RIP - Gordon Neate

[Forbury Lion]

RIP

I'm sure I spotted him on the Lower West concourse at one of the last two home games (probably the West Brom game).

[bagman]

Fred was a great club servant and should be remembered in some way.

But I'll always remember when he applied weedkiller instead of fertiliser at Elm Park. Looked like a paddy field for weeks !

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

RIP to a true club icon.

[Victor Meldrew]

And of course "Lofty" shouting out "England B" whenever Dave Meeson touched the ball-his voice could easily be heard as far away as under the clock.

Yes, I remember Lofty well, but was not the "England B" shout several years earlier than that? I seem to recall that it referred to Stan Wicks.

No it was definitely Dave Meeson-Stan Wicks left the year before I started going.
There was disagreement at the time over who was the best keeper out of Meeson and Dave Jones.

[Zip]

And of course "Lofty" shouting out "England B" whenever Dave Meeson touched the ball-his voice could easily be heard as far away as under the clock.

Yes, I remember Lofty well, but was not the "England B" shout several years earlier than that? I seem to recall that it referred to Stan Wicks.

No it was definitely Dave Meeson-Stan Wicks left the year before I started going.
There was disagreement at the time over who was the best keeper out of Meeson and Dave Jones.

Vic. Did you attend the really early games pre war? (Boer War)

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Except it was "Golden Goal" not Golden Gamble - based on the time the first goal was scored as I recall.

Ah yes, of course it was..... Senility creeps in.....

And who used to put up the half time scores using the recycled cricket scoreboard numbers?

[AthleticoSpizz]

Dunno, but “Henry” also used to sell (or at least used to distribute) the Evening Post prior to KO.

I remember acquiring (at least) one on a sleety windy game and wrapping it around my cherubic torso to keep warm.

Apparently his private life was something that might be under ‘scrutiny’ in todays society.

[Royal & Ancient]

Wow - this is getting more and more nostalgic!! I remember Lofty selling the evening paper - can't recall which one - and as he made his way around the ground, on the path in front of the stands, he would constantly shout "England B"!! Together with the smell of far too well-cooked onions it remains one of my abiding memories of Elm Park. First went there in 1948 when a certain policeman known as W G Amor was playing for us on the wing.

Bill Amor (sgt) often used to man a police box in the middle of Cemetary Junction before traffic lights with the trams rattling around him.

[Victor Meldrew]

And of course "Lofty" shouting out "England B" whenever Dave Meeson touched the ball-his voice could easily be heard as far away as under the clock.

Yes, I remember Lofty well, but was not the "England B" shout several years earlier than that? I seem to recall that it referred to Stan Wicks.

No it was definitely Dave Meeson-Stan Wicks left the year before I started going.
There was disagreement at the time over who was the best keeper out of Meeson and Dave Jones.

Vic. Did you attend the really early games pre war? (Boer War)

There are some that go further back than me as seen in this topic-I started in 1954.
Incidentally in the great keeper debate of the late 50s I preferred Dave Jones (Welsh) to Dave Meeson-it's only Welsh full-backs that I detest.

[Edelston & Brice]

Heavens above - we're talking about things that happened over 60 years ago! Anyway, I also preferred Dave Jones - seem to recall that he was called up to the Welsh squad at one time but never became an international.

[Sutekh]

No it was definitely Dave Meeson-Stan Wicks left the year before I started going.
There was disagreement at the time over who was the best keeper out of Meeson and Dave Jones.

Vic. Did you attend the really early games pre war? (Boer War)

There are some that go further back than me as seen in this topic-I started in 1954.
Incidentally in the great keeper debate of the late 50s I preferred Dave Jones (Welsh) to Dave Meeson-it's only Welsh full-backs that I detest.

Is that a pop at Linden Jones?

[Denver Royal]

Great to hear the stories of yesteryear.

RIP Gordon.

[Victor Meldrew]

Vic. Did you attend the really early games pre war? (Boer War)

There are some that go further back than me as seen in this topic-I started in 1954.
Incidentally in the great keeper debate of the late 50s I preferred Dave Jones (Welsh) to Dave Meeson-it's only Welsh full-backs that I detest.

Is that a pop at Linden Jones?

No, just modern full-backs.

I quite liked other welsh players such as Tom Jones, Adie (kinda Welsh) and my old mate Mike Walker who won a number of Welsh caps despite not making it at his home town club.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Just seen this in The Chronicle, funeral 22 may 10-45 am at Reading Crematorium..

How sad, like many I remember him and his fork at EP at half time

[Dawn]

There are some that go further back than me as seen in this topic-I started in 1954.
Incidentally in the great keeper debate of the late 50s I preferred Dave Jones (Welsh) to Dave Meeson-it's only Welsh full-backs that I detest.

Is that a pop at Linden Jones?

No, just modern full-backs.

I quite liked other welsh players such as Tom Jones, Adie (kinda Welsh) and my old mate Mike Walker who won a number of Welsh caps despite not making it at his home town club.

Who was worse...Chris Gunter or Paul Bodin??

[Zip]

Is that a pop at Linden Jones?

No, just modern full-backs.

I quite liked other welsh players such as Tom Jones, Adie (kinda Welsh) and my old mate Mike Walker who won a number of Welsh caps despite not making it at his home town club.

Who was worse...Chris Gunter or Paul Bodin??

Bodin. At lest Gunter didn’t miss a bloody penalty preventing Wales from qualifying for the World Cup Finals.

[Victor Meldrew]

Is that a pop at Linden Jones?

No, just modern full-backs.

I quite liked other welsh players such as Tom Jones, Adie (kinda Welsh) and my old mate Mike Walker who won a number of Welsh caps despite not making it at his home town club.

Who was worse...Chris Gunter or Paul Bodin??

That's a good one Dawn.
One was slow but was (for us) a good dead-ball kicker.
The other has been quick but can't defend.
If pushed I would go for Gunter because he cost a tidy amount of money and was bought because he was considered to be of Premier League standard but hasn't been.

BTW I dislike that other welsh softy Robson-Kanu even more than gentle Chris..

[Jackson Corner]

Very sad news and condolences to his family.

Fred forking the pitch at EP at h/t, Jimmy Wallbanks running on the with the magic sponge and the chap whose name I forget now - short, always wore a bobble hat and traipsed around the cinder before game selling Golden Gamble - are three endearing and enduring memories of EP.

Think his name was Henry?

Yes it was

This has bugged me for years, My first game was 1978 and I remember the HT scores you matched in the programme from board at the side of the pitch. I used to do this then get home to find the scores were all wrong! This went on for years and nobody at the club seemed to bothered until the scores were out over the PA about 5 years behind other clubs. Henry I don’t think was quite the full ticket so maybe someone at the club gave him a job out of kindness. He used to wear the same grey jacket and trousers not many teeth and the blue and white bobble hat

[paddy20]

Think his name was Henry?

Yes it was

This has bugged me for years, My first game was 1978 and I remember the HT scores you matched in the programme from board at the side of the pitch. I used to do this then get home to find the scores were all wrong! This went on for years and nobody at the club seemed to bothered until the scores were out over the PA about 5 years behind other clubs. Henry I don’t think was quite the full ticket so maybe someone at the club gave him a job out of kindness. He used to wear the same grey jacket and trousers not many teeth and the blue and white bobble hat

I bumped into him with Jimmy Wheeler about 3/4 years ago. Had a good chat with them Jimmy saying he was still a better header than Gordon despite being a foot shorter. Cant say I agree with your comment about him as he was very articulate

[Jackson Corner]

Yes it was

This has bugged me for years, My first game was 1978 and I remember the HT scores you matched in the programme from board at the side of the pitch. I used to do this then get home to find the scores were all wrong! This went on for years and nobody at the club seemed to bothered until the scores were out over the PA about 5 years behind other clubs. Henry I don’t think was quite the full ticket so maybe someone at the club gave him a job out of kindness. He used to wear the same grey jacket and trousers not many teeth and the blue and white bobble hat

I bumped into him with Jimmy Wheeler about 3/4 years ago. Had a good chat with them Jimmy saying he was still a better header than Gordon despite being a foot shorter. Cant say I agree with your comment about him as he was very articulate

Henry was not an ex player unless we are at cross swords. The chap I am thinking of would be a long time dead.