1971-72 season scrapbook

[Guest]

The FA Cup was still extremely popular and it was unusual for the bigger sides to field weakened teams against opposition from the lower Leagues. I still cherish this game for its carnival atmosphere in front of a packed BBG, which included just about the whole normal match day attendance from Meadow Lane. It was too a nostalgic event for the Rams fans. County's side included the Derby born Tony Hateley, playing in his only first team game at the BBG as his long career neared its end.

The main attraction for us though was the return of Willie Carlin. Willie is a Liverpudlian who played just one game for Liverpool under Bill Shankly. Shanks thought that Willie was too small, underestimating just how tough the diminutive dynamo was and how his big heart more than compensated for his small stature. Via Halifax Town, Carlisle United and Sheffield United, Willie found his way to the BBG under Clough & Taylor in 1968. He was the final piece of the jigsaw of the team that romped home as the 1968-69 Champions. Willie and the Derby fans instantly fell in love with each other and despite his previously nomadic journey, he still lives in the city today. It had broken his heart when he was sold to Leicester when Archie Gemilll arrived here because their contribution to the side was simply too similar. He helped Leicester back to Division One before joining Notts where he was part of the team, alongside Hateley that won promotion to the Third Division.

Born in Derby, Hateley's future had been more or less settled at Normanton junior school, where as a six-footer towering over his contemporaries he won the Derbyshire schools high jump championship and was switched from centre-half to centre-forward to capitalise on his prowess at achieving lift-off. He played for Normanton Aces on Osmaston Park. Overlooked by Derby County, he began his career at Notts County in 1958. From there he moved to Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Coventry City, Birmingham City and then back to Notts County in 1970. He went to play fives for Oldham Athletic in 1973-74 before ending his League career with 242 goals. While known for his prowess in the air, his technical skills were more limited. While he was at Chelsea, manager Tommy Docherty had said "A pass from Tony Hateley should come labelled with To Whom It May Concern."

The Notts team also included Jon Nixon and Mick Jones who had started at Derby but left without playing a first team game. Don Masson who was later to join the Rams was in the Magpies midfield.

[Guest]

Continued.........

The Rams proved much too strong for their opponents who seemed to be overwhelmed by the occasion. John Robson, who had scored a rare goal the previous week, opened the scoring in the 19th minute and the only surprised was that the Rams left it until a minute  short of the interval before Hector doubled the lead.

Durban was having a field day and he made it 3-0 early in the second half before adding another, two minutes later. Hinton scored the fifth with a penalty and Durban completed his hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining. Powell replaced O’Hare on 82 minutes but in the end the rampant Rams were content to play out time rather than inflict any more humiliation on their opponents. Notts to their credit had tried to play football rather than adopt a more robust approach.

 

[Foreveram]

Missed this match as I was persuaded to go shopping in Nottingham with my new girlfriend. All ended well though, I was soon back watching the rest of the season. My girlfriend became my wife. She still says I talk too much about football but we have been together for fifty seasons.

[IslandExile]

Jimmy Sirrel was a fantastic character. Great man.

In those days, Don Masson was quite good, long before he joined us.

[Crewton]

On 05/02/2022 at 17:19, IslandExile said:

Jimmy Sirrel was a fantastic character. Great man.

In those days, Don Masson was quite good, long before he joined us.

For some inexplicable reason, Masson was poor at Derby (heard that one before and since, haven't we?) but at Notts, QPR and largely for Scotland, he was a pivotal player of great finesee. 

[Guest]

On 05/02/2022 at 17:19, IslandExile said:

Jimmy Sirrel was a fantastic character. Great man.

Duncan Hamilton started as a freelance sports journalist and then the Nottingham Evening Post. For his first year he covered Notts County under Jimmy Sirrel before much to his relief he was posted to the City Ground to deal with Clough. In his biography of Clough 'Provided You Don't Kiss Me' he briefly outlines the difficulty reporters had with Sirrel:

"Apart from one season covering Notts County (which because of its manager Jimmy Sirrel was like dropping into the Fifth Circle of Dante's Hell) I followed Nottingham Forest.

"A word or two about Sirrel. He looked like a garden gnome that had been roughed up a bit. He had bug eyes and his nose was bent and flat, as if someone had struck him in the face with an iron. I found him devoid of charm and uncooperative, to the extent that i could barely get a word out of him. Once pleading for a story, I fell back on the weakest of all arguments: 'Well Jim, the fans will want to know what's going on.' Sirrel, a Glaswegian, replied "Aw, duck the fans.'

"My morning phone call to him had previously gone one of two ways.

"Morning Jim, lovely day."

"If you think so, you write it." he'd reply.

" Or 'Good morning Jim, lovely day.'

"Aye, but not if you're dead, is it, eh"

"I couldn't explore the "What if.......... scenario with Sirrel either. 'Aye he'd say 'If my granny had a dicky then she would nae be my granny.'

"I can't imagine that any football reporter has physically strangled to death the manager of the club he covered. But there were a lot of occasions I would gladly have put my hands around Sirrel's neck, squeezed hard and taken my chances. I longed to escape across the River Trent. That's where you found Brian Clough. Although he was frightening and obstreperous, Clough would give you a line - provided of course he was prepared to speak to you in the first place. And after that one season covering Notts County, my wish came true."

Sirrel took Notts from the fourth to the first division during his two spells there, broken by a brief time as manager of Sheffield United. When he retired from Notts, he served as chief scout at Derby County under Arthur Cox.

As you say, a fantastic character and great man.

[Jimbo Ram]

On 05/02/2022 at 14:07, Foreveram said:

Missed this match as I was persuaded to go shopping in Nottingham with my new girlfriend. All ended well though, I was soon back watching the rest of the season. My girlfriend became my wife. She still says I talk too much about football but we have been together for fifty seasons.

So, the big question is……will it last ?

[Inverurie Ram]

Fantastic thread @LeedsCityRam & @Brailsford Ram.

I thought I'd add the Number Ones of 71 and 72 in the UK Charts.

 

[Inverurie Ram]

And the News from 1971 and 1972 to bring back the memories of the years to match up with the football.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Inverurie Ram said:

And the News from 1971 and 1972 to bring back the memories of the years to match up with the football.

 

Thanks Inverurie for setting the scene music wise. This wasn't my cup of tea but I'd just got in to Neil Young at this time with his After The Goldrush & Heart of Gold Albums. Big mistake financially. I've seen him 53 times since performing all over the world and I've bought everything he's ever released which is an awful lot. If I hadn't followed him and DCFC I'd have been minted now. But on the other hand I would no way have enjoyed my life as much as I have. COYR

[Inverurie Ram]

25 minutes ago, Brailsford Ram said:

Thanks Inverurie for setting the scene music wise. This wasn't my cup of tea but I'd just got in to Neil Young at this time with his After The Goldrush & Heart of Gold Albums. Big mistake financially. I've seen him 53 times since performing all over the world and I've bought everything he's ever released which is an awful lot. If I hadn't followed him and DCFC I'd have been minted now. But on the other hand I would no way have enjoyed my life as much as I have. COYR

No problem @Brailsford Ram. I've seen Neil Young several times myself, but I'm still a young whiper snapper, and like yourself if it wasn't for DCFC and music I would also be minted now. But without........."heaven knows I'm miserable now" (I won't post The Smiths video on this occasion, posted it plenty of times in the past on this forum, after defeat etc)

[uttoxram75]

5 minutes ago, Inverurie Ram said:

No problem @Brailsford Ram. I've seen Neil Young several times myself, but I'm still a young whiper snapper, and like yourself if it wasn't for DCFC and music I would also be minted now. But without........."heaven knows I'm miserable now" (I won't post The Smiths video on this occasion, posted it plenty of times in the past on this forum, after defeat etc)

Cant wait for the 74/75 League winners thread mate.

Get some decent music posted then like the Bay City Rollers.......

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

1 hour ago, Inverurie Ram said:

And the News from 1971 and 1972 to bring back the memories of the years to match up with the football.

 

Average house price then was about 4.5 times the average salary, must be 9 times now if not higher. Crazy

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, uttoxram75 said:

Cant wait for the 74/75 League winners thread mate.

Get some decent music posted then like the Bay City Rollers.......

As much as I love you Uttchetter Ram, we might fall out if you roll up with the Bay City Rollers when we get to  the 74-75 Scrapbook if LeedsCityRam is up for it ???. When I started in 1961 pre-match they played Colonel Bogey and the Rams ran out to The Dambusters. March.  Both hold fonder memories for me than Shang-A-Lang. I was too old for that at 22!!!!

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

2 hours ago, uttoxram75 said:

Cant wait for the 74/75 League winners thread mate.

Get some decent music posted then like the Bay City Rollers.......

 

1 hour ago, Brailsford Ram said:

As much as I love you Uttchetter Ram, we might fall out if you roll up with the Bay City Rollers when we get to  the 74-75 Scrapbook if LeedsCityRam is up for it ???. When I started in 1961 pre-match they played Colonel Bogey and the Rams ran out to The Dambusters. March.  Both hold fonder memories for me than Shang-A-Lang. I was too old for that at 22!!!!

Inspiration for The Ramones of all bands ?.  Courtney Loves obsessed with them.  At one point she was trying to get a film made about them.  My dad saw the singer Les McKeown at Butlins many years  ago sat on his own.  Bit of a sad end end after being ripped off for millions.

When Tommy sat down to compose what would become the band’s signature song, ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, his initial starting point was that he wanted a song with a chant at the beginning. Where did he get this idea from? Scottish pop-rock band the Bay City Rollers and their then number one hit, ‘Saturday Night’.

“There was a big hit by the Bay City Rollers at the time called Saturday Night, which was a chant-type song,” Tommy Ramone explained just before his death in 2014. “So I thought it would be fun to do for the Ramones too. And somehow I came up with ‘Hey! Ho! Let’s go!’

[LeedsCityRam]

9 hours ago, Inverurie Ram said:

And the News from 1971 and 1972 to bring back the memories of the years to match up with the football.

 

 

That's brilliant @Inverurie Ram - great to get the backdrop to what was happening on the pitch 50 years ago. Interestingly one of the news items (the Miners Strike) had implications for a FA Cup fixture for Derby later in February 1972.

@Brailsford Ram I am indeed up for 1974/75 scrapbook if you are up for overlaying with your fantastic detail. Should probably think about a Derby County in Europe thread starting with the 72/73 European Cup campaign that I know you followed to all ends of Europe ?

[uttoxram75]

8 hours ago, Brailsford Ram said:

As much as I love you Uttchetter Ram, we might fall out if you roll up with the Bay City Rollers when we get to  the 74-75 Scrapbook if LeedsCityRam is up for it ???. When I started in 1961 pre-match they played Colonel Bogey and the Rams ran out to The Dambusters. March.  Both hold fonder memories for me than Shang-A-Lang. I was too old for that at 22!!!!

Certain precocious teenagers were just discovering that one had to compromise with one's personal music tastes in order to appear cool with the young ladies at the youth club.

Do you think I had tartan stripes and turn ups on me white jeans for the fun of it?

[uttoxram75]

like putty they were when I strolled into the youth club......

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LeedsCityRam said:

@Brailsford Ram I am indeed up for 1974/75 scrapbook if you are up for overlaying with your fantastic detail. Should probably think about a Derby County in Europe thread starting with the 72/73 European Cup campaign that I know you followed to all ends of Europe ?

Of course and the last great season as a power in the land in 1975-76 when we may well have done the double but for Charlie George's injury was pretty special too. It could be a four year plan.

[Eatonram]

Was the Notts County the game when Ian Storey Moore signed on the pitch? Could be my memory playing tricks. I was there at this match and when he signed on the pitch but not sure if they were the same day!