that the Rangers defence
was not tight enough to deal with the Spurs threat. Like his fellow scribe at
the Evening Times, the Rangers who impressed him most were Colin Stein and
Bobby Watson. He said of the latter, “Showed authority, courage and competence
whereas other players did not and made six excellent saves.” Mullery was his
pick from Spurs.
• THE GOALKEEPER
For the young goalkeeper the day passed by like a dream and as the
reports from Jim Blair and Ken Gallacher confirm he gave a very good account of
himself in the very highest of company.
T A L K I N G P O I N T S
█ THANK YOU
BOBBY █
• FIRST CLASS
Meeting Bobby
Watson and his partner Teresa was my highlight of the Emirates Weekend. What
impressed me most aside from Teresa’s courage in turning up on enemy territory!
and the couple’s warmth, friendliness, great humour and patience was Bob’s
enduring passion for Rangers.
Despite
putting in a first class display against Spurs, Willie Waddell eventually opted
for and stuck with Peter McCloy, and though Bobby stayed with the club until
1973 he was unable to displace the ‘Girvan Lighthouse.’ (And neither were a
string of very fine goalkeepers for the best part of fifteen years). Yet Bobby
maintains the affection and passion for the club he supported as a boy and had
only positive things to say about his time with Rangers. No regrets, but the
sense of being fortunate to have signed for his team and the joy and honour to
have been a part of it all.
• THERE’S NOT A TEAM
I was very
kindly invited to join them for a Rangers function later on in the evening,
unfortunately the tickets had sold out but I thought it was lovely to hear
about two people he met up with. Firstly, the daughter of his fellow custodian
and roommate from Germany all those years ago, Melanie Neef. A superb athlete,
Melanie broke a number of Scottish records, won a European Cup Gold medal in
the 400 metres in 1995 and was part of an historic World Cup winning British 4
x 400 metres quartet in 1994. Secondly, he met up with his teammate from that
Monday evening, and a man who features for Rangers in each of the last four
matches in this book, that terrific Ibrox stalwart and Scottish international
left half, Dave Smith.
So perhaps
what goes around comes around or maybe it’s why perhaps there’s not a team like
the Glasgow Rangers. Almost thirty nine years to the day when Bobby and Dave
played together for Rangers in London, the pair were back supporting Rangers in
London.
█ SALARIES
AND CONTRACTS 1970 █
• PLAYERS
Top
• THE MEN IN THE
MIDDLE
In 1970, there were eighty Football League referees, promoted from the
ranks of linesmen. The referee received £10.50 per game before tax. Travel
expenses a choice of either 6 pence a mile by car or first class rail fare. He
(nobody had ever heard of or come to think of it even considered a woman
refereeing a professional game) would also receive a meal allowance of £3 and
an extra £4.20 if overnight accommodation was required. Making it was little
more than a paid hobby.
• BILL NICHOLSON’S CONTRACT
‘ ’
The Spurs manager was not particularly interested in money. Remarkably
throughout his entire tenure as manager he never worked with a contract. He
told Dennis Signy in the Tottenham Hotspur Football Book No.3. “What is the use
of a contract. YOUR ONLY SECURITY IS YOUR ABILITY.” This was confirmed by
chairman Fred Wale in the same publication. “We have never discussed salary
…nor has he worked with a contract. There has been mutual trust and
understanding.”
• WHATEVER HAPPENED TO DAVE MACKAY?
Brian Clough switched Mackay into a sweeper/centre half role at Derby. His
former Spurs teammates were not particularly surprised that he led Derby on the
pitch to runaway winners of Division 2 in 1969 and voted the Football Writers’
Association Player of the Year. (Shared jointly in a tied vote with Tony Book.)
█ THE SPURS
BOARDROOM █
THE BOARD
Chairman: Sidney Wale
Vice-Chairman: CF Cox Directors:
A Richardson, H Groves, G Richardson.
Article 14 was still in place and had remained unchallenged since 1935.
To become a director you still needed a qualification of just 10 £1 shares.
Chairman Sidney Wale aged fifty seven had been a director since 1957 and
succeeded his father Frederick one year before this game and was the largest
individual shareholder with 586 shares. The rest of the board owned a mere 155
shares between them. Hunter Davies noted in 1971 that, “None of the present
Spurs directors has ever had to put a penny of his own money into the club.”
Vice Chairman: Born in 1899, Charles Cox was now aged over seventy and
had been a director since 1962. His business career had been in sales for Car
Mart part of the Kenning Car Sales Group. His father George had been a director
of the club since 1907.
Arthur Richardson aged sixty five had been a director since 1962. His
business career had been as a chartered accountant who worked his way up to
becoming managing director of a nuts and bolts business. Now running a family
waste paper firm in North London and a local Conservative counsellor.
Geoffrey Richardson aged twenty nine and son of Arthur became a director
in 1970. Bearing in mind the combined age of the rest of the board, they felt
it was useful to have a younger person who could relate to younger fans.
Godfrey Groves aged sixty two was a Spurs fan whose family had no prior
connection with the boardroom but invited to become a director in 1969.
Socially he had mixed with friends of the chairman who felt that his skills and
connections would be particularly useful. A self-made quantity surveyor who had
made a lot of money in the building trade, he was also an Enfield Borough
councillor and JP.
• HOW THE BOARD FUNCTIONED
The Board in fairness to them did not run Spurs for personal gain.
Although you hardly need me to point out some of the ‘perks’ of their position.
At this stage directors were prohibited from receiving salaries and the maximum
dividend a football club could pay its shareholders 7½%.
The way that they operated was
for each director to apply his personal and business skills to a given area of
the club. Godfrey Groves was responsible for building work at either
Spurs tried to generate some additional income with a lottery.
Comprising of a daily draw for prizes of £10, £5 and £3 and a Saturday draw for
£75, £15 and £10.
~THE GOLDEN GOAL
Actually called ‘Goal Time’ 1 Shilling tickets for the time of the 1st goal
could be obtained from official sellers in the main entrance and around the ground.
The tickets would have a random time printed on them. The closest to the 1st goal
received a £50 prize, £25 for the 2nd goal and £10 for the 3rd. If no goals
were scored the prize fund was shared equally between holders of the ‘No Goal’
tickets.
The goals for this game were timed at: 1st Goal 16min 01 sec 2nd Goal:
29min 37 secs.
Who Timed The Goal? Was there a special machine? Actually it was director
Geoffrey Richardson sitting in the directors’ box with a stop watch clenched in
his hand.
• KEY ISSUES FOR THE SPURS BOARD IN 1970
(1) New Income Sources v Tradition
Look at any old picture of Spurs in action at
Spurs ignored another revenue stream by not selling souvenirs or
merchandise. Instead, retailing souvenirs was a particularly lucrative sideline
for the Supporters Club and on an average matchday, they could expect to
turnover at least £1000 and it was not until the 1971-72 season that Spurs
opened their own shop to retail products. Perhaps this was a symptom of the board
being out of touch with their fans and/or their opposition to anything new.
(2) Natures Threat to Article 14
Given the powers that Article 14 gave the board, the power had shifted
to the
(3) Ground Improvements
(source Evening Standard Supplement 1970)
At this time Spurs had
earmarked £80,000 to link up the South and West Stands with an additional 1000
seats. Spurs boasted seating for 17,700; 7000 occupied by season ticket
holders, 6500 available at the turnstiles on matchdays and 4000 reservable from
match to match. They were building a new bar for the
Spurs were one of the first clubs to install spectator counting
equipment indicating at any moment how many people had gone through any
particular turnstile, so that crowd levels could be monitored. (Also a good deterrent
against gatemen getting their money mixed up with Spurs.) The total staff on a
match day was around two hundred with a further seventy police officers on
patrol inside the ground. In 1969 the combined salaries of Spurs playing and
non-playing personnel totalled £157,102 against a turnover of £500,000.
█ GRAEME
SOUNESS OF SPURS █
• GRAEME SOUNESS
MAKES HIS FIRST FOOTBALL HEADLINE
Gifted Spurs youngster Graeme Souness had come to the attention of Goal
magazine. Following his sending off in the FA Youth Cup Final against a
Coventry City team that included a certain David Icke in goal. (Wonder if he came
out in a purple tracksuit?)
The Opinion column wrote on 1st August 1970.
“Graeme Souness will not have his first competitive kick of the season
until next month. He was sent off during Tottenham’s marathon FA Youth Cup
Final with Coventry last season and has paid for the indiscretion with a three
week suspension, a £10 fine and the loss of his winner’s plaque. We have
supported, and will continue to support the FA in their campaign to stamp out
violence and bad sportsmanship. And we do not think it a bad thing that young
first time offenders should be hit hard by a suspension and a fine. But we
wonder if they have gone too far this time. Graeme is just seventeen and a fine
prospect. Must a lad whose goal won that trophy for Spurs go through his soccer
career with an empty space on his sideboard as a permanent reminder of one
moment of foolishness in his Youth. The FA must administer their laws with
firmness. But if they wish to retain the respect of their members they must
have the courage to admit that they, too, can make a mistake.”
█ ARE YOU
WRITING JIMMY HILL █
The same issue contained Jimmy Hill’s concerns about the ‘modern’ game.
They included pleas for:
·
Better
public relations from Football Clubs.
·
Better
refereeing.
·
Managers
to stop moaning about referees after games.
·
More
skill and less fouling.
POSTSCRIPT
█ SPURS
1970-71 █
Spurs completed their pre-season preparations in a four club
international tournament in Majorca before opening their campaign against West
Ham and a certain Jimmy Greaves. (No prizes for guessing who scored on his West
Ham debut)
It was a hugely successful season for
Spurs made the great improvements demanded by their manager, winning the
League Cup (£1 to Mr Revie of Leeds) and finishing third in the League.
However, it was to be a good season turned bad for Spurs. Arsenal came
to White Hart Lane on Monday 3rd May 1971 for their final game of the season
needing either victory or a goalless draw as the first leg of emulating Spurs
League and Cup Double. Literally, half of north London had descended on White
Hart Lane by mid-afternoon for the evening kick off and somehow the players managed
to edge through the traffic to make it to the game.
The Spurs players were acutely aware that stopping Arsenal meant as much,
perhaps even more than any Cup Final to their fans and management. Ray Kennedy
scored late on to give the Gunners a 2-1 lead and despite desperate, frenzied
Spurs attempts to equalise, Bertie Mee’s disciplined team fought like tigers to
hold on. Five days later, they could only watch on television, as Arsenal beat
Liverpool to match Spurs historic achievement of a decade ago.
█ THE 1971
EUROPEAN CUP FINAL █
• DOUBLE DUTCH
The European Cup Final was not contested by a London team but was played
at Wembley by Ajax and Panathinaikos managed by Ferenc Puskas who had taken
football to another level at Hampden for Real Madrid in 1960. Ajax had
comprehensively beaten Celtic in the quarter finals with what was to become
known as total football; amazingly talented, supremely fit players capable of
interchanging positions with fast, fluid football. Puskas though bitterly
disappointed to lose must surely have admired the wonderful Dutch brand of
football.
• RANGERS 1970-1971
Waddell’s revitalised
Rangers collected a long awaited piece of silverware with a League Cup Final
triumph over Celtic in October 1970. Sixteen year old Derek Johnstone scored
the winner. But football really is only a game. Within weeks, the happiness of
sporting victory was replaced by overwhelming anguish, grief and despair for
everyone connected with Rangers.
THE IBROX DISASTER
Despite implemented recommendations
following the two tragic deaths in September 1961, Gate 13, the Cairnlea Drive
Stairway was still a patently dangerous place for fans departing a packed
Ibrox. On almost the sixth anniversary of the 1961 tragedy, eleven fans were
hospitalised following a crush on the same stairway on their way home. On 2nd
January 1969, a further twenty four fans were hospitalised, two seriously on
this treacherous exit.
On 2nd January 1971, 66 Rangers
fans perished on Gate 13.
Eye witness accounts relay the
horrific sight of a ten foot wall of humanity, all laid out the same way. Their
heads and faces with their tongues lolling out, their shoes found some distance
away slimy with urine and vomit.
Detective Superintendent Joe
Beattie who had dealt with the most gruesome of murder investigations felt
physically sick at the sight. Willie Waddell likened it to the grotesque images
from
This is not the place to
explore the whys and wherefores of the Disaster, rather perhaps to reflect.
Nevertheless there are people
who wrongly peddle the myth that it was fans rushing back into the ground after
a late equalising goal that caused the crush. The Inquiry set up in the
aftermath though unable to conclusively pinpoint the exact passage of events,
was at least able to forensically eliminate this version. The disaster occurred
ten minutes after the game finished and was almost certainly caused by someone
losing their footing on that rotten death trap of a stairway.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED ON 2nd JANUARY 1971.
From Glasgow: David Anderson (aged 45), John Buchananan (32), Richard Barke (15), David Duff (23), Peter Farries (26), John Gardiner (32), Thomas Grant (16), Charles Livingston (30), Brian Hutchinson (16), John Jeffrey (16), Andrew Lindsay (18), Thomas Melville (17), Francis Dover (16), Robert Mulholland (16), Duncan McBrearty (17), Donald McPherson (30), Thomas McRobbie (17), Robert Rae (25), William Shaw (30) Walter Shields (15), George Smith (40), William Somerhill (17), James Trainer (20), John Crawford (23), George Findlay (21), John Neil (29).
From Liverpool: Nigel Pickup (9).
From Edinburgh: Walter Raeburn (36), James Sibbald (28), Robert Cairns (17).
From Lanarkshire: Thomas Dickson (32), Ian Frew (21), James Grey (37), Ian Hunter (14), James Mair (19), Robert Maxwell (15), Alexander Orr (16), Matthew Reid (49), Charles Stirling (20), Peter Wright (31).
From Argyll: George Irwin (22).
From Fife: Peter Easton (13), Martin Paton (14), Mason Phillips (14), Douglas Morrison (15), Brian Todd (14)
From Renfrewshire: Hugh Addie (33), Robert Grant (21), Alex McIntryre (29), George Wilson (15).
From Stirlingshire: Margaret Ferguson (18), Robert McAdam (36), Richard McLeay (28), John McLeay (23).
From West Lothian: Russel Malcolm (16).
From East Lothian: James McGovern (24).
From
Dumbartonshire: George Adams (43), Robert Carrigan (13), Charles Dougan (31),
Adam Henderson (42), David McGhee (14), Thomas Morgan (14), James Rae (19),
John Semple (18), Thomas Stirling (16), Donald Sutherland (14).
~REST IN PEACE~
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