My memories of Dave Mackay

[eddie]

I'm a grown man - actually make that "I'm an old man" - but I shed tears earlier this week when I heard that the legend that was Dave Mackay, my hero, had passed away.

Quiet, reflective tears - fitting tributes to memories that were once joyous but which are now exceedingly poignant. The tears dry, the sadness will pass, but the memories will remain with me for the rest of my days.

It was a Wednesday near the end of July in 1968, I believe, that the news broke in the Derby Evening Telegraph that Tottenham Hotspur's tough-tackling, brilliant rampaging midfielder had just signed for Derby County. Nobody could quite bring themselves to believe it but there it was, in black and white, so to speak - Brian Clough had pulled off one of the most audacious signings of the decade by bringing one of the great names in the game to little Derby. I wish I still had that paper - now, more than ever.

The rest of the article can be found here…..

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/derbycounty/news/38058/

(sorry, no clicky, no ready)

[Rev]

Great read Eddie, also a good idea to have a separate thread for members memories of the man, so us younger ones get to know more about him.

[Ashz09]

I agree ReveDevil the more storys the better. I loved the stories about Clough even thoe the Film wasn't all facts etc it was great to watch and made me fell like I was there etc (If that makes sense). Makes you proud to be a Ram the pictures are great of him with silverware etc.

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

I was a little boy with Mum, Dad & my older brother at the Oxford Utd away game you mention Eddie. Its funny that my brother and I when reminiscing about Dave MacKay mentioned that very moment when Dave let the ball run through to Les Green. It seems hard to recount to those who weren't there just what a moment that was. As you say in all the bluster, excitement & confusion it completely disarmed the whole situation. Not only that though it confirmed what a player we had the privilege of watching.

[Ovis aries]

I was a little boy with Mum, Dad & my older brother at the Oxford Utd away game you mention Eddie. Its funny that my brother and I when reminiscing about Dave MacKay mentioned that very moment when Dave let the ball run through to Les Green. It seems hard to recount to those who weren't there just what a moment that was. As you say in all the bluster, excitement & confusion it completely disarmed the whole situation. Not only that though it confirmed what a player we had the privilege of watching.

[The Scarlet Pimpernel]

 

​We were on the side with the Derby "popside" behind the goal to our right. Don't know if you saw or remember but the wall in front of us collapsed. No one hurt and I don't even remember the game stopping.

[AmericanRam]

Great read eddie.

When legendary Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith passed away recently,I and millions of others I am sure,shed some tears.I met him on a few occassions and he was just a great man.Legends of the teams you love tend to bring this out and that is fine by me.

Thank you again for this great insight.

[Ovis aries]

[chezzyram]

Thanks Eddie, fantastic read, brought back so many happy memories.

[Phoenix]

My main memory of big Dave was not at the Baseball ground, but at the Silverlands, in Buxton. With Sam Longson being a 'local' businessman (well, Chapel-in-le-Frith), he'd put a lot of money into having floodlights installed at Buxton.

For the inaugural switch-on, Sam had persuaded Cloughie to bring a Derby County team to play a 'stiffened' Buxton team on a Tuesday or Wednesday night (can't remember). It was early in the first year back in the first division, and Clough told Mackay to have the night off, but he refused, and decided to drive up from London to Buxton to play the match.

Buxton had some tricky winger from Shef. Utd playing in the team, and was on the verge of breaching the Rams defences up the wing when Mackay took him out with a waist-high two-footed tackle that took the poor sod into the concrete wall enclosing the pitch. The match was only a friendly but it was life or death for Big Dave.

Somehow, it all just sums up the man.

[PistoldPete2]

Very softly spoken , sort of the opposite of his on field image. What I remember is how often the model of an old pro like mAckay dropping down to mentor a young up and coming side was the something so many other teams aspired to for years   after. But that model was never repeated, because Dave mAckay was a one off, unique. Nobody could mentor a team like mAckay did, no-one could command respect like he did. 

[BOB BIGGS]

​I was in with the boys behind the goal , packed in like sardines , no chance of getting out for a pee , you had to just do it where you stood , it was a river coming down the steps in the second half

[RamNut]

Its impossible to describe what a truly remarkable player he was. 

[Dordogne_Ram]

 

The Oxford game away was truly remarkable, and was the second of a nine match winning run to the end of the season which saw us finish a massive 7 points clear of Palace, scoring 21 against 2, with eight different scorers involved (inc.1og). 

King Kev did in fact score 2 in 3 minutes in a 2-0 win, and unbelievably missed a guilt- edged chance in between the two which counted, which would have given him a 3 minute hat-trick. I mention this as a note I made at the time recorded this as "exhibition stuff": the MacKay dummy was symptomatic of the confidence and professionalism throughout the whole team., and particularly in that 9 match run above.  Oxford fielded  brothers Ron and Graham Atkinson, John Shuker and Cec Coldwell that day. The Oxford Manor Ground record attendance stood at 22,750 for a Cup tie in 1964 v Preston, but could have been a record league attendance for them.

In January 1969, Derby were involved in a brutal third round FA Cup tie away at Burnley, a match totally mis-managed by North East referee Kevin Howley - and not for the first time. Colin Blant was the Burnley centre half, (who made former Rams captain Glyn Davis of Derby look a saint! ) and he literally kicked everything above grass that day. O'Hare and Hector came in for a lot of rough treatment which went largely unpunished, and so Cloughies lads had to stand up and be counted.  Derby's 17 year old left back John Robson finally saw red after dishing out a couple of "revenge" tackles following two Burnley tackles which he clearly took exception to, and when Cloughy remonstrated with him after the game as to what he thought he was doing, for once he was stuck for a response. Robson opinied that "they were kicking the skipper up in air boss, and I wasn't having that".

The skipper of course was no other than (hardman) Dave MacKay.......... it was that sense of respect and togetherness that Dave promulgated. Sadly both are now gone.

In another game, I do not recall which, Dave was clearly fouled although the ball went for a throw-in. He was insensed that the free kick had not been given, and threw the ball down hard in front of himself . Quickly realising that he might be heading for booking, he caught the ball and did twice more as he quickly made for the touch line, making it look like part of his "ritual" when  taking a throw in : it saved him the booking though !

Many times at the BBG he went in hard for a 50/ 50 challenge, only for the opponent to pull out yards before the tackle, allowing Dave to skilfully, casually and effortlessly pass to a team-mate, to the tumultuous approval and mirth of the assembled company!

And at Wembley in 1963, England v Scotland, Dave and "Slim" Jim Baxter put on a wing half masterclass which I have  seldom seen bettered until proceedings were curtailed due to injury : this was the game when Scots left back Eric Caldow broke his leg. 

Thanks for the memories Dave :  "RIP Young Man", as your former boss might have said.

[eddie]

The ball-bouncing was Wolves away. It was just after refs started booking players for dissent.

It's amazing how us old uns remember nonsense like that, but can't remember where we put the car keys two minutes ago etc.