Post by gazz on Dec 5, 2013 2:55:21 GMT
Alf Ramsey (Sir)
bringbacklenwhite
Alf Ramsey holds the distinction of being the only England manager to win the World Cup (for you youngsters out there it was 1966 - some of us remember watching the match). Three months before the Finals he announced, quite seriously, that England WOULD win the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley.
Ramsey had already led Ipswich Town to the Division One title earlier that decade (1961-2) in their first season in the top league.
He confounded traditionalist by dispensing with conventional wingers and threw in an untried and tested youngster called Geoff Hurst (the rest is history) at the expense of England's best goal-poacher - Jimmy Greaves.
He is best remembered for calling the Argentinian team (quarter finals) "animals" after a torrid game which saw their captain, Rattin, sent off. He banned the team from swopping jerseys at the end of the game.
Best Ramsey story. Comes from Rodney Marsh.
Sir Alf was worried about Marsh's work rate for England. He told him "Marsh, if you don't up the effort I will pull you off at half-time"
To which Rodney replied "Cheers, Thanks Alf, we only get a cup of tea at Man City !".
For some reason Marsh never played for England again.
Accrington Stanley
sandbachhatter
I forget the season, but it would have been around 4 years ago I think and we were playing Stanley at home. For most people (at least those of my age and older), the mere mention of this team conjures up memories of a famous milk ad from the 80's ("Accrington Stanley? Who are they?" "Exachhtly"). The kids involved are scousers and you can't help but put on the accent and utter those immortal words whenever Stanley are mentioned. As it happens, it's one of the few phrases I can do with a convincing scouse accent, along with "Dey do do dat do don't dey?" and "Yerwhat? Meeehhrder?" (no offence mouse...)
Anyway, the team are now synonymous with that advert.
So much so, that when a particuarly nasty challenge went in by one of their players, a chant began of "You dirty cheating scousers, you dirty cheating scousers". Sadly, because of the popularity of that advert, everyone chanting assumed that Accrington is in Merseyside, rather than it's actual location of between Blackburn and Burn**y. The rest of the Cheadle End, myself included, were torn between amusement and embarrassment.
No doubt they get it a lot though.
Adswood United (Reserves)
downunderhatter
I played against this team many times over the years and have always had the greatest respect for them. When we had a pitch with a clubhouse on the doorstep, they always stayed back and had a pint with us after the game. I used to drink with one of their players in the Royal Oak and have a sneaky fiver on the games between us. I reckon we must have finished about even.
One particular game against them in the mid 90’s was played at Whitehill Street in Reddish. I don’t know why, as it wasn’t their home ground or ours for that matter.
They had a big, curly-haired midfielder playing for them at the time who we affectionately nicknamed “Stig,” after Stig Of The Dump, due to the fact that he stunk rotten. I played centre-back and as one of the biggest players on our team, it was always my job to mark “Stig” on corners or free-kicks. This wasn’t that much fun as it was hard to mark tightly due to the stench and he was quite a decent player in the air and on the ground. During the course of the game, they got a free-kick just inside our half on their right wing. It was obviously going to be floated to “Stig” on the edge of our box. All the usual shouts of “Mark Stig, Downy” (obviously I wasn’t called Downy then) were heard and I did my best after a pretty terrible time marking the smelly git. The ball was duly lofted in, straight for my soap-dodger friend, but this time, I had the better position, this time I was going to finally beat him in the air and head the ball towards the halfway line, this time I was going to get praise off my fellow players for coming good in our hour of need and doing something worthwhile for a change.
This time, our brain-cell challenged goalkeeper, was going to rush out at the last minute, call for the ball too late and completely miss it.
The last thing I saw was a blue and purple smudge of goalie shirt as his elbow connected with my nose and pushed it to the side of my face. I had pain, blood and bewilderment. I was told to stay down as the freezing-cold magic sponge was thrust in my face many times. When I finally got up, I was expecting to see “bluey-purple shirt” taking a goal kick. Instead we were kicking off.
“Did it go in?” I asked.
“Yes” said our keeper, with a big grin on his face.
“b*ll*cks” I thought to myself and carried on with the game.
Next week, I get kicked in the b*lls against Bredbury.
Don’t Miss It!!!
archie
archie
Born Hyde, 1948. Lived in Bredbury, Burnage and Sutton Coldfield plus uni in Manchester then, for all but a year in Birmingham, worked in London from 1970-91.
Out of work for 3 years then got a job in Liverpool and moved to the Wirral. Met my match and got married for the first time in 2004, moving to North Wales.
First football memory is the Matthews Cup Final in 1953 so Blackpool were the first team that I supported followed by the very good Burnley side of the late 50s. Ours was a City family so I saw most of my early football at Maine Road albeit usually supporting the opposition. First trip to EP was 16/4/60 (2-0 v Workington) and I’ve been hooked since. Didn’t get to see many matches when I was in London but got a season ticket when I was in the Wirral. Seen progressively fewer matches since moving to North Wales as looking after 3 horses, 4 dogs, 3 cats and 2 chickens (as it was for a good part of the time) made things difficult.
Apart from football my main sporting interest is horseracing. I've had shares in several horses over the years and make the pilgrimage to Cheltenham every March. When I first started doing internet forums I had a share in a useless nag called Apachevere. His stable name was 'Archie' and I've used that ever since. Coincidentally, when I met my wife she also had a pony called Archie.
Very sadly, my wife succumbed to bowel cancer October last which put County‘s woes into perspective. Thanks for the company.
Away at St. Andrews
gazza007
A particular favourite memory of mine was away at St Andrews in 1991/92 when we lost 3-0,.Killer was sent off after missing a pen, and our coach window had been smashed by some knuckle draggers on the way in too!
Anyway, we were 2-0 down by half-time, and at the interval they had a kids' match, not sure if it was County kids? But there was this little lad in white who rattled one in right in front of the massive County away support, and we all roared like hell as if it was County that had just scored! He came running over with his arms gesturing to us as if to say "come on lets hear ya" lapping up the applause. He must have been about 6 or 7 years old, tiny little thing he was, but it was the highlight of a really sh*tty away day, a classic moment that still makes me laugh. Oh, and Louie Donowa grabbed the third late on to compound our misery.
Andy, get us a pie!
gazza007
Another fave moment was on the Pop side, can't remember the game, but at half-time a lad was jogging down to the front on his way to grab some refreshments when his mate near us shouted "Andy, get us a pie!", to which hundreds of us started chanting: "ANDY, GET US A PIE.... ANDY, ANDY, GET US A PIE!", still cracks me up that one.
Antidote
siriusiron
Hubby: Alright darling, any news on County Heaven.
Wife: No. The usual and there is a section on bogeys....I think I'll give that a miss.....though I am trying to be clever and think of an antidote beginning with A.......
Hubby looks confused at Wife and looks over her shoulder at the laptop screen. Looks at her sadly and with a small smile says......Don't you mean 'ancedote'.......shakes head slowly and walks away........
.....I can still hear him laughing in the other room.
Allchurch, Len
archie
Francis and Preece, Armstrong and Angell are the County striker pairings that most people on here will think of. Those of us at or approaching pension age will consider that Fryatt and Atkins in the 60s are worthy of mentioning in the same breath but, like any successful strikers, they were very much dependent on the service provided from wide and I'd be fairly confident that Atkins and Fryatt would give due credit to Johnny Price and Len Allchurch. Allchurch, in particular, was a wonderful sight in full flow and would still be my nomination for the best winger to play more than a handful of games for County. Every other Friday I'd persuade a few uni friends to join me on the 74 bus from Didsbury to Edgeley with the promise of goals, goals, goals and they didn't often let me down.
Somehow, he didn't rate an entry in the 2000 County Encyclopaedia but there is a handsome tribute in the past players section on COWS:
www.stockportcounty.com/page/PastPlayers/0,,10419~397780,00.html
Big Jim, Big Bill, Topo and Little Len - great days!
Admiral
dudleyhatter
The first football brand I became aware of thanks in no little part to the curly haired future manager extraodinaire Kevin Keegan sporting it for England in a classic kit check out the world cup 1982 kit you whippersnappers it is still my first mental image when anyone says England kit. Top!
Longest sentence followed by shortest!
Association Football
bringbacklenwhite
So called because of the association of teams who wanted to organise a set of rules to standardize the game in 1863. Giving us (somehow) the term "soccer".
The idea was to "disassociate" the game from various handling games loosely called football and mainly played by posh twonks at fee paying schools. Some teams withdrew because carrying in the hands was banned as was hacking, tripping and holding. 1800's football obviously resembled a cross between WWF (but far less effeminate) and a night out in Oldham ( a pie a pint and a punch-up but not always in that order). The odd game or two I played in Brinnington often resorted to these Victorian values.
Best quote - "Association Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, rugby football is a ruffian's game played by gentleman".
That guy had obviously never turned out for Kenilworth 5ths XV. Known as the "pirates". Believe me they were not gentleman either duirng or after the game. Thank goodness I was on their side.
Abbey Hey FC
bigfudge
I once had the pleasure of playing against them at their fancy ground in Reddish, as an emergency emergency emergency replacement for Cheadle Town, my mate who was the manager of Cheadle's now defunct Under 18 team was desperate for a player so of course I was asked to fill in, reluctant at first due to hockey practice earlier in the day, he swayed me by saying I probably wouldn't even play and if I did, it would only be the last 5-10 minutes, the starting left back got injured after 10 minutes!
On I came, my first action was actually a corner that we scored, and my second action was a mistimed foul which got me a yellow card with the opposing player taking offence despite me apologising and trying to help him up and squared up to me, we both got booked and when the ref asked my name, I just mumbled and ran off but said my number clearly.
So the game finished without incident and this striker from before refused to shake my hand, to which I took offence and told him to F**k off in no uncertain terms basically resulted in a mass team brawl, when the ref called me and him over, I was under instruction to tell him that my name was Glenn Renford, so I did and got my second booking and was 'off' despite the game being finished, when I asked about the Glenn Renford thing, it's a name of a fake player they register every season and whenever a player gets sent off, they give that name so no good players have to have a suspension!!
I think The FA have since cottoned onto that, but not entirely sure!
Autoglass final 1992
bat21
3 of us drove down to london on the friday and stayed in a flat beloning to the company my mate worked for. the other guy with us was danish and was living and working here. on the saturday we took the train from were we were staying (cant remember where) into central london,passing through tottenham (nice place)surprise. we got into london and had to change to the tube,and thought we'd go for a quick pint. we quickly changed our minds when we saw how many stokes fans were all over the place. on to the tube and things were not looking good. we quietly explained to our danish friend that it was best not to say anything for the rest of our journey as the tube was also full of stoke declaring there hatred of our town and how they would kill any county fan on the train. so the rest of the way we starred blankly out of the window with our jackets done right up so they couldnt see our county shirts.
not much to say about the game except we lost, and when all the county fans were chanting blue army our danish friend misheard and was shouting who are we at the top of his voice, something we never let him forget.
needless to say after the game we didnt hang around and had a quieter trip back across london.
i still have the scarf i bought on the day, under the stockport county bit it says autoglass final 1992 wembley (STADNUM) which they tried to cover over with a blue line of ink.
Acting Manager
bringbacklenwhite
The word acting can be used as a noun, a verb or an adjective.
i.e. it can describe the temporary position that someone is elevated to until a new manager is appointed or give an indication to the theatrical outpourings (usually on Thursday) in front of the ubiquitous press cameras.
Best "Acting" manager has to be Ian Holloway who always has a throwaway line (usually total garbage but extremely funny).
Australian Sport Of Fly Hunting
Sir Roger
Sheila walked into the kitchen to find Bruce stalking around with a fly swatter
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Hunting flies" he replied.
"Oh, killing any?" she asked.
"Yep, 3 males and 2 females", he replied.
Intrigued, she asked, "How can you tell them apart?"
He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone"
Geoff Aunger
hatter in macc
His County career lasted a mere 22 minutes; none of us at the City Ground knew who on earth he was when he was called off the bench to take the field against Forest in our '96/97 promotion season; and he did precisely nothing that I can recall during his 'blink and you missed him' spell on the pitch.
And yet, for all that un-noteworthiness, he is forever immortalised by way of designation - rather like the 'Unknown Soldier' on Remembrance Day - as a 'Random Canadian Substitute', used by the most august of County fora to describe its fledgling posters! For that, Geoffrey, we salute, and will not forget, you.
bringbacklenwhite
Alf Ramsey holds the distinction of being the only England manager to win the World Cup (for you youngsters out there it was 1966 - some of us remember watching the match). Three months before the Finals he announced, quite seriously, that England WOULD win the Jules Rimet Trophy at Wembley.
Ramsey had already led Ipswich Town to the Division One title earlier that decade (1961-2) in their first season in the top league.
He confounded traditionalist by dispensing with conventional wingers and threw in an untried and tested youngster called Geoff Hurst (the rest is history) at the expense of England's best goal-poacher - Jimmy Greaves.
He is best remembered for calling the Argentinian team (quarter finals) "animals" after a torrid game which saw their captain, Rattin, sent off. He banned the team from swopping jerseys at the end of the game.
Best Ramsey story. Comes from Rodney Marsh.
Sir Alf was worried about Marsh's work rate for England. He told him "Marsh, if you don't up the effort I will pull you off at half-time"
To which Rodney replied "Cheers, Thanks Alf, we only get a cup of tea at Man City !".
For some reason Marsh never played for England again.
Accrington Stanley
sandbachhatter
I forget the season, but it would have been around 4 years ago I think and we were playing Stanley at home. For most people (at least those of my age and older), the mere mention of this team conjures up memories of a famous milk ad from the 80's ("Accrington Stanley? Who are they?" "Exachhtly"). The kids involved are scousers and you can't help but put on the accent and utter those immortal words whenever Stanley are mentioned. As it happens, it's one of the few phrases I can do with a convincing scouse accent, along with "Dey do do dat do don't dey?" and "Yerwhat? Meeehhrder?" (no offence mouse...)
Anyway, the team are now synonymous with that advert.
So much so, that when a particuarly nasty challenge went in by one of their players, a chant began of "You dirty cheating scousers, you dirty cheating scousers". Sadly, because of the popularity of that advert, everyone chanting assumed that Accrington is in Merseyside, rather than it's actual location of between Blackburn and Burn**y. The rest of the Cheadle End, myself included, were torn between amusement and embarrassment.
No doubt they get it a lot though.
Adswood United (Reserves)
downunderhatter
I played against this team many times over the years and have always had the greatest respect for them. When we had a pitch with a clubhouse on the doorstep, they always stayed back and had a pint with us after the game. I used to drink with one of their players in the Royal Oak and have a sneaky fiver on the games between us. I reckon we must have finished about even.
One particular game against them in the mid 90’s was played at Whitehill Street in Reddish. I don’t know why, as it wasn’t their home ground or ours for that matter.
They had a big, curly-haired midfielder playing for them at the time who we affectionately nicknamed “Stig,” after Stig Of The Dump, due to the fact that he stunk rotten. I played centre-back and as one of the biggest players on our team, it was always my job to mark “Stig” on corners or free-kicks. This wasn’t that much fun as it was hard to mark tightly due to the stench and he was quite a decent player in the air and on the ground. During the course of the game, they got a free-kick just inside our half on their right wing. It was obviously going to be floated to “Stig” on the edge of our box. All the usual shouts of “Mark Stig, Downy” (obviously I wasn’t called Downy then) were heard and I did my best after a pretty terrible time marking the smelly git. The ball was duly lofted in, straight for my soap-dodger friend, but this time, I had the better position, this time I was going to finally beat him in the air and head the ball towards the halfway line, this time I was going to get praise off my fellow players for coming good in our hour of need and doing something worthwhile for a change.
This time, our brain-cell challenged goalkeeper, was going to rush out at the last minute, call for the ball too late and completely miss it.
The last thing I saw was a blue and purple smudge of goalie shirt as his elbow connected with my nose and pushed it to the side of my face. I had pain, blood and bewilderment. I was told to stay down as the freezing-cold magic sponge was thrust in my face many times. When I finally got up, I was expecting to see “bluey-purple shirt” taking a goal kick. Instead we were kicking off.
“Did it go in?” I asked.
“Yes” said our keeper, with a big grin on his face.
“b*ll*cks” I thought to myself and carried on with the game.
Next week, I get kicked in the b*lls against Bredbury.
Don’t Miss It!!!
archie
archie
Born Hyde, 1948. Lived in Bredbury, Burnage and Sutton Coldfield plus uni in Manchester then, for all but a year in Birmingham, worked in London from 1970-91.
Out of work for 3 years then got a job in Liverpool and moved to the Wirral. Met my match and got married for the first time in 2004, moving to North Wales.
First football memory is the Matthews Cup Final in 1953 so Blackpool were the first team that I supported followed by the very good Burnley side of the late 50s. Ours was a City family so I saw most of my early football at Maine Road albeit usually supporting the opposition. First trip to EP was 16/4/60 (2-0 v Workington) and I’ve been hooked since. Didn’t get to see many matches when I was in London but got a season ticket when I was in the Wirral. Seen progressively fewer matches since moving to North Wales as looking after 3 horses, 4 dogs, 3 cats and 2 chickens (as it was for a good part of the time) made things difficult.
Apart from football my main sporting interest is horseracing. I've had shares in several horses over the years and make the pilgrimage to Cheltenham every March. When I first started doing internet forums I had a share in a useless nag called Apachevere. His stable name was 'Archie' and I've used that ever since. Coincidentally, when I met my wife she also had a pony called Archie.
Very sadly, my wife succumbed to bowel cancer October last which put County‘s woes into perspective. Thanks for the company.
Away at St. Andrews
gazza007
A particular favourite memory of mine was away at St Andrews in 1991/92 when we lost 3-0,.Killer was sent off after missing a pen, and our coach window had been smashed by some knuckle draggers on the way in too!
Anyway, we were 2-0 down by half-time, and at the interval they had a kids' match, not sure if it was County kids? But there was this little lad in white who rattled one in right in front of the massive County away support, and we all roared like hell as if it was County that had just scored! He came running over with his arms gesturing to us as if to say "come on lets hear ya" lapping up the applause. He must have been about 6 or 7 years old, tiny little thing he was, but it was the highlight of a really sh*tty away day, a classic moment that still makes me laugh. Oh, and Louie Donowa grabbed the third late on to compound our misery.
Andy, get us a pie!
gazza007
Another fave moment was on the Pop side, can't remember the game, but at half-time a lad was jogging down to the front on his way to grab some refreshments when his mate near us shouted "Andy, get us a pie!", to which hundreds of us started chanting: "ANDY, GET US A PIE.... ANDY, ANDY, GET US A PIE!", still cracks me up that one.
Antidote
siriusiron
Hubby: Alright darling, any news on County Heaven.
Wife: No. The usual and there is a section on bogeys....I think I'll give that a miss.....though I am trying to be clever and think of an antidote beginning with A.......
Hubby looks confused at Wife and looks over her shoulder at the laptop screen. Looks at her sadly and with a small smile says......Don't you mean 'ancedote'.......shakes head slowly and walks away........
.....I can still hear him laughing in the other room.
Allchurch, Len
archie
Francis and Preece, Armstrong and Angell are the County striker pairings that most people on here will think of. Those of us at or approaching pension age will consider that Fryatt and Atkins in the 60s are worthy of mentioning in the same breath but, like any successful strikers, they were very much dependent on the service provided from wide and I'd be fairly confident that Atkins and Fryatt would give due credit to Johnny Price and Len Allchurch. Allchurch, in particular, was a wonderful sight in full flow and would still be my nomination for the best winger to play more than a handful of games for County. Every other Friday I'd persuade a few uni friends to join me on the 74 bus from Didsbury to Edgeley with the promise of goals, goals, goals and they didn't often let me down.
Somehow, he didn't rate an entry in the 2000 County Encyclopaedia but there is a handsome tribute in the past players section on COWS:
www.stockportcounty.com/page/PastPlayers/0,,10419~397780,00.html
Big Jim, Big Bill, Topo and Little Len - great days!
Admiral
dudleyhatter
The first football brand I became aware of thanks in no little part to the curly haired future manager extraodinaire Kevin Keegan sporting it for England in a classic kit check out the world cup 1982 kit you whippersnappers it is still my first mental image when anyone says England kit. Top!
Longest sentence followed by shortest!
Association Football
bringbacklenwhite
So called because of the association of teams who wanted to organise a set of rules to standardize the game in 1863. Giving us (somehow) the term "soccer".
The idea was to "disassociate" the game from various handling games loosely called football and mainly played by posh twonks at fee paying schools. Some teams withdrew because carrying in the hands was banned as was hacking, tripping and holding. 1800's football obviously resembled a cross between WWF (but far less effeminate) and a night out in Oldham ( a pie a pint and a punch-up but not always in that order). The odd game or two I played in Brinnington often resorted to these Victorian values.
Best quote - "Association Football is a gentleman's game played by ruffians, rugby football is a ruffian's game played by gentleman".
That guy had obviously never turned out for Kenilworth 5ths XV. Known as the "pirates". Believe me they were not gentleman either duirng or after the game. Thank goodness I was on their side.
Abbey Hey FC
bigfudge
I once had the pleasure of playing against them at their fancy ground in Reddish, as an emergency emergency emergency replacement for Cheadle Town, my mate who was the manager of Cheadle's now defunct Under 18 team was desperate for a player so of course I was asked to fill in, reluctant at first due to hockey practice earlier in the day, he swayed me by saying I probably wouldn't even play and if I did, it would only be the last 5-10 minutes, the starting left back got injured after 10 minutes!
On I came, my first action was actually a corner that we scored, and my second action was a mistimed foul which got me a yellow card with the opposing player taking offence despite me apologising and trying to help him up and squared up to me, we both got booked and when the ref asked my name, I just mumbled and ran off but said my number clearly.
So the game finished without incident and this striker from before refused to shake my hand, to which I took offence and told him to F**k off in no uncertain terms basically resulted in a mass team brawl, when the ref called me and him over, I was under instruction to tell him that my name was Glenn Renford, so I did and got my second booking and was 'off' despite the game being finished, when I asked about the Glenn Renford thing, it's a name of a fake player they register every season and whenever a player gets sent off, they give that name so no good players have to have a suspension!!
I think The FA have since cottoned onto that, but not entirely sure!
Autoglass final 1992
bat21
3 of us drove down to london on the friday and stayed in a flat beloning to the company my mate worked for. the other guy with us was danish and was living and working here. on the saturday we took the train from were we were staying (cant remember where) into central london,passing through tottenham (nice place)surprise. we got into london and had to change to the tube,and thought we'd go for a quick pint. we quickly changed our minds when we saw how many stokes fans were all over the place. on to the tube and things were not looking good. we quietly explained to our danish friend that it was best not to say anything for the rest of our journey as the tube was also full of stoke declaring there hatred of our town and how they would kill any county fan on the train. so the rest of the way we starred blankly out of the window with our jackets done right up so they couldnt see our county shirts.
not much to say about the game except we lost, and when all the county fans were chanting blue army our danish friend misheard and was shouting who are we at the top of his voice, something we never let him forget.
needless to say after the game we didnt hang around and had a quieter trip back across london.
i still have the scarf i bought on the day, under the stockport county bit it says autoglass final 1992 wembley (STADNUM) which they tried to cover over with a blue line of ink.
Acting Manager
bringbacklenwhite
The word acting can be used as a noun, a verb or an adjective.
i.e. it can describe the temporary position that someone is elevated to until a new manager is appointed or give an indication to the theatrical outpourings (usually on Thursday) in front of the ubiquitous press cameras.
Best "Acting" manager has to be Ian Holloway who always has a throwaway line (usually total garbage but extremely funny).
Australian Sport Of Fly Hunting
Sir Roger
Sheila walked into the kitchen to find Bruce stalking around with a fly swatter
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Hunting flies" he replied.
"Oh, killing any?" she asked.
"Yep, 3 males and 2 females", he replied.
Intrigued, she asked, "How can you tell them apart?"
He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone"
Geoff Aunger
hatter in macc
His County career lasted a mere 22 minutes; none of us at the City Ground knew who on earth he was when he was called off the bench to take the field against Forest in our '96/97 promotion season; and he did precisely nothing that I can recall during his 'blink and you missed him' spell on the pitch.
And yet, for all that un-noteworthiness, he is forever immortalised by way of designation - rather like the 'Unknown Soldier' on Remembrance Day - as a 'Random Canadian Substitute', used by the most august of County fora to describe its fledgling posters! For that, Geoffrey, we salute, and will not forget, you.