Worried Turkey's Diaries

[Sideshow Bob]

Typical view from East stand tier 2 (click on yellow block E333) - http://www.manutd.com/Tickets-And-Ho...ting-Plan.aspx
You'll be a few rows behind picture.

[worriedturkey]

Taken my son to the liverpool game on the 11th. We got our tickets this morning we were allocated east stand tier 2 row 21. Are the seats any good? As it's my sons first time going and want him to have a memorible day any advice would be great thanks.

your talking to an old man now...whose first game was over fifty years ago......but even now every game is like the first...i still get a tingling sensation all over whenever i walk down Warwick rd (sorry Sir Matt Busby Way)......my only advice would be too take slow steps and let him take in every minute , get there early let him see the sights , the build up..............just the atmosphere as you start to get closer is something special.....the smells , the chants , the people....just let him take it all in ...and you will look into his eyes and you and him will know .....sorry got to go teams are out and my dongle is getting battered......

[worriedturkey]

Today began as every 'footy' Saturday did, scramble round for scarf and bob hat, still dark and cold, make the fire, nothing beats the warmth of a coal fire, jam butty then sit there ready waiting for what seems an eternity to go round to Unc's.....

Today was the visit of one of our local rivals Bolton, a team who wasn't to be feared so much as yesteryear. Images of Nat Lofthouse (who had recently retired) cutting through your defence, who had done this a few times against United and was the scourge of us in the not so long ago Cup Final of '58 where he had pounced twice in our 2-0 defeat... Anyway let them worry about us, we had the nucleus of a good side and should Sir Matt get the players he required silverware was just around the corner (the eternal optimist....).

Round to Unc's then, and as usual for Saturday morn was met by a bleary eyed beer monster (sorry Unc) whose only communication 'til he'd had his tea and a fag was ugh! Half an hour later and he was starting to resemble a human being... and then out of the front door, which nearly killed him as fresh air (if you could call it that in them days as smoke from the factories hung about like a fog first thing in a morning and smoke from the chimneys slowly drifted across the roofs of the houses) invaded his lungs causing the usual coughing fit... and with a 'feel better now'... we were off. Meeting the rest of the lads down at the pub... few jars (me still with a shandy, but boy would I make up for it in later life!) then off to the game.

In the ground the talk was of last week's defeat at Wolves and players that we'd like to sign... all the usual stuff as the team was read out over the tannoy. Pinner who had made his debut a couple of matches back was in goal, Brennan and Cantwell were again our full-backs with Stiles, the ever dependable Foulkes and 'the beast' Setters as the middle three, with a forward line of Kenny Morgans (who would play his last game for United next week, after making his debut in 1957. He had struggled to make an impact, but was a steady winger but just lacked that something) Quixall, Dawson (who put his head in where others wouldn't ...brave or daft, we never knew...) who like Quixall was having his best scoring season for United. Mark Pearson was a dependable inside forward who linked well with Dawson but lacked that turn of pace, and last but not least Bobby Charlton who about nothing can be said that already hasn't. Bolton were going through a transition period and weren't the force of old. The game got off to the usual blood and thunder of two local sides meeting each other and it wouldn't be long before Dawson was squaring up to the Bolton centre-half, and Setters would soon after be putting some poor unsuspecting wing half on the seat of his pants and nearly in the stand... (oh for the good old days...lol). The first half hour was like a cup-tie as a frenzy of football was played with nobody seeming to stand on the ball and calm play down. That was not until a certain Bobby Charlton decided he'd had enough, picking a ball up inside his own half he slowed down to a walk and as players came at him played a one-two with Stiles and was gone leaving Bolton players in his wake he glided down the wing and in one movement clipped over a cross, which was met by such power from Dawson's head (I swear the keeper dived out of the road it was that hard).

United were one up and at last settling down to play football and not get caught up in little battles. Five minutes before half time United doubled their lead when the same combination as the first worked again. Charlton again supplied the perfect cross for Dawson to come sliding in and score in the bottom corner. Half time and we were two up and good value for it.

The next ten minutes would be spent stamping your feet and clapping hands to get some warmth into them, it was a really cold day and the wind was blowing over the scoreboard end (no roof in them days) straight into the Stretford End. After what seemed an eternity the players came streaming onto the pitch and the game was soon under way. Although Bolton tried they couldn't get the better of Uniteds defence. United continued where they left off, playing football on the deck and passing round the Bolton team, we came close on a few occasions but to no avail, then the unthinkable happened Bolton pulled one back as there was a mix up between Brennan and Stiles, which resulted in the inside forward nipping in and beating Pinner at the near post. 2-1, surely not... we'd been so comfortable, surely we wouldn't throw two points away today...

With renewed vigour Bolton started to pour men forward and for ten minutes we were on the back foot, bodies flew in to block shots and forwards were dropping deeper... It was during this period that brought about the move of the match when Cantwell recovered a ball a slide rule ball up the touchline found 'Nobby' Stiles, who just on the half way line spread it cross field to Charlton who without looking (or so it seemed) hit a 25 yard diagonal ball splitting the Bolton defence in two to the feet of the blonde bomber Quixall who took it in his stride dragged Hopkinson off his line and with aplomb placed it just inside the far post... YES!! 3-1 to the Reds... Safe and sound with very little fight left in Bolton that's how the score stayed.

On the way home and looking at our remaining fixture list... we only had one home game in the next six, we would be away to Forest next week and the talk was of getting a bus there. Nightmare... all the stopping and starting, off the bus, behind a bush, repeatedly as beer after beer will be consumed.... WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY... COME ON YOU REDS!!!!

[worriedturkey]

The Forest game round in no time and as usual goose bumps and lumps in the throat came just as quick, expectations were high as we had beaten Forest 2-1 earlier in the season and if... if we went on a good run now there was a possibility of finishing 3rd. We wouldn't win the league and little chance of second as Spurs seemed to have it sown up with Wolves and Sheff Wednesday fighting for scraps... but we had a chance, and too finish in the top three would have been a good season The Forest manager Andy Beattie had put a compact side together but they were no world beaters so it was with eager anticipation that i was ready for a United triumph today.

The papers had stories of Stiles being out with a slight strain and Gregg coming back in for Pinner, which on the day proved right. As we sat on the coach going to the game discussions were taking place on who was going to replace Stiles and how glad people were of seeing Greggy back (in between making toilet stops every fifteen minutes... Makes you wonder how so many trees are still standing after all the pee they must have drunk in them days..lol). Parking up (near a pub, of course!) ten minutes away from the ground and already the atmosphere was building... not like in the later years of chanting and shouting echoing round the streets, but a buzz due to Manchester United being in town and the looks of opposing fans of the United scarves and the awe in which we were held. The look of sympathy was sill evident and although it was appreciated it was starting to feel a bit of a burden..... as years later we found out by the likes of the Leeds and Liverpool... Anyway back to now, and as usual Smidge was first through the pub doors, straight to the toilet, but this time it backfired... Unc got the beers and my shandy and waited for Smidge to come out when he thought it was safe and told him it was his round!.... The look on Smidge's face was a picture, and after scrambling through his pockets he just had enough a cheer went up as Smidge emerged from the bar to outside with his beer in hand and a red face, but boy did he drink it fast... he wasn't going to let anybody get away without paying after that!

Crossing over the Trent to get to the ground the goose bumps and dry throat were in full flow and expectations were high. Fans nodded to each other with mutual respect and then it was into the ground. Forest had a nice compact little ground with a good atmosphere and boy was their Bovril strong. The team news was announced and Nicholson had come in for Stiles (which wasn't everybody's cup of tea. Stiles had been building a reputation and was starting to be looked on an as integral part of the team. Only in later years would that be proved right). As the teams came onto the field the shouting from both sets of fans increased. United's team consisted of Gregg, Brennan, Cantwell, Setters, Foulkes, Nicholson, Morgans, Quixall, Dawson, Pearson and Charlton. Surely good enough...

The teams faced each other and the game was off. United were quickly into their stride and posed the first attacking threat as Quixall and Dawson exchanged passes, which ended with Morgans firing high and wide. Charlton was starting to be a thorn in the right full-backs side, Setters and Foulkes were looking comfortable and as the game wore on we seemed at ease. Grummit the Forest keeper was the busier of the two, then out of nowhere Addison robbed Nicholson and and split United's defence and the inside forward (not sure whether it was Wilson or Booth) ran on to it and slotted inside the post, Forest 1-0... surely not! The players then started looking round in disbelief, but instead of rolling their socks up they felt sorry for themselves and just before half-time things got worse as Forest scored a second. The half time whistle couldn't come quick enough as Forest were looking dangerous every time they attacked... Relief came with the whistle. Sir Matt had his work cut out as the United team walked off looking beaten.

We were shell shocked at the way the game had gone, the buzz coming from the Forest end was one of euphoria. From looking on the back foot to two up was unbelievable, they were in heaven, but we would show them, we were United.

The second half started much like the first with United in the ascendancy and like the first half Forest broke again having robbed Nicholson and counter attacked ending with a goal bound effort that Gregg not only saved, but held and in one motion was up on his feet and kicked the ball up-field to Charlton, who went on one of his mazy runs cutting inside and passing to Pearson. Charlton meantime kept his run going and 'Pancho' found him with an inch perfect pass keeping his run going he hit a screamer that stayed six inches off the floor all the way and Grummit could only look and admire as the ball hit the back of the net.... 2-1 down, but on the way back... COME ON YOU REDS... (or as they said in them days 'play up United' ). United carried on and with about fifteen minutes to go Quixall equalised with a deft little header. Forest were on the back foot and we were in the ascendancy... Ten minutes to go and we were still looking good, five to go and Forest were holding on. Hands were gripping my scarf, I was nearly choking myself... expectations were running high. Then a punt upfield and a ball into the box a bit of a scramble and the ball trickled over the line, 3-2! The Forest fans looked round in disbelief... They had come back to win the game.... Me? I just stood there speechless, as did most of the United supporters. Try as we might after that we just couldn't get anywhere near the Forest goal and the game (for us anyway) just fizzled away...

Drained and broken on the way home... I managed to sneak a couple of bottles of stout (now it was my time too be watering the trees... lol). The two points dropped meant in reality we would do well to finish in the top five. The thoughts went to the next match, one we had to win. Away again... we had to win to get back on track... Not only that WE HAD TO WIN IT WAS CITY AWAY....

Rings a bell doesn't it......

WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!!!!!!

[se7en]

Good to hear from you again WT