Best football images

[erskblue]

Tom Forsyth with a game-saving tackle in the last minute on Mick Channon.

This tackle enabled Scotland win 2-1 at Hampden in May 1976.

Edited May 16 by erskblue

[erskblue]

Ray Clemence in action. He had a very good game, keeping a clean sheet under heavy Welsh pressure.  8th May 1976, Home Championship, Wales 0-1 England

Edited May 16 by erskblue

[erskblue]

Colin Jackson and Kevin Keegan. 15th May 1976. Home Championship Match.

 

[erskblue]

Willie Donachie in action for Scotland during their stunning but ultimately doomed 3-2 win over Holland at the 1978 World Cup. Rene van der Kerkhof, left, and Wim Jansen are the Dutch players. Picture: Colorsport/Shutterstock

[erskblue]

Outlawing the backpass might have stopped a lot of negative football and time wasting but it's deprived us of great comedy moments like this. Willie Donnachie scores a brilliant own goal in the last minute for Scotland v Wales 17th May 1978. The late,great, Hugh Johns commentating.

Edited May 17 by erskblue

[Boyne]

9 hours ago, erskblue said:

Outlawing the backpass might have stopped a lot of negative football and time wasting but it's deprived us of great comedy moments like this. Willie Donnachie scores a brilliant own goal in the last minute for Scotland v Wales 17th May 1978. The late,great, Hugh Johns commentating.

Remember watching the game. Jim Blyth in goal for Scotland. I think he only played a few games for Scotland.

One of the most famous own goals of all time. There was an expression for a while which was: "Doing a Donnachie." 

[erskblue]

1 hour ago, Boyne said:

Remember watching the game. Jim Blyth in goal for Scotland. I think he only played a few games for Scotland.

One of the most famous own goals of all time. There was an expression for a while which was: "Doing a Donnachie." 

And up here in Scotland I remember a variation of it when an OG was scored. “ Dae ye think yur Wullie Donnachie.”😀

Usually with a few swear words thrown in…

[erskblue]

The two Italy and West Germany line up before their World Cup Semi Final of 1970.

[erskblue]

Billy Hamilton scoring for Northern Ireland v Austria in the 1982 World Cup Finals.

And rightly celebrating the goal. 

Edited May 18 by erskblue

[Boyne]

[erskblue]

5 hours ago, Boyne said:

Boyne: Great picture.The way I first knew Hampden.

Hated that wee stand though. Was only in it once, as an eight year old  and it just didn’t feel safe. 

[Boyne]

A bit different but Lincoln City's ground on 16 May. No need to explain the significance of the date or why the banner is in the ground,

@erskblue One for you.

 

[Boyne]

Again a bit different. Rangers great Willie Thornton in the uniform of the Scottish Horse Regiment. In 1943 he was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in Sicily.

 

[erskblue]

12 hours ago, Boyne said:

A bit different but Lincoln City's ground on 16 May. No need to explain the significance of the date or why the banner is in the ground,

@erskblue One for you.

 

Boyne: How very appropriate. Well done to Lincoln City.🍻

[erskblue]

 Willie Thornton

The story of the Rangers great, Willie Thornton, who was awarded the Military Medal during the Allied Invasion of Italy in 1943.

 

Throughout Rangers’ history, like many other Scottish clubs, there have been close links with the Armed Forces and during both World War I & II, a number of players took up arms for King and Country and went off to fight. 

Among the Rangers players who had a part in the liberation of Europe and North Africa was Willie Thornton. Born in 1920, Thornton joined the club in March 1936 and made his first appearance in light blue in a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle just months later; making him one of the youngest players ever to have played a first team game for the club.

A week later he would score his first goal and become, to this day, the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history. Thornton would go on to make 308 appearances in a one club career that would stretch through to 1954 but it should have been so much more. 

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw Thornton enlist as a Trooper in the 80th (The Scottish Horse) Regiment of the Royal Artillery, seeing combat in Tripoli, Sicily, Anzio and Monte Cassino.

During the Battle for Sferro Hills in 1943, Thornton’s ‘coolness’ whilst being bombarded by ‘heavy shelling and mortar fire’ saw him awarded the Military Medal. His full citation reads:

On the night of 31/7 , 586278 Gunner Thornton, accompanied his Battery Commander as signaller to an O.P on Point 22. He maintained constant communication for 18 hours and passed down Fire Orders often under heavy shelling and mortar fire.

By his coolness and devotion to duty Gunner Thornton gave great assistance to his Battery Commander in bringing down his fire on the enemy.

Thornton would be one of only nineteen Military Medals awarded in his regiment during the War. With his medal awarded whilst he was still on active service, Thornton would instead receive a letter from King George VI apologising for being unable to present it personally. 
 

At the conclusion of the war, and the resumption of league football, Thornton would go on to establish himself as one of the club’s greatest ever players and was the first Ranger to score 100 goals in the post-War era.

Over the course of his Rangers career Thornton would hit the back of the net 194 times and was renowned for his aerial prowess.

He would go on to lift four league titles, three Scottish Cups and two league cups as a player, as well as being part of the first ever Scottish side to complete a Treble.

After retiring in 1954, Thornton would go on to a career in management, at Dundee and Partick Thistle, before returning to Ibrox as assistant to former teammate Willie Waddell.

During the transition from outgoing boss Davie White, Thornton took charge of the side twice before Waddell took over and after picking up wins in both Thornton remains the only Rangers manager (interim, part-time or otherwise) to have a 100% record.

  In the 1960s and and early 1970s, he was also heavily involved with the recruitment of young Rangers players. He would be the coach when they travelled to overseas youth tournaments.
 

He then became an unofficial advisor to the respective Rangers managers of the day and his advice on both footballing and non footballing matters, was much sought after by all at Ibrox.

In later years, Thornton would serve as a matchday host for the club, entertaining hospitality guests with stories of long forgotten goals, and now has a suite named in his honour at the stadium.

Thornton passed away in August 1991 at the age of 71.

Edited May 20 by erskblue

[erskblue]

 

 

 

Steve Coppell scores the only goal of the game. Scotland v England 20th May 1978.   From: Official Match Programme for England v Scotland, May 1979.

As a youngster I really looked forward to the Home Internationals and in particular the Scotland v England game. 

[Boyne]

1 hour ago, erskblue said:

Boyne: How very appropriate. Well done to Lincoln City.🍻

Very much so. Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire has a longstanding link to the RAF. A few years back Johnny Johnson was at the ground and was presented with a Lincoln City shirt with 617 on the back. I'll see if I can find the picture.

[Boyne]

58 minutes ago, erskblue said:

 Willie Thornton

The story of the Rangers great, Willie Thornton, who was awarded the Military Medal during the Allied Invasion of Italy in 1943.

 

Throughout Rangers’ history, like many other Scottish clubs, there have been close links with the Armed Forces and during both World War I & II, a number of players took up arms for King and Country and went off to fight. 

Among the Rangers players who had a part in the liberation of Europe and North Africa was Willie Thornton. Born in 1920, Thornton joined the club in March 1936 and made his first appearance in light blue in a 1-0 win over Partick Thistle just months later; making him one of the youngest players ever to have played a first team game for the club.

A week later he would score his first goal and become, to this day, the youngest goalscorer in the club’s history. Thornton would go on to make 308 appearances in a one club career that would stretch through to 1954 but it should have been so much more. 

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw Thornton enlist as a Trooper in the 80th (The Scottish Horse) Regiment of the Royal Artillery, seeing combat in Tripoli, Sicily, Anzio and Monte Cassino.

During the Battle for Sferro Hills in 1943, Thornton’s ‘coolness’ whilst being bombarded by ‘heavy shelling and mortar fire’ saw him awarded the Military Medal. His full citation reads:

On the night of 31/7 , 586278 Gunner Thornton, accompanied his Battery Commander as signaller to an O.P on Point 22. He maintained constant communication for 18 hours and passed down Fire Orders often under heavy shelling and mortar fire.

By his coolness and devotion to duty Gunner Thornton gave great assistance to his Battery Commander in bringing down his fire on the enemy.

Thornton would be one of only nineteen Military Medals awarded in his regiment during the War. With his medal awarded whilst he was still on active service, Thornton would instead receive a letter from King George VI apologising for being unable to present it personally. 
 

At the conclusion of the war, and the resumption of league football, Thornton would go on to establish himself as one of the club’s greatest ever players and was the first Ranger to score 100 goals in the post-War era.

Over the course of his Rangers career Thornton would hit the back of the net 194 times and was renowned for his aerial prowess.

He would go on to lift four league titles, three Scottish Cups and two league cups as a player, as well as being part of the first ever Scottish side to complete a Treble.

After retiring in 1954, Thornton would go on to a career in management, at Dundee and Partick Thistle, before returning to Ibrox as assistant to former teammate Willie Waddell.

During the transition from outgoing boss Davie White, Thornton took charge of the side twice before Waddell took over and after picking up wins in both Thornton remains the only Rangers manager (interim, part-time or otherwise) to have a 100% record.

  In the 1960s and and early 1970s, he was also heavily involved with the recruitment of young Rangers players. He would be the coach when they travelled to overseas youth tournaments.
 

He then became an unofficial advisor to the respective Rangers managers of the day and his advice on both footballing and non footballing matters, was much sought after by all at Ibrox.

In later years, Thornton would serve as a matchday host for the club, entertaining hospitality guests with stories of long forgotten goals, and now has a suite named in his honour at the stadium.

Thornton passed away in August 1991 at the age of 71.

 

Thanks for posting. Got me thinking with all these sportspeople who joined up in WW1 and WW2 and did National Service how sports teams would react if National Service was re-introduced. Couldn't see owners of sports teams being allowed to exclude players as sport isn't an essential service or reserved occupation. Saying that, the re-introduction of National Service is highly unlikely but you never know.

[erskblue]

47 minutes ago, Boyne said:

 

Thanks for posting. Got me thinking with all these sportspeople who joined up in WW1 and WW2 and did National Service how sports teams would react if National Service was re-introduced. Couldn't see owners of sports teams being allowed to exclude players as sport isn't an essential service or reserved occupation. Saying that, the re-introduction of National Service is highly unlikely but you never know.

My old man was one of the last ‘age groups’ who did their national service. His service was deferred, until he’d completed his shipyard apprenticeship. He played a great deal of football during his National Service.  He was smart enough to tell them he played at Non League Level in Scotland. He also showed them a letter from his club secretary confirming this!  It also helped that the Army Teams he played for were successful. These teams were given extra time off from their duties to train, travel and play matches. Oh and he learned to drive in the army too.😀

Edited May 20 by erskblue

[Boyne]

Great picture of Doddie. A Rangers legend.

[Boyne]

12 hours ago, Boyne said:

Very much so. Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire has a longstanding link to the RAF. A few years back Johnny Johnson was at the ground and was presented with a Lincoln City shirt with 617 on the back. I'll see if I can find the picture.

@erskblue Here's the picture I was looking for.

 

[erskblue]

10 hours ago, Boyne said:

@erskblue Here's the picture I was looking for.

 

Boyne: Cheers.Read his autobiography.

What a very humble, an amazing and a very brave man. 

Lest We Forget.

[Boyne]

4 hours ago, erskblue said:

Boyne: Cheers.Read his autobiography.

What a very humble, an amazing and a very brave man. 

Lest We Forget.

I read his autobiography a few years. A great read and as you say a humble and brave man. Had a tough upbringing due to a difficult relationship with his father. One of my favourite stories was when he was on the Dambusters raid and wasn't happy with the attack. It was only on the 9th or 10th time that he was happy. Up until then he was being cursed by his crewmates. 

Lest we forget.

[Boyne]

There are good footballers; there are great footballers and then there is Davie Cooper.

[erskblue]

17 hours ago, Boyne said:

There are good footballers; there are great footballers and then there is Davie Cooper.

Nutshell.
Genius of a player. Can you imagine him and Wee Pat playing on either wing for Chelsea! The other teams would have just put a white flag up!