Dont shoot me but from the 70’s Ive been an infrequent attendee, 2- 3 games a year, Ive been in the army lived abroad , and a far distance away( excuses) Used to be Saddlers mad from a young age, was there when we went down from the 2nd div v Charlton, saw us lose 5-0 in a friendly against Moscow Dynamo with Lev Yashin in goal , watched Bernie up front , Alan B , Georgie Meek, Chopper Harris and Evans , was there when we drew 2-2 at Anfield in the League cup semis , but Im fairweather old and Sh*gged out now, anyone remember me - would like to find Dave Piggins who took me to away games in his Mini or others - David Reid
Don’t know you but saw all those. We had our own ‘Chopper’ Bill Gutteridge way before Chelsea’s Harris. Was that who you meant? Also had friendlies against teams now playing in Champions and Europa leagues like Malmo Alkmaar FC St Gallen and Slovan B. Great memories.
Fondly remember the friendlies against Continental teams, especially the Moscow Dynamo game! Remember beating a Finnish team heavily I think and St Gallen.
Think the Finns were Valkeakosken Haka or some such spelling. Think they and St Gallen were both 8-0 wins. First floodlight friendly was against the Scottish cup holders Falkirk if my memory is right and a 5-0 win.
The Moscow game mad me laugh, I think they did everything they could to help us get a goal, remember the days of smoke from the laundry and steam trains on the line behind it when the ground had just a wall at that end and when foggy and smokey it was not unknown for a 1-2 to be played around a full back off the wall without the ref catching on ! sounds unreal these days
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Dont know why i said Harris, I meant gutheridge, and I saw him back in about 62- 63 along with Arthur Rowley , George Meek, Colin Taylor, Stan Bennett- a little later, and Chopper Evans, and Stan Jones ( ex West Brom) played with centre half and somehow managed about 6 o.g’s a season ! And my mums big fav - Jimmy Mac (morran), who I think went on to play for Pelsall ???
The half bottle of whisky before the game helped Jimmy Mac. What a pair of inside forwards we had with him and Alan Baker. Look the term up anyone under 40!
Beat Greenock Morton 3-0 I recall when they were in top Scottish Division.
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If memory hasn’t completely gone Falkirk goalie wore tracksuit bottoms. First time ever saw a goalie in long trousers.
I do believe you are correct.
I’ve a memory of us beating Singapore by 9-0, or maybe even more. Would have been 1972 give or take a year. Have I imagined it, or did it really happen?
I think it was 7-1. Brian Caswell’s debut as a 16 year old
Yes, I seem to remember that Caswell played. I think that might make it the end of the 71-72 season.
Loved Casa , I worked in a Garage near the Arboreteum/ Denmark hill in 75 ( gone now the road has been widened and a roundabout put in) Casa would come in , in a ■■■■ old Austin Maxi , and Buckley would come in , in his new VW Shirocco , the difference between the big star and the local battler < Casa was heart and soul a saddler