Volvo Jacks Muses And Tales Number 1.

[1964white]

What year did you first attend a Leeds game, Jack?

[Volvo Jack]

Good Afternoon.

My brother and I were taken to Elland Road to see United play Huddersfield in 1946 and beat them
by Five Goals, Three of those were scored by George Ainsley, my favourite
to be.
Our uncle John from Huddersfield took us and brought us home.
Next time he came to see us all he brought Peter and I a big rattle each, so heavy
but that you could swing it around quite quickly, nearly took you off of your feet.

we had to go in the Boys Pen where the Kop is now, Open air Terracing

We were Hooked

[Volvo Jack]

Was thinking about when we were kids, about 11-12 you had to go into the Boys Pen, an enclosed area where the Kop is now. the whole ground area was terracing on all the four sides. The Jack Charlton stand and what was the Main stand opposite was about half seated. The Elland Road end area was not very big, constricted by Elland Rd, at it's back. it was the only piece of Terracing that was covered in the ground.

Near kick off we headed for the Boys Pen as otherwise one could not see. A year or two after we would dodge the Stewards as now we considered the Boys Pen for little ones.

At half time the Lowfield Road halfway line wall had various letters
hung on it. the letters in the 1/- (5p) Programme matched teams half time score, think it was for the benefit of people who did the Pools, maybe.
The Lottery has taken it's place I would think.

Never had a shilling to spend on a programme, my brother and I scoured the ground all the stands after the matches but never found one
As the terracing and the the two Stands was emptying we used to climb in. and look for the invisible programmes.
At three quarter time the Gates were opened and Policemen, Tram Drivers and the Public, if any were a let in, they could only stand on the edges of each Seated area.

The Stand Roof's only covered a fraction of the Terracing so when it rained
you got wet.
After the game if United had won over the Loudspeakers came a Marching Tune. I can still remember how it went but never knew it's name, would have liked to know it's title Men used to whistle it after the game after we had won (not very often really)
Then it was up to our Aunty Agnes in Beeston, stay overnight and have that
fried breakfast which we dreaded because covered it with hot tomato juice
Could be sick just thinking about it and our Uncle Jack taking the Piss and
referring to United as "Leeds Urinals"
Sadly United were quite crap

[1964white]

Good Afternoon.

My brother and I were taken to Elland Road to see United play Huddersfield in 1946 and beat them
by Five Goals, Three of those were scored by George Ainsley, my favourite
to be.
Our uncle John from Huddersfield took us and brought us home.
Next time he came to see us all he brought Peter and I a big rattle each, so heavy
but that you could swing it around quite quickly
we had to go in the Boys Pen where the Kop is now, Open air Terracing

We were Hooked

The kop was all terracing & with no roof when I started attending Leeds games in the 63/64 season.

Three-quaters of the West Stand was seated.

[CUSSIE01]

The kop was all terracing & with no roof when I started attending Leeds games in the 63/64 season.

Three-quaters of the West Stand was seated.

Didn’t even realise ER was built in 1863/64.
Sorry Hector, beat you to it.

[1964white]

Didn’t even realise ER was built in 1863/64.
Sorry Hector, beat you to it.

OMG!

Hector's clone.

[Volvo Jack]

Your mention of 1960s reminds me that in the early part of that year you could get a ticket for the Stands quite easily. I picked two up earlier in the day and went down about an hour before kick off. We had a couple of pints and then heard the roar of the crowd just before kickoff. Looked at our Row number "Excuse" me a few time not very popular but got there with Harry in front. Sat down and there was a body underneath me. I apologised, checked my seat and this geezer was in my seat. The game had just started and I said "Show me your Ticket" he just patted his pocket . next thing someone from the back shouted "Sit down you fat ba***rd" I looked up but it just a sea of faces. It turned out that his seat was the one in front, same
number so throughout the game I nudged his head quite hard with my knee.

[Volvo Jack]

I was home on leave from the R.A.F. and the main Stand had just burnt down mid 1950s Long time ago I had a photo of John Charles leading the team out through the wreckage of the burnt Stand. don't think it would be that concerning
because one of the directors was Harry Reynolds who apart from being a Director was in the Steel and Erection business and his name and Co. plastered all over the Stand ends.
Until the Stand was rebuilt the player changed etc. in a hut on Fullerton Park
When I was about 16 I was living in Beeston and saw old Jack the evil
United doorman who used to chase us youngsters with his stick, awful man.
We gave him a mouthful, he just carried on walking.

Kids those days respected elders whereas todays would have wrenched the stick and hit him with it. (Justly so)

[The Subhuman]

Any one else sing Volvo Jack to the tune of Postman Pat...

[CUSSIE01]

Any one else sing Volvo Jack to the tune of Postman Pat...

I didn’t but I do now, thanks a million.

[Volvo Jack]

Wot about "Grocer Jack" ----------- Keith West.

[Volvo Jack]

I was thinking of Billy Bremner and what he did for United, how apart from scoring goals he managed to drag the Team along and score Important goals
Certainly a man for all seasons.
It's difficult to convey this mans Talent to someone who never had the privilege of seeing him play.

Fans talking about the United past also mention John Charles who was probably one of the finest players you could ever see and had the ability to defend brilliantly and also when converted to be a striker was an amazing goal scorer.
We saw him first play at Elland Road when he was seventeen and there was a of talk about him being picked for the friendly match against a Scottish Team.One of their players was a man called Houliston who was Centre Forward for Scotland
and he had some reputation for scoring goals.
Well Charles blotted him out of the game and from then on he was famous.
When we outside the gate getting autographs neither of us got Charles which was our prime aim..

If I had to make a choice between Billy B. and John Charles it would be no
Contest.

Billy was forever iRivalFans called him dirty but he was hard as one had to be in those days. People who were small like him, Alan Ball, Kevin Keegan
playing on muddy pitches, leather boots flying about had to be able to take it as well as giving it out.

F

When I see the sort of very expensive cars modern footballers drive it reminds me of the car Billy drove. He was the only one at Elland Road to have a car that was an advert for the Firm "Tate Of Leeds" which was emblazoned on the Bonnet and Sides. Think it was a Zephyr Zodiac but no one else had one given.

Talking of Charles, United drew Torquay United in the F.A. Cup at Elland Road. 1955 We were in a Division higher and it was expected to be a walkover.
After drawing at Elland Road Leeds had over 600 mile round trip down to the South West.
As the replay was midweek my brother Peter suggested we go. I told him Not likely but was at the Station 9.55pm boarding the Train, that was the cheapest fare. we found out why. it was a Mail Train and stopped at every Station, Nightmare, changed at Birmingham (wait 1 hour) got to Bristol,
change Trains again about 1 hour wait, got to Torquay Lunch time
Every where was closed, met some United supporters, had about 12 cups of tea. then went to the Torquay ground not may Leeds Supporters around.
Everyone there was talking about John Charles as it was probably the first time he had been near the South West.

Pushing to get a better view we were a goal behind with a few minutes and never in the game. 4-0 coming out we were with some other United supporters
In those days Football scarves were not so plentiful, we all wore a Rosette.
Some the size of a Table Mat, some size of a Frying Pan and even bigger.
As we were walking out a local man ran up to us "John Charles, take him home, he is " Rubbish" one of the United supporters was carrying a stick with a Swede or a Turnip on it, the idea that they were like Yokels down there. He wacked this fellow on the head with it.
We were off like a shot, Rosette out of sight. did not fancy a week in the Nick
So got Home mid Morning Thursday.

Me to Brother "I am never going down there or anywhere near there again"
Two months later I was in the R.A.F. and Stationed down in
The South West in Bristol for 3 Three years.

Good thing out of being in Bristol I met and married our Lass, Gwyneth.

[Orange Box]

Wot about "Grocer Jack" ----------- Keith West.

Pretty sure you don’t t want that Jack. It’s about an old bloke who plops his clogs.

[Volvo Jack]

Pretty sure you don’t t want that Jack. It’s about an old bloke who plops his clogs.

Hello
I have recently moved up to about 20 tablets a day and our lass is shuffling
the Insurance papers but I have a pact with Satan, I am not going until United do the Double, Cup and League So Popping Clogs is not an option.

Is Cas. Vegas Country also Viv Nick Country ??

[Orange Box]

Hello
I have recently moved up to about 20 tablets a day and our lass is shuffling
the Insurance papers but I have a pact with Satan, I am not going until United do the Double, Cup and League So Popping Clogs is not an option.

Is Cas. Vegas Country also Viv Nick Country ??

Viv Nick, her mum lived on our street. Haven’t you heard about the three towns?
Cas Vegas, Ponte Carlo, and Fev-erley Hills. It’s posh round where I used to live, doncha know.

[Volvo Jack]

My adventurers in Cas.
Blue Cup Cafe every morning for 2 poached eggs on toast
Castleford lad took me to factory making crisps "Castle Crisps" Exciting.
Crystal Ball Night Club, bit rough. Doorman asks "Are you carrying Gun or Knife ?
When I said No he then said "Which would you like to choose
Have you relatives in Normanton ? Sir ?"

[Volvo Jack]

Sundays game with Norwich will remind me of my ex school pal Terry who was captain of Norwich many years ago and famously took them to the Semi- Final of the F.A. Cup in the late 1950s when they were in very low division.
He had made a bit of a name for himself by scoring 2 goals in the first half against Manchester City in his first full game for Bolton who won the game 2 - 3

Guess who scored the 2 goals for Manchester City. our own Don Revie.

[Volvo Jack]

Mixed time for me in the winter !947, There was Ice and Snow every where, can't remember if any United games were off as although the Snow could have laid matches used to go ahead.
I was in the Intermediates football team (11-13s) our kit was Green shirt and White

shorts, they had been the Seniors kit so were a bit too big, worn and generally tatty.
This was Mount St. Marys school on Richmond Hill and the four Teachers there were not really interested. Then one day anew Teacher arrived, a Mr. Gregg, he was quite young compared to to the other Teachers an immediately took charge of us. For the first time we had someone interested. He had one hour on a "Tuesday training". This was the only thing we hated. he had us running around a space called Old Park, then we had football. The surface was like Shale but with large partly broken brick flattened , this was where a bomb had dropped and the crater filled
during W.W.2.



If you scored a goal there no sliding on knees .like today.

Mr Gregg got us going round houses collecting Glass jars (Jam) and turning them into money 1d. each. must have got a grant from somewhere because one day he told the team including me. "We are getting a new kit"
We could not believe it. Soon after the captain,Teacher and myself walked down to Lower Briggate and to a Sports shop called
Wainwrights which was just before the Leeds Bridge on the right. we went in and our Teacher
told him what we wanted and he got a parcel off a shelf, opened it up. Brian and I looked at each other. Out came a Kit, shirts, shorts and socks, School colours Green and White. The man held the shirt up to my chest checking for size and I nearly passed out. on the way back to School Brian and I took turns carrying the Parcel.
When i got home
and told Dad, who a part of a Bricklaying Gang, Home because of the extreme weather he had not worked for 6 weeks Told him all about this.
A couple of days later He told me that just that as a coincidence he had a mate who's Lad had grown out of his football boots and did not want them. He said Try them on, I did and they were just right size for me. It was the first pair of boots of my own, Never twigged that he had got them on purpose.
Did not sleep much Monday or Tuesday night. On the Wednesday Morning about half past seven I went in to see my Dad who was still in bed. I said you will come this afternoon and see our new kit. We were to play on East End Park that day. He said he would and I made him promise. Off we went, my Brother and I, me to School and him to College but we both went on the same Tram to start with.
All morning I was waiting and we were all excited. We were playing in the School Yard
after dinner when a Lad called Degnan who lived on the same road as I did and went home for dinner. He said something like
"Do you want to go home this afternoon because your Dad is dead" I did not really understand
He said it again and I went to the Headmaster Mr. Keogh who said "True or not, go home." I got the Tram to the Gipton Estate and it used to stop at the end of our road. Can't remember if I ran or walked but as our house had a Bay window with glass sides and I could see the White Sheet over the window, went in and my Mam, sister Mary Brother Peter were stood in the dark, we just stood there and cried.
79 years ago when this happened. So my Father never got to see me in the brand new kit and when I did get to wear it was never the same.
My Dad was not the slightest bit interested in Football, only Horse Racing. and a Drink or two, but in the short time he had he always took us to Our Home games.

Later that year we were pally with the same Turnstile man at Elland Road and climbing over it, saving 6d. Not long after I was playing in Mt St. Mary's Senior Team and United sent Four
Vouchers for Free Entry Home Matches but that a Bun Fight getting more than the one.
We still went to Elland Road 12.30pm. to go where we could and get to roam around especially the present Kop although it was just open an Terrace the view below was wonderful, so much activity Below.even though it was a Saturday,Lorries Cement Mixers etc.
Lovely to get in the Ground about I.pm and leave out 5pm especially if we had won.

No Tv. No phones, No Radio most of the time (That thing did quite some mileage back and forth
quite often)

Apologies for going a bit,

[whiteswan]

That's a great read Jack, but so sad that your Dad didn't get to see you play in your new kit and especially the boots he'd got for you.

I remember getting a pair of football boots, must have been around 1968 and i would have been 13 yrs old. It was when lasses didnt play football like they do now but I loved wearing them and having a kick about with the lads on our Avenue. There was a girl at school called Elizabeth who's mum worked at Stanley Bottomboat, 'Clog 'ole' (well that's what we called it anyway)....she told me that if I gave her a pound she would get me a brand new pair of football boots from said Clog 'ole. (After pleading with my Mum she gave me a pound to give to this girl. Poor Mum, she always wanted a girlie girl but she got this Tom Boy version instead!) Anyway, I got my football boots and was so proud of them.

Just on a side note, talking to Allan Clarke on a corporate visit to Elland road told me that his daughter lived in Bottomboat.

[Volvo Jack]

You seem to struggle to find places to tell your tales of the past, so here is your own thread, for your tales and other members comments........

Thank you. Volvo