Happy Days!

Happy days indeed. Some great characters in there and I remember them well. We felt like a very well established top flight team and at my young age (13) it never entered my head we could be anything else.

But I think we were already at the beginning of our first plummet into the third division.

What would we give now for a pair of full backs like Don Megson and Wilf Smith? Mobley was a proper rock, specially designed to deal with old fashioned centre forwards. Not sure how he'd fare in today's game.

This was a side in a transition period..

..that is, replacing good players that had gone ,with new good players..

..players that had to be replaced ..

Ron Springett ..Goal
Brian Hill ..R.B
Peter Swan..C.H
Tony Kay.. all over the field
David 'Bronco' Layne..C.F
David Ford..Inside Forward
Colin Dobson.. Magical Winger
Dereck Wilkinson.. Winger
Alan Finney..Winger / true blue.. to name some

The players named in this 1967 side were also replaced over the next few years..

.. but not phased replacements..

.. more of the bing bang..

.. later to be repeated in our history..

..a Manager is very lucky to replace half of the team and have world beaters, ask Sir Alex

I remember 'Big Vic' - i think he would do well in today's game - not many of todays forwards would get past him - I don't remember him being a dirty player - as you say - just a rock and strong with it. I love the old pictures of him - his shirt looks like it is painted on!!