guernsey-vcd-21-240919

Paul Martin remembers his special games
I am sure most supporters have some special games which stick in the memory for whatever
reason. Here are a few of mine.
Leeds United 7 Chelsea 0 - October 1967
I left the security of my family in 1967 for Yorkshire and three years at Leeds University. A bit
of a culture shock to begin with, my first year being in a back to back street house (my mother
was appalled) sharing two attic rooms with three medical students. Our landlady, a fiery Irish
woman, supplied breakfast every day – spaghetti on toast with a poached egg! Every single
day!
It did, however, give me the opportunity over these 3 years to visit all of the Football League
grounds in the area and some a bit further afield. Enjoyed visits to York City, Bradford City,
Bradford Park Avenue (a league team at the time), Halifax Town, Huddersfield Town, Barnsley,
Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City as well as Manchester United, Liverpool,
Burnley and Newcastle United.
On my first Saturday of residence, I walked to Elland Road and stood on the vast open terrace.
After a 7-0 victory, how could I not become a closet Leeds fan! A crowd of 40,460 saw
goals from Albert Johannson, Jimmy Greenhoff, Jack Charlton, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray,
Billy Bremner and a Marvin Hinton own goal. Also in the team that day: Gary Sprake, Paul
Reaney, Paul Madeley, Norman Hunter and Mick Jones. The real start of the Don Revie Era.
Toronto Blizzard 2 Edmonton Drillers 1 – May 1981
In May 1981, my wife and I booked plane tickets to New York with Freddie Laker to visit some
relatives of my Mother in Canada and some friends of my Mother-In-Law in Philadelphia.
Spent a week in Philadelphia and managed to see my one and only live baseball match. After
a week or so we drove up to Canada to visit my relatives. On the way home, we spent a few
days in Toronto before flying back to New York and home.
Purely by chance (?), I found out that Toronto Blizzard were at home in the North American
Soccer League at the Exhibition Stadium not far from the CN Tower. The stadium was massive
but only a tiny crowd in attendance. All I can remember is that the snacks were excellent.
The stadium was multi-purpose being used by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football
League and the Toronto Blue Jays for Major League baseball. The stadium was demolished
in 1999.
I have (or had) a programme for this game but unable to locate it. Toronto Blizzard were managed
by Keith Eddy, ex Watford, Sheffield United and New York Cosmos and included in their
squad Clyde Best, Colin Franks, Jimmy Greenhoff and Alex Cropley. They had a fairly unsuccessful
season winning 7 and losing 25. At least I saw one of the seven!
Edmonton Drillers were only slightly better that season winning 12 and losing 20. Neither
side qualified for the North American Soccer League Play-Offs and neither side stayed in existence
in that form for much longer.
Part 2 to follow in a future programme.