For the older fans..

[beijing ben]

Recently saw my old man. He doesn't have the internet but had some interesting memories that some of the older fans might relate to and possibly even remember my dad.

My grandad was a good friend of Tosh Chamberlain. I think they were school friends and remained friends later on. Because of this, my dad was able to go to all our home games in the cottage. He would always go to the games with Tosh's son Steven and they would usually sit on a bench next to the pitch to watch the game. Ive seen others on here talk about a bench next to the pitch. My dad remembers older kids being there. As he got older he went into the stands to watch the game (usually behind the goal that fulham were attacking, moving at half time)

The image of watching the game right next to the pitch is the most colourful to me. He remembers being spat on by Dennis Law (accidently i think!) and players falling into him and steven. If tosh happened to be where they were he would say things to them during the game. Must have been very special. My grandad knew a lot of the players at the time. My dad said that they were all good people and Bobby Robson was always good with them. Johnny Haynes was always in a rush but that was probably down to his high profile at the time.

I know we covered this kind of stuff recently in the favourite player thread but thought i would put this in its own place. Would be great if anyone has pictures of these times or maybe remember similar instances. Personally i love the image of the cottage in the 50s and 60s. When my dad talks about the games he makes haynes sound like Zeus. Wonderful stuff. The stuff of legends..

[Oakeshott]

"he makes haynes sound like Zeus"

He was.

A problem was that his team mates sometimes didn't "read" his play, and for example would stop running just as he threaded a ball through a couple of defenders and, had they continued, would have put them in on goal. On such occasions JH wasn't backward in showing his feelings - sometimes just standing there with hands on hips, but quite often a look. Although he and Tosh were reputed to be good friends, if looks could kill Tosh wouldn't have played in nearly as many games as he did!

Considering the state of the pitches then, the weight of the old balls (especially when wet) and the heavy boots players wore, JH's control and passing ability were remarkable, and the only Fulham player who gets on the same page in modern times in those respects is Danny and, if one was in a truly generous mood, Malbranque.

In one of his more over-the-top moments Jol once said that Berbatov was probably the best player Fulham had ever had. No one who saw JH at his prime would agree with that.

[beijing ben]

Yes Oakeshott. They were good friends. It was tosh's influence that led to Johnny joining the club.

The way you put it about Haynes's reaction with hands on hips and a stare is exactly how my dad put it. But he did say that if there was one person in our team that could (at times) do what Haynes wanted it was Tosh.. Must have been great to see him play in his prime

[Oakeshott]

It was. And in his day we had some other very good players, too. Our keeper in those days, Tony Macedo, was right up there with Mark S and VDS, and I doubt we've ever had a better pair of full backs since. Oddly enough, although we were ok there in the early Haynes days, later on it was the centre back position (or centre half as known then) that was always problematic, John Dempsey excepted, all the way through until Chris Coleman. I've seen some real donkeys play centre half for us.

[grandad]

There was an elderly neighbour of mine who used to sit on the benches in front of the Enclosure. He was also a friend of Tosh. His name was Spud Murphy & he was a potato merchant.
One game Tosh was dithering with a throw in & Spud grabbed the ball & threw it onto the field. The ref waved play on. Biggest cheer of the game.

[bog]

Great tales Bejingben. I had a season sitting on the bench with me long gone Dad in front of the Stevenage Road Stand. We had to walk out where the players did, what a thrill that was! About 1965 that was. Great times.

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[Fernhurst]

Must have seen you Bog !!!! Bored the pants of people with my tales of sitting on those benches but to a 12/13 year old it was just the greatest thrill!

Better still, I have moving pictures from 1964 of my brother and I moving aside to to allow Jim Langley to use his massive throw to Stan Brown to score against Everton

Fantastic memories

[Peabody]

 The dugout was also in front of the Johnny Haynes Stand (Stevenage back then), as well as the disabled fans.

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

As a young teenager brought up by Parsons Green I wasvery lucky  that my Dad was Mayor of Fulham during the important season of 1958/59. That entitled him to two tickets in the old Director's Boxwhich was where the PressBox is now. It was nothing like modern times with a cup of tea and iced bun at half time in a cramped room under the stand.
I saw every home game in the promotion  season from that box sitting behind the directors and hearing their likes and dislikes of various players.
During that season Johnny Haynes wax injured for a short spell and received special treatment sitting in front of me, next to Tommy Trinder.
I have regularly attended the Cottage for 65 years, and some who comment on this forum could learn what loyalty and accepting the ups and downs of our fortunes really means.

[filham]

Wow, some of you guys got really close to our legends, I am green with envy.

Great times, great players, great memories.

Haynes , our best ever player by a country mile.
Haynes / Robson / Jezzard, our best ever strike force.
Tosh, our most loveable character who packed one hell of a shot.

So good to think back to those times.

[beijing ben]

It was. And in his day we had some other very good players, too. Our keeper in those days, Tony Macedo, was right up there with Mark S and VDS, and I doubt we've ever had a better pair of full backs since. Oddly enough, although we were ok there in the early Haynes days, later on it was the centre back position (or centre half as known then) that was always problematic, John Dempsey excepted, all the way through until Chris Coleman. I've seen some real donkeys play centre half for us.

My first game was in 84 so our defence was decent along with peyton in goal but i would agree that coleman was the first one that i saw that i thought was a real quality central defender and leader. In between that time was a conveyer belt of relative uselessness (will always love mr angus though)

[Oakeshott]

Filham

I'm not sure I'd describe Tosh as our most loveable player but he was certainly a character. I think of him and Maurice Cook in the same category - real triers who could be brilliant but were erratic. I remember Maurice taking a shot in front of goal that went out for a throw in, and five minutes later hitting one from more or less the same position right into the corner of the goal. But the best memory of all re Cookie for me was when he shoulder charged the Sheffield Wednesday keeper, who had caught the ball, into the goal and we were given the goal. Not something that could happen today. (I am not 100% certain, but I'm  fairly sure the Wednesday keeper was the excellent Ron Springett.)

[beijing ben]

There was an elderly neighbour of mine who used to sit on the benches in front of the Enclosure. He was also a friend of Tosh. His name was Spud Murphy & he was a potato merchant.
One game Tosh was dithering with a throw in & Spud grabbed the ball & threw it onto the field. The ref waved play on. Biggest cheer of the game.

Excellent grandad. For a moment i thought you would say that he threw on a potato instead of the ball. Still, excellent image. Just the sort of thing my dad comes out with. We had a few beers while we were talking about this so ive forgotten some of the little stories like this but he has a few from watching on the bench. Ill ask him if he remembers spud the next time i speak to him..

[beijing ben]

Great tales Bejingben. I had a season sitting on the bench with me long gone Dad in front of the Stevenage Road Stand. We had to walk out where the players did, what a thrill that was! About 1965 that was. Great times.

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my dad would have been about 17/18 then so he would have been in the stands. Amazing that you could walk out with the players, especially as a kid. No chance that you would support anyone else after that..

[bog]

Fernhurst, what times they were. We could have practiced marching up and down at half time! I was in a photo once in the Sunday People (no not one of those ones!) but I never kept it. As you say we used to throw the ball to the players...my best result whilst sat there was 4-1 v Spuds....  :Haynes The Maestro:

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[Fernhurst]

I have regularly attended the Cottage for 65 years, and some who comment on this forum could learn what loyalty and accepting the ups and downs of our fortunes really means.


Very wise words Loyalist ......

[beijing ben]

Must have seen you Bog !!!! Bored the pants of people with my tales of sitting on those benches but to a 12/13 year old it was just the greatest thrill!

Better still, I have moving pictures from 1964 of my brother and I moving aside to to allow Jim Langley to use his massive throw to Stan Brown to score against Everton

Fantastic memories

Wonderful fernhurst. I was hoping my dad would have a picture from those times, but unfortunately nothing. There is a picture of the family on an impromptu holiday on boxing day,1963. Unbelievable timing!.. Great that you have moving pictures!

[beijing ben]

As a young teenager brought up by Parsons Green I wasvery lucky  that my Dad was Mayor of Fulham during the important season of 1958/59. That entitled him to two tickets in the old Director's Boxwhich was where the PressBox is now. It was nothing like modern times with a cup of tea and iced bun at half time in a cramped room under the stand.
I saw every home game in the promotion  season from that box sitting behind the directors and hearing their likes and dislikes of various players.
During that season Johnny Haynes wax injured for a short spell and received special treatment sitting in front of me, next to Tommy Trinder.
I have regularly attended the Cottage for 65 years, and some who comment on this forum could learn what loyalty and accepting the ups and downs of our fortunes really means.

65 years and counting. Very impressive. My dads first season would have been about 54-55. its been a roller coaster ride. Love hearing the stories from those times. Literally in touching distance..

[Barrett487]

Must have seen you Bog !!!! Bored the pants of people with my tales of sitting on those benches but to a 12/13 year old it was just the greatest thrill!

Better still, I have moving pictures from 1964 of my brother and I moving aside to to allow Jim Langley to use his massive throw to Stan Brown to score against Everton

Fantastic memories

Great memories for you there Fenhurst, this moving picture you mention isn't on youtube i suppose?

[Fernhurst]

Sorry guys, nothing would please me more than to publish.

Stand by for private messages by way of explanation.