Stretford Ender

Barney Ronay in the Guardian has penned a piece with the provocative title ' Does Frank Lampard genuinely deserve to be fired right now?' Ronay thinks football is full of 'heritage appointments and punts on status. 'This' he thinks, 'is how the game works.' It's pretty painful stuff and written, I suspect, to get peoples' backs up. There's a definite air of condescension about it, especially the odd connection he makes between the 'Golden Generation' and people wanting Lampard sacked. I found it dull reading made up of wishful thinking and speculation. Make of it what you will but from a pers

I remember the 1964-65 season and the run-in. For a long while it was a three-horse race with United. Chelsea, and Leeds. Chelsea dropped off right at the end with a handful of games to go. I was watching an old video of our home game with Liverpool and at the end, as the players walked off, the commentator said now we'll have to wait and see what Leeds and Chelsea have done. I think the Doc always held as much affection for his Chelsea players as he did for his United players.

There are some great comments under the Guardian obituary from old Chelsea and United fans. I met him a few times in the old Bull's Head in Hale Barns where he would go to drink. Players like Lou Macari, Martin Buchan, and Jim Holton would come in and a few City players like Dave Watson, Joe Corrigan, and Mike Summerbee, and they were always happy to have a laugh and a joke with the fans. Even then he would say that he would have won the league with Chelsea if they'd kept Jimmy Greaves, and I've heard other Chelsea fans say something similar. A mate of mine tells a great story of being p

I shed a tear when I heard the news. RIP Tommy Doc. Thanks for the brilliant memories.

Shall I take it down?

The last game of the ill-fated 1957-58 season. A makeshift United side went to Stamford Bridge and lost 1-2. David Cliss scores Chelsea's first. Les Allen got the second and Ernie Taylor, drafted in at the age of 33 from Blackpool, scored for us. Was Les Allen Clive Allen's dad?

Removed.

That was half the fun of going to a match. Sitting in a rickety old stand or standing on a crumbling terrace open to the elements. Bradford opened a lot of people's eyes to just how dangerous such places had become. Even Wembley was looking pretty shabby back in the 1970s and 80s.

This match will probably put Arteta out of his misery. Play Giroud up top to administer the coup de grace.

Only saw him once when he came to our place with Barca in 1984 and, to be honest, he did not have the best of games.

Same game as above. For United, there's Macari, Sidebottom, Holton, and George Graham, for Chelsea, Osgood, Droy, and Tommy Baldwin.

1972-73 season, I think. Willie Morgan and Mike Brolly. What happened to him?

Nobby getting to grips with John Hollins or is that the other way around?

1971-72 season I think. 1-0 to Chelsea.

So it is. I know we were linked with him at one stage. And that is Paddy Crerand behind Alex Stepney. I think this was Tony Dunne's testimonial game in 1973. It was pretty shameful how the club handled his departure. Here's a quote from Dunne from the Irish Herald: 'Denis Law, was allowed to hold his benefit game first, a glamour fixture (and a money-spinning one) against Ajax while Dunne had to persuade Manchester City to provide the opposition for his own testimonial. Dunne claims the game yielded £8,000 but United billed him £1,500 for rent of Old Trafford and policing cost