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Post by stillfatoldgit on Jul 17, 2011 21:42:32 GMT
Two items of interest today... both sad.
First, ill health has forced Billy Jeffrey to resign as Banbury manager. Billy (54) requires a double hip operation. The Banbury chairman spoke of their dreadful loss. Billy was one of my favourite Stamford managers, despite his cautious approach at times, and brought in quality players such as Staff, Horrigan, Peaks, Ashby, Challinor, Green, Duffy, Ludo, etc. the likes of which we haven't seen since. They were giants who totally dwarf the poor quality of players we get today. Make a good recovery Billy.
I also read that defender Liam Parker (25) has rejoined Boston Utd, having left the Daniels. I thought he did very well in central defence after Malone left and I hoped he would stay. Apparently he is Boston's longest serving player.
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Post by northern uproar on Jul 18, 2011 7:22:39 GMT
Two items of interest today... both sad. First, ill health has forced Billy Jeffrey to resign as Banbury manager. Billy (54) requires a double hip operation. The Banbury chairman spoke of their dreadful loss. Billy was one of my favourite Stamford managers, despite his cautious approach at times, and brought in quality players such as Staff, Horrigan, Peaks, Ashby, Challinor, Green, Duffy, Ludo, etc. the likes of which we haven't seen since. They were giants who totally dwarf the poor quality of players we get today. Make a good recovery Billy. Seconded SFOG - a good and very personable manager. Win,lose or draw Billy always had time for the supporters - a trait that seemed to rub off on the players. I know your list wasn't intended to be exhaustive....but Ndekwe,Clyde,Hardy,Bailey,Donald!!! |
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Post by jeremy on Jul 18, 2011 10:31:35 GMT
I would support SFOG and NU's comments - in my experience Billy has been one of the more genuine people I have met in football, and he did a good job for Stamford on moderate resources, with four consecutive high finishes in a stronger league than the club play in now.
I spoke to Billy last week after I heard his news. After his operation it is going to be a while before he can drive again, so he was not really able to continue in post at a club 30 miles or so from where he lives. He does hope to return to management somewhere for the 2012-13 season.
I still have dealings with Andy Peaks and Matt Green on the UCL circuit. I'm sure Andy will love being called a 'giant' on here SFOG!
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Post by stillfatoldgit on Jul 18, 2011 20:13:34 GMT
Nice to hear from you, Jeremy. I hope that, now you are free to do so, we will get more of your knowledgeable posts. If I may say so, you are another of the 'giants' (in the nicest possible sense) of previous Daniels triumphs over many years, the likes of which we may never see again. And I thought your rendition of Nessun Dorma at the end of each home game was better even than Pavarotti's! I hope you are right that Billy will return to management when fit. I just wish it could be at Stamford.
Thanks, Northern Uproar, for adding to my list of excellent players brought to Stamford by Billy. It just makes you realise how badly our standards have fallen over the past few years, both in the playing and management staff and in the quality of the league we find ourselves in. IMO we are only half a notch above UCL standards. The heady days of the old Doctor Martens League seem a lifetime ago, even though it is only four or five years. When and how will this progressive decline end? Methinks a new stadium with greater revenue potential (if we take full advantage of it) is our only hope. I wonder how many of us old stagers will live to see it!
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Post by Dean on Jul 18, 2011 21:06:24 GMT
The catalyst for the current decline has to be the moving to the Northern structure in my opinion. We were doing well in the Southern Prem, and in the following season, I think could have got promoted via the play offs if we'd stayed in the Southern half of the league structure. As it was, we went oop North, lost Drury and the rest is history. I don't think even under Keast that we would have got relegated from the Southern Prem.
Still, not a lot we can do about it. The positive about being up North is that if we do get back up to Step 3, there are some giants in the Unibond Prem.
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Post by markward on Jul 19, 2011 6:44:24 GMT
SFOG, NU, Jeremy - Thirded!!!
Although you missed Donaldson, Tallents, Eastell, Betteridge, Clyde (GK), Finnemore and Nash!!
NU - to be picky, Bailey was an Evans signing! come on, get with it....
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Post by northern uproar on Jul 19, 2011 7:24:41 GMT
NU - to be picky, Bailey was an Evans signing! come on, get with it.... Apologies Mark!! I guess I must have been confused by the sheer number of times he 'signed' for us....I don't think that he ever played for or even trained with us pre-season...he was always elsewhere and going to sign for them,but then come the opening game of the season he always managed to find his way into our starting eleven!! As for Tallents - never can there have been a more inappropriately named player!! |
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Post by jeremy on Jul 19, 2011 8:21:22 GMT
Thanks for the compliment SFOG, but I was just a pen pusher really. Sad to say in recent seasons my enthusiasm just ebbed away and I wasn't really doing the jobs justice so time to go.
Freed from the shackles of being part of the 'establishment' I may be tempted to post more often...the best way to get a response from me is probably to start a thread about players from the 70s or 80s, but there aren't too many of you here that will remember them!
To some degree I would support Dean's comments about the club's gradual decline. In the last SL season the club did seem to have established itself at step 3....the politics that surrounded our move certainly contributed to and hastened my disillusion with things although I would have to say that in many ways the Evo Stik is a better league to be in, the people running the league I find more supportive of clubs in a lot of ways. Over the last few years it has evolved into the more suitable competition for SAFC as the boundaries have spread south.
The reality though is that Stamford will always be a small club if they make it back to step 3 because they lack the fan base to be anything else. At step 4 they have a better than average support which leads to high expectations from the fans, but there is no 'sugar daddy' there which many clubs have. Look at Glapwell, village team with a tiny fan base but a benefactor enabled them to have a good team the last couple of seasons....they have now found what will be more their natural level at step 7 I think.
Hopefully the new chairman will be able to bring in some business contacts and maybe investors to turn things around....otherwise the club is caught in a vicious circle. Playing budget should equal income less day to day running costs.....the less the budget the poorer the results....the smaller the crowds....less income means a lower budget and poorer team still......The numbers in football rarely add up at any level!
The clubs with sugar daddies enjoy their time in the sun, but eventually it all falls apart - just look at Rushden & Diamonds! Max Griggs was the ultimate good guy, there for all the right reasons unlike many.....If they had settled for the Southern Premier I'm sure they would still be around in a healthy state...but the football league was a few steps too far...No one ever turns the benefactors away though.
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Post by clipper on Jul 19, 2011 8:29:18 GMT
SFOG, NU, Jeremy - Thirded!!! Although you missed Donaldson, Tallents, Eastell, Betteridge, Clyde (GK), Finnemore and Nash!! NU - to be picky, Bailey was an Evans signing! come on, get with it.... Maybe Tim meant Nathan Bailey, although thinking about it he could well have been an Evans signing as well, if not then it would have been very early Billy. Carl Tallents - not even in the puffed-up world of footballing egos has a player's actual ability been so far removed from how good he thought he was! At least Craig Donaldson would get stuck-in whereas Tallents was always looking for an opportunity to throw himself theatrically onto the ground and writhe around like some sort of pole-dancer on amphetamines! Wasn't Eastell Phil Bee's favourite player ;D? The name Sherman Finnemore still sends shivers down the back of many Stamford supporter's necks! Let's also not forget that he signed Kevin "The Gerbil" Ainslie  All I need to say is "Chatham" and "corner flag"  I had a long chat with Billy (and Jeremy) at Ken's funeral and he was telling us about his plans and difficulties he had for the forthcoming season at Banbury. A less commited manager would have walked away from Banbury when it was announced that the main sponsor was cutting the money by such a large proportion but he was taking the philosophical approach and working out how he could make them competitive. Billy is one of the games' true gentlemen and has a great knowledge and understanding of the game, despite his reliance on Matthew Green's long throws as an attacking weapon  . I also wish him a full and swift recovery so that he can get back into the game soon; he will do a great job for someone. |
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Post by clipper on Jul 19, 2011 8:32:31 GMT
....the best way to get a response from me is probably to start a thread about players from the 70s or 80s, but there aren't too many of you here that will remember them! Is this the time for a Johnny Adams' or Pud Russell thread? ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by jeremy on Jul 19, 2011 9:37:12 GMT
Why not? Isn't nostalgia grand?
Johnny Adams.....signed I think as a lucky talisman as he had won three or four successive UCL titles with Bourne and Irthlingborough Diamonds....it didn't work, Stamford never won anything while he was there! I remember in my first season watching the Daniels he was the only player not to score, even the goalie Dick Bonney managed a goal at Bourne! In those days there was no bar at the ground, instead there was a social club in St Peters Street. Adams was very good at getting himself subbed so he could get the first pint in ha ha.....mercenary players are not a modern phenomenon, when I first became secretary I inherited a lot of old paperwork including a letter from Adams pointing out that his contract had a lower wage (by a few shillings) than he had agreed with the manager!!
Pud Russell...quality player. I think he is still Andy Hunt's all time favourite Daniels player....The old Desborough manager Stan Parker rings me every week and we had a chat about Mr Russell only a couple of weeks ago - he thought Pud had the ability to have made a good pro player just lacked the dedication....A spot on assessment I think.
Aah...happy times!
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Post by clipper on Jul 19, 2011 13:02:04 GMT
Before I reply at length to Jeremy's last post, can I ask Stampy or anyone else who can do so, if we can have a new section for "Nostalgia", i.e. where we can discuss ex-players and memorable matches and not clog up threads under the "Daniels News" section?
Jeremy has added Stan Parker, Dick Bonney (I mentioned him and his goal fairly recently- 1972/3 season was it?) and the old club in St Peter's St (I vaguely remember it being above the Hole In The Wall down Cheyne Lane before that - I'm sure my Dad took me in there when I was about 3 to collect winnings for his Daniel's Daily Dip ticket!) as potential seperate threads of their own.
Any Stan Parker thread would soon spawn many others concerning Dick Walpole, Dick "Beaky" Dighton, games against Desborough etc etc so it seems likely to me that a "Nostalgia" section would be well used and a great place for old codgers to ramble on and on - I know that there would be a lot of people who would have plenty to contribute.
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Post by mrmichleson on Jul 19, 2011 13:31:06 GMT
Talking of nostalgia I remember the days of getting teams like Forest over for friendlies. I vaguely recall their ginger headed forward popping sticking a few home. Unless I totally imagined it I think Man U came once and recall seeing the lad who later committed suicide (Alan Davies)?
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Post by clipper on Jul 19, 2011 14:07:31 GMT
Talking of nostalgia I remember the days of getting teams like Forest over for friendlies. I vaguely recall their ginger headed forward popping sticking a few home. Unless I totally imagined it I think Man U came once and recall seeing the lad who later committed suicide (Alan Davies)? Cloughie brought the full first team and I think they strolled to an 8-1 win. The forward you're referring to is Ian Wallace. Man Utd came twice, I think one was a midweek evening game. Alan Davies who had scored the winner in the Cup Final or some such important goal broke his leg in one of the games, the crack resounded round Wothorpe Road and was quite horrid. An "unknown" called Mark Hughes scored with what was to become a typical overhead goal. This is another example of what would be good subjects for a "Nostalgia" section. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2011 14:37:45 GMT
Is this ok, Clipper..... ?
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Post by clipper on Jul 19, 2011 15:23:51 GMT
Fantastic!
Thanks Stampy!
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Post by stillfatoldgit on Jul 19, 2011 22:54:40 GMT
Lou Macari was player-manager of the young ManU team that came for a night match. It was mostly their youth squad. I would love to be reminded who played, as I bet a lot of those young unknowns went on to become big names.
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Post by northern uproar on Jul 20, 2011 7:41:19 GMT
Great idea Clipper and well done Stampy for sorting it out...although having already contributed to this thread I am slightly dismayed at being referred to as an old codger!!!
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Post by jeremy on Jul 20, 2011 8:49:23 GMT
Sherman Finnemore - he only had one bad game didn't he?
Clipper - I just knew you were going to mention Kevin Ainslie, Chatham and the corner flag!
Who's this figure on the left and how did he get here? Is a tall thin postman with a receding hairline the number one suspect?
Rather than use this comic figure Stampy, if you can find any programmes from 1984 or 1985 in the club shop you might find a personalised caricature of me to use instead ha ha. We had a cartoonist come along to a couple of games and suddenly these caricatures of me and the manager Chris Corby appeared in the programme shortly afterwards.
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Post by clipper on Jul 20, 2011 9:07:45 GMT
Clipper - I just knew you were going to mention Kevin Ainslie, Chatham and the corner flag! I'm still undergoing therapy from having witnessed it! I've seen some dim-witted things on a football pitch, done some myself it must be said, but that has to be the most "laugh or you would cry" moment I've ever seen. NU, sorry to include you in the "old codgers" grouping but from a nostalgia-point of view, I would see it as a badge of honour that people of all ages should be proud to wear ;D |
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Post by jeremy on Jul 20, 2011 10:55:54 GMT
No problem Clipper, I view myself as an old codger now...but remember you're only a couple of years behind me. When I first joined the Daniels almost all the players were older than me...of the 1984 Vase team I think only Linden Parslow, Smiggy and Robbie Chapman were younger....now I am older than all the players (and some of their dads!), the referees, most of the managers...there's only the referee assessors older! Mind you I am now seeing games in the UCL with players whose grandads I can remember playing back in the 70s.
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All I need to say is "Chatham" and "corner flag" 
. I also wish him a full and swift recovery so that he can get back into the game soon; he will do a great job for someone.