Something to cheer us up

[Victor Meldrew]

With no football for a while and not much to enjoy since last September I came across this:-
http://youtu.be/SSThDu5_zOg

This may have been on here before and if so I missed it but hopefully fans will enjoy seeing this either for the first time or again.
Bearing in mind that we were a 3rd division club playing a team that had spectacularly won the European Cup just two years before and boasting a front line including 3 of the best British players ever to play the game (Best, Charlton, Law- in today's terms Messi, Suarez and Neymar ) I think we did rather well.

People will see many things that were different 46 years ago but what pleased me most was the passing game that we played (admittedly with a bit more space than today) and the touch of our players was as good as now.
Our defence wasn't that special and contributed to a dire following season but Mansell produced a team to remember if only for one season and Tony Wagstaffe looks as classy as my memory says he was.

Good also to see some crunching tackles but with players generally getting on with it.

[Old Biscuitman]

Thank you Victor M. A great snapshot of RFC playing against the likes of Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law. I never knew that game, was living overseas at the time. Reassured me about what football can be.

[Gordons Cumming]

Loved it.

Great memories.

I walked all the way around the ground that day. They gave out water because it was so hot.
First and only time my sister visited Elm park.

No Fred Sharpe that day. Was he injured or left the club?

Thanks for posting.

Excellent!

[Norfolk Royal]

Pretty safe to say the South Bank got 'taken' that day I would imagine.

[Victor Meldrew]

Loved it.

Great memories.

I walked all the way around the ground that day. They gave out water because it was so hot.
First and only time my sister visited Elm park.

No Fred Sharpe that day. Was he injured or left the club?

Thanks for posting.

Excellent!

There was something about Fred Sharpe in the commentary when a player (with plenty of dark hair, unlike Fred) surged forward but Brian Moore corrected himself.
One thing I noticed was that with back passes the keepers moved the ball on pretty quickly but within another 20 years or so with the game becoming more cynical and keepers deliberately slowing play down and wasting time something had to be done.

[The Cap]

Norfolk Royal wrote:
Pretty safe to say the South Bank got 'taken' that day I would imagine.

Understatement there Norfolk. Weather wise It was absolutely redders that day. Have memories of this bloke stood next to me in the pre-match queue saying, in a Northern twang, "Eh up, here's lads". Suddenly this army of skinheads appeared and made their way along Norfolk Road, chanting "United, United". And it was an army as well. Probably one of the most gruesome crews I've ever seen. Ben Shermans, stay press trollies, braces and many holed DM's. Their chant occasionally being interrupted by the sound of breaking glass, as a few peoples' houses ended up getting immediate ventilation. The story was that they arrived at the end of the road and nicked all the programmes, before kicking the corrugated gates in opposite the Spread Eagle. Resulting in them all playing footie on Elm Park by 1 o'clock. During the game there were a few Reading blokes, in the Tilehurst End, who started a low chant of "City". Didn't last long, and really couldn't see what they were trying to achieve. A small and pitiful token of resistance. Brilliant to see the United greats performing on the hallowed turf though. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

[regina]

With no football for a while and not much to enjoy since last September I came across this:-
http://youtu.be/SSThDu5_zOg

This may have been on here before and if so I missed it but hopefully fans will enjoy seeing this either for the first time or again.
Bearing in mind that we were a 3rd division club playing a team that had spectacularly won the European Cup just two years before and boasting a front line including 3 of the best British players ever to play the game (Best, Charlton, Law- in today's terms Messi, Suarez and Neymar ) I think we did rather well.

People will see many things that were different 46 years ago but what pleased me most was the passing game that we played (admittedly with a bit more space than today) and the touch of our players was as good as now.
Our defence wasn't that special and contributed to a dire following season but Mansell produced a team to remember if only for one season and Tony Wagstaffe looks as classy as my memory says he was.

Good also to see some crunching tackles but with players generally getting on with it.

Wow, this brings back memories. This was the first game I went to way back. Thanks for sharing this.

[grey_squirrel]

Pretty safe to say the South Bank got 'taken' that day I would imagine.

Judging from the sound on the footage, that must've happened before kick-off!

[ayjaydee]

Norfolk Royal wrote:
Pretty safe to say the South Bank got 'taken' that day I would imagine.

Understatement there Norfolk. Weather wise It was absolutely redders that day. Have memories of this bloke stood next to me in the pre-match queue saying, in a Northern twang, "Eh up, here's lads". Suddenly this army of skinheads appeared and made their way along Norfolk Road, chanting "United, United". And it was an army as well. Probably one of the most gruesome crews I've ever seen. Ben Shermans, stay press trollies, braces and many holed DM's. Their chant occasionally being interrupted by the sound of breaking glass, as a few peoples' houses ended up getting immediate ventilation. The story was that they arrived at the end of the road and nicked all the programmes, before kicking the corrugated gates in opposite the Spread Eagle. Resulting in them all playing footie on Elm Park by 1 o'clock. During the game there were a few Reading blokes, in the Tilehurst End, who started a low chant of "City". Didn't last long, and really couldn't see what they were trying to achieve. A small and pitiful token of resistance. Brilliant to see the United greats performing on the hallowed turf though. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Same thing happened on the Southbank. As a 14 year old I thought I would get there early to grab a place n my favourite spot and the gates hadn't opened. About 50 United skins soon changed that and had the double blue gates down in no time. I decided that it would be safer in the Town end watching the game. On the way back we got run round the town by a rather hairier group whose chant was "United hippies" I somehow don't think the whole love and peace thing quite transferred to our friends in the North. A truly memorable day in more ways than one.

[percy_freeman]

Remember the day really well. We got the train in from Sandhurst after our mile plus walk from Yateley early that day and queued up outside the southbank in the heat. Seem to remember the club announcing that they would be opening the gates early, 1.30 rings a bell, only to have the stretford enders kicking the gates down at about 1.15. Southbank well and truly taken we made our way round to the town end and one thing that sticks in my mind is the Manc bastards smashing an ITV camera somewhere underneath the southbank. Still, the fact that I saw the likes of Denis Law and all play at Elm Park still Gives me THAT feeling. I still get it today on the odd occasion but I must say, not very often....

[Ark Royal]

Missed the game as I was on holiday in Cornwall. Watched the highlights the following day in the Delabole farmhouse we were staying in.

Some right norvern cu nts at EP though. My gran lived in Rutland Road and foolishly let a United fan in so they he could use the loo and he stole her purse.