Our Lowest Ebb?

[sheffieldblue]

On 27/05/2020 at 14:58, Bearwood Owl1 said:

I was lucky enough to speak to Jimmy Mullen earlier (he's having a copy of the book). His feelings were that the club (players and management) was too 'up and down' in the mid-70s to be successful. It took Big Jack to really sort it out. 

 

Up and Down??  Must have missed the Up's

[Bearwood Owl1]

Feel like I'm name dropping this week :) I was honoured to speak to Tommy Craig also earlier in the week. Very positive about the fans at Hillsborough, just sad that he couldn't help get the team get back to the top. Hopefully I'll have some more news about him soon, he's having a read of the book, then hopefully an interview. 

[asteener1867]

2 minutes ago, Bearwood Owl1 said:

Feel like I'm name dropping this week I was honoured to speak to Tommy Craig also earlier in the week. Very positive about the fans at Hillsborough, just sad that he couldn't help get the team get back to the top. Hopefully I'll have some more news about him soon, he's having a read of the book, then hopefully an interview. 

Hope he does..at one bit the whole team revolved around Craig with a bit of left foot magic...must have felt like he was carrying the world on his shoulders...

[Bearwood Owl1]

9 minutes ago, asteener1867 said:

Hope he does..at one bit the whole team revolved around Craig with a bit of left foot magic...must have felt like he was carrying the world on his shoulders...

I hope so too. I had his address passed on to me, so sent him the book with a letter. He rang me the day it arrived - chatty and personable. Said I seemed to have it spot on when I talked through what I'd put in there about him. Told me a story or two about Pele and said to ring him in a week or two to hopefully sort something. 

[Bearwood Owl1]

Those of you who remember the mid-70s might like to watch Alan Biggs' chat show - now up on YouTube and featuring Peter Rodrigues and (in pt2) Rodger Wylde.

 

 

And if anyone needs any persuasion to get hold of a copy of the book - here's some feedback from Chris Turner

[Utah Owl]

Book just arrived. Going to have a fun few days reading it (assuming the nightmares don't come back)!

[Bearwood Owl1]

4 hours ago, Utah Owl said:

Book just arrived. Going to have a fun few days reading it (assuming the nightmares don't come back)!

Great stuff, let me know how you get in with it Got to love the postal workers of the world for getting it to you so quickly!

[Bearwood Owl1]

 

Fathers Day is coming up. So, a little offer, use the code FATHERSDAY and it's FREE P&P. Open to anyone, not just the Dads! Happy to sign/dedicate any ordered that way as well - via the link at: https://ourlowestebb.bigcartel.com/products 

Cheers, John

[adelphi1867]

Just finished reading the book, very enjoyable and brought back a lot of memories, I attended all the games featured in the book.

What I realised on reading the book is just how little we, the club and fans, have changed.

We are very nearly in as bad a situation now as we were then, 47 friggin years after the event we have learned absolutely nothing in how to plan further ahead than the next season.

[Bearwood Owl1]

1 hour ago, adelphi1867 said:

Just finished reading the book, very enjoyable and brought back a lot of memories, I attended all the games featured in the book.

What I realised on reading the book is just how little we, the club and fans, have changed.

We are very nearly in as bad a situation now as we were then, 47 friggin years after the event we have learned absolutely nothing in how to plan further ahead than the next season.

 Cheers - glad you liked it It does help put today into perspective I think. Or show that people don't always learn from mistakes

 

[fredmciverslovechild]

Just re-reading the book and come across the section about George McCabe which I somehow missed before.

 

Back in the mid-1960's George lived on Stradbroke Close; I lived on Stradbroke Way which was the next road down. My best mate lived on the Close and I used to meet him every day to walk to school. Quite often in the morning we'd see George and sometimes in the afternoon as well and as he was a big Wednesday fan and my mate supported United we'd always talk football. I hadn't realised at the time that George was a referee; probably not until the infamous Brazil v Portugal match at the 1966 World Cup. He was roundly criticised for his refereeing in that match for allowing Portugal to clog Pele out of the tournament.

 

Anyway round about then he invited us into his home to see the mementos he'd picked up on his reffing travels. Don't remember too much about those but I do remember he had this huge box which was full of scrapbooks comprising newspaper cuttings, reports and his own handwritten comments on every first class game he'd reffed. Think he retired after taking charge of the 1969 cup final but by that time he'd moved house anyway.

 

He always came across as an extremely kindly person, a bit like your favourite uncle. Can well imagine that he was ideally suited to looking after the kids at the club.

[Bearwood Owl1]

30 minutes ago, fredmciverslovechild said:

Just re-reading the book and come across the section about George McCabe which I somehow missed before.

 

Back in the mid-1960's George lived on Stradbroke Close; I lived on Stradbroke Way which was the next road down. My best mate lived on the Close and I used to meet him every day to walk to school. Quite often in the morning we'd see George and sometimes in the afternoon as well and as he was a big Wednesday fan and my mate supported United we'd always talk football. I hadn't realised at the time that George was a referee; probably not until the infamous Brazil v Portugal match at the 1966 World Cup. He was roundly criticised for his refereeing in that match for allowing Portugal to clog Pele out of the tournament.

 

Anyway round about then he invited us into his home to see the mementos he'd picked up on his reffing travels. Don't remember too much about those but I do remember he had this huge box which was full of scrapbooks comprising newspaper cuttings, reports and his own handwritten comments on every first class game he'd reffed. Think he retired after taking charge of the 1969 cup final but by that time he'd moved house anyway.

 

He always came across as an extremely kindly person, a bit like your favourite uncle. Can well imagine that he was ideally suited to looking after the kids at the club.

Everyone who mentioned George McCabe said what a lovely man he was. Not the best coach necessarily, but there were others to do that. But a really nice man it seems. The personalised Christmas card to all youth team players illustrates it nicely. I bet there was some fascinating stuff in his collection of memorabilia from his refereeing career!

[Eckstein11]

Just to say how much I enjoyed reading the book, it arrived on Thursday and I finished it last night.  I was born in 69 so the period covered is when I first started supporting Wednesday.  Reading it brought back many happy memories, it’s Sunday and I really have bugger all to do so please indulge me….

 

Wednesday on TV

My first actual experience of seeing Wednesday was the YTV highlights of the York game in the autumn of 74.  We only had Black and White then so it’s good to be able to see Eric Mcmordie crash that volley in on YouTube now in full colour.  By the time they showed the Man Utd highlights in December we had graduated to colour.  Even at the age of Five and a Half  I remember having doubts over Peter Springett as he went for a walk for their second goal.

I remember being allowed to stay up to watch the Palace match on Match of the Day and then YTV showed the Bury home match towards the end of 75/76.

Each occasion was a huge event involving me (with my Brown NHS Spectacles) placing myself as near to the tv as possible to absorb every single second, turning round only to frown should someone dare utter a word.

 

Scrapbooks

My mum had a Saturday job at Littlewoods in Doncaster.  We used to go and pick her up just after six every week.  My Dad would then buy a Green Un from the Newsagents next to the Danum.  At the start of the 75/76 season he thought it would be a good idea for us to spend Sunday mornings at the dining room table cutting out every Wednesday related article from the previous weeks GreenUn/Sunday People/Daily Express.  I wasn’t an overly practical child and struggled hugely to cut out in straight lines.  As Sundays went by, dad found himself increasingly alone at the dining room table with scissors and bottle of glue as I was out in the back garden pretending to be Eric Potts (although clearly without hope of ever emulating the painting and decorating skills).

I have the scrapbooks in front of me now covering August 75 to May 81.  We used to buy them from Boots (for 35p in 1975 apparently) and they have splendid Orange and Purple covers which are just so fitting of the era.  The content has faded slightly with age but so has the reader :-)

 

Striker

Most kids I knew had Subbuteo but I always preferred Striker.  This was the game where you had to press little plastic players heads down to make them kick the ball.  The pitch was hardboard covered with felt and marked out into zones which your six players had to remain within.  My pitch warped slightly which meant your leftsided defender could bend a ball around the opposition to your leftsided forward.  I can’t be sure but it might be worth asking Phil King and Nigel Worthington if they had the same set as I saw them replicate the move many times.

Anyway, everytime we used to leave Doncaster and head off shopping to the big city I used to drag my parents to Redgates which was surely the greatest toy and games store ever.  They used to stock striker player sets downstairs and I would always travel in hope of picking up a set of my blue and white heroes. 

The fact that whoever made the game (Palitoy?) never had the foresight to appreciate what a big seller a struggling Division Three side might have been remains one of my biggest childhood disappointments.  I was left having to pretend a L***s away kit (or it might have been Romania?) was Wednesday.  No wonder Brian Hornsby’s head fell off when I pressed too hard (outside the period of the book I know).

 

Sean’s Party

Saturday November 8^th 1975.  My best friend Sean is 7 and the chosen few of Sprotbrough are going to party like it’s…well…1975.  I was a shy and introverted child and I wouldn’t have wanted to go.  I did go because it would have been very rude not to and because of parental ideas about bringing me “out of my shell”.  I was happiest in my shell.  I didn’t share my friends interests in Doctor Who or Space 1999, I had only one thing on my mind all afternoon.  It got to half past four and I asked a rather harassed (and surprised) looking Sean’s mum if I could have Grandstand on to see the results come through on the Vidiprinter.  As pandemonium surrounded I crouched by their tele to hear Frank Bough or whoever read “Sheffield Wednesday 0 Port Vale 3”.  If Sean had any more parties, I didn’t get an invite.

 

The Matches

I only went to three in the period covered by the book.  I remember disappointingly little of my first game on Easter Saturday 75.  0-1 at home to Millwall who scored early in the second half.  My second was the Chester win a few days after the Moors outing.  I do remember Alan Thompson warming up in a Parka and Ian Nimmo chipping Grenville Millington who remains my  favourite named footballer.  The third was a 2-1 win at home to Walsall which featured a fantastic diving header by Phil Henson in front of a sparsely populated Kop.  Walsall soon equalised and Dad insisted we left at 1-1 to beat the traffic (attendance that day 9713, Receipts £4992), only to hear on the car radio Ian Nimmo had got a late winner.

 

To Bearwood Owl, a huge thanks.  If my fifty year old self could tell my six year old self anything it would be to not worry so much about it as there is more to life than a disappointing football team.  If only my fifty year old self would always take heed of the advice!

[Bearwood Owl1]

Thanks @Eckstein11 - I love the stories! I love the fashion for scrapbooks in the 70s/80s. I think that it is now something of a lost art though. Amazed by how much stuff people have kept from back then though. It says something about us as football fans

[Bearwood Owl1]

The good news this week is that Tommy Craig agreed to an interview. So, this week's Alan Biggs show is an 'Our Lowest Ebb' special with me and (much more interestingly) Tommy. 

 

Thursday on Sheffield live TV at 7pm and then on YouTube. I'll pop the links up on Thursday 

 

Cheers and UTO

 

John

[Nut]

Good luck John.

[torryowl]

23 minutes ago, Bearwood Owl1 said:

The good news this week is that Tommy Craig agreed to an interview. So, this week's Alan Biggs show is an 'Our Lowest Ebb' special with me and (much more interestingly) Tommy. 

 

Thursday on Sheffield live TV at 7pm and then on YouTube. I'll pop the links up on Thursday 

 

Cheers and UTO

 

John

good man ....don't forget the link 

[@owlstalk]

1 hour ago, Bearwood Owl1 said:

The good news this week is that Tommy Craig agreed to an interview. So, this week's Alan Biggs show is an 'Our Lowest Ebb' special with me and (much more interestingly) Tommy. 

 

Thursday on Sheffield live TV at 7pm and then on YouTube. I'll pop the links up on Thursday 

 

Cheers and UTO

 

John

Fab - we can embed the YouTube on here so everyone can watch

[Bearwood Owl1]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CHHKTXT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=our+lowest+ebb&qid=1594127510&sr=8-2

 

If anyone likes an e-book then the book is now available on Kindle via Amazon. Bargain price of £8.99 as well

[Mr Mercury]

Somehow I missed this thread previously... I've just bought/ordered one for my dad . I was born in 73 so too young to recall personally but dad's talked about this time previously. Will read it after he's finished !