- Know any others ??! Let me know and I'll
include them on this page.
December
2002
Terry Paine (Southampton)
This turned up on the
BBC website on Christmas Eve. Go to the site to hear an
interview with Terry, at BBC SPORT Paine's pleasure
Terry Paine is a
modern-day missionary who is preaching to a converted
congregation.
The record-breaking
former Southampton winger is proof that English
Premiership is the widest spoken language in
football.
Paine hosts
Africa's biggest football show on M-Net Sports, where
the appetite for English Premiership football is
almost insatiable.
Although Paine is
based in South Africa, the network beams English
top-flight football throughout the continent.
"We go out to
42 countries, out as far as Saudi Arabia and the
Middle East," says Paine who uses BBC Sport
Online to keep his finger on the pulse of the
Premiership.
"It's
colossal. There's a massive viewership for the
Premiership, it's the biggest following sports-wise
in Africa."
The usual suspects
are called to provide evidence in explaining English
football's popularity across the globe.
Italy's Serie A and
Spain's Primera Liga may boast more top world stars.
But Paine - who
scored 160 goals in 713 league games for Saints -
feels they lack the potent brew of pace, passion and
commitment that give Africa an insatiable appetite
for the Premiership.
"In South
Africa, a lot of support comes from ex-pats, people
who emigrated out here a generation or two ago and
stick with their affiliations.
"All the big
clubs have branches of their supporters clubs out
here," says Paine who is president of the South
African branch of the Southampton Supporters' Club.
"But elsewhere
on the continent, people have always taken to English
football.
"I do a sports
show up in Uganda and they're all Arsenal fanatics up
there, although I don't know why.
"The
popularity of English football might also be helped
by the number of African players playing in the
Premiership.
"People like
to follow the progress of the likes of Kanu at
Arsenal, and Babayaro at Chelsea, to name just a
couple."
The appetite for
Premiership action means a busy schedule for Paine,
and his co-host, former Manchester United goalkeeper
Gary Bailey.
"We start on a
Friday night, with a show that looks forward to the
weekend's action, and then we go into the live games.
"Last weekend,
for example, we had five live matches, plus the
Manchester City versus Spurs match on Monday evening.
"Take into
account we also had the Nationwide League games as
well, and you can see there's a lot of English
football on African television."
There may be 6,000
miles and two seasons difference between an English
winter and a South African summer, but the second
half of the season is as eagerly anticipated in
Africa as it is in England.
"It's been a
fascinating season so far, and the second half should
be even better.
"I'm glad it
hasn't developed into the two-horse race that many
people thought it would, with Chelsea firm
contenders.
"They've
obtained the consistency they have lacked in previous
years.
"But I still
think Arsenal will take some beating."
Alan Taylor
I'm not sure of Alan's
whereabouts in the 70-71 season - as a 19 year old, he
moved to Rochdale from Morcombe in 1973. Once again huge
thanks to Neale Harvey for allowing this article to be
included on the site.Please visit Neale's sites Hammers News and Ex-Hammers.
This article originally
appeared in the first issue of Ex-Hammers.
MY THREE STEPS TO
HEAVEN
BY NEALE HARVEY
Alan Taylor's remarkable rise to prominence is
arguably the greatest rags to riches story in
West Ham's history and the tale of how the
whippet-like frontman rode in off the sunset -
okay, the rain soaked streets of
Rochdale actually! - to win us the 1975 FA Cup
is etched in Hammers lore.
These days Alan sells the headlines at his family run
newsagents in Norwich, but 27 years ago he began
making them himself after manager John
Lyall spotted his 'potential' in November 1974
and took a £40,000 punt on a man who, as a
17-year-old, was rejected by Preston North End.
"I rebuilt my career at Lancaster City and
Morecambe before moving to Rochdale," said
Alan, 48. "I'd scored 10 goals in five games
that season and there were a lot of scouts
about, but I had no idea West Ham
were interested.
"We had a night match at Northampton, John Lyall
and Ron Greenwood were there, and two days later I
was on my way to London. I signed on my
21st birthday - a hell of a birthday present -
and going from Rochdale to the First Division
was everything I'd wished for.
"To leave home and move to London was
daunting, but I settled quickly and the club
looked after me. I was in digs close to the ground
with Kevin Lock's mum, which helped, and
everything was a big occasion for me - a
big club in a big city."
Alan made his West Ham debut as a substitute against
Leeds United at Upton Park on December 7, 1974
with his full debut coming against Stoke later that
month.
An ankle injury sidelined him as we began our FA Cup
campaign with a 2-1 victory at Southampton and
Alan remained out of the picture until
late February, by which time we had overcome
Swindon and QPR to line up a quarter-final
showdown with Arsenal at Highbury.
With Alan recovered and Bobby Gould struggling
for goals during a run that had seen us notch
just nine in 11 league matches, Lyall decided it was
time to unlock Alan's potential and unleash him
on the unsuspecting Gunners.
There was much more to his game than scoring goals,
but the name of Alan Taylor remains synonymous
with the six goals he scored in three matches
to win the FA Cup in 1975. Our hero takes up the
story:
Saturday March 8, 1975: FA Cup Sixth Round
ARSENAL 0 WEST HAM UNITED 2 (Taylor 2)
"I'd come on as sub against Newcastle the
previous week so I had trained with the first
team squad all week, but I only found out I was
actually in the team after training on Friday.
"The butterflies started and I went to bed
thinking about the game. But I believe that
helps, thinking how you are going to run at players,
get in the box and score. I was confident.
"It was a hell of a day for me, my first big
chance in front of a sellout crowd. I was 21 and
from playing at Rochdale in front of 1,500, suddenly
I'm at Highbury in front of 56,000
"The pitch was heavy and it had been touch and
go whether the game would be on, but after 15
minutes Graham Paddon chipped a ball to the far post
and I stuck it in. 1-0.
"Conditions were so bad we all had clean strip
at half-time, but straight afterwards I was
brought down 30 yards out. Trevor Brooking took
a quick free-kick, I ran on and hit a hell of a
shot that Jimmy Rimmer, their goalkeeper, is
still looking for!
Wednesday April 9, 1975: FA Cup semi-final replay
Stamford Bridge, 45,344
WEST HAM UNITED 2 (Taylor 2) IPSWICH TOWN 1
(Jennings, og)
"They were all big games for me and things just
went on from Arsenal really. People say we were
a bit lucky against Ipswich in the first match (a
0-0 draw at Villa Park), but you ride your luck
and when you get the breaks you have to take
advantage.
"There was snow on the pitch before the game,
but it was another huge, huge night for myself
and for the football club. All my family was there
and from my point of view the atmosphere in the
changing room afterwards was something I'll
never forget.
"But I can always remember seeing the Ipswich
players in tears as we were leaving and I was
glad for people like Kevin Beattie when they won the
cup a few seasons later."
Saturday May 3, 1975: FA Cup Final Wembley,
100,000
WEST HAM UNITED 2 (Taylor 2) FULHAM 0
"We hardly won a game between the semi-final and
final. You don't go out to lose games, but
whether the final was at the back of everybody's mind
I don't know. But no one was complaining and it
was more important we were right on the day.
"Our approach was fairly low key, that was the
way John and Ron wanted it, but it was a little
different for myself because it was all such a
new experience.
"Getting up on the day of the game and going
down Wembley Way was special and there's
something missing from the FA Cup these days to what
there was then.
"Obviously, the team were in great spirits and
there were some great characters about. Billy
Bonds, a very competitive leader, kept us on
our toes and Bobby Gould, whose place I had
taken, encouraged me like the professional he
was.
"Getting to Wembley a good hour before and
actually walking into the stadium is something
I'll never forget, with all the West Ham fans at the
far end shouting and singing. That's when it
really hit me and that atmosphere is something
I'd never experienced before.
"It was one of those games where everything
meant so much and playing against Bobby Moore
meant a lot as well. Just competing against him on
the same pitch lifted me.
"I wouldn't say it was a poor first half, we
knocked it about, but Fulham settled quicker
than we did. It was a very clean game, though, and
the physios never came on which is a good
indication of how the game went on a hot day.
"But I got a couple of breaks in the second half
and you've got to be in a position to take them.
It was all over in three minutes,
two goals...bang-bang, and that finished them
off. We didn't overrun Fulham but we caught them
on the back foot a bit.
"We had a fabulous night and then on the
Sunday....well, until you've actually been there
and experienced the ride through London on the bus
you don't realise what winning the cup is all
about. That was the FA Cup all over and they're
fantastic memories."
Following his stunning debut season, Alan started the
1975/76 campaign in similar vein, notching five
goals in our opening three league matches
before going on to enjoy his best season in
claret and blue.
With 17 goals in all competitions he helped us reach
the 1976 European Cup Final, but after injuries
disrupted the latter part of his season Alan
was left out of the starting line up in Brussels
and only came on as a second half substitute for
Frank Lampard as we went down 4-2 to Anderlecht.
Injuries further restricted Alan's West Ham career
over the next three seasons, including the
distinctly non-memorable 1977/78 relegation
campaign, and he joined Norwich in 1979.
Over the next 10 seasons, he provided excellent
service to a number of clubs as well as the
Canaries and Alan scored goals for Cambridge United,
Hull City, Burnley, Bury and Vancouver, with
whom he enjoyed two spells in the Eighties.
After retiring in 1989, Alan eschewed a career in
football to run a milk franchise in Norwich
before setting up his current business eight years
ago.
He is still an occasional visitor to Upton Park and,
as one would expect, Alan looks back with
enormous pleasure on the years between 1974 and 1976.
"That period was probably the best of my
football career and I scored a lot of goals.
Winning the FA Cup will always stand out, although it
was disappointing to lose the Cup Winners Cup
Final. But at least we got there and they are
memories I will always treasure."
Also see Email
April 2003
Dave Merrington (Burnley) Good to hear Dave interviewed
on Radio Leeds this afternoon (21 December 2002) on the
eve of the Leeds United v Southampton match. Dave is now
an expert summariser on BBC Radio Solent. Dave's name has
been added to the list of Commentators.
Requests
Steve Butler writes:
Could you
please let me know the "where are they now"
regarding Dave Mackay.I used to watch him play in the
Promotion and Championship days at the Baseball Ground.
Sara Myatt
has a personal
request to locate Bruce Rioch (Aston Villa) , anyone know
where he is these days? Sara's is one of a couple of
requests I have for Bruce.
Graham Bryant writes
Bob, Thank you very much
for responding to my Reading Football club "
Where are they now " request.
Basically I am trying to capture a bit of
Reading Football Club history and since
1993 I have sent out about 200 letters, all to ex -
reading footballers or managers. I am asking them to
fill in a questionairre about themselves and also
asking them to select there all time Reading Football
team.
As I mentioned in my previous email, the response has
been fantastic - 70 %, including no less than 9 ex -
managers.
I am now a bit restricted and need help in tracking
down the whereabouts of ex players. I have had
letters back from Canada and Australia, with your
help who knows?
I am also very persistent. The first person I wrote
to was Neil Webb, ( in 1993 ), he has only just
replied in the last month, I met him at a Football
Re-Union and finally convinced him I wasn't a
nutcase.
Thank
you for reading this, I look forward to your
response.
Graham Bryant
Email
Graham at bryant53@hotmail.com
See more December 2002
news at the following ...
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