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Derby v Liverpool May 1972


North East Ram

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The title 'deciders' of Wolves v Dirties and Arsenal v Liverpool were played on the Monday night. This is what I can remember of that evening...

I was drinking in The Donington Arms (my dad's pub) and we were all listening to the radio. There was no live commentary, but they kept going over to one game or another when anything happened. Well, they went over to Molineux where Leeds had a corner. Rubberneck rose highest, got a solid header in - and hit the bar. Moments later, a corner at the other end and Frank Munro (how the hell can I remember that?) slotted the ball in to give the home side the lead.

I stuck it out until half time, then decided to walk up the road to the Turk's Head. As I walked into the bar, a huge roar greeted a second Wolves goal - this time Dougan had smashed the ball past Harvey. Before I had time to order a beer, Bremner had netted for the Dirties, so I walked out and headed up to my mate Ray's house. He was there, listening to the radio and the only thing he had to report was that Liverpool had come close a couple of times but their game was still 0-0.

With 10 minutes or so to go, we decided to walk around the block. Cliff, the Memsahib's dad, was outside in his garden also listening to the radio, and he said that there had been no change to the scoreline. Ray and I were beginning to dream.

Back to Ray's house, his mum had turned the radio off. "What happened?" we asked. She didn't know, so we switched it back on just in time for a reporter to say "And now, we go back to Highbury where we have the Chairman of the new Football League champions on the line."

Our hearts sank. Liverpool had obviously done it.

"Tell me how you feel, Mr Longson"

Longson? He's ours!!!

Out the house, down to the bus station (via the Soldiers and Sailors club for another couple of scoops). The Memsahib was at college on Monday night, and her bus pulled in a couple of minutes after 10 pm. To this day she doesn't know whether it was the radio that told her we were the champions - or whether it was seeing these two drunks lying in the middle of the road doing the 'dying fly' which caused the penny to drop.

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33 minutes ago, eddie said:

I was in the Normanton end too, right behind the goal. In my mind, I can still see McGovern's shot leaving Lawrence clutching at the air, and can hear the ball hitting the back of the net (an achievement now because I am deaf) - and contrast that with the momentary silence before the entire ground erupted.

The best memory of my life.

As a young kid what a bonus to get a ticket from DCFC for the Columbo End. What, why. Only after we'd climbed out and sat safely at the Ossie End fence. One nil. Have said before how much Mr McGoo was underrated. But as a journeyman footballer from Hartlepool. Some record.

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20 minutes ago, eddie said:

The title 'deciders' of Wolves v Dirties and Arsenal v Liverpool were played on the Monday night. This is what I can remember of that evening...

I was drinking in The Donington Arms (my dad's pub) and we were all listening to the radio. There was no live commentary, but they kept going over to one game or another when anything happened. Well, they went over to Molineux where Leeds had a corner. Rubberneck rose highest, got a solid header in - and hit the bar. Moments later, a corner at the other end and Frank Munro (how the hell can I remember that?) slotted the ball in to give the home side the lead.

I stuck it out until half time, then decided to walk up the road to the Turk's Head. As I walked into the bar, a huge roar greeted a second Wolves goal - this time Dougan had smashed the ball past Harvey. Before I had time to order a beer, Bremner had netted for the Dirties, so I walked out and headed up to my mate Ray's house. He was there, listening to the radio and the only thing he had to report was that Liverpool had come close a couple of times but their game was still 0-0.

With 10 minutes or so to go, we decided to walk around the block. Cliff, the Memsahib's dad, was outside in his garden also listening to the radio, and he said that there had been no change to the scoreline. Ray and I were beginning to dream.

Back to Ray's house, his mum had turned the radio off. "What happened?" we asked. She didn't know, so we switched it back on just in time for a reporter to say "And now, we go back to Highbury where we have the Chairman of the new Football League champions on the line."

Our hearts sank. Liverpool had obviously done it.

"Tell me how you feel, Mr Longson"

Longson? He's ours!!!

Out the house, down to the bus station (via the Soldiers and Sailors club for another couple of scoops). The Memsahib was at college on Monday night, and her bus pulled in a couple of minutes after 10 pm. To this day she doesn't know whether it was the radio that told her we were the champions - or whether it was seeing these two drunks lying in the middle of the road doing the 'dying fly' which caused the penny to drop.

Loved all of that. Until the TISWAS reference. Then I  loved it even more.

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35 minutes ago, eddie said:

The title 'deciders' of Wolves v Dirties and Arsenal v Liverpool were played on the Monday night. This is what I can remember of that evening...

I was drinking in The Donington Arms (my dad's pub) and we were all listening to the radio. There was no live commentary, but they kept going over to one game or another when anything happened. Well, they went over to Molineux where Leeds had a corner. Rubberneck rose highest, got a solid header in - and hit the bar. Moments later, a corner at the other end and Frank Munro (how the hell can I remember that?) slotted the ball in to give the home side the lead.

I stuck it out until half time, then decided to walk up the road to the Turk's Head. As I walked into the bar, a huge roar greeted a second Wolves goal - this time Dougan had smashed the ball past Harvey. Before I had time to order a beer, Bremner had netted for the Dirties, so I walked out and headed up to my mate Ray's house. He was there, listening to the radio and the only thing he had to report was that Liverpool had come close a couple of times but their game was still 0-0.

With 10 minutes or so to go, we decided to walk around the block. Cliff, the Memsahib's dad, was outside in his garden also listening to the radio, and he said that there had been no change to the scoreline. Ray and I were beginning to dream.

Back to Ray's house, his mum had turned the radio off. "What happened?" we asked. She didn't know, so we switched it back on just in time for a reporter to say "And now, we go back to Highbury where we have the Chairman of the new Football League champions on the line."

Our hearts sank. Liverpool had obviously done it.

"Tell me how you feel, Mr Longson"

Longson? He's ours!!!

Out the house, down to the bus station (via the Soldiers and Sailors club for another couple of scoops). The Memsahib was at college on Monday night, and her bus pulled in a couple of minutes after 10 pm. To this day she doesn't know whether it was the radio that told her we were the champions - or whether it was seeing these two drunks lying in the middle of the road doing the 'dying fly' which caused the penny to drop.

Amazing.

Blokes all over Derbyshire must have been 'walking around the block' that night trying to kill 90 mins.

 

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22 minutes ago, Tim Bucktoo said:

Amazing.

Blokes all over Derbyshire must have been 'walking around the block' that night trying to kill 90 mins.

 

Think we had all resigned ourselves to 'it's not going to happen' . And then it did. Somehow. And then the under thanked Mr Mackay, manager not player. Two times. Well. One is never enough. 

 

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7 hours ago, eddie said:

I was in the Normanton end too, right behind the goal. In my mind, I can still see McGovern's shot leaving Lawrence clutching at the air, and can hear the ball hitting the back of the net (an achievement now because I am deaf) - and contrast that with the momentary silence before the entire ground erupted.

The best memory of my life.

Yep me too that unique crunching sound as the ball travelled around the top corner of the net, and that silence, it was like a shock that nobody could believe 

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Some great memories here! 

As a schoolboy back then I don't think it really sank in until the following day when I had a crafty look at the old man's Evening Telegraph and saw the headline 'RAMS CHAMPIONS' emblazoned across the front page.

I've spoke to older lads since and apparently they all hit the market place and the pubs in town to celebrate on that Monday night...appears a fair number traveled to Molineux to lend the home side moral support as well.

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