Deeney celebrates Bath win. Copyright Hemel Hempsted Town FC
When Zimbabwe-born bouncer Joe Deeney was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer, it seemed improbable that he would survive, let alone continue a promising coaching career.
On November 3rd 2018, Deeney oversaw his first game as manager of Hemel Hempstead Town, culminating in a hard-fought 1-0 win at Bath City, a year to the day since he was given the all-clear.
“On 7 April 2015 I walked into hospital tired and fatigued. I told doctors ‘I think I’ve got cancer’. Five days later I was diagnosed with Stage Four Burkitt’s Lymphoma. It had spread across 90% of my body and I was told it was unlikely I would survive,” he said.
The 34 year-old began his playing career at Luton Town, featuring twice before embarking on short spells at Enfield and Dunstable Town. At 19, Deeney made the brave decision to retire due to persistent injury problems, returning to Kenilworth Road as an academy coach.
After nearly 13 years in youth development, including a two-year career as a professional MMA fighter, Deeney faced his toughest battle yet.
“Three weeks on from the diagnosis I was having chemotherapy. I rapidly lost 14kg, one of my kidneys had completely failed and I was suffering with jaundice. My skin was yellowing.
“I remember looking at my partner and daughter and thinking ‘who is going to look after them?’ For the first time in my life I was defenceless.
“The treatment wasn’t working, then thankfully, after an intense course of chemotherapy, they started to get results. I owe my health to my consultant Dr Dungawala.
“When I found out I was ill, everyone at Luton stepped up. Gary Sweet, John Still, Mick Harford and Wayne Turner all came to visit me. They made sure I was looked after.”
Upon leaving hospital, Deeney became assistant manager to Mark Jones at Oxford City in December 2016, a friend to whom he is grateful for being so understanding when the Hemel call came.
He added: “Being told I no longer had cancer was bittersweet in some ways. My kidneys had cleared, but there were some worrying signs on the scans. I spent two years in remission and on November 3rd 2017, was given the all clear. Beating Colchester in the FA Cup the following day was a present, a sign that things were finally going to be okay.”
There is an extent to which all academy coaches live vicariously through the players they have nurtured. This, paired with Deeney’s recovery and new job, his first as a first team manager, have given him a new lease of life.
“I’ve always wanted to make sure I’m educated and can help people achieve. Managers are not given enough time to build a culture these days, but I’ve always said, ‘if you’re good enough you’re old enough.’ It means so much to see Cauley Woodrow, Jay Dasilva, James Justin, Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis doing so well.
“I met the Hemel board on the Monday (before the Bath game) and the chairman gave me the job straight away. They have been brilliant so far and haven’t put me under any overwhelming pressure."
He added: "I've always been lively on the touchline. I kick every ball. At Bath, Laurie Walker made a great save and the defence played brilliantly, but we had our chances too. It was fantastic to hear that final whistle blow."
“Life can change in an instant, and the memory moves me forward, makes me a positive person today. I want to take this team up the league, and I never want to feel like that again.”
Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro heralded his team’s “very satisfying” performance in the 6-0 thrashing of Reading at Boreham Wood on Sunday afternoon.
A hat-trick scored by Vivianne Miedema, accompanied by goals from Jordan Nobbs, Beth Mead, and Danielle Van de Donk earned a result which moves the Gunners two points clear at the summit of the FA Women’s Super League.
Jordan Nobbs
“We are so fluid in our moments and our movements are so important to us” said Montemurro. “We have a group that just want to be better and better, and we give them challenges every day. The players are so focused and believe in what we’re trying to achieve. Every week is a new challenge.”
After the Gunners’ mauling of the fourth-placed Royals, it’s hard to see how any team will be able to block their path to the title. Captain Jordan Nobbs puts the current five game winning run down to “what we do on the training field, and what Joe and the staff are working on behind the scenes.”
Fresh from England international duty, winger Beth Mead was also encouraged by the “big statement” she feels her team are making in the league this season, but warned against complacency.
“I think getting the results is making us even more hungry. We want to pick up on little things in each game and continue to get better, we want to keep consistent. We’ve got the professionalism and we know that no game is easy. We’ll continue to prepare for each game as if it’s the biggest game of the season.”
Arsenal 6-0 Reading (Miedema 3, 49, 85, Nobbs 7, Mead 45 + 2, van de Donk 76) FA Women's Super League | Sunday 21st October 2018
A Vivianne Miedema hat-trick made it five wins from five for Arsenal, who thrashed Reading 6-0 at Boreham Wood, moving them two points clear at the top of the FA Women’s Super League.
Goals from Miedema and Jordan Nobbs gave the Gunners a two-goal lead inside the first seven minutes, and Beth Mead added a third in first-half stoppage time, before Miedema plundered two more in the second half, either side of Danielle Van de Donk’s tap-in.
The home side were almost unstoppable. Only 180 seconds into the game, Mead crossed form the right and the imperious Miedema rose highest to head back across goal and into the top corner.
Reading struggled to deal with the skill and fluidity of their table-topping opponents, and conceded again four minutes later when the tenacious Nobbs raced through on goal and poked astutely past Reading keeper Grace Moloney.
Despite Arsenal’s dominance, the Royals spurned a golden opportunity to pull one back when former Gunners midfielder Fara Williams, who scored a stunning goal direct from kick-off in this fixture last season, raced through on goal. The England international attempted to dink over the onrushing Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, only to see her shot blocked by the home keeper.
Arsenal wingers Mead and Lisa Evans switched flanks and continued to deceive a Reading defence that had conceded only one league goal before their meeting with the Gunners. Mead dribbled along the byline before cutting inside and firing past a motionless Moloney.
Attacking positions are interchangeable in this Arsenal team, and five minutes into the second half defensive midfielder Lia Walti centred from the left-wing position. Miedema met Walti’s perfect cross and slotted clinically into the bottom corner.
By the time Van de Donk slid in to poke Katie McCabe’s shot over the line, chants of ‘Are you Chelsea in disguise?’ emanated from the 1,586 who had gathered at Meadow Park; poking fun at the reigning champions who were dismantled 5-0 last week by their North London rivals.
The hosts rubbed salt into the wound with five minutes remaining. The intelligent running of Miedema created a corridor into which Van de Donk could play an incisive pass. The Dutch forward completed her hat-trick, shootingg past the exhausted Moloney and into the bottom corner.
This exuberant Arsenal team had scored six against a stubborn Reading side, and it could have been more. At this rate, Joe Montemurro’s team should cruise to a first league trophy in seven years.
Perspective can alter the way we think about the game and the clubs we support. From a unique vantage point the sight of a goal, save or tackle can make any game unforgettable. Personally, the most recent experience of this kind came at Wycombe earlier this month when the contest reached its end-to-end finale.
With the score tied at one apiece, Elliot Lee tip-toed along the edge of the box before firing towards the bottom corner. The ball came hurtling towards me. I was certain, It was IN..! Until it wasn’t. Ryan Allsop’s contrary fingertips somehow turned it round the post. I had leapt in anticipation before returning to the concrete, head in hands. It was nothing special, but there’s something visceral about being in the firing line.
More impressive is my abiding memory of Luton’s last trip to Charlton almost eight years ago. One goal behind and with the clock ticking down, Claude Gnakpa galloped forward before poking infield to Andy Drury. From 25 yards out he struck, first time, into the top corner. The ball curling into the net gave the most satisfying rippling effect, like a pianist running their fingers across the keys. It was perfection.
I’m sure plenty of Luton supporters walked away feeling quite envious of The Valley; the embanked Jimmy Seed Stand and the two-tiered North Stand. A grand old stadium which had retained its atmosphere. The type of home we would like to be able to build.
Ironically, the ground has become something of a financial burden to Charlton in these times of austerity as their Belgian owner seeks to sell the club. Food, bottled water, electricity and WiFi are all reportedly being rationed at Floyd Road and their Sparrows Lane training ground in order to reduce operating costs.
Furthermore, the account of an employee who was allegedly refused permission to eat crisps at their desk, to cut down on cleaning, encouraged supporters to protest during the following home fixture against Fleetwood, bringing the game to a halt by throwing bags of crisps onto the field.
While the Addicks look impressive on the pitch, the supporters long for owners who will attend games, board meetings, and will pay staff bonuses they say they have been promised. It’s a despondency which Luton fans have felt under previous regimes, and a reason why we appreciate 2020 and their dedicated work over the last decade.
As football fans, we often want what we can’t have; whether it’s an expansive ground or committed board. In years to come, we’ll look at things from a different angle and be glad we persevered.
The above featured in This Is Our Town on 29/09/2018
On a late summer afternoon, Mick Harford sits in the garden of a West Common pub near his Harpenden home ready to discuss four decades in football; from his status as quintessential centre-forward in Luton's most successful team to his current role as the club's head of recruitment.
In the last 48 hours Harford has travelled to Doncaster and back, acting as short-term assistant manager to Nathan Jones. He has also driven to and from Oxford on a Sunday morning to fulfil his scouting responsibilities; such is his dedication to the Bedfordshire club.
"I'm not sure I really wanted to be there, in the dugout. It's been a long time. But Nathan asked me and he's my first port of call. It was actually nice yesterday, getting down to pitch level and seeing the intensity of it all again. We played very well. There's still a bit of naivety, but we'll sort it out."
According to 59-year-old Harford, who grew up on a Sunderland council estate in a family of seven, this hard-working ethos has laid the foundations for a productive career.
"I went for a trial at Sunderland as a teenager. They must've thought I wasn't good enough. I'm a bit of a realist. Having a setback at a younger age gives you more determination and makes you more driven. I left school and worked for three years as a plumber. I knew you had to start at the bottom and work your way to the top. I've always believed in that."
The Humbledon man honed his skills at Lambton Street Boys Club before earning a contract at Lincoln City in 1977. On the day that manager Graham Taylor left to join Watford, the signing of Harford was his parting act.
"We had some really good players at Lambton Street and a few of them turned pro. It was a boxing club and a football club. I did a bit of both.
"Graham Taylor came to watch us in the North East two or three times and we got offered a contract, which was very rare. I thank him for that. When I joined the England set-up out in Malta he was manager of the B team. We won 2-0 and Graham told me 'I finally got to manage you at last.' That was a nice thing for him to say."
Harford at Birmingham. Source: DT92
While Harford is also keen to praise Arthur Cox, the man who signed him twice, Ron Saunders, the one who revelled in the mischief of the 'Birmingham six', and Sir Bobby Robson, the man who rewarded him with two England caps; the most influential manager of the 20th century, Luton Town are the club with which he is synonymous.
In 1984 Harford sustained a severe lip injury while representing Birmingham City, requiring 100 stitches after a duel with Sam Allardyce. Consequently, he was sold to Luton. His first season in Bedfordshire was made remarkable by the F.A. Cup sixth round tie against Millwall at Kenilworth Road.
"Even the dogs were scared that night. We were warming up and could sense that something was kicking off. The ground was too full and it looked dangerous. You knew what was coming, but it was a different kind of intimidation. They weren't trying to get at us physically or mentally, they were just idiots."
In the first of six spells with the Hatters, two of them as a player, Harford starred in the team that won Luton's first major trophy in 1988. "We had a meeting at White Hart Lane after the F.A. Cup semi-final defeat to Wimbledon. Ray Harford said 'You've got to the F.A. Cup semi-final, the Simod Cup final, and this is your last chance. You can't blow it.'
"I came off at Wembley (in the League Cup final) because I'd snapped a bone in my ankle, but didn't know what it was for six weeks until I had an operation. I can remember seeing Brian (Stein) score and jumping up with Ray Harford and Darren McDonough. I could only hobble around afterwards. I remember saying to Fozzie 'wherever you are Foz, I'm behind you.' We had a great time on the pitch and then a brilliant night at the Savoy."
Harford with the Littlewoods Cup (1988). Copyright GettyImages
Derby paid £450,000 to acquire Harford in 1990, yet he managed to further endear himself to Luton supporters, scoring an 'intentional' own goal on the final day of the season which saved the Hatters from relegation and condemned his beloved Sunderland.
"No it wasn't deliberate, but I like the kudos I get from Luton fans, I'm glad I did it actually (grins). It saved Luton's skin and had no impact on Derby. I got loads of stick from mates back home, but relegation doesn't happen in one goal. It takes a whole season."
He returned to LU1 in the summer of 91'. His final stint as a Luton player started sweetly, scoring two goals in victory over Oldham, but ended bitterly in relegation. "That overhead kick goal is not something I'm renowned for. I prefer the tap-in, knowing where to run and being in the right place at the right time is what being a centre-forward is all about; Johnny on the spot."
"I remember vividly standing on the post at Notts County on the final day and the ball skidding past me. That made it 2-1. It was a sad day. The pitch got invaded. I thought about knocking a few lads out to be honest (laughs)."
Harford moved on to Chelsea, having scored 93 goals in 217 Luton appearances, and then Sunderland after one season in London. However, his time on Wearside was cut short when his young son suffered a road accident. Following a fallow year at Coventry he enjoyed the twilight of his career at Wimbledon under Joe Kinnear; scoring his final top flight goal at the age of 38.
"It was a day out at Center Parcs (at Wimbledon.) They ripped my clothes up and wrecked my hotel room, but I never got set upon like all the other new players." The forward was experiencing injury, but as one door closed another one opened. He became U23s manager as Selhurst Park, forging a partnership with Kinnear, and when the latter had fully recovered from a heart attack the pair took the reigns at Luton in 2001.
"Joe was a good manager and a friend of mine. We were in the position where (Mike) Watson-Challis was chairman. we had a decent budget and signed some good players. Stevie Howard, Kevin Nicholls, Chris Coyne, Valois."
Two strong forwards with imperious aerial ability, it is easy to draw similarities between Harford and Howard. "He wasn't that good, was he? Howie is a lovely fella. He used to set up play then he wouldn't get in the box, he was technically good enough to be a midfielder. When we got him fitter and running into the box, the goals came.
"We were flying and then John Gurney f***ed it up. I got sacked by a letter through the post. He wasn't paying anyone's wages, but he paid mine when I went in the board meeting. Joe got offered the manager's job four times and I got offered it three times. Pop Idol? It was an embarrassment to the football club."
"Mike Newell asked me to come back two or three times, but I wouldn't get involved until the new owners took over. Mike did a good job. He inherited a great squad and added to it well. I didn't want to leave Luton but Joe was persistent in taking me to Forest."
Harford was appointed Town manager in 2008 with the club in administration and sitting bottom of the League One table. "I knew it was going to be tough but I was up for it 100%. I still feel responsible for the club getting relegated into the conference. They moved me on at the right time. In fact, Gary Sweet sacked me in this pub."
"I thought we could overcome the 30 point deduction, especially after the way we played in the first game, but it wasn't to be. It was always tough looking at the table after a defeat and seeing that we were 15 points adrift. At least we brought some of the pride back by winning the JPT. People still tell me that it was one of the greatest days they ever had because of the circumstances. I haven't watched the game or that Eric Morecambe jig since; it's too embarrassing.
Harford with JPT (2009) Source: Pinterest
"It was hard to attract players at the start of that season. I'd say 'If you come and join us and you keep us in the football league you will become a legend at this football club.' You knew who was up for the challenge there and then, and Nico was, even though we knew we would have to nurture him though the season."
In January 2016 Harford returned to Kenilworth Road as head of recruitment, helping to craft the team which gained promotion from League Two in 2018. The success has given him renewed purpose.
"I enjoy it. I like watching games and putting things together; looking at structure and style of play. The manager has a remit and that shapes our recruitment process. His knowledge is first class, so he actually helps me.
"Isaac Vassell wasn't a bad find. It only took once to see Isaac's potential. His pace was unbelievable. I saw him score two goals and set two up. we were lucky to get him. We brought in Elliot Lee too. He was a bit chunky but we got him fitter. Elliot reminds me of Thorpey (Tony Thorpe), he can create things for himself. He twists and turns and doesn't need to look to anyone else.
"I'm so happy that the club's in a great place now. We believe we've got a good squad that can take us forward. I was delighted for Nathan and the staff when we got promoted because they worked their socks off and deserved it. We get magnificent support from Gary Sweet, 2020 and the board as well."
To Luton, Harford has an acute sense of belonging, a desire to influence others which is reflected by his involvement in the community. He has helped to organise an annual charity golf day at Luton Hoo in memory of dear friend Andy King. Last year the event raised £5,000 towards Transitions UK and CHUMS. He is also a patron of the Karen Trust; a retreat for terminally ill cancer sufferers.
"Karen was Mitchell Thomas' partner. She died about two years after their baby Lily was born. Me and Ian Wright are ambassadors. I go to the balls, walks, and runs. I also participate in fundraising events. She was a beautiful person and I'll always want to be involved."
Harford sits pensively with his large hands crossed and fingers entwined. "People get the wrong idea about me. I just absolutely love football. I loved training. I love going to work. I loved playing. People think I had another side to me which maybe I did, but I was a football fanatic. I would train until the cows came home."
He then takes a sip from a glass of coke, which doesn't seem the typical choice of drink for a retired pro: "I've got knee replacement surgery next week. I haven't had a drink for six weeks." There is cruel irony in the fact that a player who was so committed on the AstroTurf, before its detrimental effects were known, is in discomfort.
Harford told the Daily Mail in November 2017 that he had 'holes in his memory', a possible consequence of heading the ball which has been linked to early on-set dementia. "I'm surprised no one's been in touch with me to follow up. I guess I headed the ball more than anybody. I haven't got dementia but I have got some kind of memory loss. I talk to lads about games we played, nights out we had, and I can't remember. It's just the way it is, but I will always remember my goals."
So it’s over, and we can feel both pride and despair now that the dust has settled. In June Mike Whalley pithily proclaimed that England should approach the tournament with the attitude of “a man of his mid-30s attending an old school friend’s wedding: try to enjoy it, and don’t embarrass yourself” (WSC 376). In fact, England’s only indiscretion as a wedding guest was that they rather crudely caught the bouquet, barging past the other bridesmaids in a style synonymous with Harry Maguire at a set-piece.
It felt honourable to be represented by a team and manager who were so bold, so confident, but never believed their own hype and never exhibited any real signs of hubris; a group that knew their own limitations but never sunk into a self-pitying stupor. Yes, our first opponents were ‘only’ Tunisia, but this England team prevailed in the type of game where so many technically superior players of the past have suffered stage fright.
Kyle Walker’s flailing arm dragged us all back into a youthful state of intolerance; glaring anxiously at a screen and willing the men in red to ‘just break them down already.’ And then it happened. Kane scored again. It was robust rather than pretty, but sometimes sporting moments that seem modest can have such a sweet ineffability. “Get in there! Get me out there! To Nizhny Novgorod, we’re on our way!”
Only that wasn’t financially viable on this occasion, meaning so many of us undoubtedly made the mistake of watching the game in public with some insufferable attention seekers. Even though Panama were poor, England were ruthless and inventive. It felt so good even the pint-throwing parasites couldn’t ruin that sun-soaked afternoon in late June. Jesse Lingard scored a beauty and a 6-1 result meant England secured their World Cup record scoreline. All aboard Glenn Hoddle’s ‘love train’.
The essence of this England team was different, and it emanated from a manager whose affability is hard to ignore. First the nation derided the tabloid press’ hounding of Raheem Sterling; whose gun tattoo in memory of his father is concealed completely when he takes to the football pitch, not that it’s any of our business anyway. Next, Gareth Southgate’s encouragement of speed-dating style media access to the players helped deconstruct the myth that elite footballers are somehow impervious to life’s strains.
England YouTube channel Lions’ Den also brought levity to the fan experience. Supporters were given insight into the lives of the players who represented them and players were given the opportunity to drink something other than electrolytes and protein shakes; as host Craig Mitch offered each new guest a secret potion. Southgate deserves most credit for his handling of the team sheet leak, refusing to be drawn into a fight and rising above it all.
England were then defeated by Belgium in a game neither side wanted to win. It wouldn’t be the last time. With the Group G runners-up route looking most inviting, the salient memories of a drab game were Adnan Januzaj’s goal, and subsequent claims by Belgium ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois that he would have caught the effort which went beyond English counterpart Jordan Pickford.
The Three Lions then travelled to the Spartak Stadium for a Last 16 game against Colombia, intent on rectifying a woeful record of one win in their last 11 knockout matches. Los Cafeteros adopted a pragmatic approach which reflected the absence of star player James Rodriguez. In a fractious first half, Wilmar Barrios avoided a red card for a headbutt on Jordan Henderson despite VAR being in use. Colombia assistant manager Eduardo Urtasun’s unnecessary barge on Raheem Sterling at the interval gave the sense that tomorrow’s papers would tell of national injustice.
Just before the hour mark the man in black finally took exception to Colombia’s foul behaviour and awarded England a penalty. The irrepressible Kane picked himself up and fired down the middle to take the lead. Southgate’s men were in the ascendency up until the last minute of stoppage time when Mateus Aribe’s volley was stunningly saved by Pickford. Of course, Yerry Mina’s header from the following corner just had to bounce in off the bar, invoking that sinking feeling.
England rolled with the punches in an arduous period of extra-time which led to penalties. Both teams held their nerve until David Ospina called Henderson’s bluff. It was Argentina, West Germany (twice) and Portugal (twice) all over again. But Aribe hit the bar. Pickford’s pumping fists suggested this meant more than just a stay of execution. Kieran Trippier scored, then Pickford threw himself underneath Carlos Bacca’s effort, before thrusting a fluorescent green arm skyward and clawing the ball away! Dier’s nervous penalty squeezed under Ospina and caused an almighty bundle. It was inexplicable. It was ecstacy. It was our year; that thought genuinely seemed rational.
The Three Lions progressed to Samara and slayed Sweden with such ease that it made all the pre-match build up seem rather bathetic. The opposition were industrious but the men in red plucked up the heart and sinew to nullify Janne Andersson’s team. The headed goals of Maguire and Dele Alli were fantastic, but Pickford’s red-faced defiance was just as life-affirming; brilliantly denying Berg and then Claesson before offering out any blond-haired bastard who thought he might be hard enough.
Chris Waddle’s voice wobbled on the BBC World Cup Daily Podcast and we all felt, some of us for the first time, what it was like to see England fare well. Trippier’s perfect fifth minute free-kick at the Luzhniki Stadium would be the zenith of the campaign. The pendulum swung once Kane’s close-range effort was saved by the studs of wounded Croatian keeper Danijel Subasic. From the moment Ivan Perisic scored, time whizzed by with England living dangerously, and only slowed down when John Stones stopped to observe Mario Mandzukic’s astute finish. Over and out with nothing left to give.
England’s participation in the Third-Place Play-Off was, although obligatory, reminiscent of a boxer who had fought one bout too many; who could not go out on his own terms. Uribe was inches away from landing a knockout blow in the round of 16, and that would have removed most of the romance. It is difficult to know if the class of ’18 spurned a golden opportunity, or whether they deserve more credit.
The FA Youth Cup has lost its romance. What was once a competition in which groups of young talented players were given a first opportunity to represent their local clubs has become a mundane prelude to the senior competition, whereby the most expensively assembled teams succeed. What else can we expect from a financial system which seeks only to widen the gap between the wealthiest clubs and the rest? This year, Chelsea claimed the trophy for the fifth time in succession. Norwich City were the last team to disrupt the status quo in 2013. Ben Wyatt was the ever-present left-back in that team of likeable lads which captured the imagination of Canaries supporters, and his views on his boyhood club and the problems facing some young players make for interesting reading. Five years on, the FA Youth Cup triumph is an achievement cherished by Coltishall-born Wyatt; someone whose formative footballing experiences include memories of watching Adam Drury and Darren Huckerby at Carrow Road. "I've had a season ticket since I was three. I used to fall asleep by half-time. My Dad would let me sleep through that, then wake me up and set me off for the second half." Wyatt was signed by the Norwich academy at the age of ten, and in the following seven years featured in teams which won the reputable under-15s Eendracht Aalst tournament in Belgium and the Premier League under-16s competition in Warwickshire. A call-up to an England under-16s training camp followed in the lead up to the Victory Shield. However, as a first year scholar Wyatt was focussed on pursuing a spot in the under-18s starting XI. "Thankfully Harry Toffolo, who's naturally a left-back, moved to centre-half and it worked out for me. We got through that first game (against QPR) but it was very disjointed. It was almost a case of everyone for themselves. We were a young group of lads who wanted to go out at Carrow Road and impress. As the year went on everyone knew their role. You knew that if you gave it to Josh or Jacob (Murphy) they were going to run against the full-backs all day long. Carlton Morris would pin it up at the top and Cam McGeehan would be the leader in the middle. Everyone else found their role and we recognised we had a decent squad." After narrow victories against QPR, Millwall, and Birmingham in the early rounds, the Yellows were drawn against Everton at Goodison Park in the quarter-finals. This would be the litmus test for a team growing in confidence. "I don't think we ever let the occasion get to us and that's why it went well. 4-2 was a great result and after that game we had Forest in the next round. Being two games away from the final, we started to believe we could do something. Then Reece Hall-Johnson scored one with his arm at the City Ground (grins). I think he got a bit of abuse on Twitter as well from their fans. Performance-wise that game was my best. I remember coming off right at the end and getting that feeling. 'You've done well tonight'. " "My dad was working away and staying in a hotel in Scotland. That night a big team were playing on TV but he made the hotel staff put our game on the big screen. People had come in to see Barcelona and ended up watching me playing for Norwich." In a unique format, both the semi-finals and final of the FA Youth Cup are played over two legs. The opportunity to see Norwich win the competition for the first time since 1983 persuaded 9,690 to watch the return leg against Forest, and 21,595 to attend the Final first leg against Chelsea. According to Wyatt, such partisan support had a profound impact on the end result.
"For me as a Norwich fan it was special to play in front of my family, and a big crowd. We went down to ten men (against Forest) and were exhausted. All I can remember is Reece's winning penalty. He decided to slalom his run up for some reason and it just crept under the keeper's arm. That was a relief. Grant Holt gave him stick after that." "Some of those Chelsea players were on big money but we had a certain togetherness. I think the idea of us being 'Little Norwich' was drilled in to give us an underdog mentality. They had a great team with some serious players, but playing in front of twenty thousand fans gave us that edge."
Cameron McGeehan's late penalty invoked wild celebrations and gave Norwich a 1-0 win in a tense game. The young Canaries then went one better and lifted the trophy after a stunning 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge. Josh and Jacob Murphy stole the show that night, and have since yielded approximately £22 million in transfer fees. "The whole game is a blur. My enduring memory is after the game, being on the pitch and having four thousand Norwich fans singing 'Kick it off' , and they were singing that because we were playing for Norwich and winning something for Norwich. It may sound cringeworthy but for me it was very special." In actual fact, Wyatt performed brilliantly throughout the cup run, exhibiting a poise and maturity which belied his tender age and slight frame. His modesty is a product of the turbulent times that followed. In 2014 he was released by his club of eight years and has worked tirelessly ever since in order to salvage his football career. "Around November time everything was on track and I didn't really get an inkling that I wouldn't get offered a professional deal" Wyatt opines. "Even my Dad told me to enjoy the meetings because we thought it would be when I got offered a contract. It was the first time we ever let our guard down. I'd put in so much work. Emotionally it was hard to hold it all in." It would be easy for Wyatt to project something of a bitter image, instead he is keen to appreciate those who helped him develop as a player and as a person. "Russell Martin was a great club captain. I remember going on holiday straight after the season. He called me up to say 'well done' and took on a bit of a mentor role. I still think Neil Adams is so thorough with what he does. His analysis gave us a head start on everyone else and every aspect was brilliant. He helped me a lot." The days after Wyatt's release made up a whirlwind week in which head ruled heart, and he chased a move to Norwich's rivals Ipswich Town. "I was told about my release on the Wednesday. On the Thursday we were training and then played at Anfield in an under-23s game on the Friday. I was invited to a trial at Ipswich on Sunday and played for them in a friendly on the Monday. There wasn't a lot of time to process it all. Putting that shirt on felt so strange."
It transpired that due to the impressive form of Tyrone Mings, Wyatt could not break into the first XI in one season at Portman Road. Whilst agreeing with the decision and maintaining respect for manager Mick McCarthy, Wyatt sheds light on the difficulties facing young players attemping to make the transition from youth team to first team. "I think I probably wasn't ready at 18, but there are players sitting in under-23s teams who should be getting game time. One of the problems is that clubs can be in mid-table at the end of the season with nothing to play for but there is still two million at stake if they finish one place higher up. I'm not sure how it can be approached. Perhaps having a B-league rather than a u-23s set up will make the games more competitive for young players."
After travelling to exit trials across the country Wyatt made the decision to move into the Bostik League with Maldon and Tiptree in summer 2015. He played fifty games and won three player of the season awards before using the club's close links to Colchester United to earn a one-year deal at the Weston Homes Community Stadium. Once more opportunities were limited and he opted to move out on loan to Concord Rangers in the National League South; saving his season and catching the attention of other managers.
Without a club in summer 2017 and facing a crossroads in his career, Wyatt persevered and joined Brad Quinton's Braintree Town. Meanwhile, the 22-year-old became a self-employed personal trainer. His forty appearances and three goals helped the Iron gain promotion as unlikely winners of the National League South play-offs.
"I could have found an office job but I wanted to do something that would benefit my fitness. Everything is still tailored around football. Last season was a hard slog. Living in Norwich, I was driving two hours there and two hours back on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays; then I was working at the gym afterwards. We won the play-offs on the Monday and I was cleaning a treadmill on Tuesday."
"Gaining promotion as a team of boys who had little prior experience of the division was fantastic. Winning the Youth Cup was unbelievable, but what made the play-off win more of a highlight for me was seeing my family run on the pitch. It was reward for all of that effort."
Ben Wyatt is one of so many young players who continue to make sacrifices in hope of one day realising their Football League ambitions. Hopefully a first promotion is a sign that his luck may have changed for the better. Wyatt's parting comment epitomises his appealing character and sense of self-belief: "I know the hard work will be worth it when I get back in the league."
Ahead of the upcoming Champions League Final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Kiev on Saturday evening, it seems pertinent to look back at one piece of memorabilia; A 2006-2008 Liverpool home shirt signed by an array of Anfield legends, many of whom played against Real in the 1981 European Cup Final. Ian Rush, David Johnson, Ron Yeats, and Jimmy Case are just a few of the signatures on the shirt.
The shirt was auctioned on the 13th of November 2006 at The Echo Arena Liverpool. The event was organised by the Liverpool Former Players Association to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Los Blancos at the Parc Des Princes in '81.
The game itself was a war of attrition in which both teams cancelled each other out. Two lobbed attempts by Madrid's Camacho and a long distance drive by Graeme Souness were the only chances of note. A crowd of 48,360 overlooked a tense affair in which each influential player was man-marked. Madrid's trailblazer Laurie Cunningham was followed by Phil Neal, and Liverpool's Scottish stars Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish were tracked by Vicente Del Bosque and Andres Sabido.
The deciding goal was scored by Alan Kennedy in the 81st minute. It came from an unlikely source. Firstly, Kennedy was a left-back who seldom found himself in scoring positions. Secondly, the Sunderland-born defender had broken his wrist in the semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich only seven weeks prior.
"In the end I had a metal cast strapped to my wrist. It was a bit cumbersome and heavy and would undoubtedly be classed as dangerous in today's football world."
Kennedy ran upfield to create space for his team-mates, but ended up latching on to Ray Kennedy's throw in. He skipped past one loose challenge and duped Spanish keeper Agustin Rodriguez, blasting a left-foot half-volley into the roof of the net at the near post. Kennedy sprinted onto the athletics track behind the goal and posed, arms outstretched, in front of the jubilant Reds fans who had travelled to Paris.
The occasion in 1981 represented Liverpool's third European Cup final, having previously won the competition in 1977 and 1978. The subsequent victory crowned Bob Paisley the first manager to win the European Cup on three occasions. For Real, it was a ninth final appearance, having triumphed six times; five times consecutively between 1956 and 1960. Their sixth victory was in 1966 and their two defeats came in 1962 and 1964.
Looking forward to the 2018 showdown, there are already some salient similarities between the finals of '81 and '18.
The Reds aren't the dominant force they once were. Kiev signifies a first Champions League Final appearance in eleven years. Real Madrid meanwhile remain among the footballing cognoscenti, having reached the final for the third consecutive year and won three of the last four tournaments.
There is some hope for Liverpool however, they are the underestimated underdogs as they were thirty-seven years before. Times correspondent Norman Fox opines that in 1981 Real were "optimistic at least that they had inherited sufficient skill to outwit the allegedly more prosaic football of Liverpool."
There was some subtle evidence of similar Spanish hubris among both players and manager at the press conference on Monday.
Real midfielder Toni Kroos mused "We'll be better on the ball but they're going to put us under pressure for 90 minutes and will be at 100% or even more." Manager Zinedine Zidane was full of admiration for opposite number Jurgen Klopp but was reluctant to give the Liverpool players too much praise when asked about the achievements of Mo Salah this season. "Cristiano is the best; he shows it every year. Sometimes pressure gets to players and it spurs others on. He is certainly the latter. He's of maximum importance to us."
Los Blancos are rightly favourites. They have the firepower to expose Liverpool's defensive frailties. They possess arguably the best coach in the world and many of the finest players, but it would be foolish to ignore the strengths of their opponents.
Madrid, with such quality on the ball, play a bold defensive high line. Attacking full-back Marcelo is often found out of position and the rapid Mo Salah, with 44 goals to his name this season, can exploit such a flaw. The intelligent Roberto Firmino, who has provided 11 goals and 9 assists in the Champions League this season, also has the ability to outwit the capricious Raphael Varane.
Incidentally, Liverpool's left back, cut from the same cloth as Kennedy, is a symbol of the determination alluded to by Kroos. Andy Robertson was released by Celtic as a 15 year-old for being too small and until 2013 played as an amateur for Queen's Park. He held a part-time job at M&S on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and also worked for the Scottish FA at Hampden Park, taking telephone bookings for games and concerts and showing people to their seats on matchday.
Robertson was given his first professional contract at Dundee United in the summer of 2013 and signed for Hull City the following season. After three topsy-turvy years at the KCOM Stadium, many Liverpool supporters were underwhelmed by his move to Anfield in 2017. The fee of £8 million now looks miserly for such a consistent performer.
"I always believed in my ability. I just had to work hard and be patient and yeah, at times it didn't look likely. You need a stroke of luck but every chance I've been given, I've taken."
Robertson's rise, and that of Liverpool in Europe this season, have been unlikely. The chances are slim but with a little good fortune this Liverpool team, at the peak of their powers, could get their hands back on old big ears for a sixth time in Kiev.
Edward Joseph Drake was the first of a breed now dying; the archetypal bustling centre-forward. He was the focal point of the ‘WM’ formation which typified 1930s football. Contemporary writers described him as “fast on his feet and fearless.”
Born on the 16th of August 1912 in Southampton, Drake featured as a junior for Southampton Schoolboys. In August 1928 he joined amateur club Southampton Gas Works while working as a gas-meter reader. Eight months later he moved to Winchester City.
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Drake missed a trial at Tottenham Hotspur through injury, a recurring theme in a disruptive playing career, but was persuaded by Southampton manager George Kay to sign his first professional contract at The Dell as a nineteen-year-old in November 1931. By the end of the 1931/32 season Drake had cemented his place in the starting line-up at second division Saints. He rose to prominence during the following campaign, scoring twenty goals in thirty-three appearances; a highly impressive haul for a twenty-year-old.
It was in the summer of 1933 that Drake rejected the advances of First Division Champions Arsenal and their luminary manager Herbert Chapman, however, both the Gunners and Chapman would keep a watchful eye on the young marksman. A hat-trick against Bradford on the opening day of the 33/34 season exemplified his potency at a lower level.
Chapman prepared meticulously, and shortly after one scouting excursion to freezing Sheffield in January 1934 was diagnosed with pneumonia. Herbert Chapman sadly passed away on January 6th 1934; the day his Arsenal team were scheduled to host Sheffield Wednesday. 50,000 flocked to Highbury. The Last Post was sounded in his memory.
By March Drake had scored forty-eight times in seventy-four appearances for Southampton; twenty-two of which had been plundered that season. Chapman’s flamboyant successor George Allison also admired Drake, and paid £6,500 to bring “the best centre-forward in the world” to North London.
Drake made his Arsenal debut on March 24th against Wolves and propelled his team-mates to the 1933-34 First Division title. However, he did not make enough appearances to qualify for a league winners’ medal.
In his first full term the Hampshire-born forward banished any remaining disappointment by claiming his own league winners’ medal; Arsenal’s third successive triumph. Drake’s influence was ubiquitous. He registered forty-two goals in forty-one league appearances, a tally which included three hat-tricks and four four-goal hauls. His total of forty-four goals in all competitions in 1934/35 set an Arsenal club record which still stands today.
Drake had ingratiated himself with those in North London and made an impact at his new home for both club and country. His Three Lions debut came in ‘The Battle of Highbury’ against Italy in November 1934. In a frantic first half Drake earned a penalty, broke the toe of Italian defender Luis Monti thanks to a robust challenge, and put England into a 3-0 lead. His International debut concluded in a 3-2 victory.
Over the following four years Drake featured only intermittently for his country; managing four more caps against Ireland, Wales, Hungary, and France; and scoring five more goals comprising a hat-trick against Hungary and a brace against the French. It was due to England having such a talented array of forwards, including Tommy Lawton and Dixie Dean, that Drake’s opportunities were limited.
Meanwhile Drake flourished in the domestic game. On December 14th 1935 he scored all seven goals in a 1-7 demolition of Aston Villa. He had scored three by half-time and six by the sixtieth minute. The referee controversially denied him a seventh goal when the ball hit the bar and bounced on the line. “Don’t be greedy, isn’t six enough?” the official remarked. Drake eventually scored a seventh in injury time to set a top flight record which remains intact.
Drake competed in fierce, beguiling, and ruthless fashion, but he was a deceptively versatile athlete. He also represented Hampshire County Cricket Club sixteen times between 1931 and 1936.
Drake added more silverware in 1936, scoring the only goal in F.A. Cup Final victory over Sheffield United in front of 93,384 at Wembley. After a rare fallow year in 1937 the Gunners returned to form in the next campaign.
With four games to go Arsenal and Wolves were tied at the top and the Gunners headed to Griffin Park. Drake broke two bones in his wrist and was then knocked unconscious in a collision with Brentford keeper Joe Crozier. He was stretchered off but reappeared, stitched up, to play the second half. As the full-time whistle blew on a 3-0 defeat, he was slung over the shoulder of trainer Tom Whittaker and sent to hospital. Galvanised by Drake’s courageousness, his Arsenal team-mates won three in a row and snatched the title from their Black Country rivals.
During World War Two, Drake served in the RAF and was mostly based in the London area, making appearances in the Wartime League for Arsenal and West Ham. In 1945, a spinal injury sustained in military training was exacerbated in a game between Arsenal and Reading. Retirement, after 139 goals in 184 games for Arsenal, was the only option.
Following brief coaching stints at Highbury and Hendon, Drake was appointed manager of Reading in June 1947. He led the Royals to two runners-up finishes in Division Three South at a time when only the champions gained promotion. “A modest, cheerful, and unfailingly gentle man” Drake’s managerial style seemed to represent the antithesis of his playing style.
Copyright Chelsea Football Club
At just thirty-nine years of age Drake took the reins at Chelsea on April 30th 1952. First, he introduced an exhaustive but rewarding training regime, then reformed the club’s recruitment policy, preferring talented hungry players on the way up to ageing ‘big-name’ players on the way out.
Arguably Drake’s most profound act as manager was the decision to abandon the ‘Pensioners’ tag. This nickname referred to the war veterans who resided at the local Royal Hospital Chelsea. The club badge also consisted of a drawing of a Chelsea pensioner. Drake decreed that the new crest design should include the club’s initials and a rampant lion. This image remains the basis for the club emblem today. In 1954/55, Chelsea lifted their one and only first division trophy of the twentieth century. Drake had become the first man to win the title as a player and a manager.
The Football League refused Chelsea the right to compete in the inaugural 1955/56 UEFA European Cup competition, and gradually the squad weakened, separated, and tensions grew. The 1960/61 season was made memorable by an ignominious F.A. Cup defeat to fourth division Crewe Alexandra. By September 1961 Drake was sacked and Tommy Docherty, originally brought in as understudy, was given the job.
Subsequently, he worked as a bookmaker and life insurance salesman before undertaking a six-month role as Barcelona assistant manager in 1970. Drake had made a home in London though, and between 1972 and 1985 was attached to Fulham FC, first as reserve team manager, then chief scout, and eventually club president.
Ted Drake passed away on May 30th 1995 in Raynes Park, Merton, London. His legacy, to a small extent, is our liberty. However, the Chelsea crest and the painting of Drake on the outer walls of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium are enduring symbols of his gifts to English football.
Quotation References/ Citations:
"Ted Drake." Times [London, England] 1 June 1995: 23. The Times Digital Archive
Carlisle United 1-1 Luton Town Grainger '13O. Lee '62
Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 21st April 2018
It is fitting that Luton Town should depart the fourth tier as they had entered; meandering round the rolling hills of the Lake District. On that August afternoon in 2014 Town fans sat on the grass bank which runs parallel to the East Stand at Brunton Park, contemplating how the Football League might have changed after five years in the wilderness. Indelible is the memory of Mark Cullen running jubilantly towards the Petteril End terrace, with orange 'home' shirts blazing under the Cumbria sun. We too had changed.
In the intervening years things had not been perfect by any means, but Luton returned to Carlisle in April 2018 knowing that victory would mean elevation to the third tier of English football. A level at which the Hatters have not competed in ten years following administration and relegation in 2008. Failing that, Town had to match the result of Exeter City in order to achieve promotion.
The sun beat down in 2018 as it had almost four years prior, but the hosts made the brighter start on this occasion. The delicate dribbling of Jamal Campbell-Ryce drew the opposition to the flanks which vacated space for his midfield colleagues. After Mike Jones' long range sighter was fielded comfortably by James Shea, former Morecambe winger Jamie Devitt took aim from similar distance and forced the keeper into a sprawling save down to his right.
The visitors were dormant in defence and Carlisle continued to move hastily towards Shea's goal - the only patch of turf covered in shade - believing that they could still make the play-offs. Luke Joyce passed to Ashley Nadesan on the edge of the area. Visiting defender Glen Rea had wandered carelessly out of position and the Blues exploited this error. Nadesan pushed into the path of Richie Bennett. The imposing striker poked towards the Warwick Road End but was swiftly upended by Shea. Referee Seb Stockbridge pointed to the spot and cautioned the ex-Wimbledon stopper.
Shea boldly flung himself low to his left, quickly gazing back over his shoulder to see Danny Grainger's penalty nestling in the opposite corner of the net. From the restart Carlisle fancied another. It didn't seem to matter though. Those holding phones in the away section of the East Stand were spreading the news "Crawley are winning at Exeter", every one seemingly refusing to acknowledge the vagaries of football, and that there was still an hour left to play.
Hatters striker James Collins is a puzzling prospect; a player who is razor sharp inside both eighteen yard boxes, but also one who looks like he is running through custard just about anywhere else. Five minutes before the interval, the former Shrewsbury striker feinted over Olly Lee's through ball, leaving it for Jack Stacey whose cross-shot was smartly saved by the feet of home keeper Jack Bonham.
Two quick-fire goals over three hundred miles away in Devon had put the Grecians 2-1 up, so it looked like the champagne would have to be put on ice for another week at least. Back in Cumbria however, Luton were finally showing signs of life. First Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, the only remaining player from the class of 2014, blasted narrowly wide from twenty yards. Moments later Danny Hylton unleashed a stinging shot from the right side of the area which Bonham palmed into the danger zone. Olly Lee nonchalantly passed the ball through the legs of James Brown and into the net; invoking pandemonium in the away end.
Luton were in the ascendancy. Jack Stacey went on another galloping run from full-back and arrived at the other end of the pitch whereupon he served Mpanzu. The former West Ham trainee shot low, but his effort was blocked by the legs of Bonham. The recovering Mark Ellis shielded the ball out of play and the chance was gone.
"Crawley have equalised at Exeter!" Now the Bedfordshire side just needed both scorelines to remain in situ and Town would be up. The news transmitted onto the pitch and in the following ten minutes the Hatters retreated, gritted their teeth, and rather hoped for the best.
Copyright Luton Town FC
After probing runs down both flanks, intricate one-touch passing by the hosts culminated in Devitt spinning and shooting inches past the base of Shea's left post. The former Arsenal keeper was rooted to the spot. Finally there was a collective intake of breath. The visitors regrouped and tried to take fate into their own hands.
Olly Lee has the propensity to score spectacular goals; evidenced by his winning the EFL goal of the year award. This time he took aim from thirty-five yards. To his chagrin the volley landed on the roof of the net. Luton had one more push in them. Dan Potts crossed from the left and Mpanzu rose like a dolphin from the depths, only to see his header drop onto the top of the crossbar. Flat on his back, Ruddock was a vision of desperation.
"Exeter have finished two-twoooo! Hold on and we're up!" Take the technicians off, send the trenchmen on. Flynn Downes came on for Elliot Lee and Alan Mcormack made way for Johnny Mullins. Carlisle would not give up on their attenuated play-off hopes and threw everything at the visitors. In the dying seconds Kris Twardek headed Joyce's corner agonisingly over the bar and into the Petteril End terrace.
The referee blew his whistle. Those in blue dropped to their knees while those in orange looked witlessly towards the East Stand, as if to say "Have we done it then?" Staff and substitutes sprinted from the bench. "Hey Baby" preceded "The Littlest Hobo" and the champagne flowed. Don't take me home. In half an hour of revelry each player had his moment. After the game, members of the board appeared at The Griffin pub next to the train station and were congratulated by all.
As the Luton team coach crawled along Lowther Street, it stopped intermittently to bathe in the adulation of those who lined the pavements. The pain of the last ten years had been expelled. The Town are going up. Teams (Player Ratings in Bold) Carlisle United Bonham - 7, Brown - 6 (Miller 72' - 5), Ellis - 6.5, Hill - 7, Grainger - 7, Devitt - 7, Jones - 6, Joyce - 7, Campbell-Ryce - 6.5 (O'Sullivan 63' - 5), Bennett - 6.5, Nadesan - 6 (Twardek 72' - 5) Luton Town Shea - 7, Stacey - 7, Rea - 5.5, Sheehan - 6.5, Potts - 6.5, Lee - 6.5 (Downes 90+2'), McCormack - 6.5 (Mullins 90+1'), O.Lee - 6, Mpanzu - 7, Hylton - 6.5, Collins - 6
