A Podful of Saints: Bob Murphy – Life Cycle of a Saint

A Podful of Saints: Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy in conversation with David Tavener.

Robert Edward Murphy was the first former player of the St Albans-based Carlton youth team to go on to play for and, later, manage St Albans City. He was also only the second former City player to rise to the position of chairman at Clarence Park. He enjoyed tremendous success during various spells with our neighbours at Boreham Wood, but a yearning to be with the Saints led to him filling virtually every position both on and off the pitch during around 25, interrupted, years at the Park.

When he had finished working for the senior club, Bob turned his attention to St Albans City Youth where became a trustee and played a significant role in raising funds for the various youth teams.

In this edition of A Podful of Saints Bob talks about his early life in St Albans and London Colney before going on to serve the Saints, Wood, Letchworth, Hertford Town, Hitchin Town and Hemel Hempstead Town with varying degrees of honour and success. He talks about the managers under whom he has played, players who served under him and a player (Brian Stein) he thought he had signed only for him to join Luton Town.
Great names from the 1960s, ’70 and 80s are recalled with affection by the man with the best Points Per Game record of any City manager to have survived for a complete season.

Bob has been involved in football for a long time, he recounts old stories to make them feel as fresh as ever.

If you have memories from Bob’s time as a player, manager or any other stage of his lifetime in football then share them either in the comments section on YouTube or via the links below.

Email: sacfanpod@outlook.com
X: https://twitter.com/PodfulOfSaints

A Podful of Saints is a fan-based podcast and is completely independent of St Albans City Football Club.

Team photo of St Albans City 1977-78
Back: Bob Murphy (Manager), Willie Whyte, Alan Ayling, Tony Lock, Steve Wyatt, Bob Petty, Ian Whitehead, Brian Wright (trainer)
Front: Les McCormack, Barry Jobson, Chris Duggan, Derek Brown, Paul Mayles, Phil Wood

Recorded on Wednesday, 22nd May, 2024.

#BobMurphy #Podcast #JohnMitchell #StAlbansCity #ClarencePark #HertfordTown #Carlton #Fulham #BillDodgin #JohnLacy #PhilWood #JohnButterfield #LondonColney #SportingClub #JohnWatt #JohnSneddon #DickEast #MickPestle #GeorgeCooper #PaulMayles #IanWhitehhead #BrianStein #DougParkin #RoyButler #StevePerrin #IainDowie

[Music] I think we started Bob to today on the Pod full of saints the interviews the special interviews we very special one today we have someone who started off as a program seller at Clement Park and vend did everything from kicking the pig’s bladder so filling God knows how many situations and positions off the pitch he’s done the whole lot Bob Murphy good to see you Bob hello David and you whoever thought Whoever thought Back in 1970 when I was my the first City match I saw you were playing for Halford town and I probably gave you abuse on Dave one and I don’t think changing I one the man of the bat Awards quite right too is that what’s on the thing behind you the gold statue one England cap um right let’s go back to the beginning born in which unfortunately was given to me I didn’t win it I won’t tell anybody if you don’t Bob it be all right okay right we go back to the beginning uh August 1946 you were born in St aans to Joan and George and you grew up within well almost splitting different distance of Clarence Park Woodstock Road North yeah yeah number fif I don’t know number five I think or 15 your dad um was involved in football wasn’t he but it wasn’t him who started taking you to st’s matches no my Uncle Bill he was um he was a he was a football supporter but he was a s supporter my old man was a um more London County man in the end that’s a different story certain got you Bill used to take me and um because my I Liv my grandparents lived in Delphia fild so it was um like a link that’s where we used to go so when my M and DB work unle Bill the football or whatever right I’ve got you down as attending Bowman’s green school and St Columbus now on the Bowman’s green website it says high expectations of all our pupils did you satisfy them um only God would be able to tell you that I am I uh I enjoyed Bowman green haton Columbus there you go different different stores different um different uh parts were growing up isn’t it didn’t do didn’t do any sports in Columbus in my day now it’s very it’s a Fame for its sport now but on a Wednesday afternoon we got a football went was sent down the lake and uh in the summer we were giving Cricket stumps and cricket bat and ball and S down the lake as well and there was no there was no there was no fit fness no PE nothing so it was just it was it was hard bit of boxing but that was only once or twice but it was uh wasn’t the best part of my life let me tell you you say no Fitness from what I remember you were never particularly keen on training anyway hated it I hated it in fact when I played for wood I had a chat with Mickey lenon and told him that he offered me x amount of pounds and I told him that if I pay if you gave me a five or less because I miss training on a Thursday and he um he kind of agreed but disagreed and we U we we worked along we red along well for a couple of years I like Mickey lenon he was a decent guy yeah we did well under him sorry they did very well under him didn’t they yeah well Vinnie set the scene at um at Bor he was you know had a good S I really enjoyed it you know that we’re not come we shall brush over them later um right while you at London con you played when you family moved there um played for London Cony youth yeah around about same sort of time well a bit older you joined the havin my dad was at hav at the same time yeah was it a was it a Lon con youth that you got spotted by dick East and dragged over to Colton um no I I doubt it because L County was um I London County was quite a um a good grounding for for kids for football and um I just think I did all right in the in the youth team under 16s under 17s and then dick arrived on the scene um and talk me and talk my dad not me going to Caron because I I had no doubt I wanted to go to Caron because they were the the you know the best local team um but my dad was chairman L and con at the time so um he wasn’t particularly pleased but when he go so that’s so yeah I met dick and dick was Dick Dick was Mr Football wasn’t he he’s fantastic man um I really liked it you know good good fun off of it most officious could be obnoxious I remember when he threw Stuart McClean out at Clarence park because he was suspended um you know he got a two match ban or it was two weeks then or whatever and you weren’t even allowed to go to the grounds and we were watching s alans play someone one day and he threw him out the ground well Stewart’s like 6′ two 6′ three and you know big Chap and dick just toally couldn’t be there anymore yeah so Mr officious quite amusing at the time it was officious but as you say very effective but at the time you’re working at De havland um of course you’re working alongside a load of City players you were seeing out on the pitch on a Saturday yeah yeah it was it was a good setup I would like I joined them when I was nearly 16 I was when I went to De so I was still play I was playing for London County then but you just saw these people there that um played for S Orin so it was quite um inspiring really and then of course I’ve met Alex Massie there who was a just um such an icon um played for Scotland 26 times and was manager at Hartford but he worked he worked at De havland that’s I’ve already told you you know can you imagine working next to Gary Mcallister on the bench Gary M on the bench next to Gary mall I don’t know what Alex did there but I and I I worked in the computer department but uh yeah it’s a good place to be good good facilities working in the Computing Department that served you well later in life in yeah yeah when you set up your own business and whatnot yeah was yeah it was good good ground Jerry CL that who who looks after Selby start so we off kept them going for years and um when he died I kind of tried to take on the mantle of keeping it going a bit and then um Ken Gorman took it over and ran it quite successful successful successfully for a while um but then like anything money money rules everything and in the end it folded it had no base it had no no structure it was a pu come on to that we come on to that later because um that’ll involve sporting club as well but that s 364 season you’re with ch Chon you’re with Colton what a fantastic season was at the end of season six days B Cup finals something like that won the lot yeah we yeah we did win the lot yeah on the county cup was we beat Bennett Zen 63 I think in the final I got three Mickey pestel got three um yeah it was good it was it was it was you don’t realize until it’s over how good it was and you can’t replicate it and you never go back to it so um yeah it’s just memories isn’t it I don’t think I’ve got a photo or anything I don’t keep I don’t keep memorabilia I’ve never I stopped sending you my bits and Bobs in the photos and the program s book um they’re not me I mean for me I mean what you sent yeah was interesting yeah yeah um how did Colton attract all these players because so many of them from when they started in the 40s when they ended in what 80 early 80s how do they attack such top quality young players because they’re only at St Orin youth side but they got so many players who went on to represent St Orin yeah but dick he was the catalst that wasn’t he but his old man had a calf in in I think it was Hatfield Road like and it was like a boys club and encouraged people to go in there but he he got players from far and wide you know was it The Joker here and Matt H they lived in garon or Watford not garon they lived in Watford North Watford and then Andy Desmond who lived in Bedford all these different players from you know from Beyond Sans so it wasn’t really a snms foot youth team it was a select 11 and and Dick worked hard at selecting players Network who’s coming yeah yeah it’s a good one it’s a good Network as well yeah right so the end of that season s orens are taken a not bit of an interest in you yeah but I no I’d already played for I played in the reserves a few timesing that year um I played my I played my first game in the first scene that year 64 when I was still in the under 18s which was two mum which was um not not not a good result obviously Three N I think it was but there you go sometime hav you and that’s right yeah and if you’s got no ambition you shouldn’t be playing the game as just mentioned I think it’s back in about January you made your debut for the reserve team yeah you scored you scored a lot of goals even at that level Step Up step up from youth football didn’t bother you no I was a big old L man for my age I mean and I was I was pretty quick so uh yeah but then I kind of lost that neack when I got injured and I kind of lost the goal scoring neack but uh there you go that was what happens yeah your debut as you say it was uh 8th of April 1964 for the first team of that match at two team that’s the only game in the first team that season next season seven games uh and you won your first three you got to a good start but um you you picked up an injury along the way as you mentioned earlier yeah I think it was at henon I fractured my pelvis um I didn’t know that at the time but I just couldn’t walk and well I could walk but I couldn’t walk without pain and I no one knew what it was right Ray Cole gave me tablets which made me um do L he was a trainer then and he used to Pioneer tablet he had a tablet for every injury you got grin scin you got a l tablet so um became a junkie at the age of 17 but um yeah but I couldn’t work out what it was no one could it wasn’t those days where you just pop down to the um local hospital and have an x-ray but dick to be fair after few months said you got to do something about this and he arranged for me to go to London to see a specialist and I went there and after three or four months out they x-rayed me and found that I had a fractur pelvis which in itself healed itself um but the muscles got trapped in between but and that was it and you know they they put me back together again and um I was off and running but not the same level was no I was going to say you mentioned there you lost your goal scoring touch maybe and a bit slower did it all come from that injury I wasn’t a bit slower no I was never slow I Mitch um no I don’t know what it was do you know what I mean it just happens coincidental and that’s when I was just became a center half and because when you’re a kid when you play I played in goal for Cony youth I played left back right back you know and when you’re young you play in every position going don’t you just to get in the team and um or just to get a game so I was quite Adept to moving around I you when I played the sporting club on a Sunday if we didn’t have Center forward for one seat I played up front you know um whatever you you mix some mats to play don’t you whatever’s best you see yeah right looking those early games from some of the players you played alongside Phil Wood Dave Lawrence laugh Dave Lawrence The Last Man to LIF the fa am cup for Bishop stford what a nice man he was as well I um I like Dave Lawrence he was um I played for the count I now I got selected to play for Harford Shire against Oxford and um I went along and I was sub and S PR was manager and they were four or five n up with 20 minutes to go and Dave us oh I used to play with her the Sunday came over to the bench and said to Sid come we won this he said get Bob a run out and there you go the end of the game I was still on the bench so I kind of started my relationship with Sid off quite well never to improve I was going to say he wasn’t your favorite manager was by any stretch in imagination no no I didn’t I didn’t like his style but um he was obviously very good at what he did because he had great success and and a lot of blers liked him but I am I didn’t I didn’t take to him what about his predecessor Harry Gibson any better well I don’t really know Harry Gibson I know I knows he he told me I couldn’t come training after my injury had subsided because I was irresponsible um I didn’t really didn’t really go back to I used to I used to knock around with Dave suler then and I I never knew what happened to Dave suler do you not not a clue I know Dave Lawrence is living down in De or cornw that neck of the woods yeah but Dave Su came from um abis Langley and I knew him well and you know we used to knock around together but yeah so he wouldn’t have me at training har Gibson so I I kind of drifted into the non League void of H hem hitching har the three hes something at the door yeah blooming Amazon delivery hang on Bob ah marvelous isn’t it there we go knew that got uh top secret can’t explain okay I think it’s a I think it’s a lamp to keep the toris warm not my ts that’s a long story right I know you come out at some point really and he’s about same speed as me as well yeah you mentioned those clubs uh Hy Town Hartford town hitching Town yeah um met I met the Sid prer Prototype at hitch at Hitching a guy called Lorie Scott who was fullback at Arsenal and I and I I lived in in Hatfield Road opposite the the PB down there that’s been renamed with the shed I can’t remember what it’s called but near my con is so I lived there and I was playing for hitching and we were playing sowman at CL Park which you can imagine 10-minute walk and he made me drive all the way to hitching get on the coach go back to S Al after the game get on the coach go all the way back to hit you and then I got in my car and drive home I never went back it’s U about respect isn’t it I didn’t respect him and he obviously didn’t respect me making me do that so you learn things things don’t you treat people how you want to be treated yourself there’s discipline and discipline but that’s just pure Pig edness before you sorry Bob before you you joined that lot and you sign a city um bit of interest from Luton Town now when I was when when I was at Colton um George Martin arrived at my the old man’s calf and I thought George Martin was I thought I was going to join the Beatles and they said to me George Martin’s here to see you and I was any he was the manager of Luton Town well he was going to be the manager of Luton Town he kind of um G me the soap about being a footballer and that which was great but you didn’t earn any money I signed anyway because amage fors didn’t do any harm my man went mad not mad because he was already was mad he said you’re stupid he said you w got a good job at the ains the most footballer earns is 202 a week I don’t even think the 20 a week could come in then so um you know and he was right but anyway I wasn’t good enough anyway so you got you got to realize your Ambitions it’s like I realized having played with Joe caner um how good you have to be to be a professional footballer he was he was slight tiny guy got a fantastic footballer and I just realized you know I’ll never never be that good and he was a year younger than me and he was um fantastic so that kind of sets the scene really you got to be realistic is but even if you had to had the opportunity Joe Joe was a c boy yeah yeah he was another C boy so was John michell we had on last week um and I come on to MIT actually because even if You’ had a conviction yeah you want to give it a go as a pro you got to way up AR you you got a full-time job back you havland uh if you’re playing at this level you’re going to be getting boot money in those days which players call shouldn’t have gotten none of them ever admit to it but you put those to get put those together yeah together more than you would get at Lon sorry that’s more than you get as a pro at Luton so it is a big decision Mitch had that same decision at L at Fulham to make yeah it was eversheds was he worked in the book Bing department at eversheds yeah yeah he won’t admit that but he did yeah I he quite right but he was he was good enough to go well it obviously proved that he was good enough didn’t it um but you know he people around him convince him that he was good enough to do it and he was you know he KN he knew he was so he he went good and fair play to it you got have a certain ambition as well yeah later in your career did you ever advise anybody yes go for it or think about it seriously or loads of people say oh s say after my kid s say you know this watching my trying to get my kids to go TR and I go it’ll find its own level if he’s good enough they’ll come and find him in time rather than I don’t like the restrictions put on youth players at at school and things like that and um you know they should be a to get on with their lives and develop their careers whether it’s on the football pitch or not but you know if you’re going to Bear really if you’re really accept that’s probably the only way to go now is it yeah yeah I mean I never I never encouraged the ow to join the professional football club so so I believe yeah I believe you took a bit of stick for that one yeah yeah I’m not usually wrong in that respect I’m quite a good judge of footballers but it was a nice PL yeah they’re a good family mom and dad very supportive of a club while the D were playing for us no about that they were they were a good family yeah Bob was good as well I was I remember playing I can’t when Mitch was manager and I was I used to some as chairman or whatever I was I used to sit on the bench and you know chip in and we would play someone went to extra time M giving a w his finger they all sat around in us and I look over and his Bob and and leaning on the railings talking dead I just you know it’s one of the funnier things in football Mitch just carried on giving his Rollins and and that was it went back on and played Ian and Bob didn’t even hear what he had to [Music] say I’d like to finish the story by saying he got he got a hatrick and but he didn’t I can’t remember what the score was but uh yeah no they’re good people and that’s what you want in football it yeah yeah um when did you get involved with sporting club which is a Sunday league club for people don’t Dick had a Sunday club didn’t he he interest because he was a he was a single man and he was only interest was football and because when they came out the industrial League I did I did play for games for B once when the old industrial league but I had to work on Sundays and um not the havins for my dad and so I played a couple of times for games for be in the D League and then sporting club started up in at the end of 64 I think and yeah again dick we had as you know half nor City playing for us and it was yeah I remember playing down Park Street and um I can’t remember it was against but on the pitch with his team was Barry King and Roger fig who both played for England the day before just surreal and uh yeah anyway that was that was Sunday football then it was the important thing but yeah but presumably all through dick East um as you say you got incredible players down there when um sporting club played in the semi-final the uh National whatever it was uh Sunday League Sunday Cup played uh you beat United from rham now this this side here snowman side sorry the sporting club sign 10 players there at one time played for St Auburn City yeah and and then you go beak side sorry Rob yeah who was the the one that didn’t Ricky picky yeah yeah yeah yeah all the others um right let’s go through them and Brian Taylor Dennis Gibs Jim Whiting Stuart McLean Dave suner yourself Dave Lawrence Dicky L Herby Smith b humph i me what an 11 and you met and you lost a match 21 yeah it wasn’t my fault I got the one I did my bit got the one but we were we were un they I can’t remember their go was was it Swan or the England International his guy who played for wol from so Avenue and ay oh can’t remember his Christian name um sh shuing yeah he made Dicky L was through in the last minute to equalize and he went fantastic then he made a few good saes but there you go but was football isn’t it 6,000 crowd wasn’t it was that the biggest you ever played in front of yeah I don’t know yeah probably but the thing about that was you couldn’t you couldn’t charge to get in could you that was a Sunday observance uh law so people had to stand outside selling programs for a tenner a tner not a tener for six p and um yeah and it was full up it was yeah was good out long used to get good crowds then but not 6,000 obviously so the only Sunday well I remember even 70s when we played some Sunday games during the minor strike and whatnot is the same thing admission by program only because you can’t charge yeah yeah but then yeah everything changes is it football’s completely changed yeah we should get into today’s football we should touch it with a G that it was right um but you you now playing Center half for a sporting club um and you got spotted by Morris WBY well he can’t get spotted by Morris W WBY Maris WBY was um omnipresent wherever he was ubiquitous Morris WBY I he turn out on Sunday games all games all over the place and um in fact he even played for sporting club Morris and he was an ex England International um considerably older but uh yeah I mean a bloody nice bloke and he and he did like a sing song did like a drink and a sing song and he’s and he you know he was he was a decent man and he was good to play for at Harford well played for lectur with first with him yeah and um yeah then he moved to Harford and I went to Hartford in fact when I played for leworth he um I was when they introduced Subs yeah 6 that must be 64 65 65 was it I got pulled off half time I won’t go through the old joke by the committee at lect because I was having a mayor I I was having a mayor and Morris you know was a football Le but the committee ran ran the club and picked the team Morris was just the coach and the committee turned up at the dressing room door at half time and demanded that I was replaced so there you go so guess what I left um yeah yeah I did go back uh soon after Morris was yeah and that’s when I went said I’m not playing Center forward anymore keep missing to many goals and that’s when I became the second half that was it those who those who don’t remember Maris played for us late 50s through to about 61 I think it was before that as Bob mentioned there a couple of amateur England caps uh then he came back as manager City in the late 80s when we were in financial difficulties but uh we come on to that in a minute uh he got players to play for him because he gave him a job at Electrolux because he was foran at electrx well I think Phil woodwor electrx Martin green certainly did and um a few others they didn’t probably last last very long but he got my job and you know that was he’s kind of a calling card come and join me I’ll get you a job yeah I forgot about his Electro connection I remember his 7879 a lot of young players he brought in obviously loen connections yeah you’re right yeah he was another one that was a very knowledgeable um guy and and you know just work the circuit the local circuit I he’s George Cooper’s Mentor wasn’t he he was he was the one that kind of bought George Cooper at up what a player yeah was what a player you’re right what a waste no you know wasn’t he should have done better than than he did and whether that was down to personal ambition or just lack I don’t know but he was a good player well you probably remember there rumors of uh Bill Nicholson not not our old treasure theel tner manager looking at him and also Rob smile in the early 8s well Bill Nicholson I’ve told you this Bill Nicholson rang me at work and my secretary said I got Bill Nicholson on the phone so I said tell him I’m busy I ring him back so he came back and he said no you need to speak to you now to clear off I’m busy and stop messing about and she said oh he not Bill Nicholson from the Sans because I know him he say it’s the real Bill Nicholson from to said to to clear off and anyway she she put him through and it was Bill Nicholson about Rob’s spells he was interested in talking to him which is fine which is good and um yeah Rob didn’t going again but I you know he had all the ability to make a pro but he was too far on the line I think he was in his early 20s I yeah but yeah George George Cooper would have been good at Tottenham good at Clarence Park that I do yeah talking of Tottenham because um unfortunately you’re a goona but I seem to remember you telling me in the past back in the 60s was it you’d alternate between tot watching Tottenham and Arsenal whoever was at home yeah IED yeah there was a guy in a village in Lon County called Colin good and you got to be old them Callin but he was a Tottenham supporter and he used to go Tottenham mad so when if I don’t go to Arsenal he’ take me to Tottenham so it was good yeah that’s football’s football is it you might dislike some more than others but you know you got your team you can’t change your team can you can change your job you can change your wife you can change your religion but you can’t change your football team can you no of course getting getting into first division games in those days a bit easier than it is nowadays just walk up don’t you they were pleased they were pleased to see you it’s like I’ve got a season to get Arsenal and you have if you don’t attend 17 games they take the season to get off it just what’s going on in the world yeah so you give him his money and that’s not enough okay you have to turn up and you got a seat but not only have you got a seat but you have to turn up and sit on it yeah I wouldn’t wish out on anybody at hybrid or whatever it is they play these days yeah um right sorry you can assign the tickets at Aral so some else say so counts to your number for the end of the season all right okay oh fair enough all right right I’m getting back to half of town with with Morris uh you recommended to Morris but he should have a look at John Mitchell well yeah because he was another on of Dick sport was he he was on he play for us on Sundays sporting club and I took him to Hartford and I don’t even think he could drive then so um yeah and he and he um he was a good yeah he got on well he fitted in well John mix with Eddie body as well which um helps in the football team and he he did really well there yeah and um you also mentioned him to Fulham as well before before he they made their interest known yeah I was I went out for lunch I was a bit of a hoay Henry as whatever I went out to lunch and um Bill dodging and Jimmy Hill were there Michael Parkinson Willis H and we were sitting around this table having having uh lunch talking about football and I said that a kid who I play with at Hartford who’s really good I think you make a pro jimo looked at me and went what the do you know about football I went okay I signed him next week but anyway so Bill dodging obviously listened but uh yeah Willis saying to him he’s right he is a good player so when I looked at him so and he and he was and he did for those you don’t know sorry Bob Willis was president of snowman City from 67 I think it was to 73 magnificently successful uh playright he was yeah Budgy but he was he did some serious stuff as well but yeah but yeah OK cie uh where are we now done half what not 1971 Warren would come calling yeah I didn’t actually come calling I I asked to join them as I was going through my midlife crisis i’ gone out to work on my own and whatever and and personal things I decided to have a change the scene on everything so I joined Bor and wood um fited in straight away loved it um got on really well with Vinnie but he could and the rest of the lads well that’s your favorites there weren’t they Jacko and Jacko and sned the double acts you you love them in your team you absolutely loved them yeah and um had a good time there won a few things the funny thing is David wherever I played I won things leworth Harford boring wood sporting club but as Sol I won nothing nothing nothing nothing it’s strange isn’t itar yeah because I came from a winning mentality you like yeah um and SL we never W I don’t got close to anything not why you were there Bob I can’t see the connection there at all you mentioned Vinnie cook was wood manager he had a four games for us in 1958 um wood yeah yeah do you well during the 70s there was a lot of switching over between the two clubs they lot come over here we go over there and uh of course we disliked everybody who came by bwood except for yourself Bob obviously yeah um but they were successful but they didn’t have a great reputation outside of ruffing Road did they in the early 70s for the way they played I think they still play like actually it’s probably why he went down that’s why I’ve been so I haven’t been that you know but I’ve never been back I’ve never been invited back well actually I went back and sat stood on the teres to watch that a little bit of a memorial thing for Jacko and Mickey Le when they died that’s the only time I’ve been back um yeah still played the same Big B up from yeah that’s the way it was and it worked yeah very strong at the back should we say very um robust yeah industrial right uh aenor League champions um fa of a year at bornwood 1973 74 but you came back to city um when Tommy Barnett replaced Sid prer yeah oh yeah no didn’t didn’t didn’t Sid PR replace Tommy Bary Did I Get It Wrong Way Around sorry I get dyslexic in my old age who I can’t remember who Tommy took over from can you you must you must know oh Tommy B he came in first of all left in what 72 and we got through six managers in in under two years you you had Co Tommy Coleman John drawell uh Mickey Hunter of course yeah and then Mickey Hunter was replaced I should tell you what David um Vicki said about mckana but you can find it it’s in the hearts hat um and then Tommy Barnett came in for Mickey Hunter I think and Barnet in a difficult time did a decent job lovely I played against him and um he was quite he was very good actually and um I liked him as well you know you get to after the game you have a beer and you know you chat and he was all right to me because when he went to St orans he rang me out and asked me if I’d go play for sens and I love Sans and that was my first you know my first ever football love so I remember yeah going turn up for training and he offered me he said what do you want then you know cuz he was like want boy and he I said I don’t know what just make me an offer and he he said um he said I’ll give you 20 quid a week I went how the hell Tom I don’t want that much I was I’ve got 15 quid I said 15 quids enough it I wasn’t that sort of play you know what I mean and um so I played for 15 I could have got 20 but Tom and I played for Tom and I liked him but he kind of was scatty he ran out of ideas and ran out of respect not respect but you know players started to do what they wanted to do rather than what they should do for the team and he was moved on and then and through the door walked my my Oxford Nemesis Sydney H prer and uh yeah could knocked me down with a feather me RA me Woody and Ray AIO was his name that signed contract we were the first players to sign professional contract which um was kind of the in thing then stop players leaving clubs and moving on so yeah and then s turned up yeah because the um amateurism as it was that ended in 1974 you mentioned Dave L picked up the amate cup for the last time in 1974 that was the end of that competition tragically uh you signed your first contract Ray AIO he was a good player he was was he he was class he he when I played with my first game as as against to was um Ray AIO Ray AAR Roy AAR blade he was very Sim Roy AER was a flash little Midfield player you know and we went on a tour to Italy and everyone had a club Blazer but but Ro um Roy AAR said I don’t want one of them he said how much were they and they went a tener and he went you give me a ten and I’ll get the own and he got a badge and he went and bought an amanii BL it wasn’t ammani but whatever the current thing was and he went and bought and had a badge put on it and was was Jack bed that was what I always remember about Roy AER AP from being a good player I forgot about that um trip to Italy that um two two draw with P wasn’t it yeah I didn’t play I was was AR Gibson maner then so wouldn’t have played would it would have been yeah yeah I might been injured but I went Matt I remember Matt was there Woody yeah does anyone ever seen Matt what didn’t he moved back up to Black Blackpool once he sold up his Market down here yeah I know but I wrote that market emailed that market and asked see you I never even got a reply I was looking said I was looking for Matt H obviously I thought I was um enforcement I but I didn’t even get a reply so I gave up then I don’t I though he’s up at as far as I know he’s in Black pool yeah but he might have passed on you don’t know now it’s getting to that age with Joe he’s in the same team U team as jok and here say he must be the same age yeah well it makes a change to talk to you Bob when there’s not a bloke down the front of the room given a Ser serman that’s when we normally meet each other yeah yeah that’s well that’s yeah that’s I’ve been going to a few um Bor andwood funerals as well I went to the other week that was yeah full up event so anyway won’t talk about Jimmy will we yeah or will we after your time we can avoid it another good blow you seen yeah yeah some was pretty useful too yeah I don’t well football yeah Matt um um right that’s 7475 season do you remember games against where in the mest cup when we lost 5 nil away and then the return leg uh one all at halftime so we’re 61 down on agre halim um we get it back to well we scho five so 61 we’re leading at 90 minutes we win 93 on the night after extra time 98 on aggregate you don’t remember it no I remember remember but I don’t remember it do you what I mean I remember now you mentioned it I do remember it who was who was who got all our goals in well Tony lock got one Matt Hughes got one philwood got one you didn’t get any Al alen got one Peter Robinson Roy AIO Phil wer and the only player that scored twice was David Bane oh Bane’s yeah yeah little David Bane yes Scottish wasn’t he yeah he from Luke but then most near near enough yeah everyone is either from Pakistan or India or Scotland lives in L because because of the Vox connection yeah right um right 7475 um we didn’t get promoted funny enough um and in 76 you return to Boren Woods uh runaway ish League Division 2 winners yeah 76 77 yeah another good season good good that would well that was Mickey lenon wasn’t it and they I remember I came down the park and they stuffed us 3-0 or you stuffed us 3-0 if you like because it was I didn’t score either I scored one I scored one goal for bornwood in 200 appearances I think that’s what proper Center half um in fact I wasn’t allowed over the halfway line you you talked about up being slow I was the quickest bloke in the team and Mickey lenon and V cook would not allow me over the halfway line God’s honest truth that you’re not allowed to go over the halfway line because I I was always there to recover sure he scored when you were Center off and Obin sure he did yeah I did different roles in different managers wasn’t they yes we’re desperate see what you can do exactly yeah and well wait to Tilbury once let’s come flashing back so I remember that kick 40 yards or was it 50 oh at least it was um I and do you know you forget all these things and and we played them again the next year and we got a free kick and they Lin the wall up and put them all loads of people and I said to the blow what are you doing I’m 30 whatever yards he said well we remember last year you scored I’ve forgotten all about it it’s just U you know if you remember everything in life my my head would be full up wouldn’t it but it is uh yeah Oh Happy Days happy memories um right towards the end of that season um we sack John Clark he was really unlucky as man joke got done in by one heck of a lot of injuries um and he did they him before the end of the season oh yeah yeah we got rid of before the end of the season ex Phil philwood took over temporary charge for a little while we approached you but um you you couldn’t come immediately back to Clarence Park as manager well we had won the league at B Mickey said you can go that when we won the league you can you can go which do we have one or two games I can’t remember but um John Howard who’s the chairman Joe Murphy who’s one the committee Derek Bing John Woodland anyway they were on the committee there um they asked me and I was Bo and I knew them all anyway anyway would Lo was my kind of father-in-law and um yeah so it was an attraction to go there I had a bit run the Sunday team for a while so that kind of made sense so I went there they put I got a budget of 180 pound a week for the new season and I’ve got paid for points per game rather than whatever because I wanted to be a winner and uh we went through the season did all right finished fourth I think we had a few good results on the way we’d have probably gone up if it hadn’t been for the goalie but that’s my fault for picking him and I couldn’t I couldn’t find another goalie um well I did I found in Steve an but he got injured um and Scooby got Steve W played I played with at Bor wood was um was a good goalkeeper at Bor wood I know just that extra 10 miles out the road he kind of lost lost his compass and he was um a nightmare any well he lost he lost it in the sun once didn’t he was it walking and her him away Sun got in his eyes and what not yeah that’s when I went and stood behind the goal and he couldn’t see it but I do remember him at bornwood and and I should have I should have been aware he um he had had the ball in his arms and he went just right out to left back I Kevin H I can’t remember it was um he went to throw it out he went no no no and Scooby turned around with the ball in his hands and a complete half circle threw the ball in the back of his net the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen I know um so that should have been an omen for me shouldn’t it if only more what I was goingon to say if only more woodke Keepers would do that yeah right um but start of the 7778 season yeah ended the previous season with two wins he started the next season with three straight wins that’s possibly helped our match up Bromley being called off to due to a downpour only a second Saturday of the season first the first no it was the first game of the season no it wasn’t no it wasn’t first game was casual was beat on 4 nil then uh O City anyway it should have been possibly yeah possibly yeah it was rained off yeah unbelievably in August yeah yes but allowed us to win the first three games lost the fourth one at Dage straight away V you picked them out as uh a good side we’re not going not many teams are going to beat them this season um we as you say we finished fourth we we actually finished six um but it was tight all the way through wasn’t it yeah it was what all the way through sorry it it was tight we were hovering there or B all the way through we never really got into that very top group but we never lost touch with them um you had some good players that season uh we only we was I think we had 13 players didn’t we 14 players the city youth got involved we had a we had a load of kids yeah yeah we had some good ones as well but yeah Derek Brown Les mcco Ian Whitehead in his early days before he became penalty King Danny Johnson Willie white wood he his M and Dad his mom told me off in the in the when in when I played with him at his mom told me off in the bar after the game we used to call him galum and out and she told me of and asked me to stop calling him G okay fine we didn’t call him gay after that not yeah yeah off a pitch ‘s what nickname was Spooner um Peter Lawrence Lasher he’s got another name for him not particularly flattering either but but what a consistent player was wasn’t spectacular but he was solid you can rely on him yeah he’s a good onest player yeah above average yeah co under pressure yeah it was a good player and also you had Paul mes 10 goals in 42 games he hadn’t really fully developed has he so that was still no what three or four years into him but he was a slow developer yeah going back to Derek Brown Derek Brown was a good player up until Christmas he scored loads of goals then he came to me and said um I’ve had an approach from Barett I want to go you know they want me to go and join him and he and he mentioned whatever they offered him and I said well I can’t match that um you know I’ll get you in a couple of other quid a week which like was two points then and um and he start play but he was never the same after that his goal scoring record diminished and it’s just funny what the way that it plays on people’s minds and their ability isn’t it having been as Keen that little bit of keenness goes out of the game and uh the performance drops yeah yeah he was top it was top scorer 23 goals in 52 games uh second highest scorer the old blond bombell Peter Robinson Rober another another sporting club graduate wasn’t he another dick East another dick East boy find Pete was um yeah nice guy Liv in Marshall’s week prefer tennis to football but know he turned out for you never let you down you mentioned um you man you a sporting club AR you what did you do about three years maybe more um was there any sort of grounding for the job at Clarence park or they po apart um you like to think you like to think that you know what you’re doing don’t you so you H your skills with your with your Sunday team play a certain way and certain players do certain jobs so and this is no different to playing at boring wood and being told what to do you just got to then transfer your ideas and knowledge into your players and and that’s how I saw it really and at the end of the day you’re only as good as your players and you know it’s coach you know you coach kids and make them good you need good players you know Sid Pro didn’t do well with average players did he he did well with good players and he and he he inherited some and he bought some in and he did well he he got John Oxley and um Tony brothers from um leworth when I was there and I S a half from Hartford I think um Brothers was hitching wasn’t he I’m not sure it might have been Harford it might have been leth of that was I was at Le with I’m trying to think of C Center off you’re pushing you got Dave Bromley La burges anyway half cast boy Ivan Johnson that’s it yeah he came from he came from um Harford but you know that’s what’s his job was find players is it yeah I can actually sorry well I don’t think Sid ever went to watch a game did he he just works on recommendations for people a network of friends or contexts I wouldn’t use the word friends context it’s funny to say that I was going to say what sort of manager were you were you out watching as many games as possible you obviously had context with you’re well known in local football and everything and uh yeah and what about taking part in training but it’s easy to take part in training is it I just you blew the whistle and told what the training facilities were rubbish absolute garbage you know had nowhere to train you couldn’t train on the pitch so all you could do was run around the pitch what else you do you know that’s why you hated it um you know when I used taken down swimming at West Wister Lodge we went um because that had just opened we went to aerobics at um Valerie Vaughn’s place in um Victoria Street just something different to just break up this horrible monoy of run run run some people like it loved it but I didn’t and I didn’t see the point of inflicting it on on other people and you took to a horse of a year show what was that all about yeah I knew a girl who worked for the horse of the year show and she said every year they have this elephant and it pulls whatever against Army what and they’re looking for a football team to do it would would s always be in would so yeah we were up for that and um yeah we had a coach and we went out there for the horse of the year show we came second again and um yeah it was a day out yeah um Chris long I always remember Chris long was the um after the game we stopped at Swiss Cottage and had something to eat and and remember Chris L being badged by one of the players and he went mad I tell me that’s not that sort of behing from our players anyway David oh David another a good midfielder um we had a bit run run in the FA Cup it beat car short and athletic beat Leon Stone and then played Barnet we come on to baret in a minute but but the win at Caron goodbye sorry sorry it’s my mate Tony backer you remember Tony Baer yes stand ISM yeah yeah yeah he was involved in printing out some old photos that used to be in the pub in um Checker Street yeah yeah he’s moved to North and I’m just anyway he lives up there yeah the FA Cup one uh I went away to car Shulton athletic on the 17th of September 77 um but with didn’t make much money out of that game I believe Bob well that’s not my fault that wasn’t my fault that was I can’t remember his name now the second we had we were sponsored by Aronson’s and we had Aronson’s in blaz across our chests and um we played the game we won as you know and next we got1 pound fine off the fa for wearing sponsored kit in the FA Cup you weren’t allowed to wear sponsorship for FA Cup competitions another stupid rule but one that slipped under the radar in fact I don’t think we had another set to be honest we’d have had to wear the kit inside out because we only had one set of Kit so you’d never have you know we’ve never been able to playing anything else but that was a good win of car short sorry yeah then lone I think they were division above us at times a good win and in the third qualifying round drawn at home to Barnet Barnet center of attention those days because a certain Jimmy gavves was playing for yeah yeah we were that short I to play and um yeah it was like an honor if that’s the sort of thing you can say and a pleasure to um be on the same pitch as him really but I just realized he was another he you know I talked about Joe caner earlier about the way he moved and whatever and Jimmy gree was exactly the same had this fluid fluidity about him like on ice skates he just drifted past you it was fantastic experience and he got a gol from the fre kicks put the ball down not in the back of the net while we were all lining the wall up so uh yeah that was that was a good experience and we all went after the game we’ Lost for thought2 lo I think and I said to the boys come on let’s have a show let’s go have a drink with Jim and then we went out the bar afterwards and I said to I it was ohar the bar said where’s Jimmy and he went he said two large V and Sonic and gone [ __ ] so they never got to meet him did you get close to him on the pitch sorry did you get close to him on the pitch yeah yeah he went past me a couple of times yeah that’s one of my regrets and all the time of watching St Alman I was working that day and no yes I didn’t see that game best best game ever at Clarence Park yeah I’m sure it was Bob I’m sure it was um right towards the end of the season we didn’t get promoted um but uh all looked fine and dandy you coming back as manager next season as the season ended you had agreed your budget I believe for The Following Season yeah I’ve got I’ve got my budget from1 180 a week to 220 a week which is you know 20% and which is good well it satisfied my needs and I had a tight Squad and I’ve got some extra players in and um week before training I got called into the to the board meeting and told but the budget was being cut in half not not was it 110 it was 90 so I cut in half the the uh I just I look these guys who I knew and I socialized with them and were part of my family and I look him and I I said I I’ll do it for nothing then you know you give me 220 a week I’ll do it for nothing and and we’ll go from there and they refus so I left I’m not a football coach I didn’t want I didn’t I’m not not I wasn’t into coaching way I wanted a football team that would play and had a chance of winning I wanted to be I’d been I’d have been someone’s assistant if I wanted to be a coach um I didn’t see the point of do you know doing it and I really didn’t so selfish as that may sound but um um I just I quit went back to B wood actually I Mickey rang me up and said oh what you know talk about what happened he said well if you want to come over back here and um play for your place and i’ be pleased to see you so I went back I went back there having run numerous times red Bor Comon trying to get my fness having had a year on on the bench and I did all right till I got injured but was good fun right you went and Dennis Gibbs took over didn’t he but for just one week I think Dennis was yeah given a short straw there and I think loads of false promises and things and yeah did he lost a week he did I think the first training session was it something like four people turned up and he thought no this is bit of a big job so in comes electrol man again Morris WBY he got Dennis Gibbs was one of the best players ever played with yeah yeah a gentleman as well and yeah good good player gorry and a nice play we used to father of Na Gibs yeah after the game we used to go in a pub on Sunday you proba play with on Sunday as well we used to go in a pub and we drinking pints of loger and he’ be sat in the corner with Sherry was that kind of he was that kind of guy um yeah good BL uh yeah Morris WBY came in he managed to get team out there somehow he got us through that 7879 season you hinted it for short of money wasn’t going to invest at all uh we would have been relegated but for amalgamation of Leon Stone and ilford into one Club so we stayed up um so you’re away from Clarence park now injury I think effectively ended your career didn’t it although you did carry on playing for SBE for a bit yeah yeah it was a different level in it you know you could get by without without training which soed me and just blow on a Saturday I played for Reserves at sby moly helping out a guy called Mickey Evans and uh it was good that was that was a good fun because he I had some kids you know to see them develop a [Music] I think you also came and came and and joined us for a couple of games in this nor Sunday leag bunch of cherries oh yeah yeah nearly had the right name there is you bunch of cherries the last game I thought I ever played in the snow was with them I it was snowing at tomman Drive I remember i’ had my gloves on then yeah I’m surprised you weren’t in the sleep bag anyway getting back to Serious football um so you’re not seor non League football anymore but in 1983 you get invited back to Clarence park by Morris again to but to help in an offer pitch position yeah yeah I was always you know when we had the sporting club and and things like that we always used to raise money by gentleman’s evenings and boxing nights and different things like that to raise bit of money and interest and so was needed kind of kickstarting into some sort of commercial Enterprise or commercial um a business try and make some money um so I came back and did a bit with Morris um join Ken Hill was the chair I then um a lovely man he was and my I remember Bill Nicholson telling me he was the treasurer that he had to go he went to um Ken’s office on a Thursday yeah because Thursday was payday at the park and and he had several shops in the v in the town and he had to wait for the the man to come back with the cash out the tals to get the get the money to pay the players I just thought should have been that should have been the warning the the warning to me for later on but yeah that was that was good fun yeah because there’s no responsibility was it Tred to get the club into some sort of shape and um hand clubs and different Brian Pike Run 100 Club made money we started to make a bit of money and um invested in the team and that’s when we got involved with the youth City youth even though we we had involved earlier with them but this was a time when we kind of um brought them into the club though they stayed separate entity and quite rightly so um and they still a separate entity aren they as far as I know there City youth has nothing to do with some City football closing don’t ask me okay well I just did but um looking back at those days I was looking at it earlier and all the functions you mentioned some of the functions we had there as fundraisers it was a phenomenal amount um I think I came on to the committee under you in about 84 and all the things we used to do to try and raise money it it was a phenomenal number of things the club doesn’t do anything like that now because they get money into other ways fair enough but he always made a good comparison of how Bor was and how you you always wanted to see San City yeah yeah yeah quiz nights was our speciality yeah didn’t your team come last once oh most times I would have thought well we had Peter Taylor with us I was fortunate enough to read the questions not be on the team so I never had that embarrassment which it would have been embarrassment yeah they was SC you always said bornwood was a type of Club you wish St orb was how would you explain that it was a local club with the local people you go in it was a seven hour week Club you go in there and there be same not the same people but you know a repeat of people in there um with an interest in the football club and the people they though their crowds were abysal you know they used to get 200 they all came out of the barup just before the start of the game you know that was that sort of environment they used to have um fruit machines and they had one fruit machine and they had a que and there was a queue for people to play on a fruit machine and one day went training on a Thursday and they had two fruit machines and there was still a queue to get on these machines and they put a barrier up in between so people had queue down the crocodile on the barrier and it was crazy you know make you know I don’t know thousands of pounds out of fruit machines so incredible yeah yeah um S one signing we should have sign touched on which didn’t happen when you were maner I apologize for jumping over this one Brian Stein bit of a story there he did eventually play for us um in the 90s SC was it 32 goals 42 games something like that but you nearly got him a lot earlier he was 18 or something someone told me you know you talk about the network I didn’t G I didn’t go scouting someone told me about him he playing for edgewear and he was 18 and he played on a Sunday at Val Farm in in Wembley and have you ever been to Val Farm you’re lovely Place yeah and it’s about must be 30 pitches there mustn’t it and can you imagine I was walking around I didn’t have a clue all I all I knew there was this black kid who played for um in val Farm was any i w lo I saw someone is that BR no anyway pass his headed around the corner and looks up and there’s his kid got the ball on the half line ran through smacked the ball in the back of the net and I went to the boat there must be Brian Stein is it yeah yeah good isn’t he yeah anyway I waai for him to come off the pitch taed him up he had his brother with him Edwin was it Edwin yeah and um I told him what I wanted etc etc and I told when we talked about coming to play he went yeah yeah I’d love to come join some and he said but my brother I I realized that he’s the driver and um I offered him whatever amount a week U but Edwin was got half that money got actually got a third of it and um and he agreed to come on a Thursday training and sign I got a phone call I had to pick him up as well which um lived in edgewear and so I got a phone call early Thursday evening and um before training so I’m sorry Mr Murphy I won’t be able to come training tonight so I said why is that then and I thought we’d agreed it all he said yeah he said yeah he said um I’ve signed for loot in town said okay fair enough good excuse fair enough and you know you thought he was lying I didn’t think he was lying he was wasn’t that sort of boy he was um nice kid so he went to Luton and the rest was history was it and he got two goals for loen against Arsenal in the little woods cup was it yeah something like that what a hero a hero right we’re back at cl’s Park soorry yeah I saw him in biles a few years later and told him for that oh in h then yeah yeah he must have been playing for you then what year was it uh we played for oh blind me uh mid 90s 93 something like that yeah should it up earlier shouldn’t I right anyway um yeah back at s Al you had mikee wats and chalice actually owned a club then uh got taken over by blue arrow uh he well he said he did um I think that sums it up okay then blue blue arrow came in and became a lot more professional off the pach didn’t it the way we were run oh um well Mitch was work Mitch actually when Mitch stopped planing was selling sports equipment and I bought a pair of um Puma TR tennis shoes off him I remember that now and uh they fell apart I’ve never got my money back and he was um then got a job at blue arrow working with Tony Barry and I don’t know how he knew Tony but he did and Tony Berry was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in foot in football in anyway he was honorable because he finished well he was at Tottenham as well he was he was on the board at Tottenham that’s why he had to leave some or in anyway we got we we digress but he uh yeah we got up with blue arrow and it took a like a proper interest in it and um which made it easier to work you we had a structure the club was restructured we had a they sponsored us they had money and it made the Off the- Pitch activities less harrowing and um yeah Mitch Mitch got a budget to run his team and got plenty of players with it and then one day we had when we got when we got promoted um we started the season I can’t dates don’t I don’t know but we got promoted and we didn’t do very well and we went into this we had board meeting at blue arrow and Tony came in and said Johnny said what’s going wrong with the football team and Mitch went I haven’t got enough money Tony and he went well how much you and he was I think the budget was £500 a week then so might not be and he said well how much do you want then John he went a thousand will do it and Tony looked at Eric Hood and went yeah I think we can do that no Charles Freeman it was Charles Freeman was you that’s right yeah we can do that yeah I said that’s he said we’ll make up the difference I went hang on hang on I’ve got to find the money you’re going to make up the difference I’ve then got to come to you to make up the difference yeah yeah yeah we’re good for it anyway Mitch got his money we worked hard as to raise money and whatever Ken kenel open more shops and we just carried on I think Tony Tony Barry lived up to his word didn’t he he did he was he was fantastic proper proper BL yeah yeah I seem to remember when he was a youth player go feel he might have played for Middle SE schools he certainly played for Tottenham youth as you say went on to be Tottenham chairman late later years right well Mitch came in after his playing days were over going back a little bit um he was coaching a bit with John Butterfield when John Butterfield business pressure whatever you want to call it he had to stand down and Mitch took over nice BL John bfield good footballer great a great footballer but an even better bloke um nice BL yeah he had um he had a job with the government whatever whatever it was I think it was in the Secret Service because no one ever knew but it involved a lot of lunches so um a lot lot lot of socializing anyway and uh yeah so John stepped down he didn’t really it wasn’t really his scene AR he wasn’t that sort of man and uh yeah so we installed Mitch and then yeah the rest is history again it is promotion that first season um second season we faded him a second half so we missed out on a second successive promotion got it the following year with that day down at Lewis sorry Bob well I have to say Mitch got had some great players and I don’t know how he ever got them he never went to a game never went to another game he he never went to see anyway he didn’t go and see anyone play then all of a sudden this player had turn out like what he John what turn that you know I I knew I knew joh what because I’d played against him whatever he and and different players and these players turn that and and he he assembled a good good little team I mean John was the only one from out of the town I think yeah possibly along with Dave Neville my favorite City captain of all time all your time in the game Bob who would you put up in your top captains you’ll love this John sned yeah I knew I was coming he was I know you don’t like it he was the best player I ever play with not ability not only ability but attitude and you know you yeah you just knew that you could rely on him um yeah and he was a very nice man I know you don’t think that because of the way he played football but he was genu off that pitch he was like Ray Kon Ray Kon as you you know is a smashing guy he was like going the pitch and no prisoners but yeah who else I don’t know who I wouldn’t have a clue to think about that I’m trying to think who was your captain when you were city manager I should have a look at a lineups that probably tell us never mind um right um where are we now Mitch stands down you’re still involved in the club you’ve you’ve done Manion director chairman every position in between from selling program and all of those um Mitch stands down and we looking for a new manager and it goes to John Lacy well well another proper BL he had he had a degree as a footballer he had a degree so he had to be clever didn’t he had to be a proper bloke but he was a nice B John and uh it kind of fitted the bill he was um intelligent well connected well respected it was obvious and so he he did the job and unfortunately he didn’t do it as well as we thought he might he doing both wasn’t he he was commercial as well as manager was yeah yeah there was a day we changed the way they work because we had to generate income the idea was him to be fulltime so he paid him a salary and a commission based on whatever and he was to promote the club and get us um sponsorship and different things like that it worked to a degree he always hoped it was going to work um we never really saw the benefits of it really because did last nine months eight months he still out the whole season yeah well eight months nine months which is yeah that’s true which is more than the next guy did you brought back a former City goalkeeper Doug Parkin to replace him Doug had a lot of contacts Doug was Doug was very eloquent could drink and talk with the most with the best and um yeah yeah I and yeah I had high though because I thought he would um he he liked football he had the interest he was a local lad he was a Red Bull boy and um he had the best interest as a club at heart I think and um but his his commercial results was slightly better than his football results or or might they might have been equal but he um yeah he didn’t he didn’t cut it with the football um he had all these players and he had these great ideas but it didn’t work and Roy batler was his was his rightand man and Roy batler was a well respected um coach who was an ex City player and um yeah and he went on to Manny was later didn’t he lovely BL Roy was D Parkin I think like John bfield good cricketer he’s what a good cricketer oh good cricketer yeah yeah yeah yeah I don’t just mean the hours you two Spen in the cricketers at Red Bull I don’t mean that cricketers I meant with a bat yeah I know it’s funny that John Battlefield and him went the same way they they were out they were out with a googly anyway they were right Roy Butler comes back as manager with Steve perin um two really nice people two nice can you be too nice I don’t know I didn’t have enough time to be with them they were nice people um my kind of career with then finish not long after I appointed them really so um yeah I I had hopes for Roy he had the right idea about football and St Perry as you say was a nice boat I just remember Ste I can’t remember who we were playing but Gary Keane was having a fight with someone at the um at the York Road end of the pitch or some it was all going it was all going off and there was um Steve pering standing with the goalie from the other I remember standing like shoulder to shoulder chatting away it was all was all going off R and Par was in there and and I just chatting away not interested in it at all you know you don’t have to be do you you don’t have to get inv Rish no you no you don’t Brian Ste by the play played in 94 95 and I said before 32 goals in 42 games yeah um the first promot the second promotion we had under Mitch do you remember that day down at Lewis was 7-1 win yeah yeah yeah I remember it I remember the game I don’t remember coming home I’m not surprised okay a picture of you coming out of a clubhouse probably explains that yeah um but U happy day so look looking back at your time at well but I suppose the one regret is that you didn’t win anything while you were there as a player or manager and maybe also not getting that longer stab as manager the what L getting a longer chance as manager having your contract oh having your budget whipped away from you so uh effectively you had to go as you know and I have to bring this up statistically I’m sn’s most successful manager now there lies lies and statistics isn’t there and make that what you will but yeah yeah I was disapp very disappointed anyway you can’t change it right what Bob’s referring to is points per game as a manager and um for those who have lasted a whole season which Bob did yes you’ve got the best points per game man record of any SN city manager ever I don’t know ever Club still going it might change it’s a fluke but anyway good excellent excellent did you have the same record at Selby probably even better i’ imagine oh no I didn’t manage Selby did I sporting club sorry sporting club yeah we won loads of things didn’t we it was pleasure to pleasure to be involved in yeah right any funny little stories to end on Bob no anything that won’t get us on put into court or anything so the whole thing was a one experience David and I if I could do it again I’d do it better that’s all I can say and I wish I could do it again but you can’t so I’ll probably think I’ll probably think of some things when when we finish but at the moment I don’t well you mentioned before you haven’t been called back to Bor Woods in all since you left there despite all the good things you did for him you probably Haven been called back St or the way we are um but of course most days now you’re following Arsenal with your your mate Lee Dixon I don’t see Lee anymore I um haven’t seen Lee for ages but yeah I was he I got on the Arsenal bandwagon in 9089 whatever it was and I went to every game that he played he know I met him and he said I’ll get you a ticket for every game that I play and to be fair he did I B I bought season tickets as well but yeah it was a good experience dealt with you know went to loads of games met met the players win or Loser on the booze and that was their motto and uh yeah it was good time good fun yeah all over Europe as well yeah yeah yeah and I did Le testimony we did Real Madrid I was talking to the chair in the Real Madrid in in Spanish in broken English um yeah it was a good experience they they came over and played at HRI yeah stuff good things yeah like football’s been good for me I really enjoyed it and um I’d recommend anyone to get involved in their local football club um and enjoy it and if you can play it’s even better the one thing I don’t miss is what kenil had to go through was putting his hand in his pocket I know’s he’s passed on now and I know what a strain it was for him uh I don’t know why people do get involved in football clubs that level cuz you don’t get your money back no you got no I mean I mean they they seem to go WR s now to with the bar scenario um and charging a pound to get in and10 pound for a pint I think kind of whatever it however it works now but it’s um yeah you got to make it work um what what is the future of s you know we had a I tried to get a lease um when we blw our Eric H and and and I we we battled away with the council for for months and went to a council meeting and got chucked not physically chucked out but got got um Turned down everything who he came up with um and San will only see I wanted I’d like to see San City youth point you you start at five and you can finish up at 45 or 40 still playing and uh playing at Clarence Park but you know I don’t know I don’t know where the senior club’s going are they going into the conference or whatever it’s called now is that the ambition certainly the ambition football league’s the ambition isn’t it reality is somewhat different and as long as stay at clown Park football league won’t happen and uh conference National might not either but at least the tre’s gone yeah that was a bit dastardly wasn’t it it was it was had Brown rot it was genuinely ill that poor Tre yeah didn’t look it to me them acorns those acorns were quite healthy when they used to drop off there a few stories down the years you go back from the match reports even back in the 40s and you find goalkeepers opposition goalkeepers ped with acorns and nothing’s changed down the years yeah well I remember sitting I was on the bench I think Mitch was manager might been manager I was sitting no and the referee came over and said um they’re throwing acorns at me I said to him he said can you put an announcement now they’re throwing Acorn out and tell him to stop I said to him the way you’re refering you’re lucky they’re not coconuts so we didn’t put an announcement out and he got ped left right center and that’s that’s one of the pleasures of football isn’t it of course it is pleasure of standing under that dear old tree yeah right thanks so much Bob it’s been an absolute pleasure David always nice to talk you um I wish you well and I hope you hope you whatever you’re going through turns out all right yeah you know what I mean I know you’re about yeah much appreciated yeah you look after yourself yeah look forward to okay be in touch soon okay Cheers Cheers [Music]