19 Sep 2017 12:25:37
With tomorrow night in mind i thought I would do an article about our opponents as I spent the first 40 years of my life living in Burton and have divided loyalties as such.
I have watched Burton in the 60s 70s 80s and 90s before I developed Ms which has now left me paralysed from the waist down. In days long forgotten any gate over 1000 was exceptional and the big games used to be against Tamworth and Gresley rovers. At half time you would either grab a pint of beer, a chip butty or pay a visit to the uncovered urinal depending which was the greater need!
It seems that Ben Robinson has been chairman for ever but he did briefly hand over the reigns to someone i knew well namely jock Gordon. Jock hailed from Glasgow and ran a local transport cafe where for a modest cost you could be fed with a mountain of bacon beans chips eggs and sausages together with a diet Pepsi lol. The downside was that you had to get used to being called an effing English ba. Rd. at all times. That said I worked for a bank close to his cafe and used to phone him up to order various baps butties and cobs for him to deliver which he would always do bless him. To say he was a character is an understatement. At a new years Eve party he was standing on a table singing and dancing and his top set of teeth fell out and landed in someone else's beer. something I can't imagine David Gill doing.
I would guess buttons most notable former player would be Ian Hutchinson who went on to play along side Peter osgood for Chelsea and scoring a late equaliser against Leeds in the 1970 fa cup final. What he was most famous for was the length of his throw ins one of which led to chelseas winner in the cup final reply.
Burton has had some well known managers. You will all know about nigel clough son of Brian and of course his predecessor was Jimmy Floyd hass before his fall from grace. Other previous managers include gary rowett, Roy mcfarland and Ian storey Moore who did of course play for ourselves. Lastly how many of you realised that Burton was the first managerial job for neil warnock 1981 to 1986.
My hope for tomorrow is for a united win but for Burton not to be humiliated. My biggest hope would be for Burton to score so that I can then say that the team i once saw lose 1 0 at home to merthyr Tydfil but that now plays in a division consisting of 2 European cup winners, 3 former division 1 winners and 1 former premiership winner can truly said to be in the big time!
19 Sep 2017 15:22:05
Thanks for sharing this Allan, what a story they are living through right now.
19 Sep 2017 16:35:42
Great post Allan.
Cheers.
19 Sep 2017 20:19:04
Allan,
That brought a lot of memories back as I also was born and bred in that area from the 50's onwards and remember with joy the games between Burton and Gresley Rovers.
Great post.
19 Sep 2017 22:27:16
Great story mate.