Notts County FC | The Movie

this year 2012 the club your Club has proudly celebrated a century and a half of existence we've all experienced some wonderful highs memories of which will always remain with us on the other hand some of the lows have sometimes led many to question whether we would actually Reach This momentous Milestone but here we are each of us in our own way loyally part of the black and white Army itself a family 150 years of knots County the world's oldest football leag club this is our [Music] story [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah the NS victory over Bolton Wonders by four goals to one was thoroughly earned and welld deserved it was indeed Logan's final he shot three of the knots goals and played in most brilliant fashion [Music] throughout [Music] [Music] n [Music] why are you leaving chela Tommy well uh I am leaving Chelsea uh I can't tell you the reasons why I am leaving Chelsea but I shall be in the near future but uh I am unsettled there I'm not happy and the obvious thing is to to leave well the reason I came to uh to Nottingham in the first place was Arthur stery who was then manager of nor County well before he became manager he was the mure at Chelsea and uh I thought unfairly he got the saake through nothing at all he just purely got rid of him and he managed to get this job here at not County and he said to me before he left because we were great friends that If Ever I become a manager will you come to me I said yes Arthur I said and I sh hands on it well I don't think you could compare anyone with Tommy Lon I think he was the ideal Center for for the simple reason is that he could either use both feet and uh as regards heading ability well he was tremendous he he lacked nothing in skill ability reading the game positional play uh you name it Tommy Lorton had it all [Music] I brought Jimmy sirell to nots County I had to persuade him to come he'd never you know he'd been in the South all his life except all his all his managing life he he was a player at Celtic but his managing life was in the South uh I came to the conclusion that I could rely on his judgment and also rely on him not semi blackmailing the club into paying more than they had to buy players as long as Jimmy kept Faith with us I was in determined and my colleagues agreed with me do we keep Faith with him and as a result he was a manager for I think the whole time that I was manager how we had assistant managers but I think he was the ruling manager for the whole by 19 years well then came his crowning achievement their final home game of last season here in the medane crowd salutes County's arrival in division 1 yeah I have been at the top all of the time I've been very successful here but then if you're not successful then you don't last as long as I have that have been great is really you know the players when I come here they were young they were fresh they wanted leading they wanted nursing they wanted encouraging and I gave them this and we were on our way initially we we found him quite a strange man very difficult to understand um with with with with his sayings and he he had a loose tooth at the front which affected his speech they regularly called Aston Ville Aston vanilla um all that type of thing but um he was he was a great boss he was very clear in in his definition of how he wanted us to play we knew what we had to do when we were out there if we weren't functioning out there play the other players on the pitch would let you know that particularly Don Masson as a captain he'd certainly be kicking you up the backside to make sure you were doing it six Footers there's masson's corner there's Brad and there's the goal r it's equalizer R's got it oh what a go what a goal he came from nowhere scops 2-1 that's one against this goalkeeper yes has gets it I always believ that team could have played well it we got promotion 43 without the second but they could have gone straight to the into the first division without any Shadow doubt the team they were that good as a team maybe not individually but as a team we were we were that good we felt um we were in the Pro process of achieving something big we were moving along the line Jimmy sirell um was always very very ambitious there was only one place that he wanted to get to and that was the top level he left us in 1976 I think it was to go to Sheffield United and it didn't work out for him there he came back again uh and then became very successful with Howard Wilkinson to get the club into the Top Flight a lot of prayers must be to how you know and for Jimmy to actually bring him to the club and improved because he went on to have a really successful manager career Howard but I saw that when he first some of the players didn't like him because of his ideas and the way you put things across but uh he proved everybody but like I did you know like in so he did exactly the same in his Manago career um well I know for a fact that how is not given the credit that he deserves for one gaining that promot getting that team into the first division um and I'm not sort of um putting anything that Jimmy did down because he was his knowledge of the game was absolutely fantastic and I'm sure he was a great benefit to how as a young coach and they would obviously bounce ideas off of each other but uh the majority of the work done on the training field was done by how Wilkinson it wasn't done in a long ball fashion um it was done by playing football uh and I can actually remember being part of the team um it was a pre-season I believe it was in the old Anglo Scottish cup that we played um Bristol City oh Ashton gate and they had a Midfield player called Jerry gal he was very experienced um been at Manchester City and went on to Manchester City um and played him off the pitch one one nil and I can remember coming off at the end and Jerry gal saying to how wilon you'll never get promotion playing that way and how I always remember our's words he said we'll see about that some uh and how it was proved right and we went on you know went on and gain promotion to the first division uh and also not just gaining promotion but stayed there for 3 years and a hell of a lot of that is down to how Wilson make no mistake about that it's it's a ful success story of of notot County football club through the 70s and the and the 80s and um it brought us on on level with with um most clubs [Music] [Music] the first few weeks he was with us I thought we've got a manager a the players respected him which is important uh and everybody in the club respected him and we went off with a bank they were all good lads that come into the side not necessarily from Big clubs a lot of them from non- League clubs a lot of from low lower league stuff so they'll come in and um they're F they're fitting really well and he got the kind of lads playing for the club that would enjoy each of his company quite relaxed Jokers but as soon as you cross the white line then we become switched on and uh we have a job to do and that's how Neil wanted it from a manager's point of view was excellent because most of my players I could tell you they were eight out of 10 every week occasionally a n there weren't many sevens and Sixers which is what every manager dreams of but it was a great motivator know how to get his team together and we went some crazy places and did some crazy things you know and some things I've never done before at a football team the wemble walked the way you know walk into the ground in the morning uh going up for pretty much meal the the S of the fans at the ground um was just you know you talk about to be the tingle you got just made you step up to another level and uh you know two great goals a clean sheet and uh celebration have to [Music] Fantastic there's Bartlet gets the cross in Johnson turns and scores and knocks are ahead and young Tommy Johnson is the scorer a moment of pure opportunity unism there for young Johnson this Dynamic teenager Neil was not one of getting the ball down passing move pass and move it was it was shape it was you know we'll get it in the corners and we'll let Kevin Bartlett who was the fastest man in the country uh run them down in the corners or we' hit Dave reges Gary lond players like that who can hold it up and there was there was no real science to it it was simple stuff he made every he had to make it simple for us we you know we were the brightest Lads in the world so NE made it nice and simple we knew what we had to do and uh unfortunately it just it work like a dream Craig short is also up there Johnson with the free kick it's a curling one short gets to the header and knocks of two n [Applause] ahead young Tommy Johnson gets in on the celebrations and can you blame him a club the oldest club in the world who would never been to Emily it was just amazing time and uh you know when I see anybody from Nottingham that's not County you know they all remember the Wembley trips and the celebrations and wherever they were that night it was a you know an amazing time in my career and the players and promotion is secured Neil waro celebrates on the bench 20,000 kns count count supporters celebrate on The Terraces anybody who's been to embly and won and had the opportunity to to lift a trophy you know not just the the captains who go but the whole team as it's passed down I think there uh is a TR tremendous amount of pride that goes through for the whole club as well and actually I think you know winning winning promotion at Wembley really just sort of topped everything I think in some ways it's better than winning promotion sort of you know straight up because you have that great day out at Wembley all the fans are there you know your family your friends all sort of compan come to it so it makes it a great day to win you know the Wembley occasions that we had were absolutely fantastic the euphoria that was going around the city we were coming into the club and seeing the fans going off in the coaches Hooters and horns blowing and it was absolutely fantastic and to achieve it again the next year was you know even something special lots of Bodies In The Box Draper with the kick and Harden gets up that's one n to County about 13 minutes from the end and that is Paul Harding's first goal for knots he couldn't have done it at a better time and that's it KNX County are back at Wembley for the second successive season we hear they'll meet Brighton in the playoff finals Steve Cherry punches the airome you there again and we we're all thinking to ourselves you know this this can't happen again surely you know if we win this as well we we're going in the Top Flight we're playing in the uh in division one as it was Premiership football it's uh it it was fairy tale stuff and I think going into the game at Wembley against Brighton I think uh we felt more confident you just felt that you knew we going to get beat that's a great feeling to have you know never ever any any doubt that we were coming away losers it was a weird feeling that's just confidence built up through Neil through Mick Jones all the stuff we had it was straight through to Margaret the Ki woman she's fantastic you know again by Turner KCK there and not County are in the leag yeah I mean it was it's unheard of in them days really we you to come from the bottom division almost and uh into the Premier League well well the year before the Premier League wasn't the top fly was something that you could only dream about and uh but we didn't we didn't really let it anything worry as we just got on with it and uh even though it was playoffs again we just missed out you know you always felt in the dressing room that we were we were going to be hard to be you know you won't want to play against us getting it into Tommy Johnson a brilliant go Tommy Johnson is second a scorting drive Neil warock off his seat I think maybe as the game went home we did grow in confidence we did grow in stature and maybe last the season before his game did you know give us that little bit bit of a push on because we we knew what the rewards were going to be and the rewards were going to be be massive and to have all those fans that that travel down was um was fantastic and to do that you know with one occasion behind us you know I was looking up again and thinking well is this going to happen again and you know it happened and then it goes from reges well Neil waro now knows it's safe it has to be with less than 20 minutes to go now and Knots County really not only celebrating that goal but a return to the first division when when we beat um Bryant it was like we've done it you know it was uh long time ago now but uh he was it was crazy at the time still is what you think back about it as the final whistle goes and not County the oldest Club in the football league are back in the first division to get the chance to come to me own toown club and Achieve what I did as a player and as a team you know it was a what school boys dream of I think we'll gloss over the fact that we got relegated in the first season but uh the roller coaster that the club were on at the time was was was quite amazing and supporters of of that era will'll never forget it they'll never forget the players of uh you know Tommy dra Charlie Palmer Dean Thomas Nikki plao players like that that nobody really had ever heard of them and the come into the club and they get us into the top flly it was quite [Applause] [Music] amazing it was a fantastic cup competition I'm sorry it had to finish uh cuz when we went over to Italy and the number of supporters that went with us was incredible it was yeah we were going you know we were going away and traveling away which was again new to us new to the players uh some of the stadium wasn't brilliant over there to say the least but um it was it was good remember one going to where we've been to we been Prague we stayed night in Prague and it was before we flew back and we'd all been at a few uh few uh beers and some the old snaps and all that and um I think we had to F Paul De me and Phil turn get Paul De off the hotel window ledge and then on the way back he was um a bit worse aware and he was lying on the floor on one of the trolleys from the bus on the kits trolley every time the bus broke he went forward no Tom he pulled off he went back in the aisle and on the on the flight he was in the taller they couldn't get off the tallet and we went to three calls from the captain to get him out and uh the last single came over he got two minutes to get out or we bought landing and they're about to scw the doors off the the uh the plane to get in out the taller be come out but it was like his pants down it was [Music] hilarious L County have settled very early here Turner again Wilson calling for it squa might get the chance of the first shot of be there Kevin Wilson and a fine stop indeed by Luchi what a good effort from Wilson we absolutely battered them and uh I I can remember a that scored went to Charlie pal to go out and close him down then that I I went a bit too far he squared it and smashed it in one nil KN County punished the Italians have barely had an attack in this second half but when they do they score this point in to lose that one but we made up with the second one to get to Wembley again you know a great occasion so to actually go there and win another trophy was again another fantastic fantastic [Applause] day a long throw by leg oh the goalkeeper missed it it's gone directly in did a g to get a touch and not CER ahead after 12 and 1 half minutes Murphy Oh there's an opening here melli asalia level at 1 not scanty paid the penalty of not clearing the ball from inside that penalty area and Walter Mirabelli equalizes Reus Mills moving menacingly forward here for KN County Turner it's deflected wide towards Devlin who delivers an any he cross whes in there fabulous goal now mistaking the scorer not scared his second goal it's Deon White and the ball was just knocked in I just you know got up in the air as I do and just headed it down into the ground towards goal and the goalie went down and bounced over him so it's really pleased it's all over and Knox County have won the Anglo Italian cup and another Victory here for how Kendall the winning goal coming in stoppage time at the end of the first half through Devon white sometimes I think it just it flashes by so quickly uh you're going up there you get your medals and everything and and is bit of a a bit of a disbelief really that you're actually there but then afterwards when you're down on the pitch and you're celebrating and then you're having a few drinks afterwards that's when it all sort of Dawns on you what you've actually done that you've actually won and you know and uh people still even now are still sort of like talking to me about the game about the goal and about kns County winning after the disappointing uh the first one yeah it was uh nice got the steps and get your medal and lift the trophy up and you know and you know that was end of my eys me the best time with kns um obviously moved on but uh that was as good as winning the promotion to sit in the Roy box and presented with the trophies and whatever you and as the players came along and it was well I've got a photograph of me crying with emotion it was one of the main features of my period of being chairman it was fantastic the RO [Applause] [Music] box and he's handed the Anglo Italian Cup by John Charles who knows all about playing in Italian football and Kno County become the first first English Club to win the competition since Newcastle United back in [Applause] [Music] 1973 we was advertising for a manager and he applied and he came for the first interview and I was impressed I made a short list of three or four and the second interview I jump mountainy with me at my home after of the three or four player managers that we interviewed we both put the name down on the piece of paper who we thought was the best one and when we' finished interviewing all three or four they got the two pieces of paper together and we both s some other di you know like when it's a Clos season you have you're off basically well he brought us in three days a week and um I think those three days a week when we came in really got us fir up for that [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] season the strikers weren't really like on fire do you know what I mean at the start not scoring lots and then it just happened that me and Jonesy it just sort of Click between the two of us and um I think I remember a game against toy away when of scored two and from that day on it just seemed to snowball between the two of us and we couldn't really stop scoring I remember we had a center forward call Jones who couldn't stop scoring goals it was incredible I can't remember much about the rest of the side with this silly memory of mine but oh it was uh it was the golden days they was well we had the best goalkeeper in not just our league but probably the league above and maybe even the league above that Wy was absolutely unbelievable and then you look at people like strods in Center half scare you richo Endo will forget Dennis Pier on the left no but honestly from from the whole team Midfield you had play people like sha Derry Steve finnon look what they've gone on to do Mark Robson just unbelievable Christmas time we're normally looking at the table and thinking right we need so many points from so many games to get anywhere near the top of the division we weren't we were laughing we were in hysterics because we knew we were going to walk this honestly it I've never had it before in football but it just felt that you weren't going to lose it really did you it was so enjoyable that feeling you honestly went on that pitch and you did not think we thought we was going to win every game knots County needed just a point from seven games to go up but becoming the first side since the war to win promotion in March was Saturday's challenge for long spells there was a growing suspicion playoff chasing Las might sabotage the record Breakers until 5 minutes into the second half when the veteran Mark Robson skipped neatly into space and arrowed in another goal to Grace knot County's great season its significance quickly grew toi were losing and the third division title would be notot counties before the clocks went forward if they could play out time it was tense the nerves were frayed and it was more of a stumble across the finishing [Applause] line but it really is a remarkable achievement job done trophy won with March still with us by a team fit to take its place alongside any in the great footballing tradition knots County have done so much to [Applause] create it's a fantastic achievement uh we talk before the game uh what we might do today and we've done it we've won the championship not only promotion in the month of March still over a month of the season to go and that cup's in the bag for us and uh everybody concerned is absolutely highly delighted the speed that Sam came in and got us promoted in that season and some of the football that we played into the wet Corners was fantastic you know Matt Redmire was fantastic at booming the ball 112 yards into a puddle in this uh we used to use a main stand medane corner to win games at that time it used to be a sludge bath we had drainage problems and that was part of the training get it in that corner they'll think going out and the Winger had nip onto it whip it in and we'd score a goal and he Sam would never let me claim that it was always his but it was my wet corner I'd built this pitch to flood just for him big Sam didn't let up that was the thing you still got a rolicking if we didn't play well I remember at Cambridge I had a stinker and he went mad and we'd already won the league there was only about two games to go but he wanted that 100 points and sadly we just missed out I think we ended up on 99 but um so there was no let up even when we'd won it can't describe to people that last game when they presented the the trophy to the team and there was all the ticket tape and everything i' never seen that at knots you know never expected to see that sort of thing at knots it was were celerated for days and probably weeks afterwards it was it was phenomenal I look every season now I don't want a team to beat that and I don't think they will [Music] if that deal involving Peter story and Albert Scardino who came to the club as potential owners doesn't come off then going into Administration is a likely option Albert's intentions was to want to be on the football club a lot of people that uh have an ambition to do something he was to to be a chairman of a football club um I'm not sure you understand understood the concept of it all and the demands and uh and and the the financial needs to do that um so I think his situation was that he was an American journalist um very pleasant man but um from a business point of view didn't really do his own work on on KN County and and the old picture really the administration years were absolutely horrendous you woke up every morning waiting to see on the news whether somebody had bought the club we were safe or if everybody had finally lost patience with us and we we died the looen game I remember that really really well because we'd got the trust the trust had formed then and the supporters club and the trust were here at half 9 in the morning booket ready to collect with the hope that we could be able to buy ourselves some time and cars were pulling over and just throwing money in the bucket people that didn't even support football or or anything like that and then later as the crowds started to come around you started to see all the different shirts all the different clubs you know there was forish shirts Lester derby um Rangers Celtic they they came from all over the country they were difficult times and it was but I mean at the time we had a great manager in Billy Deen as well which what a joker you know what I mean a lovely old guy sentimental you know and there was if any other manager at the time would probably not CED with what he got to put up with but typical old biller lovely old boy always got his arm around the staff and I think he was probably one of the he was probably one of the biggest things that sort of got us through it to be honest I'd been in employment about 15 years before came to Knox County um working for a large company and to come in to work and find out you're not being paid on a Friday you know you've got your own bills to pay mortgage and young family at the time got two young daughters and you go home and you tell your wife that you haven't been paid that was a odd pill to swallow you know and it were worry in times I mean the shop was empty it was an empty shop and let's let's let's be right an empty shop doesn't attract anybody so you know um it wasn't attracting any customers because we couldn't you know with respect afford to buy stock or anything so we were selling like five or six items purely um it was um you know di it looked like a you know a shop that was going to close down that's what we looked like at that time um and it was just very sad to see very sad uh you've got Ian Richardson and his wife stood outside asra in West Bridford you know freezing cold day and Rico and his wife are there shaking buckets collecting money for this football club I just can't imagine a player doing that now I just especially a senior player you know who went on to be manager as well um yeah everybody just got together and did everything they possibly could to drag us out of it you know coming in on days on a Sunday to get a Legends game on and you get I think 8,000 or 9,000 people in the ground you know and Forest C fans were brilliant for them to come over here I think they filled Cy road and it was it was very OD times for everybody at the club you know we had a a Russian film crew come down they were doing the contrast between Chelsea and little old knots County you know and that brought it home to you you got this wealthy wealthy club and here we were struggling to keep our club alive and yet they were buying players multi-millions of pounds you know and half of that would have saved this historical club and that was that really brought it home to you when you were talking to those sort of people I mean going to Chelsea that that was an experience um and I still say we could have won if we hadn't had that penalty against us um and and the fact that they gave their shirts and everything to be auctioned off to help raise money that that was that was really nice that was a very kind gesture and it did help nuts an awful lot but it also gave the fans and the players that lift through a very very very traumatic time I I spoke to Paul Taylor actually of the Evening Post who now writes on behalf of the naam Forest very good journalist as well and I rang him all late one night and I said it's it looks like being the end of Knox County I was I was sobbing because I thought this is the end I got nowhere to turn to and uh he put an article in the post on the back page fortunately um as we all know now Hayden green uh came forward at the last minute um in when it got to December and it was football league's board meeting date that was going to be the last deadline um and we would have um lost our share in the football league and our place in the football league without doubt if uh Hayden um hadn't come to the rescue and and a lot of people supporting that in the background were trying to work with him and help put it all together but you can imagine someone coming in at the last minute trying to to to save a situation that's been going on for nearly 18 months wanted a bit more time to to work everything out but in the end I think he he he put the money in on the back of what he had and what he knew at that time and Aiden green was most unlucky most unfortunate he didn't live long enough to see what he'd done for the club very sorry that was but he saved this football club initially we had a um well the commercial staff had a telephone call and and and put it put it through to me I've got a a Mr trampling on the phone um wanting to inquire about putting some putting some investment into the football club so as pet trembling and said i' take his details and and pass it on to the chairman at that time John ARR strongs we believe that we were actually selling it to some very wealthy benefactors in the Middle East we were given to believe that they were members of one of the uh Middle Eastern royal families you hear some strange things in football and we just thought be one of them you know had rumors that came and went soon all change you know there's people coming in right left and center and uh uh we were getting classed with one of the richest clubs in the country which was which was uh Madness but um yeah it was it was strange days for me as a football man it was fantastic building a club from bottom of uh League 2 and having the foundings to do it to be a Premier League club that's like a like a dream so I signed big mistake [Music] so he obviously spoke to a few the boys and he said look things aren right here um and obviously he's getting out before before we hit the iceberg sort of thing so he's uh obviously he's well connected in it and I think he obviously got the heads up before a lot of people at the football club did so it was disappointing you know he couldn't stay any longer but you know you know if man for S and you got to look after yourself in football and you know that's what he did so you know fair play Monto for me was frightening I I I I thought it wonderful when it first happened you know Fen in at Poland the team that we had and you know Lee use coming in Casper and and all the rest of it and what the money that they said they got and we was going to be the biggest club we were going to be bigger than Chelsea and it it will you know four or five months into it you started to wor and you seen cracks appearing you know and people were telling you we've got this money go out and spend it and I could see that we hadn't got it you know ringing up obviously wanting to be paid and you had to find an excuse or an answer which would suffice but of a lot of the time it didn't um the stuff the stuff were just trying to get on with it as best as you could basically I couldn't believe it nobody could believe it it was a complete utter con job that was we met with Sven and Peter tremblin on the Monday so we were given a document that said the level of debt I even added 50% to it allowing a contingency but uh subsequently found out be considerably more wearing my accounting hat I said there's only one thing we can do this and that would be to place it into Administration and we concluded and decided that's what we would do so went home that evening could think of nothing else went to bed about 11:00 and my wife and I just sat there cogitating throwing things around and it was about 2:00 in the morning when finally decided couldn't do it because the only people that would have suffered I've said it many times is the local businesses I felt that when when I first came in it would take us three weeks to get into to maybe the top three um fortunate enough we did that in two and a half weeks and I think that gave us all a little bit more belief you know I think it was a perfect time for him to come in and and he coming and the first thing he said is we're going to win this league once we beat rotheram here 1 nil I thought we'd finish in the top three and I thought once we' beaten Rochdale we may go on then and clinch the title there was a lot of negative publicity around the club but the players all just stayed focused on football really and and that's what came through in the end the heart is a BL shoots up through the Stony ground there's no room no space to in this town you're out of luck and the reason that you had to care the traffic is stuck and you're not moving anywhere you thought you found friend to take you out of this place someone you could land I had in ch for Grace it's a beautiful [Music] [Applause] day SK feel beautiful [Applause] [Music] day yeah and they fly deserve they fully deserve it the fans as well um they've been through a lot the last few six years or so um and to win the league CL today something [Applause] special you the mentality and the spirit we have there uh it was we just needed a bit more consistency and that's when when Steve cro came and he gave us that and uh you know we're ripping the Roars now it's been great I mean for the uh for the players for the fans and like the staff it's been a great day I you got a treasure in these moments let go [Applause] [Music] just an amazing occasion for one to save and to reflect upon the rest of your life when you first go out the T the crowd in and that Ru um that's when you start getting the gooseb for the back that's what I'm looking forward [Music] to hey M M M Ito you mix upo the M like the crazy one you m i don't want to MBO no more me I never thought I was going to come here and score like the equalizing goal against Juventus never in a million years but I've done it and sporting to be fair what a what what a what a game what a game for us I mean [Music] brilliant drinking in morning s linking in the morning sun shaking off the heavy one heavy like a loaded go what made me behave that way using what I never say I can only think it must be love oh [Music] anyway he looking like a beautiful [Applause] day someone tell me how I feel tell me how I feel but it kiss me like the final me kiss me like the final me kiss me like we die T I love your heart and see the light oh Lying with you half way oh anyway it's looking like a [Music] beautiful one day like this was singing one day like this a was one day see theing e

Channel: Notts County FC

Views: 46,650

Keywords: Notts County F.C. (Football Team), 150, The Football League (Football League), sport, football, 125, Soccer, Sports, history, don masson, england, scotland, nottingham, meadow lane, Nottingham Forest F.C. (Football Team), documentary, United Kingdom (Country), Neil Warnock (Football Player), Jimmy Sirrel (Football Player), Sam Allardyce (Football Player), Juventus F.C. (Football Team), Juventus Stadium (Sports Facility)

Id: 5Jhu8ax_Fto

Length: 46min 16sec (2776 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 13 2014