Back in the day.

[TANGODANCER]

The Axeman opts for remminiscance when men were men.

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/when-i-was-a-lad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bettyrasta]

The Axeman opts for remminiscance when men were men.

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/when-i-was-a-lad" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very interesting reminiscences. Also seems strange now when seeing older games that passbacks to keepers were gathered into the loving arms of keepers (goalies) to take as long as they wanted as long as they didn't run 4 (?) steps. Offside was easier as well back then.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I certainly remember those days, Ax, and the concussion inducing headers. We even tended to kick with the toe, with its nice toecap, rather than the instep which hurt a lot with a wet ball.

And even more amazingly, when I was a lad, football games were played without substitutes. If a player got injured that was that, he either played on in pain or he left the field of play and his team continued with fewer players than the other side had.

I'm still a bit bitter about the '53 Cup final. Eric Bell tore a hamstring (we were told broken leg at the time which I suppose it was in general terms). He played on and even scored a header to put us up 3-1. The problem was that his job as half back was to mark Stanley Matthews, and he couldn't do it after the injury. Hence the Matthews final, though Sir Stanley had been pretty anonymous until Bell got hurt. I even think we would have been better off with ten men, with an inside forward dropping back to the half back role, rather than letting poor Eric struggle. I have no doubt that but for the injury and/or the no substitute rule, we would have won that day.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

I've never understood how it became the Matthews Final. I would have been a bit pissed off if I was Stan Mortensen.

[Verbal]

Nice piece. However, I have a bone to pick:

Each number represented something specific and designated whether you were a defender or an attacker. The Numbers 2 through to 5 were encouraged to block and tackle. Numbers 6 through to 11 were urged to score.

I'm sorry, but a no.6 in my mind is a centre half and a number 4 is a midfielder. Or is this a more modern deployment?

[Bruno3]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

[bobo the clown]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

... & the centre-half never, EVER came past the half-way line except for corners. Ever.

[Verbal]

So, what you're essentially saying is...

they even knew back then that you shouldn't play 4-4-2?

[The Axman]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Succinctly explained... ta. (I should have put 2 to 6 and 7 to 11 )

[The Axman]

I certainly remember those days, Ax, and the concussion inducing headers. We even tended to kick with the toe, with its nice toecap, rather than the instep which hurt a lot with a wet ball.

And even more amazingly, when I was a lad, football games were played without substitutes. If a player got injured that was that, he either played on in pain or he left the field of play and his team continued with fewer players than the other side had.

I'm still a bit bitter about the '53 Cup final. Eric Bell tore a hamstring (we were told broken leg at the time which I suppose it was in general terms). He played on and even scored a header to put us up 3-1. The problem was that his job as half back was to mark Stanley Matthews, and he couldn't do it after the injury. Hence the Matthews final, though Sir Stanley had been pretty anonymous until Bell got hurt. I even think we would have been better off with ten men, with an inside forward dropping back to the half back role, rather than letting poor Eric struggle. I have no doubt that but for the injury and/or the no substitute rule, we would have won that day.

I love it... controversy still rages after 59 years of hurt.

[Bruno3]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Succinctly explained... ta. (I should have put 2 to 6 and 7 to 11 )

Or alternatively, as we used to do at school "SPREAD OUT"

[The Axman]

[2399]

I've got this match on DVD

Bought when my partner hinted she would go for Blackpool.

She doesn't anymore

[ohjimmyjimmy]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Succinctly explained... ta. (I should have put 2 to 6 and 7 to 11 )

Or alternatively, as we used to do at school "SPREAD OUT"

Playing a flying keeper would have covered it too?

[The Axman]

I've got this match on DVD

Bought when my partner hinted she would go for Blackpool.

She doesn't anymore

What, the "Stanley Matthews" 1953 Cup Final between Bolton and Blackpool, on DVD? I had no idea that the entire match was even on film, never mind digital stuff. Have they got close ups and slow motion replays and different camera angles when twenty men hauled the three and a half ton camera mounted flatbed cart between the halfway line and the corner flag? And has it got original commentary by some geezer with a plummy Bay Bay Say accent and a toothbrush moustache? "I say, and Stanley Mortensen scores directlay from a free keck to claim his het-trick, wizard"

[TANGODANCER]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Is exactly the way it was. Full backs marked wingers, Centre halves marked centre forwards and wing halves marked the inside forwards. Defenders rarely ventures beyond the half way line and full-backs adopted early versions of sweepers by sweeping wingers into the hoardings at every opportunity. Getting " out of position" resulted in severe bolloxings in school teams and a defender scoring was even rarer than anyone left-footed (which guaranteed automatic selection whether you were any good or not).

[Armchair Wanderer]

I've got this match on DVD

Bought when my partner hinted she would go for Blackpool.

She doesn't anymore

What, the "Stanley Matthews" 1953 Cup Final between Bolton and Blackpool, on DVD? I had no idea that the entire match was even on film, never mind digital stuff. Have they got close ups and slow motion replays and different camera angles when twenty men hauled the three and a half ton camera mounted flatbed cart between the halfway line and the corner flag? And has it got original commentary by some geezer with a plummy Bay Bay Say accent and a toothbrush moustache? "I say, and Stanley Mortensen scores directlay from a free keck to claim his het-trick, wizard"

Was just watching the 1958 final (same series of DVDs) the other day. I thought the commentator was biased, even back then Seeing the opposing players run to get the ball for a throw-in was quite odd, although it looks like we want to win more because we seem to be slightly less courteous.

[Bruno3]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Succinctly explained... ta. (I should have put 2 to 6 and 7 to 11 )

Or alternatively, as we used to do at school "SPREAD OUT"

Playing a flying keeper would have covered it too?

The keeper was usually the fat kid who couldn't run so "flying" didn't come into it

[The Axman]

2 and 3 were full backs. 5 was centre half. 4 and 6 were half backs. 7 amd 11 were wingers. 9 was centre forward. 8 and 10 were inside forwards.
4 an 6 played ahead of the back three. 4 linked up with 7 and 8. 6 linked up with 10 and 11. Or at least that was the theory.

Is exactly the way it was. Full backs marked wingers, Centre halves marked centre forwards and wing halves marked the inside forwards. Defenders rarely ventures beyond the half way line and full-backs adopted early versions of sweepers by sweeping wingers into the hoardings at every opportunity. Getting " out of position" resulted in severe bolloxings in school teams and a defender scoring was even rarer than anyone left-footed (which guaranteed automatic selection whether you were any good or not).

I remember asking my PE teacher if I could try playing a "free role" up front "in the manner of Pele". No verbal answer, he just backhanded me across the lughole and never picked me for a game again, all my 'outside' PE lessons after that were taken up with cross country. What made it worse was because the week before I'd accidentally, in my haste to get his attention about something, called him "Dad"! You cannot imagine the intense barracking I got from the rest of the boys, embarrassing doesn't even start to cover it. So I never knew if he exiled me because a) I was an embarrassment, b) I couldn't actually play football very well, c) I'd got ideas above my station, or d) because he didn't think much of me wanting to be like Pele (there was a lot of casual racist stuff about back then, quite casual stuff, everybody at school was white, no ethnic minorities at all. The closest we had to an ethnic minority was a white kid who'd moved into the area from Newcastle - he was treated like an Alien).

[The Axman]

I've got this match on DVD

Bought when my partner hinted she would go for Blackpool.

She doesn't anymore

What, the "Stanley Matthews" 1953 Cup Final between Bolton and Blackpool, on DVD? I had no idea that the entire match was even on film, never mind digital stuff. Have they got close ups and slow motion replays and different camera angles when twenty men hauled the three and a half ton camera mounted flatbed cart between the halfway line and the corner flag? And has it got original commentary by some geezer with a plummy Bay Bay Say accent and a toothbrush moustache? "I say, and Stanley Mortensen scores directlay from a free keck to claim his het-trick, wizard"

£4.99 on Amazon. 6 left in stock. Cheers 2399