We’ve reported previously on a group of our colleagues who keep in touch from time to time to either commiserate or congratulate ourselves on the form of our respective football teams. Our group includes Bob Kinnon who probably has biggest boasting rights just now with his Leeds team having gained promotion to the Premiership this season and just holding their heads above the bottom 3 teams who are destined to go down at the end of the season.
John Headey with grandson Wylie when he was a Huddersfield Town fan!
John Headey is a lifelong fan of Huddersfield Town and was disappointed when they dropped down a Division into League 1, but he’s perked up with Huddersfield’s recent performances keeping them in 5th place with perhaps an outside chance of gaining promotion back to the Championship next season.
Three of our group, Iain Morrison, “Coco” Eve, and myself, Roger Sherratt, are loyal fans of Stoke City who started off their season in the Championship going great guns but are now in 8th place although the Potters have won their last two games. Never quite sure if it’s good for our mental health if they manage to get back into the Premiership only to bounce back down the following season!
During recent email exchanges we discovered that both ‘Coco’ and myself happened to be in the same place at exactly the same time on a magic day in February 20th 1954 when we we just 12 years old. We travelled to Vale Park in Bursem with our dads to watching our other Poytters team, Port Vale (in the 3rd Division North) took on the then 1953 F.A. Cup Final Winners in the unforgettable”Matthews Final”. Vale Park was packed to capacity, with most of the spectators, me and my dad incuded being there not only to see Port Vale, but to see our own Potters born legend, Stanley Matthews, probably the biggest name in football at that time, playing for Blackpool in what was expected to be a cakewalk for the First Divisin side. But on a cold day and a soaking wet slippery pitch a miracle happened and Port Vale strolled away with the game 2-0. That indelible memory came to mind last week when another Midland team, Macclesfield Town, pulled off what must surely the biggest surprise in FA Cup history when they defeated last season FA Cup Finsl Winners, Cystal Palace, in the FA Cup 3rd round. What a shocker!
CLICK HERE to watch a short video of the day history was made in 1954 at Vale Park. Playing football in those conditions was a far cry from today’s perfect pitches.
Our group has recently been joined by David Inwood , a lifelong Oxford United fan now living Down Under, and all credit to Dave who still supports his team even though they are struggling in 2nd from bottom pace in the Championship and are going to have to pull their bootstaps up up to avoid joining Huddersfield Town at the end of the seasnon. CLICK HERE to read all about Dave on our “Then and Now” column, and he’s also mentioned in our latest “Keeping in Touch” post.