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We used to go in the old Meadow Lane stand if it was raining. Never cost anything then (1960's). It was always empty and colder in there than outside and the rain battering down on the tin roof! Same as the old County Rd stand, always empty and bloody freezing! I never went in the Main stand.
Having delved into Maggie's attic and had a good rummage round I have to take issue.
Barber made 5 appearances that season and the Aldershot game was the 7 th of the season,so I'm surmising he was almost ever-present until that game.
The incident happened not six yards from me.The stretcher was summoned and after one of those awful silences he was carried off with a broken leg.One of those things a 10 y.o. remembers from an otherwise dull nil-niler.
I sincerely doubt he was able to play against Oxford a month later.Nor could it have been Astle being substantially damaged,as he was sold to W.B.A. around then.
Official history book lists Barber as playing against Oxford on 17th October 1964, wearing no.11, though he had missed the 7 games before that after the Aldershot game on 12th September 1964, implying he had also got injured in the Aldershot game.
The book also lists Astle as playing against Aldershot as well as the next 4 games after that, Newport away being his last on 28th September 1964.
Where I've been able to cross reference, I've found The Official History does occasionally make mistakes so we can't take that as gospel but if the reports say the same thing then it will be correct. I'll have another look at the Aldershot report.
Here we go.....
Colin Slater wrote v Aldershot " sensational second half at Meadow Lane this afternoon Aldershot left back Dick Renwick was sent off after a 55th-minute incident involving Notts. County centre forward Jeff Astle. After that, Aldershot fought a determined defensive battle... Astle was carried to the touchline, where County trainer Jack Wheeler. and two St ' John Ambulance men attended to him"
And for Oxford, Football Post "...struggle between Notts. County and Oxford United this afternoon, before the second lowest gate of the season—under 5,000. Eleven minutes from the end, the Oxford right back Cyril Beavon was given his marching orders for a foul on Barber"
Last edited by upthemaggies; 27-03-2024 at 09:00 PM.
Just to add my tuppence worth . . . . Mike Barber's time at Notts came a couple of years before I started attending matches, but I can well remember my dad going on about what an exciting and promising player he was, and he always told me that his career ended after a brutal tackle by an OXFORD player who couldn't cope with him. My dad said he had been standing very close to the incident and it was one of the worst fouls he had ever witnessed, so much so that he held something of a grudge against Oxford United for many years afterwards.
That's interesting, thanks. I like to get these details right.
The problem with The Football Post was that the reports had to be phoned in well before the game finished so that they could get the paper out on to the streets and into the newsagents as fans were still making their way home, so if a game ended 2-0 with goals on 55 and 85 minutes, you'd get a full paragraph devoted to the first goal detailing every player involved in the build up, then one single line tagged on at the end simply adding "and Hateley added the 2nd with 5 minutes remaining."
As the Oxford sending off for the foul on Barber occurred late in the game, there isn't a description of what actually happened, unless it's been lost in the Optical character read process, but your dad's story makes sense.
From what I can gather after the Aldershot game, Barber simply had a re-occurrence of knee trouble either during that match or in training days later, but he was then able to regain match fitness in time for the visit of Oxford. Tragically for him and Notts, an Oxford player has gone straight for his problem area - enough to put his knee back in plaster - and finished him off once and for all.
Lunaspie has apparently done what we all do and conflated memories of two separate and closely related events into one, but it's all part of the process of getting down to the truth of the matter.
You must have been quite privileged then.😀
I seem to recall a chap sat next to the entrance with a turnstile inside the ground ?
Having paid the extra , we were given a small printed & numdered card , similar to the business cards you could self print at railway stations. The date and fees paid were hand written in black ink.
I often wish ,I'd saved one.
I can also remember the ball frequently came into the front rows of the ML stand. One shot in particular was a volley from John Sheridan which rattled the twin (HMV style ) tannoy speakers causing much mirth.
Priceless memories of a much simpler world .
The Brindley, Needham, Stubbs and Worthington back four holds many great memories for me, as does the rest of the teams they featured in. They were tough and uncompromising with probably one of the best central defensive pairings ever in the lower leagues.
Billy Brindley didn't take any prisoners and he was also the type of player you could identify with from the terraces. He was tenacious and determined. Dave Needham was a very classy centre back who read the game well. Great in the air and neat on the ground, a very difficult opponent for any striker physically strong and skilled.
Stubbsy...what can you say about him! Hard as nails, hugely dominant in the air and a killer sliding tackle that was just as liable to land his target into the boards as unload him of the ball, which he normally did. A real attacking threat too getting on the end of Masson corners and free kicks.
Bob Worthington was much maligned at times I felt and most definitely a target for the boo-boys. It must have affected his self-confidence and therefore his play at times. I guess some things never change. He was tall for a full back and also good in the air defensively. His worth needs to be considered in being an important part of a great defensive unit.
Those four were well-schooled by Jimmy Sirrel, they knew exactly what their jobs were. Clear the area and slip the ball to Masson if possible. They were the basis of a lot of Notts' success over the years.