Stretford Ender

The late Tony Dunne and Tommy Baldwin. Old Trafford circa 1968-1969. This might be the match that Chelsea won 4-0 with Baldwin scoring twice. Couldn't swear to it though.

Alex Stepney and Peter Bonetti as Chelsea team mates. Alex Stepney, Paul Edwards, Peter Osgood and Peter Houseman, circa 1968-69.

The game against Brazil - the team everyone thought was going to win it - was brilliant. As for the final, after the debacle of that semi-final against the French, I think the entire world with the exception of West Germany, wanted Italy to win. If memory serves, the Germans were up to all kinds of shenanigans in that tournament.

I can't remember if Shilton arrived at Stoke after Banks lost his eye in a car crash or not but they were a decent side back then with a good manager in Tony Waddington. They also sighed Geoff Hurst from West Ham and Alan Hudson from Chelsea, which was quite a coup for an unfashionable club. England used to boast the world's best keepers at one time but now, as you say, Hart and Pickford are a long, long way from that title. Shilton's swan-song was Italia 90 when he was 40 and well past his prime. Never the most agile of keepers, he was at fault for the German's goal in the semi and, if memory serves, he didn't get near their penalties.

It was a comedy of errors. Ramsey had dropped Bobby Moore after his poor game in Poland and brought in Norman Hunter. Hunter lost the ball that was his all day, and they swept down the pitch and stuck the ball under Shilton. After that, the game resembled a cup tie between a 4th division side and the league champions. England threw everything at them. Nobody could believe it afterwards. The papers did a hatchet job on Alf Ramsey and he was soon gone. I have mixed feelings about Shilton. Not as good as Banks, that's for sure. Tommy Doc wanted to sign him in 1977 but he was vetoed on the grounds that he wanted too much in wages. Typical United and their false economy.

First Maradona and now Paolo Rossi who has passed away aged 64. Who can forget his performances in 1982? Always in my best-ever Italy side up top with Luigi Riva. A sad loss. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/10/paolo-rossi-italian-football-great-and-world-cup-winner-dies

As it's that time of year again, here's a couple of goodies. The first is Silent Night by the Vienna Boys Choir. It's cute and the missus always cries when she watches it. The second, Caruso singing Minuit Chretien is from 1916 (remastered, of course). I wish I could have heard him live but even I am not that old.

That's a name I'd forgotten - Charlie Magri. I remember his title defence against a Filipino fighter who knocked him down several times and took his title.

No worries. We'll pay you to take him.

Rumour is Dybala will come this way and Pogba will return to Italy. He really should never have come back.

I was too. I was staying with family (Chelsea fans) in Wandsworth and I went with them. The sending off was strange and nobody knew what it was for until later after the game ended.

Not a rumour, not even a rumour of a rumour, but Pogba has finally come out and said he wants away. I'm shocked I tell ya! You should put in a bid for him.

Then it was the first United v Chelsea game I ever went to. I was in the Paddock with my dad. If I'm right, that was the game where Best robbed Eddie McCreadie and beat Bonetti from an impossible angle. Seen some great games against Chelsea down the years.

Can't put at date certain on this but probably 1964-64 season. United attacking the Stretford End. Who's the Chelsea right half? Is that John Hollins? The top small pics are from Chelsea's 3-1 win at Old Trafford in March 1968. Baldwin, Osgood, and Tambling scored for Chelsea, Brian Kidd scored for United. Don't know about the second one but it isn't the same game.

Law, Charlton, and Kidd kicking in at Stamford Bridge. August 1971. It was a really warm evening. Many in shirtsleeves in the crowd. United won 2-3 and Best was sent off. Charlton, Kidd, and Morgan for United, Baldwin and Osgood for Chelsea. That was the first season since the 50s we reverted to black socks and added the collar to the shirt. I remember that Bonetti wasn't playing and Charlie Cooke was on the bench as when they announced the teams, there was a groan from the Chelsea fans.

That was a strange night. Brian Moore had a go at Cloughie for calling the Polish keeper a clown. England really should have won by 3 or 4 but the football gods decreed it was not to be. How many goals did we have disallowed? I can recall two at least. The shake-up that followed was a typical FA fiasco with Ramsey sacked ignominiously and that angered a lot of people for whom Alf was untouchable. It took England nearly 10 years to recover from that.

Eddie McCreadie and Willie Morgan. 1970-71 I think.

I think this was the Bonfire Night 1966 fixture at Stamford Bridge. The game was played a couple of weeks after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. United won the return 1-3 With Aston (2) and Best scoring. John Hollins scored for Chelsea. Nearly 56,000 showed up.

Mike England was a pretty decent centre half in his day.

If it was an all-ticket game, you could always bung the turnstile operator then jump the turnstile. I know a couple of lads who did that at Hillsborough in 1976 for the semi-final. You could easily tell the attendance was over capacity. One of the perks of the job I suppose. Bad luck though if a copper happened to be standing there as you'd get ejected and lose your money.

Long past its sell-by date. I used to despise it when Jimmy Hill was in charge, and Lineker is nowhere near as knowledgeable as Hill was.

1970-71. Denis Law and Marvin Hinton. January 1971. We won 2-1 with goals from Morgan and Gowling. Alan Hudson scored for Chelsea.

^^^ Chris Garland?

Clannad's Theme from Harry's Game. One of the better TV dramas of the 1980s.