| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub 17:16 - Dec 6 with 6397 views | Sheffdale |
As some of you know, I'm doing a series of articles for TVOS, focusing on the first promotion season. I hope to do one piece which imagines us all meeting up in this virtual pub where we share our memories of that season. Time travel back to the evening of 10 May 1969 and put down your memories of that season in this thread. What were your highlights? Who was your favourite player? Who did you go to matches with? Do you still go to matches with the same people? Many of you have shared these memories before but it would be great if you could put them here and I'll collate. PM me if you would like your real name mentioned in the write up which will be early New Year I think. Join me in the Virtual Cemetery Hotel - the first drink is on me - it's going to be a lock-in. |  | | |  |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:39 - Dec 10 with 2378 views | D_Alien |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 20:53 - Dec 10 by mingthemerciless |
Really, I was behind the goal at the Pearl St end and I could have sworn the goal came at the far end. It is a very long while ago now. |
Yep, memory can play tricks - i sometimes get details wrong or conflated with other events
I guess Butler scoring the winner against Coventry at the Sandy Lane end might get mixed up with it, but the Halifax winner, after a mazy dribble from around the centre circle, was a goal from the second it left his foot, about 25 yards out from the Pearl St goal |  |
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| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:44 - Dec 10 with 2367 views | TVOS1907 |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 02:08 - Dec 10 by pioneer |
And the next season they stuffed us 5-0 down at their place - with a teenage Paul mariner tearing us to shreds if memory serves me correctly. It was the season from hell though so he wasnt alone in that.
I just hope Sheffdale never gets the idea of recalling 1973-74 for his programme pieces. If he does I hope it carries the freephone number of suicide help lines. |
Aye and throughout the whole of 1973, Dale played Plymouth four times, losing 17-3 on aggregate! |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:46 - Dec 10 with 2365 views | Sheffdale |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 14:58 - Dec 10 by mingthemerciless |
It can't be that readable if the date is 1965 !
Too many great memories of that season really. The bright start at home to Scunny. Then the 5 consecutive 1-1 draws with Ego scoring each of the goals. That must be some sort of record. Battering Bradford PA then a goal less period of 5 or 6 games. The ' Dale looked anything but promotion material at that point of the season. We weren't doing much really until the Grimsby 6-1 game in early January.
After that the team really kicked on started scoring goals for fun. The game that convinced me promotion could be on the cards was the 3-0 thrashing of a good Aldershot team on a rain soaked pitch. The football played that day was scintillating.
I was an acquaintance of Vince Ratcliffe at the time, his wife worked with my wife, and I remember him telling me a few days before the event that a big money centre forward signing was in the offing. I finally got it out of him that the player in question was Tony Buck.
After that things got better and better.
The big game against Doncaster was a damp squib, a very dry pitch and blustery conditions ruining what should have been a good game. It was great to be in a huge crowd again though and the town was starting to get the buzz !
Points kept getting racked up in some hard fought games until the next big one came along. A night match against fellow contenders Halifax Town. That was in front of the biggest crowd I'd ever seen . Cars were parked all over the Spotland area as far back as " The Bowling Green " .
The game itself was pretty dour, the sort that is always settled by one goal. Dennis Butler getting the all important goal for the ' Dale in front of a packed Sandy Lane End.
A week later came the return match at The Shay. That was packed to the rafters. Another dour game were the 'Dale never really got their football going on a tiny pitch and got beaten 1-0.
So on to the last game of the season, Southend at Spotland, they were no mugs and had a chance of going up themselves.
Any fears that nerves might get to the lads were soon put to one side as the 'Dale footballed Southend to death. They got a foot on Southend's throat after about 20 ninutes and never let up. The result was never really in doubt.
At the final whistle everyone ran on the pitch. I got to slap Big Reg on the back. It was like slapping a tree. Unforgettable moments.
What people forget is in the run up to promotion the team played 9 games in April alone !
My pal Vince was released along with Joe Fletcher. I know Vince felt hard done to because he'd played right back for the first 20 games and then filled in for Colin Parry and Joe Ashworth at centre half when they were injured. He played in some vital games including the crucial home win against Halifax Town.
His place was taken by a young lad from Liverpool called Paul Clarke, he was supposed to be a world beater but ended up doing next to nothing. They'd have been better off sticking with Vince. [Post edited 10 Dec 2018 15:03]
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These are great memories and you'll find them played back a programme in the new year. A player from those years told me he felt Joe Fletcher was a little hard done by when he like Vince Radcliffe was released at the end of 68/69. The signing of Tony Buck, the anticipated emergence of David Cross and a small squad meant Joe was shown the door. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:48 - Dec 10 with 2361 views | DiddyDave |
I recall that 0-0 draw with Doncaster who won the title by a country mile from memory,think it was an Easter Monday. The day before the Southend game I was coming back from a few weeks in Jersey,I hopped on the 24 bus at Stephenson Square and who should come and sit next to me but Billy Rudd. He said they should`ve won at Halifax on the Wednesday,but was very confident that Dale would win the next day and so it proved. I was stood by the canteen on Willbutts Lane side. Can`t recall much about the game except that Dale won in a canter and of course,the after match celebrations. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 23:05 - Dec 10 with 2326 views | mingthemerciless |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:48 - Dec 10 by DiddyDave |
I recall that 0-0 draw with Doncaster who won the title by a country mile from memory,think it was an Easter Monday. The day before the Southend game I was coming back from a few weeks in Jersey,I hopped on the 24 bus at Stephenson Square and who should come and sit next to me but Billy Rudd. He said they should`ve won at Halifax on the Wednesday,but was very confident that Dale would win the next day and so it proved. I was stood by the canteen on Willbutts Lane side. Can`t recall much about the game except that Dale won in a canter and of course,the after match celebrations. |
The Halifax away game was on a Thursday Dave. I know that because Thursday was pay day for me so we had a good drink in The Queens after getting back on the train. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 02:16 - Dec 11 with 2288 views | DiddyDave |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 23:05 - Dec 10 by mingthemerciless |
The Halifax away game was on a Thursday Dave. I know that because Thursday was pay day for me so we had a good drink in The Queens after getting back on the train. |
Ok,thanks for that. So Dale`s last two games of the season were played over three days then? It must`ve been a cold,wet winter with a lot of postponements,but when was it ever not? | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:53 - Dec 11 with 2250 views | EllDale |
A chunk of February was lost to blizzards and snow which might explain a backlog at the end of the season. In those days you didn't have to rearrange a postponed game more or less straightaway as you do these days, you just put them on the backburner at the end of the season.
It was quite a run-in though because we played three games over Easter (York and Doncaster at home on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday plus away to Chester on Easter Tuesday which we lost). We then had Chester at home the following Monday which we won something like 4-1 after being behind at halftime.
From memory of that Halifax game at home Butler scored at the Pearl Street end and if anything it was slightly against the run of play. Halifax, through their lanky number 10 Dave Shawcross (who had been at Manchester City) had hit the post at least once and their were a few near misses downin front of the Sandy.
Halifax may well have been the better team over the two matches in the space of eight days because we didn't really have a sniff at the Shay.
Their main threat in the latter game came from set pieces when they sent their young centre half Chris Nicholl up into the box and we couldn't get near him in the air. Harker produced several excellent saves that night as well.
I also agree with an earlier post about the game versus Aldershot in January opening people's eyes to the quality of the team but the time that I really though that a dream could come true was we beat Colchester and Lincoln in the space of three days at home.
And I also felt a bit sorry for Joe Fletcher and Vince Radcliffe. neither had put a foot wrong and I think that Fletcher had been the leading scorer the previous season, scoring more than Reg, in what had been a pretty wretched campaign. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 09:03 - Dec 11 with 2224 views | mingthemerciless |
Yes the game away at Halifax was a pretty dismal affair really. Another game were one goal would obviously decide the issue. Halifax had plenty of big lads, didn't big Bill Atkins play for them then ?
Anyway their game plan was to launch every ball into the box. Every throw in in our half was launched that way. We were basically a team of small footballers who liked to keep the ball on the ground. Only Parry and Ashworth were tall lads.
The thing that sticks in my mind was the area of pitch the corner flags and quarter circle were on sat on boards that were also sat on house bricks. Apparently they were removed every time there was a speedway event as they jutting out onto the speedway track. ! So taking a corner was pretty tricky, in an ideal world the corner taker should have had one leg shorter than the other ! | | | |
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| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 11:31 - Dec 11 with 2200 views | EllDale |
I'm not sure that Atkins was there in 1969. He certainly was the year after when they d1cked us after we went there as top of the league.
Halifax's main striker in the season in question was a Scottish lad called Les Massie and he scored the only goal that night.
Years later I was introduced to him in a pub in Halifax; he was sweeping the floor in an engineering factory in those days which is a sad reflection of what could happen to players who didn't run a pub or a newsagents after their playing careers were finished.
He now suffers from dementia sadly.
What he did tell me was that the goal was a bit of a fluke. He was originally going to try and head a long through ball but changed his mind at the last second and swung a boot at it and it flew in! | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 14:32 - Dec 11 with 2159 views | mingthemerciless |
Yeah, I looked at the Halifax squad for 68-69 on the Internet and Atkins wasn't mentioned. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:46 - Dec 12 with 2092 views | EllDale |
Atkins was virtually a part-time player because he owned a bakery in Keighley.
Another thought on Joe Fletcher; would the club have released him if they'd known that Everton were going to come and dangle a £15000 cheque for Melledew in the August?Like someone said, we started the 1969/70 season with Reg and Tony Buck up front with a very young David Cross in the reserves. Reg did the business that year though with 20 goals at a higher level.
And when we did sign someone in the form of Alf Arrowsmith it meant the departure of Billy Rudd in the same transfer deal. Scandalous decision because he had two or three exceptional years for Bury after that. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 19:14 - Dec 12 with 2012 views | mingthemerciless |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:46 - Dec 12 by EllDale |
Atkins was virtually a part-time player because he owned a bakery in Keighley.
Another thought on Joe Fletcher; would the club have released him if they'd known that Everton were going to come and dangle a £15000 cheque for Melledew in the August?Like someone said, we started the 1969/70 season with Reg and Tony Buck up front with a very young David Cross in the reserves. Reg did the business that year though with 20 goals at a higher level.
And when we did sign someone in the form of Alf Arrowsmith it meant the departure of Billy Rudd in the same transfer deal. Scandalous decision because he had two or three exceptional years for Bury after that. |
I'm not sure Joe was up to 3rd Division football to be honest. Div 4 was his level.
Billy Rudd was a terrific little player of the type you don't really see today. I was browsing the Internet a while ago and I came across a photo of the Birmingham City team waiting at the airport to fly to play a European game. There was a card school going in the departure lounge and a very young Billy Rudd was stood on one side watching the action. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 20:21 - Dec 12 with 1979 views | D_Alien |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 19:14 - Dec 12 by mingthemerciless |
I'm not sure Joe was up to 3rd Division football to be honest. Div 4 was his level.
Billy Rudd was a terrific little player of the type you don't really see today. I was browsing the Internet a while ago and I came across a photo of the Birmingham City team waiting at the airport to fly to play a European game. There was a card school going in the departure lounge and a very young Billy Rudd was stood on one side watching the action. |
Agree about Joe Fletcher and Div 4 being his level
I'd have to say the same about Vinny Ratcliffe. He started the 68/69 season well enough in a new back five, and can't remember whether it was due to injury or loss of form that Graham Smith took over at RB but when he did, we looked more solid and subsequent form meant Vinny barely got another look in. I liked Ratcliffe as a player but he seemed inconsistent and Smith's rock solidity was a vital component in the upturn in our fortunes
What happened to Ratcliffe? Did he have much of a career after Dale?
[Post edited 12 Dec 2018 20:23]
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| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:49 - Dec 12 with 1935 views | soulboy |
Bill Atkins signed for us after he played for Halifax, playing at least one season (72/73). I think he scored a couple of goals for us when he played alongside Leo Skeete, not sure if he played the following season though. |  | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 22:10 - Dec 12 with 1921 views | Sheffdale |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 20:21 - Dec 12 by D_Alien |
Agree about Joe Fletcher and Div 4 being his level
I'd have to say the same about Vinny Ratcliffe. He started the 68/69 season well enough in a new back five, and can't remember whether it was due to injury or loss of form that Graham Smith took over at RB but when he did, we looked more solid and subsequent form meant Vinny barely got another look in. I liked Ratcliffe as a player but he seemed inconsistent and Smith's rock solidity was a vital component in the upturn in our fortunes
What happened to Ratcliffe? Did he have much of a career after Dale?
[Post edited 12 Dec 2018 20:23]
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Steven Phillips book of player profiles has Vince Radcliffe emigrating to Australia, living in Daniella, combining football with a job as a confectionery sales manager. But on the football field it would appear his sweetest moments were in Dale's promotion winning team (26 appearances and 1 goal).
Edit: Wiki reports he died in Perth following a long illness on 10 March 2014, at the age of 68. [Post edited 13 Dec 2018 7:30]
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| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 02:31 - Dec 13 with 1881 views | pioneer |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:49 - Dec 12 by soulboy |
Bill Atkins signed for us after he played for Halifax, playing at least one season (72/73). I think he scored a couple of goals for us when he played alongside Leo Skeete, not sure if he played the following season though. |
Yes, I think he was signed to replace Jack Howarth when he returned to Aldershot - allegedly because his wife didnt like it up north. He was retained for 73-74 season but other experienced players he was quickly edged out by Walter Joyce. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:53 - Dec 13 with 1856 views | EllDale |
I wasn't aware that Vince had died. Sad if it was unremarked upon at the time. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 15:37 - Dec 13 with 1798 views | mingthemerciless |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 22:10 - Dec 12 by Sheffdale |
Steven Phillips book of player profiles has Vince Radcliffe emigrating to Australia, living in Daniella, combining football with a job as a confectionery sales manager. But on the football field it would appear his sweetest moments were in Dale's promotion winning team (26 appearances and 1 goal).
Edit: Wiki reports he died in Perth following a long illness on 10 March 2014, at the age of 68. [Post edited 13 Dec 2018 7:30]
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I didn't know that about Vince. My wife lost contact with his wife after they left for Australia. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 21:25 - Dec 24 with 1620 views | Sheffdale |
Last orders please. I'm going to write this piece up for the Burton programme so any other final comments please add shortly after the Boxing Day match. I've PM'd a few of you as well to see how you would like to be referred to in the article. And Merry Christmas! | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 12:10 - Dec 29 with 1443 views | Sheffdale |
Could a few of you who have contributed check PM messages as I am putting finishing touches to the programme article this weekend and I could do with knowing how you would like to be referred to - either by your 'nom de plume' on this site or by your real name. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:48 - Dec 31 with 1354 views | EllDale |
When we are we having our next lock-in Sheffdale?
How about celebrating 40 years since the "great escape" made by Doug Collins' team and spearheaded by Terry Owen and Bobby Hoy? | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 11:06 - Dec 31 with 1289 views | DiddyDave |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 19:14 - Dec 12 by mingthemerciless |
I'm not sure Joe was up to 3rd Division football to be honest. Div 4 was his level.
Billy Rudd was a terrific little player of the type you don't really see today. I was browsing the Internet a while ago and I came across a photo of the Birmingham City team waiting at the airport to fly to play a European game. There was a card school going in the departure lounge and a very young Billy Rudd was stood on one side watching the action. |
Bob Stokoe signed Billy from Grimsby the previous season and basically built Dale`s promotion side around him,though Stokoe,as we all know,departed to Charlton,or was it Carlisle? Dale`s amazing swap of Billy to Bury with Alf Arrowsmith going the other way,has to be one of the dumbest things the club ever did. Did Billy go into management anywhere when he finished playing and is he still alive today? | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 18:57 - Dec 31 with 1231 views | EllDale |
I agree with everything you say about Billy.I’m sure that he’s still living in Bury and did a bit of coaching at Gigg Lane before setting up a painting and decorating firm. | | | |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 01:26 - Jan 5 with 1116 views | Sheffdale |
| The 1968/69 Virtual Pub on 07:48 - Dec 31 by EllDale |
When we are we having our next lock-in Sheffdale?
How about celebrating 40 years since the "great escape" made by Doug Collins' team and spearheaded by Terry Owen and Bobby Hoy? |
The virtual pub article will be in Saturday's programme (Golden Years section). Thanks to all who contributed. I couldn't include everything. This land of nostalagia seems a happier and safer place than 2019. I'm in Australia for a holiday but can't help feel a little concerned by the two recent heavy defeats and the loss of Cannon and McGahey. Col's posts elsewhere have provided some reassurance.
As for another lock-in it's not me to do it. Fifty years ago I was 15 and Dale played a big part in my coming of age. It's been a lot of fun revisiting that period. But it wouldn't work for me with any other season. I moved away in 72 and for the next four decades only caught matches irregularly. I've been a much more frequent attender during the last decade or so. Back for the Fleetwood game and I hope to see a bit of daylight between us and the bottom four. | | | |
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