Old Sod's Army- Was anyone there?

[bog]

Was anyone there when Malcolm MacDonald made his full debut on a Friday night v Palace in 1968? We won 1-0 by way of Malcolm and he could have scored 4! 

Thank you and good night.

  

[Ronnief]

The only time I wrote to Fulham Management about a player was after this match. I thought MacDonald was the best promising Centre forward I'd seen at Fulham. I had watched him play in the reserves and can remember one shot he took hitting the railings by the cottage and bursting the ball such was the strength of his shot. Sadly they didn't take any notice of my comments and they sold him. 

[Dr Know]

Wasn't his full debut away to Oxford the previous Saturday ?

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

I was there that evening and also when he returned the following season playing for Luton Town. Inevitably he scored!
The last time I saw him was parking locally outside Ray Harford's house back in the Eighties.Judging by the battered car he was driving he had not made his millions out of football.

[Colton F.C.]

I was there.  We absolutely roasted Palace but missed a myriad number of chances mostly by MacDonald but at least he got the goal.  Somehow Palace went on to be promoted and Fulham to relegation and thirty years in the wilderness.

Despite the misses, for anyone there, 18 year old Supermac had shown enough to be a player of immense potential who should have been nurtured into leading us back  into the big time.

Still waiting for the 'independent commission' to report as to why he was sold to Luton.

[colinwhite]

I was there . You could see he was something special . He had pace and skill and power. That we sold him for 17500 pounds has always annoyed me.
He broke a 6 game goal drought that night too if I'm not mistaken !

[Dodgin]

I must have been there but not recalling the game, remember being totally shocked that he left, what a catastrophe leaving for Luton.

[Mullers75]

I was there, Mac scored at the Putney End, our first goal for ages.

My recollection is he was dropped later in the season after a falling out with Haynes, and ended up top scorer in the reserves, who I think finished runners-up to Arsenal in the Combination.

[filham]

As i remember things didn't we think he was a better left back than a center forward. Wnyway we certainly failed to recognise what he had to offer as a striker, pace and power in abundance.

[bog]

Yes I stand corrected, his full debut was at Oxford the week before but his at actual debut was as a sub mid week up at Bramall Lane. Another 1-0 loss, I remember buying the local paper and they had the line ups with a Macdonald as our sub. Who was he I thought. I soon found out.
I think he was sold as he didn't get on with Johnny Haynes.
In later seasons Bobby Robson used to say that Malcolm was a left back with us. No he wasn't, he may have begun as one but never the for us.  Very upsetting when he was sold.

          

[Zendra]

We lost Rodney Marsh around the same time.

What brilliant management !

[bog]

We lost Rodney Marsh around the same time.

What brilliant management !

They were both heart breaking.

[gang]

We lost Rodney Marsh around the same time.

What brilliant management !

Rodney Marsh sale financed Alan Clarke purchase

[Lewes White]

Yes I was there too, good strike at the Putney End, didn't he start out as a full back..

[bog]

Yes I was there too, good strike at the Putney End, didn't he start out as a full back..

We signed him from Tonbrigde where he was a full back but I don't think he played in the first team as one. 

[ron]

Just realised from this thread that I witnessed his debut for us at Oxford United on the Saturday previous to the Palace game. I do remember coming away from the game beginning to realise that an early return to the top flight was not going to happen after a string of losses.

[garence]

I remember that impressive  goal v Palace, dribbling the ball around John Jackson (Sloane Grammar v St Clement Danes). So, I wasn't the only person to write to the club about him; in my case after he was unforgivably sold. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply, albeit bland, from Graham Hartop(?). MM and Vic Halom would have made a terrific duo up front. It was Harry Haslam, who had managed him at Tonbridge, I think, who recommended him to the club. 

[bog]

At the Oxford game, right near the end, we were well on top and their right back, Richard Lucas, was blatantly wasting time in the corner right in front of me. I politely mentioned this to him in a sporting manner and he stopped to give me the V sign which was caught on the tv camera. Not much of a claim to fame but I was there for my team.   


    

[CorkCity]

I was probably there, first game 1967, went to all the games as lived in Holyport, never paid to get in though, bunk in under the gate

[MickTheBeard]

I was there, Mac scored at the Putney End, our first goal for ages.

My recollection is he was dropped later in the season after a falling out with Haynes, and ended up top scorer in the reserves, who I think finished runners-up to Arsenal in the Combination.