When your Hero Answers the Phone
your not sure what to say
Som ung grabb på 60 talet växte jag upp i Stoke-on-Trent, England. Som nästan alla killar blev jag frälst i fotboll och givetvis hejade jag på det lokala fotbollslaget: Stoke City.
Då som nu låg Stoke i Englands högsta division. Och givetvis hade jag ett par hjältar som man såg upp till och låtsades att man var när man jagade en boll på skolgården.
Eftersom Stoke hade världens bästa målvakt då dvs. Gordon Banks, var jag alltid ”Banksy” om jag stod i mål. Men när jag spelade ute var jag alltid Harry Burrows. Harry är säkert okänd för de flesta här i Sverige, men jag kan lova att i Stoke-on-Trent på 60 talet var han en gud.
Harry spelade på vänsterkanten och sköt som en häst. Han köptes från Aston Villa 1965 och spelade 245 matcher för Stoke innan han såldes till Plymouth Argyle 1974. Under hans tid gjorde han över 80 mål.
Av en slump hittade jag hans telefonnummer när jag surfade på nätet. På vinst och förlust ringde jag honom. Så paff jag blev när han svarade. Jag frågade nervöst om jag kunde ställa ett par frågor till honom för vår hemsida. ”Inga problem”, svarade han.
Så med hjälp av hans dotter Wendy fick jag svar på ett antal frågor.
Här kommer frågorna och Harrys svar:
Del 1
1/ Where did you grow up and what was it like growing up just after the war in England?
I grew up in Haydock, Lancashire, which was a mining village between Wigan and St Helens. We had a happy childhood even though we had a lot of shortages. Just after the war, we had food rationing and sweet rationing, but, if your family worked in the mines they had a coal concession so you never went cold. It was very good for our character which helped us through our life now.
2/ Which team did you follow as a young boy?
Everton.
3/ Could you tell us how your life of a professional footballer started?
I always played football from being a child and played in the school team at the various school ages. After leaving school at 15 I played for my local youth club and it was there that various clubs began to take interest in me. The clubs that came for me at the time were Burnley, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, and eventually Aston Villa whom I joined aged 16.
4/ Was it difficult leaving home so early? Where did you live?
It was strange at first living in digs (inneboende) in Birmingham but I was looked after very well. I was with two more players in the same house and we all got on well together.
5/ Can you remember how much you got paid for your first professional contract?
On joining the ground staff at Villa I was paid £3. a week, plus my digs and expenses home once a month. I signed a part-time contract aged 17 for £5. a week plus expenses because my father didn’t want me to sign full-time, so, I worked with my father in Lancashire and travelled to Birmingham for the matches.
6/ You made your debut, strangely enough, against the Swedish side GAIS: can you remember the game?
Yes, I made my debut against G.A.I.S. when I was 17 and still part-time professional. It was a game organised to open the floodlights for the very first time in November 1958. I played inside-left, No 10 for this game and managed to score one of the goals in a 3-1 victory.
7/ You were 5 years in the Villa first team, what were the highlights?
I enjoyed playing at the Villa – it was a lovely stadium and we had 4 or 5 players who came through together from the youth team. My league debut was on Boxing Day at Hull City, which I always remember, but probably my best highlight was to win the League Cup in 1961 when it was played for the first time ever. Another highlight was my first hat-trick against Blackpool, away.
8/ You left for Stoke in 1965, why did you leave Villa?
The maximum wage had just been lifted and I had just got married. I asked for a rise of £5. on my basic , which I didn’t think excessive, but it was still refused. I asked for a transfer and they offered to pay the rise but I refused on principle – that’s how I came to Stoke City who gave me £15. Extra!
9/ Players didn´t have agents in those days, were negotiations all done between yourself and the manager?
We didn’t have agents in those days so you did all your own negotiations. In fact, I think I would probably not have any agent if I was playing today – I would prefer to do it myself.
10/ What were the major differences between Stoke City and Aston Villa back then?
At Villa the club had a lot of prestige and was steeped in history, with facilities second to none. However, Stoke had just been promoted to the first division and had started to sign some very good players. They seemed to be very forward looking and obviously a club on the up.
11/ Funnily enough, my first actual memory of a Stoke match was a game against Aston Villa in December 1966, which was a special occasion for you. Can you tell us what happened?
This was a special occasion because it was a game in which I scored 3 goals in a 6-1 win against my old club. We played well that day in dark, muddy, wet conditions.
12/ You did have a good record against your old club as I recall.
Yes, I had a good record against my old club, scoring 6 goals in 4 or 5 games against them.
13/ As a winger in the late sixties, there were plenty of tough (dare I say dirty) full-backs. Which ones do you remember?
Tackling from behind was allowed in those days, so you did have to look out for yourself. Paul Reany of Leeds United and John Angus of Burnley were always tough opponents, but I would not say they were dirty.
14/ Stoke were a good home team but poor away from home. Why was this do you think?
We probably didn’t play as well away, like you say, I don’t know why because we had good defenders. We did tend to play, possibly, too open sometimes because we were a good football team. We did improve later with the likes of Marsh, Pejic, Smith, Bloor – local players who made good.
15/ However, one away win will always be remembered: 4-3 away to West Ham after being 3 – 0 down at half time. You scored twice. Do you remember the game?
We came in at 3-0 down against a very good West Ham team but we never thought that was it. Like ourselves West Ham never shut up shop and once we got to 3-2 we always thought we had a chance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaJlSUWOpPg
Del 2 kommer på fredag
