- Know any others ??! Let me know and I'll
include them on this page.
November
2002
Graham Paddon (Norwich City)
Very
special thanks to Neale Harvey for letting me use this
excellent article on my pages. Neale has informed about
his site Ex-Hammers, which is well worth a visit.
After the article I will list direct links to some other
70-71 Players at Hammers News
GRAHAM
PADDON
BY
NEALE HARVEY
Football
connoisseurs of the early-Seventies simply drooled
over Graham Paddon and it was West Ham’s good
fortune to obtain his services during a period of
turmoil midway through the 1973/4 season. Bold,
blonde and bearded, Graham formed a formidable
midfield link with Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking
that provided the creative backbone of our 1975 FA
Cup winning team, which almost followed it up with
European glory a year later. NEALE HARVEY travelled
to deepest Norfolk and tracked down a true West Ham
hero.
With just one win and 9
points from 18 games the Hammers were firmly embedded
in the smelly stuff when Graham Paddon arrived from
Norwich City in December 1973. Relegation from the
old First Division looked odds-on and goalkeeper
Bobby Ferguson found himself dropped for remarking
‘there are too many gutless, spineless men in
the team’. Morale was at rock bottom.
Ted MacDougall, the
much-vaunted former Manchester United striker, for
whom manager Ron Greenwood had shelled out a record
£170,000 ten months earlier, had proved a disaster
at Upton Park and there was relief amongst anguished
supporters when he was quickly dispatched to Norwich
in a part-exchange deal that saw Graham make the
opposite journey.
The move was inspired. It
takes more than one man to make a football team, but
the history books show that the arrival of Graham -
who possessed one of the sweetest left feet in the
business - coincided with an immediate upturn in our
fortunes as another successful chapter in the
club’s history began to unfold.
"We were in the mire
in a major way," said Graham, 52, who now lives
near Great Yarmouth. "We hadn’t won at home
that season but we played Manchester City, who were
top of the league, in my first game and beat them
2-1. That was fantastic for me and we really fought
to get out of trouble. We only lost another six games
and survived.
"It was strange,
though, because I nearly didn’t sign. I’d
taken the train to Liverpool Street but only a taxi
driver was waiting to meet me. That was a bit off so
I got straight back on the train home. The bloke on
the train said ‘I thought you were signing for
West Ham today?’. I told him I wasn’t
because I couldn’t believe what they’d
done.
"But later, after
I’d spoken to my wife, I had second thoughts and
decided it was something I really wanted to do. With
Norwich I’d been promoted and played in a League
Cup Final at Wembley, which were both unbelievable
experiences, but when I went to West Ham it was even
better and my time there was the most wonderful of my
career."
Before the glory,
however, big changes at the club were afoot. He may
have helped us escape relegation, but Graham had been
powerless to prevent a humbling FA Cup Third Round
defeat at the hands of Hereford United and feelings
of unrest were prevalent amongst supporters who had
witnessed one poor season too many since the glory
days of the mid-Sixties.
The start of the 1974/5
campaign followed much the same pattern and, with
just one win and three points gained from our opening
seven matches, calls for Greenwood’s head grew
louder. Greenwood took his cue in September and moved
‘upstairs’, with John Lyall stepping up to
become manager in his 19th year at the club.
Gradually, things began
to gel and following the arrival of strikers Billy
Jennings (£110,000 from Watford) and Keith Robson
(£45,000 from Newcastle) our season ignited. Losing
just once - a 0-3 reverse at Arsenal - in 17 league
games from then until Boxing Day, league security was
all but assured by New Year, leaving us free to
concentrate on the FA Cup.
Graham quickly
established a rapport with Robson - both on and off
the field! - and along with Frank Lampard they formed
a left-flank trio that became feared at home and
abroad. There were few hints of what was to come,
however, when, having won a Third Round tie at
Southampton, we almost succumbed to Third Division
Swindon.
"We really struggled
at Swindon on a mud bath," said Keith, as he
recalled the glory run to Wembley and our eventual
victory over Fulham. "It was the big West Ham
thing that you were going to get knocked out by the
smaller team - still is! We’d been done by
Hereford the year before, but we escaped from Swindon
with a draw and Trevor Brooking scored in the replay
with a header - a miracle.
"We beat QPR after
that and when you reach the Quarter-finals you start
to think something might be on. But we drew Arsenal
away and they’d already beaten us there in the
league.
"On our day, though,
in a one-off match, we could beat anyone. Down the
left side we had Frank, myself and Keith and
we’d developed an understanding that no one else
could beat. We all had good left feet and were
strong, so Arsenal held no fears. I liked playing at
Highbury and I’d scored a hat-trick there once
for Norwich.
"Alan Taylor was
drafted into the team but he said he was really
scared. We played a practice match on the Tuesday,
after which we all reassured him, saying he’d be
all right. But he’d come from Rochdale and was
terrified. ‘I don’t know what to do’,
he said. So I replied, ‘Don’t worry,
we’ll look after you’.
"Then at Arsenal I
chipped one across for him to score. He got another
and that was that. Job done.
"The Semi-final
against Ipswich was unbelievable. When we walked out
at Villa Park there must have been 30,000 West Ham
fans at one end. I’d been at Wembley with
Norwich, playing in front of 100,000, but Villa Park
was something else again. The only thing I can relate
it to was later on, when I was a coach at Portsmouth
and we had 30,000 at Highbury for a Semi-final with
Liverpool.
"We got slaughtered
at Villa Park, but somehow got a way with it and drew
0-0. We were so bad that when we asked Ron if we
could have our bonus he told us to ‘bugger
off’! But Alan came up trumps again in the
replay at Stamford Bridge and we were at Wembley.
"That was the
biggest thing, the Cup Final, but on the Monday
before me and Bonzo had had to prove our fitness
against Arsenal. We’d both been injured but,
fortunately, I scored the winner and he was all
right, too.
"In the first half
at Wembley we were diabolical and Fulham should have
been winning. We were hopeless and John Lacy put a
header over, which was a real warning and at
half-time I remember saying we had to step it up a
gear. Fortunately, we did and it was a relief when
Alan got the first goal. He’d been frightened
again, but their keeper spilled the ball twice and he
mopped up.
"We went to The
Dorchester afterwards, but they ran out of beer so we
spent the night at The Grosvenor instead. At one
point I remember walking down Tottenham Court Road
with my medal in my hand, thinking ‘what am I
doing with this?’. But the last thing I remember
was Bobby Gould telling me ‘You’re
pissed’!
"The Sunday was
fantastic and I’ll never forget it. Everybody -
men, women, kids, babies, dogs even - was on the
streets or hanging out of windows dressed in claret
and blue. The funniest thing, though, was when we
went past the Black Lion in Plaistow on the bus. We
wanted a crate of beer but they said we’d have
to pay for it. Do us a favour!"
As well as guaranteeing
immortality for those players in the eyes of West Ham
supporters, our Wembley success brought European
football back to Upton Park for the first time in ten
years and this was not a chance to be missed.
For once we had started a
league campaign well - unbeaten in our first nine
matches, then riding high in the First Division in
December. But, as Keith candidly admits, our league
form - which slumped alarmingly as we won just one of
our last 21 matches - was sacrificed as the players
mounted an all-out assault on the European Cup
Winners Cup.
"The management
didn’t think it, but the players did and even
though we were near the top at Christmas we just said
‘leave it, we’ll go for Europe’. We
tried for all our lives to win that cup and we nearly
did it. We were as close as we could have been and
had some unbelievable matches along the way.
"We had a diabolical
start, struggling in Finland against Lahden Reipas,
where Bonzo scored to get us out of the s*** before
we beat them at home.
"Then, after beating
Yerevan in the next round, we went to Den Haag and
found ourselves 4-0 down at half-time. That was a
nightmare and probably the worst moment of my career.
At half-time I just told Billy Jennings to keep
getting into the near post and, fortunately, he got a
couple to get us back into the tie.
"We did them 3-1 at
home to go through and those midweek games under the
lights were fantastic. We were fine then, but were
hopeless on Saturdays because we’d spend every
Thursday afternoon in the pub! We’d come back
from European trips, go straight to the Manor Park
and that would be that.
"In the Semi-final I
scored one of my best ever goals, a 30-yarder to put
us ahead against Eintracht Frankfurt. We lost 2-1,
but won the tie at home when Robbo curled a beauty
into the top right hand corner.
"We really believed
we could beat Anderlecht in the final, even though
they were playing in their home city. 20,000 West Ham
fans did, too, and we were geared for it. We
didn’t believe we could lose to any of these
teams in a one off match, but they were a good side
and we made mistakes on the day."
Following that 4-2 defeat
in Brussels, Graham was soon on the move again. Yet
another poor start to the 1976/77 season - how
familiar does that sound? - heralded another period
of change at the club and he found himself back at
Norwich in November.
He spent a further five
seasons at Carrow Road, during which time he enjoyed
a short stint playing for Tampa Bay Rowdies in
America, before ending his career at Millwall in
1981.
After running a country
pub in Norfolk and a leisure centre in South Walsham
he joined Portsmouth as reserve team coach in 1985
before moving to Stoke City as assistant manager to
Alan Ball in 1989. He returned to Pompey in 1991,
working for Jim Smith until the pair were fired in
1995.
Since then, Graham has
worked in the Yemen and more recently scouted for
Derby County. He now coaches locally and has his own
website at www.footballcoach.ic24.net/defaultf.htm
Looking back, though, he
says: "To play with people like Billy Bonds,
Frank Lampard and Trevor Brooking was the highlight
of my career. Ron Greenwood and John Lyall were
great, too, and all the East End people were
brilliant to me. The fans were top notch.
"We achieved so much
in a short space of time and West Ham are undoubtedly
the best club I played for."
Huge thanks again for that, Neale. What follows is links to other Bob
70-71 players featured by Hammers
News following
interviews with Neale. I strongly recommend going
directly to the link to see pictures and EXCELLENT
articles where the players discuss their football
careers. As a matter of interest though, I have included
the part of the article that summarises their post career
lives.
Ronnie Boyce (West Ham United)
See Hammers News - Vintage Claret
Where is he now?
As Ronnie's playing career
declined he became more involved with younger players
and was appointed as a youth team coach in 1972. When
John Lyall took over the helm from Greenwood in 1974,
Ronnie stepped up to become his unofficial assistant
and he went on to become an integral part of the back
room staff under Lyall, then Lou Macari, Billy Bonds
and Harry Redknapp, right up to when he was ditched
in an acrimonious departure from the Club six years
ago.
When I left it was a case of the way it happened
against the way I'd have liked it to happen. I can
appreciate the game has altered and they talk about
change, but I'd have just liked to have been treated
differently, in so much as: shake my hand, bye, give
me a few bob and out of the door. But it didn't
happen that way.
After a spell working as a sheet metal worker at
Stansted Airport, Ronnie scouted for Bonds, firstly
at QPR, then Millwall, before he was offered the
chance to join George Graham's scouting team at White
Hart Lane in 1998. He now works under Glenn Hoddle
and David Pleat and travels the country running the
rule over prospective young signings
Noel Cantwell (Coventry City)
See Hammers News - Vintage Claret
Where is he now ?
At the age of 68,
continues to work for Sven Goran-Eriksson as a scout
for our national team.
He earned 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland before
taking his first stab of management in 1967,
ironically joining Coventry City after Malcolm
Allison had been rejected by the Sky Blues chairman.
Despite keeping Coventry in the top flight, Noel was
controversially sacked in 1972 before he took over at
Peterborough United when Posh were rock bottom of the
Football League. Five years at London Road preceded a
year out of the game before he moved to Boston, USA,
in 1979 where he enjoyed three fruitful years
coaching the New England Tea Men in the old North
American Soccer League.
On returning to England he enjoyed a further five
year spell with Peterborough before dropping out of
the game in 1991 to concentrate on running his pub.
But, after performing some scouting work for Brian
Kidd in 1999, he was asked to fulfil a role for the
FA by former Hammers colleague Dave Sexton, to whom
he now reports.
Noel, who recently celebrated his 40th wedding
anniversay with Margaret, will never forget his days
at Upton Park, however, saying: 'The fans were good
to me because I was enthusiastic, with a little
ability and wore my heart on my sleeve. I had eight
very happy years there and clattered a few forwards
into the boards in front of the Chicken Run!
Keith Coleman (Sunderland) including Bill Green (Hartlepool)
See Hammers News - Vintage Claret
Where is he and Bill
Green now ?
In the summer of
1978 he accepted a move to Belgian side KV Mechelen
and spent a year there before returning to England to
play for Darlington.
With an old knee injury also taking its toll, he
retired in 1980 after accepting a job as a leisure
centre manager in Brentwood, where he still lives and
works.
He remains actively involved in football in his
capacity as a southern-based scout for First Division
Sheffield Wednesday, something he owes to an enduring
friendship with a former Hammers colleague,
centre-half Bill Green.
I did a lot for Bill when he managed at Scunthorpe
and then coached at other clubs. About four years ago
I did a season scouting for Middlesborough but then
Bill got the job as chief scout at Wednesday and I've
spent the last three years scouting for them. I cover
anywhere between the Midlands and south-coast,
checking opponents and looking for talent.
Kevin Lock (West Ham United Apprentice)
See Hammers News - Vintage Claret
Where is he now ?
...After playing for West Ham and United and Fulham,
Kevin moved to Southend...
In 1985 he teamed up with
Bobby Moore again as player-youth team coach at
Southend and remained at Roots Hall for eight years
until moving to Brentford as assistant manager to
David Webb in 1993.
He left Brentford in 1998 and after a few months out
of the game decided to change direction by buying the
(Prince of Wales pub in Mountnessing) near Shenfield
(that) he now runs with wife Debbie.Hammers fans are
welcome to visit and Kevin says he has no regrets
about quitting football
I tried to get back in the game after Brentford but
it was getting more difficult. I'd been in football
for 30 years and loved every minute but you never
know what's around the corner.
I'd been on the road for a long time, with all the
travelling, long days and late nights, and thought it
was time to say 'that's it';. So I bought this place
and, touch wood, it';s going really well. I don';t
think I';d be tempted back into football now.
'The great thing now is I can go to West Ham any time
I want and I'm a supporter again. I can just enjoy my
football now without the pressure of having to win at
all costs.
Alan Stephenson (West Ham United)
See Hammers News - Vintage Claret
Where is he now?
After injury curtailed his
Football League career with Portsmouth in 1975, Alan
spent two years in South Africa playing for Durban
United before returning to work as a youth
development officer at Leyton Orient in 1977.
He quit football four years later to run a pub near
Colchester and spent six years as a licensee before
joining a training agency.
In 1989 he began work as an education and welfare
officer with Essex County Council, for whom he worked
for 11 years before assuming the role of attendance
and family liaison officer for the Sir Charles Lucas
Arts College in Colchester two years ago.
There is further
articles of interest at:
Hammers News - Vintage Claret - Bobby
Gould
Hammers News - Vintage Claret - Peter
Eustace (Also see January
2001)
Bob Wilson (Arsenal)
I've been
waiting a few weeks for confirmation of this one, but I
am listening to his voice as I speak so I know it is
true. Bob is now back commentating again with Radio 5
live. His performance on the West Ham United v Manchester
United game (17/11/02) has been excellent, which makes me
think he was wasted in the studio all these years, he's
even better out there giving comments on the match. Nice
one (fellow) Bob.
Just
archive it, here is the text of the retirement tribute
from the BBC websitefound at BBC NEWS Entertainment TV and
Radio Football host Wilson retires (6 August 2002)
Veteran
sports presenter Bob Wilson is to retire from
television at the end of the month after 28 years.
Wilson, who as a goalkeeper won football's League and
FA Cup double with Arsenal in 1971, has fronted
sports shows for both BBC and ITV.
Most recently, Wilson could be seen on ITV, where he
presented the most popular football programme in
British TV history, England's ill-fated game with
Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, which attracted 26
million viewers.
From
1974 to 1994, he was one of the leading presenters on
BBC Sport, where he presented Grandstand, Sportsnight
and Match of the Day.
One of the first sports personalities to cross into
television, he also recently retired from his post as
goalkeeping coach at Arsenal.
At the time, it was reported he would be spending
more time with wife Megs as well as working for the
Willow Foundation, the charity they founded after the
death of their 31-year-old daughter Anna.
Wilson said: "I retired this year from coaching
with Arsenal and I have now just worked on my ninth
World Cup on television.
"A lot of young TV presenters are coming through
and doing well. I just think it's time. I've been so
lucky."
Wilson joined ITV to front its coverage of Champions
League games.
In 1999 he led the network's team which covered
Manchester United's dramatic Champions League final
win over Bayern Munich, which was watched by 19
million viewers.
Although slightly eclipsed by the defection of Des
Lynam from the BBC in 1999 and the rise of new talent
such as Gabby Logan, Wilson continued to front
highlights shows as well as some matches.
Most recently, he presented some World Cup games for
ITV1 and ITV2, regional highlights on Carlton in
London, and pay-per-view Premiership games for the
now-defunct ITV Sport Channel.
ITV controller of sport Brian Barwick said: "Bob
has done a tremendous job for ITV.
"A true broadcast professional with a genuine
instinct and love of football, he leaves with the
total respect of all his friends and
colleagues."
A spokesman for BBC Sport said: "Bob Wilson was
a valued member of the BBC Sport team for many years
and we wish him the very best in his
retirement."
Dennis Mortimer (Coventry City) 'The Times' newspaper on
Saturday 16 November 2002, gives a very specific answer
to the question 'where are they now?', because, if it is
6.25 on a Monday night, then Dennis will be in the Bingo
Hall on the Springvale Estate in Bilston !
Dennis has
been encouraged by the Mums of the team he currently
manages to try Bingo out, and he has been showing
willing, it seems. The team is Wolverhampton Wanderers
women's team. Last season the team were second in the
Northern Division and they are pushing for a National
Division place.
In the
article by Malcolm Boyden, Dennis reveals he was given a
bonus of just 1,000 pounds for winning the European Cup
with Aston Villa in 1982, but says, 'money couldn't buy
the feeling I had when I got my hands on the trophy. What
more could a footballer wish for ?'
After
football he was disappointed not to get a job at Aston
Villa on the community side, before moving to the
coaching staff with West Bromwich Albion. He rose to
being Keith Burkinshaw's number 2, but was sacked in
1994, after 18 months for no other reason than Burkinshaw
was sacked.
Presently,
Dennis works as a full-time coach-educator with the
Professional Footballers' Association. This involves
grooming people to be the big name managers of tomorrow.
Laurie Taylor (Bristol Rovers)
Bob, I was
browsing the net for some information on Bristol Rovers
in the 70's,
when I came across your site, and was interested to
discover you had a
picture of my father, and that you had been unsure of the
spelling of his
name.
Mike Jay was quite right when he said his name was Laurie
Taylor (Short for
Laurence), and that the national press did tend to spell
it as Larry. After
leaving Bristol Rovers he moved away to play for
Chelmsford City. He did move
back to the south west (Near Exeter) where most of his
family are based, and
is still based there now. I hope that this information is
of help.
Regards,
Brad Taylor
Thanks Brad
Lee
Coates writes
I have some information on some burnley players of the
1970-71 season. I hope you find this useful, yours in sport Lee Coates
Arthur Bellamy (Burnley) is now the head grondsman at
turf moor.
Adam Blacklaw (Blackpool) is now caretaker at Nelson and Colne College
in Barrowford a small village 4 miles outside Burnley.
John Connelly (St Johnstone) owns a fish and chip shop in Brierfield 3
miles outside Burnley.
Michael Docherty (Burnley)
is the first team coach at Burnley FC .
Billy Ingham (Burnley) is a bus driver with Burnley
and Pendle buses working in Burnley.
Les Latcham (Burnley) still lives near Burnley he
currantly works in insurance.
Andy Lochead (Aston
Villa) is a
matchday host at turf moor and still lives in he town.
Peter Noble (Swindon
Town) lives in
Burnley recently selling his sports shop on the towns
indoor market.
Jimmy Robson (Bury) is the youth coach at Turf
Moor.
Fred Smith (Portsmouth) lives near Burnley and works
for Burnley council.
Ray Ternent (Burnley) lives in Burnley.
Jim Thomson (Burnley) works and lives in the burnley
area, he works in the brewery buisness.
Colin Waldron (Burnley) owns Waldron Racing a
bookmakers in Nelson 4 miles outside Burnley.
Jimmy Adamson (Burnley) the great coach who was
assistant manager to England in the 1970 World Cup still
lives in the turf moor area of Burnley
Eddie Thompson (Hearts) Received this email from Peter
McConnell:
Just
checking out your new Hearts photos.
Noticed Eddie Thomson in them - he is third from the
right in the back row of the second picture. He
was manager of Australia (Socceroos) during the 90's
(for quite a while) and now coaches Hiroshima in the
Japanese J-League. He was inducted into the
Soccer Australia Hall of Fame this year.
Here is a spiel from the website of the New South
Wales Soccer Federation:
Eddie Thompson (Roll of Honour, Distinguished
Contribution): Born Scotland, played for Hearts and
Aberdeen and then San Antonio Thunder in US before
joining Sydney City. Coached Sydney City for seven
years and Sydney Olympic three years in the NSL.
Career also included Australian staff coach, FIFA
coach, Scottish FA Badge holder. ASF National
Director of Coaching, assistant national coach five
years, Socceroo coach 1990-1996. Two World Cup
campaigns as coach, two Olympics.
Requests
Dear
Bob,
What
a great web site. Anyone know the wereabouts of Terry
Cooper and Alan Mansley?
They both played for Notts
County during 70/71 cheers Terry
Woolhouse
Both
players moved to Notts County in or around the 70-71
season. Terry Cooper came from Newport County in July
1970, and Alan Mansley came to the club from Brentford in February 1971, having also played a loan
spell at Fulham in the season.
NB I see
that Allan sadly died on 4 February 2001.
See more November 2002
news at the following ...
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