Bobby Robson

[colcliff]

 I have noticed lately how negative things have been getting on here and thought I would relate something that happened to me a good few years ago
In 1966 I had just started my new secondary school  and we had slightly different holidays to some other schools in the area . on one of these days all my mates were at school  and I had nothing to do, I had heard that Fulham were going to train on the red grass in Hurlingham park. so i took myself off there to watch training
when I arrived the players were already warming up , then Bobby Robson spotted me and came across and wanted to know why I was bunking off school. I explained the situation which i felt h did not quite believe but told me if i stayed outside the caged area and collected any balls that went over ( of which there were a lot as the shooting was no better in those days ) he would make sure i got any autographs I wanted.
After training i did get all the autographs  and most of the players were leaving when Bobby came up and asked if I played football   I said "yes"   
then with just me and him on the red grass he did a passing heading and shooting session with me and he must have stayed for about half an hour
this was years ago  but is still one of the greatest days of my life
I had been supporting Fulham since 1959 but after that I never missed a match for years
he was a great man  and a gentleman  i just wondered if anyone else had an experience of bobby or any other player doing something like that

[sunburywhite]

Did anyone go to Bentalls in Kingston, probably around 1964/65 (don't remember exact dates)

They used to have a sports week and they would have Fulham players one day, Chelsea another etc in the sports hall and you could do headers to each other , beat the keeper tc

[colinwhite]

On the eve of the 75 cup final my dad (we had been supporting Fulham for 20 yrs at that point ) and I had been to the  quarter final and both semis following our great cup run, but still didn't have a ticket for the final( i thought ).
Then my dad said "I've got a surprise for you , we are going to pick up our cup final tickets !"
Great I thought but what i didn't know was about to be revealed . We went round to this ordinary looking semi (i forget where ) and get asked in by a middle -aged couple . Then the man  then says , shouting up the stairs  "wait a minute , John can you come down ? "
Then to my amazement the great Johnny (maesro) Haynes himself walks in clad in a towel having just taken a shower after a  run , bronzed looking as he was living in SA at the time .
It turned out Johnnys dad  worked for my fathers firm and was glad to help us out .
Johnny himself was very friendly and was looking forward to the game . Still can't believe when I think about it . What a player he was !

[Fulham1959]

Brilliant story, Colcliff !

Sometime in the Autumn of 1962 I travelled from Stoke to Nottingham by train with my brother Roland, who was a Forest fan at the time.  As we got to the ground, I spotted Bobby Robson walking from the car park by himself (maybe he had driven there) and I managed to get his autograph.  Lovely man.

On the way back to the station after the match we passed by Notts County's ground.  There had almost certainly been a reserve match played that afternoon.  The gates at one end were opened and so we walked up onto the terrace behind one goal.  I was surprised to see grass (weeds) growing through the concrete steps and it was the first time I saw the poorer side of football.  I was 14 at the time.

[Only Me]

I used to go and see them train at Hurlingham in the early sixties, they were always laughing and joking, always signed autographs with a smile never once did my hero Johnny Haynes turn me down, and guess what you could actually read the signatures unlike the squiggles so called star players sign today. They used to jog through Bishops Park to Hurlingham park from the Cottage, do a few laps around the red ash-felt have a game between them, then jog back to the Cottage.
Not sure they would have liked Magaths training methods
Happy days  049:gif

[ealex40]

A friend of mine, when he was a young teenager growing up in Fulham, was surprised when Bobby Robson called at their home to go on a date with my friend's older sister. Being an excited fan of Fulham, my friend chatted with Bobby while the sister was getting ready. My friend asked Bobby, "do you think we're going to win on Saturday? To which Bobby replied, "Who are we playing?"

I thought Bobby was great and went to see him play for West Brom in his first game for them against Man City. Citeh won 4-0.

I still have a newspaper cutting, showing our attacking trio of Haynes, Jezzard and Robson and Newcastle's offer of 60,000 pounds to buy them all!

COYW

[sunburywhite]

Vic Buckingham's brother worked in Covent Garden where my dad worked so Dad arranged for me to get taken around the cottage by Vic probably 1966/67

I saw the maestro in the treatment table and some of the lads were practising penalties so the put me in goal at the Hammy end. Needless to say I was not within 10 feet of them

[jms]

Did anyone go to Bentalls in Kingston, probably around 1964/65 (don't remember exact dates)

They used to have a sports week and they would have Fulham players one day, Chelsea another etc in the sports hall and you could do headers to each other , beat the keeper tc

Certainly did.....got Graham Leggat's; Jimmy Hills and JH's autographs.....I think a bit later, Stevie Earle's as well.

But even more interesting does anyone remember 'Jimminy Jingle' the huge blue and white balloon like character who adorned the outside round corner of Bentalls every Christmas in the 50s ? My Mum used to take me on the bus from Thames Ditton, every other day, just to sit on the  church wall opposite and stare in awe at it. Or did I dream it ? !!!

[MasterHaynes]

Both of you were so lucky, would have given my eye teeth to have experienced either of them. Two great stories of two great players from a very different time when superstars did not live in mansions behind locked gates removed far from fans and charge the earth for just  appearing in an interview. l understand its different now with lots of crazies but can't imagine any of them doing what Bobby and Johnny did back then. Oh those bygone simpler times 092.gif

[VicHalomsLovechild]

   I had a spell driving for the BBC. Bobby was at TV centre Shepherds Bush and I got the job to drive him down to Fulham. I said I'd seen him play for Fulham when I was a kid and was a supporter. He said who was your favourite player. I said Vic Halom. With that I heard him undo his seat belt and he stuck his head between the front seats and said. I signed him for Fulham. He then went on to recount how Cloughie turned up and tried to nick the deal at the last minute. We chatted on for the thirty odd minutes it took me to get him back to Fulham (I wasn't going to rush was I) Then there was about five minutes worth of him trying to give me a fiver tip and me refusing. He was such an enthusiastic bloke.

[bog]

Wonderful stories.

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[bog]

Sorry the last posting was supposed to be a  092.gif its and age thing.

092.gif

[Fulham58]

johnny Haynes all stars used to play @ hampton each year in some sort of charity game my dad always used to take me, I have JH autograph going back to then which I keep meaning to frame with a photo. Seem to recall Tommy Steele playing but not sure.

[bill taylors apprentice]

As a kid in the sixties I used to hang around the cottage to see the players after training.

One day my mates and I had been playing footie in Bishops Park and when Bobby Robson came out he asked for the ball and promptly organised us into a kick about in Stevenage road and joined in for a couple of minutes.

Great man!

[colcliff]

 Isn't it strange that all these stories seem to come from the 60s
was it perhaps we made them more of an idol than they do now  or was it the players were a lot different
often when walking to a home game through bishops park in the 60s  the younger players that were in the side would be walking through as well after getting a train to Putney bridge  and would always take time to walk along talking to supporters.
the one I met most was a young centre back Dave Roberts  ( a real nice young lad)
and when I was very young Tosh Chambelain lived quite close and kids would knock on his door and ask if tosh could come out to play  which he often would
  great days  so sad they have gone   

[ealex40]

I remember going to watch us play at Shrewsbury in the late '60's and from the railway station to the ground was a fair walk. Well the Fulham lads had the same walk and most of them chatted with the fans and I walked with Cliff Jones, who we had signed from Spurs. After a friendly chat, he and the others went their way and we supporters took our places and watched the match. It was a 1-1 draw.
Afterwards, same thing, walked with the players and on to the train, where Fred Callaghan was making his team mates laugh. I remember him asking, "How can you tell so and so was a Welshman?" ...."Because he had a lump of coal in his pocket!" I'm sure he wasn't referring  to Cliff Jones. Different era, not as many prima donna's and certainly not the wide gulf between their earnings and ours.