Steve Davis

[AlexLeicester]

Yes. think our most successful days were under Dario. Latterly he gave us those glorious times in the Championship and some wonderful demolitions of 'big' clubs' egos. Then there was a team that simply wasn't working and Dario stepped aside.
I had the most fantastic footballing days of my life at Wembley winning the play-offs and then less than a year later, the JPT.
Sadly, since then, it has been a downward spiral, not just in terms of success, but interest on the pitch - and that continues.

I have no solution; I just have a tired body and a dwindling wallet, and I will drag them both along because 'my club' needs me possibly more than I desire it.

[alexmick]

Yes. think our most successful days were under Dario. Latterly he gave us those glorious times in the Championship and some wonderful demolitions of 'big' clubs' egos. Then there was a team that simply wasn't working and Dario stepped aside.
I had the most fantastic footballing days of my life at Wembley winning the play-offs and then less than a year later, the JPT.
Sadly, since then, it has been a downward spiral, not just in terms of success, but interest on the pitch - and that continues.

I have no solution; I just have a tired body and a dwindling wallet, and I will drag them both along because 'my club' needs me possibly more than I desire it.

Personally, the 1960's were my favourite times to watch the Alex. Through boyhood eyes, I encountered two promotions, several close encounters in the higher reaches of Division Four, two relegations from the Third Division and some outstanding and long-serving loyal players, who gave their all. There were appearance record breakers and history making top scorers during that decade, together with all time favourite players to admire. No Wembley Stadium visits, I admit, but for 2 shillings (10p) to see attacking football, with proper wingers and lots of goals, it was pretty good.

[MikeSB]

Personally, the 1960's were my favourite times to watch the Alex. Through boyhood eyes, I encountered two promotions, several close encounters in the higher reaches of Division Four, two relegations from the Third Division and some outstanding and long-serving loyal players, who gave their all. There were appearance record breakers and history making top scorers during that decade, together with all time favourite players to admire. No Wembley Stadium visits, I admit, but for 2 shillings (10p) to see attacking football, with proper wingers and lots of goals, it was pretty good.

Mick, I could not agree more and it was my favourite time too and possibly as you say through boyhood eyes. I was in my ****s then but I really loved this club with all its ups and downs and although we had more success under Dario I never felt quite the same excitement. It a great memory travelling by train to Barrow on Furness to find the match almost called off due to fog as its on a peninsular near the sea and I never saw another Alex fan that day even on the train and I never gave it a second thought. We won that match 4-3 I think but can't remember seeing any of the goals! . That was the time you could wander all around the ground and maybe that is another thing that is missing in modern football...mixing together with other fans. The players did give their all and on heavy pitches too and wonder how our kids would fare on such pitches today and with a heavy case ball....Like you I miss the five forward formations back then and hate today where you have one or two strikers...

I can't remember what I paid to get in but it wasn't much as the players didn't get much either...They would really smile at needing all the background staff clubs have now and an armful of managers and coaches. In those days the manager managed the whole club too...They have it too easy and to me makes no sense, players practicing on pitches miles away when you can train on the same pitch as you played the matches on...It all adds to the cost and to be honest not a lot of return when we are basically back to those days in the basement of the league and not a lot of reason to be going now...Its why the grounds in the lower leagues are almost empty and as said before its just too expensive for what is on offer...There are not many fans that can say they were at Gresty Road in 1961 in front of 20,000 fans playing the best team in the country at the time, ie Spurs who we drew 2-2.. You must have been there Mick? Of course we erm lost the replay 13-2 and so you are right, plenty of goals back then!

That replay was on youtube and you can see how heavy the pitches were back then when even PL clubs like Spurs had to play on them too...Nowadays its a new laid pitch each season. More reason to practice on the pitch then and close down the training facilities.

BTW Mick I can't remember ever seeing ****agers playing back then in our teams. Can you? Colbridge was quite young and Barry Wheatley and John Mahoney? So maybe there were one or two but all of them were strong though.

[alexmick]

Mick, I could not agree more and it was my favourite time too and possibly as you say through boyhood eyes. I was in my ****s then but I really loved this club with all its ups and downs and although we had more success under Dario I never felt quite the same excitement. It a great memory travelling by train to Barrow on Furness to find the match almost called off due to fog as its on a peninsular near the sea and I never saw another Alex fan that day even on the train and I never gave it a second thought. We won that match 4-3 I think but can't remember seeing any of the goals! . That was the time you could wander all around the ground and maybe that is another thing that is missing in modern football...mixing together with other fans. The players did give their all and on heavy pitches too and wonder how our kids would fare on such pitches today and with a heavy case ball....Like you I miss the five forward formations back then and hate today where you have one or two strikers...

I can't remember what I paid to get in but it wasn't much as the players didn't get much either...They would really smile at needing all the background staff clubs have now and an armful of managers and coaches. In those days the manager managed the whole club too...They have it too easy and to me makes no sense, players practicing on pitches miles away when you can train on the same pitch as you played the matches on...It all adds to the cost and to be honest not a lot of return when we are basically back to those days in the basement of the league and not a lot of reason to be going now...Its why the grounds in the lower leagues are almost empty and as said before its just too expensive for what is on offer...There are not many fans that can say they were at Gresty Road in 1961 in front of 20,000 fans playing the best team in the country at the time, ie Spurs who we drew 2-2.. You must have been there Mick? Of course we erm lost the replay 13-2 and so you are right, plenty of goals back then!

That replay was on youtube and you can see how heavy the pitches were back then when even PL clubs like Spurs had to play on them too...Nowadays its a new laid pitch each season. More reason to practice on the pitch then and close down the training facilities.

BTW Mick I can't remember ever seeing ****agers playing back then in our teams. Can you? Colbridge was quite young and Barry Wheatley and John Mahoney? So maybe there were one or two but all of them were strong though.

Great memories those early 60's cup exploits, Mike. Perhaps the best one was the Stamford Bridge shock. 2-1 to the Alex over the mighty Chelsea. ****agers. Alan Tarbuck was 19 when he played in the 1967-68 promotion winning side. John Mahoney was also only 19 when he signed in 1965. Pity we saw very little of him in a Crewe shirt. 18 appearances was the sum total, before Stoke nabbed him. Recommended by Johnny King. Barrie Wheatley (1957-1966) was 19 when he joined the club. Good servant, who notched up 272 starts, scoring 58 goals. Started his career with Sandbach Ramblers. Now there is a name from the past.

[MikeSB]

Great memories those early 60's cup exploits, Mike. Perhaps the best one was the Stamford Bridge shock. 2-1 to the Alex over the mighty Chelsea. ****agers. Alan Tarbuck was 19 when he played in the 1967-68 promotion winning side. John Mahoney was also only 19 when he signed in 1965. Pity we saw very little of him in a Crewe shirt. 18 appearances was the sum total, before Stoke nabbed him. Recommended by Johnny King. Barrie Wheatley (1957-1966) was 19 when he joined the club. Good servant, who notched up 272 starts, scoring 58 goals. Started his career with Sandbach Ramblers. Now there is a name from the past.

Thanks for that Mick, they were great times and I was there at Stamford Bridge that day when we won that game and if my memory serves me right they had Jimmy Greaves and Terry Venables playing for them. I think I am right that was the only time we have ever beat a PL/First Div team in the cup ever even under the Dario regime. Fans today think it was all doom and gloom in those far off days...I went on a FA cup special train from Crewe and got interviewed by the BBC when we arrived at Euston only because I think I had the biggest Alex rosette on my coat and when I looked again, someone had nicked it! I saw John Mahoney cry his eyes out in his last match for us which is why both you and I abhor the actions of some of our academy players who refuse to sign contracts...They were hero's and Frank Lord especially and not one player in the modern era has beaten the number of hat tricks he scored here which is still a record..

Oh I forgot to mention that it was a very physical game back then too when shoulder charging the goalkeeper and others was allowed. I don't think most of our academy graduates would have coped with all that and in many ways another reason to think the game has deteriorated for the worst.....No subs back then but I think that has been a good thing and maybe two not three imo...

[alexmick]

Thanks for that Mick, they were great times and I was there at Stamford Bridge that day when we won that game and if my memory serves me right they had Jimmy Greaves and Terry Venables playing for them. I think I am right that was the only time we have ever beat a PL/First Div team in the cup ever even under the Dario regime. Fans today think it was all doom and gloom in those far off days...I went on a FA cup special train from Crewe and got interviewed by the BBC when we arrived at Euston only because I think I had the biggest Alex rosette on my coat and when I looked again, someone had nicked it! I saw John Mahoney cry his eyes out in his last match for us which is why both you and I abhor the actions of some of our academy players who refuse to sign contracts...They were hero's and Frank Lord especially and not one player in the modern era has beaten the number of hat tricks he scored here which is still a record..

Oh I forgot to mention that it was a very physical game back then too when shoulder charging the goalkeeper and others was allowed. I don't think most of our academy graduates would have coped with all that and in many ways another reason to think the game has deteriorated for the worst.....No subs back then but I think that has been a good thing and maybe two not three imo...

Thanks for your input, Mike. Those indeed were good memories and today's footballers should take note and be grateful for what they have in this pampered game. I have been looking further into those young footballers of that period. Many were thrust into a physical division at a tender age even then. Our longest serving player, Tommy Lowry, was only 21 years of age, when he made his debut in 1966. From that mighty trio in the heart of defence, Mick Gannon was 21, Keith Stott when he started out was just 20 and Eric Barnes began playing for Crewe at the tender age of 20 in 1958. Legendary Johnny King was 18 when he made his debut in 1951. Others include: Frank Blunstone (later of Chelsea and England), aged 17, Bert Llewellyn (19), Chris Riley (19), Peter Gowans (19) and latterly in 1977, Peter Coyne was just 19. Some fantastic players there.

[MikeSB]

Thanks for your input, Mike. Those indeed were good memories and today's footballers should take note and be grateful for what they have in this pampered game. I have been looking further into those young footballers of that period. Many were thrust into a physical division at a tender age even then. Our longest serving player, Tommy Lowry, was only 21 years of age, when he made his debut in 1966. From that mighty trio in the heart of defence, Mick Gannon was 21, Keith Stott when he started out was just 20 and Eric Barnes began playing for Crewe at the tender age of 20 in 1958. Legendary Johnny King was 18 when he made his debut in 1951. Others include: Frank Blunstone (later of Chelsea and England), aged 17, Bert Llewellyn (19), Chris Riley (19), Peter Gowans (19) and latterly in 1977, Peter Coyne was just 19. Some fantastic players there.

We could talk all day about those days and thanks for reminding me too about some of those names. I think in some ways better than we have had even with all their academy coaching (apart from the obvious few) and why I'm not convinced about it and the cost, oh the cost! I played golf these last few years with Alan Foster, Peter Gowans and Frank Blunstone and Eric Barnes just lived at the back of me and has passed away now along with Pete Gowans. Eric had no time for the board here as they refused to give him any free tickets for a game and so he never went...

Our academy graduates could learn a lot about those days and appreciate what they have now including better pitches and training facilities and none on much money. Eric ran a men's wear shop in Town for many years and a really nice man. Stan Keery was a good player too he was midfield and stayed in Crewe after he retired like many did then..

Some fans think this club only started when Dario took over....LOL!

ATB anyway,

Mike

[Furberstreet]

Anyone receive a letter confirming that the lottery is closing and to cancel standing orders? Only £8.66 a month, but happy to donate to the club where possible. Not sure what is going on behind the scenes, but I would not rule out the sale of club assets. I hope that, should it come to non-league football, that we are not faced with forming a fans' team while the shareholders ride off into the sunset with their saddle bags full of dosh.

Victory at Morecambe tonight to kick start a revival?

[somersetcrewe]

In those days the manager managed the whole club too...They have it too easy and to me makes no sense, players practicing on pitches miles away when you can train on the same pitch as you played the matches on...

I bet they had a pint and a fag before the game too (and probably one at HT)!!
Love it or loathe it, times change.
It's all about marginal gains these days and if you don't keep up, you're left floundering.

As for our current plight ...........well .......... at least we won tonight for the first time in 9 away!!
Only 11 off the play-offs!!
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

Errr ......what's all this got to do with Steve Davis anyway?

[alexmick]

I bet they had a pint and a fag before the game too (and probably one at HT)!!
Love it or loathe it, times change.
It's all about marginal gains these days and if you don't keep up, you're left floundering.

As for our current plight ...........well .......... at least we won tonight for the first time in 9 away!!
Only 11 off the play-offs!!
Mighty oaks from little acorns grow!

Errr ......what's all this got to do with Steve Davis anyway?

Nothing at all to do with Steve Davis. It all started with someone mentioning Dario, led on to another poster reminiscing about the great times under the man who saved our football club, to me saying about those forgotten triumphs in the 1960s. Many think there was nothing to shout about before the modern era, so it is probably relevant to just put the record straight. It may be off topic, but it makes a change to talk about positive aspects of our club, rather than fall out amongst ourselves (as once was the case).

As for times changing. You are certainly correct with that one, Somerset. However, in my humble opinion, I think it is about time our football club changed with the times (at board level) and moved on in this modern world (perhaps a rethink over how the academy / first team is run), because as history teaches us, if you don't progress and adapt to change, you become extinct. At least it was a useful win last evening.