Extract From Paul Rance's England's 50 Greatest Footballers - No. 47, Pompey Legend Jimmy Dickinson

Portsmouth's most famous player, and his 764 League appearances for Pompey between 1946 and 1965 was a record for the most League appearances in England until passed by Southampton's Terry Paine in the 1970s. Dickinson would have made even more League appearances but for the War, as he appeared as an amateur for Portsmouth in 1943. After leaving the Navy, Dickinson turned pro with Portsmouth, and on his 40th birthday he made his final appearance for the club. Apart from his League appearances, Jimmy Dickinson also played in 50 cup ties for Pompey.

Dickinson was a fixture in the England team at left-half for years, and he would have won more than his 48 full caps had he not switched to centre-half at the request of his club. Dickinson was never booked in his career, and like Bobby Charlton is regarded as one of football's gentlemen. Not a flashy player, Jimmy Dickinson was renowned for his dependability, and he was the star of a Portsmouth side that won successive League titles in 1948-49 and 1949-50.

Jimmy Dickinson stayed with Pompey through thick and thin, and he was a member of the Portsmouth team that, after years of disappointment, won the Third Division title in 1961-62. Unsurprisingly, after he quit playing, Dickinson stayed with the club - as a PR officer.

England's 50 Greatest Footballers

Paperback - Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1981300767

Paperback - Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1981300767

Kindle - Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0782RSZLJ

Kindle - Amazon US

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0782RSZLJ

England's 50 Greatest Footballers Kindle Cover

Extract From Paul Rance's England's 50 Greatest Footballers - No. 39, Arsenal's record-breaking winger Cliff Bastin
https://booksmusicfilmstv.blogspot.com/2017/12/englands-50-greatest-footballers-number.html

LTFC in the 1970s

Another Luton Town-related book by me. Probably my last!

Luton Town FC in the 1970s - Book Description

A Luton Town fan's vivid memories of the 1970s. Promotion, relegation, financial problems, star players sold, hooliganism, Eric Morecambe, Supermac, Alec Stock, Harry Haslam, the Futcher twins, David Pleat, Ricky Hill, Brian Stein, Mal Donaghy. Yes, Luton Town in the 1970s was a typically colourful decade in the history of a colourful club.

Paperback edition

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1520981457/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_7QZ6ybP1M4M8W

Kindle edition

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luton-Town-1970s-Paul-Rance-ebook/dp/B06Y433FJX/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Is Arsenal Mascot Gunnersaurus Getting Too Big For His Boots?

After Arsenal's epic 3-2 FA Cup final triumph against Hull City evidence has emerged that Arsenal's colourful mascot Gunnersaurus may have a jealous streak.

In a photo taken of Arsenal matchwinner Aaron Ramsey and his celebrating team-mates, Aaron seems to be indicating that he's been poked in the eye. In this photo here, the lovable green giant can clearly be seen standing beside Arsenal's hero with claws outstretched.

Judging by the rather sinister look on Gunnersaurus's face I've a feeling that he maybe took exception to someone else hogging his limelight and gave the Welshman a sly poke. Still, after 9 years without a trophy no one's going to condemn the big green guy. After the Wembley win any talk of him being replaced will surely begin to subside...

Arsenal FC Honours

World Cup 2006 Reports from an Armchair...

Introduction to 2006 World Cup Armchair Reports [Kindle Edition]

From the luxury of my armchair I watched virtually every minute of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and here's my reports on all 64 matches. The day after the final I was too ill to move. Soccer journalism is not as easy as it seems - trust me!

- Paul Rance, May 19th, 2013.

Amazon.co.uk
2006 World Cup Armchair Reports

Amazon.com
2006 World Cup Armchair Reports




2006 World Cup Armchair Reports Cover

 

The Story of Luke Knoblitz - Luton City & England

Luton Town F.C.'s 50 Greatest Players - now available from Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Luton-Town-F-C-s-Greatest-Players/dp/147751192X/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Introduction to 'Luke Knoblitz - English Football's First Alien Superstar'

Luke Knoblitz was English and British football's first alien superstar. In the 2040s, Luke lands on a Luton hill and ends up as the greatest player in Luton City's history.

As well as stardom at Luton, Luke had an illustrious international career with England. When becoming tired of football, Luke Knoblitz then went on to become a successful cricketer for Bedfordshire and England. He also dabbled in music and made a very successful album with singing legend Tom O'Hawk.

Luke liked the girls, and his meeting with Leeds female hooligan gang the White Rose Bunny Boilers became a scandal that rocked football in the 2040s. Luke was also beaten up by Irish twins, who he had cheated on.

Meet the other great characters of mid-late 21st Century English football in 'Luke Knoblitz - English Football's First Alien Superstar'. Be amazed by Jimmy Suitcase's and Jan Zsyzsziszowsky's behaviour, flinch at the antics of fearsome manager Alison Curvaceous, cringe at the team talks of cliche manager Jason Shattlodes, and suspend your belief reading about the exploits of almost unbeatable Chelsea 'keeper Billy Bubblehands.

Available in Kindle and paperback format

Amazon.co.uk

Kindle

http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Footballs-First-Superstar-ebook/dp/B00AD9AHEC/ref=la_B004P2ALYY_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1354210563&sr=1-6

paperback

http://www.amazon.co.uk/English-Footballs-First-Alien-Superstar/dp/148110411X/ref=la_B004P2ALYY_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1354210563&sr=1-7

Amazon.com

Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/English-Footballs-First-Superstar-ebook/dp/B00AD9AHEC/ref=la_B004P2ALYY_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1354210809&sr=1-7

paperback

http://www.amazon.com/English-Footballs-First-Alien-Superstar/dp/148110411X/ref=la_B004P2ALYY_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354210809&sr=1-3

THE LUKE KNOBLITZ PAGE on paulrance.com
http://www.paulrance.com/LukeKnoblitzLutonLegend.html

Introduction to Luton Town F.C.'s 50 Greatest Players

http://footiearticles.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/introduction-to-luton-town-fcs-50.html

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) 4 England 2

These are surreal times to be a Swedish fan. As if drawing 4-4 in Germany after being 4 goals down wasn't impressive enough, the Swedes then open their new Friends Arena stadium with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring 4 goals to help defeat England almost on his own. No one comes back from 4-0 down against the Germans, no one had ever scored 4 times in a match against England. The Swedes have changed all that within a month.

As well as the opening of the new stadium in Stockholm, it was a night when Liverpool's Steven Gerrard won his 100th England cap. It was fitting then that a historic occasion was matched by a performance of outstanding quality by one of football's most gifted, but enigmatic, players, Paris Saint-German striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

England were 2-1 ahead in this game, and were looking set to secure their first win in the Swedish capital since the 1930s, but Ibrahimovic had other ideas. A triple substitution by Roy Hodgson unsettled England, and Ibrahimovic took full advantage to score three stunning goals in the last 15 minutes. It was to be Hodgson's first taste of defeat as England manager.

Ibrahimovic, appropriately enough, scored the first goal in the Friends Arena after 20 minutes, but England hit back with two quick goals by debutant Spurs defender Steven Caulker and Manchester United starlet Danny Welbeck. England looked comfortable, and good enough to close the game out.

Things changed when another debutant (there were 6 England debutants in all), substitute Ryan Shawcross, didn't pick up Ibrahimovic's run on 77 minutes, and the Swedish captain lashed the ball past Joe Hart. Two greater goals were to come, as Ibrahimovic rifled in a free kick past Hart diving to his left on 84 minutes to complete his hat-trick (it was the first hat-trick scored against England since Marco van Basten for Holland in 1988). Then came the best of all, as Manchester City 'keeper Hart rushed out of his area to head the ball away, only for the ball to fall to Ibrahimovic. Never a player lacking in confidence, Ibrahimovic swivelled to score with what is being called both a scissor kick and a propeller kick. Even attempting it seemed ridiculous. To pull it off was football magic.

It was such a special goal that people can't even decide what it was. Even England fans applauded. England fans applauding an opposing player? Now you know it was a special goal, and from a special player. Ibrahimovic has always talked a good game, and often not backed it up. Last night he did to such an extent, that if his performance had been in a World Cup finals, it would have been ranked right up there with the best we've ever seen. The new Swedish stadium may already have hosted its best ever performance.

How Hillsborough Could Have Happened Anywhere in the 1980s

The Hillsborough scandal has been shocking, but I fear that more will come out. Some people in authority will speak out, but they won't be motivated by guilt, but by a need to protect their own reputations. Some individuals in the police and the emergency services, sections of the media, and successive governments - Tory and Labour - have been a disgrace.

I went to away matches and I saw how the police were. Really, really aggressive some of 'em. It was the side of football most people who weren't fans weren't aware of. Hillsborough could have happened at other grounds and affected other fans in the 1970s and 1980s. There had been tragedies at Ibrox, Heysel and Bradford during this period. As a football fan in 1989, I was well aware that I could have ended up in the middle of a similar tragedy. Football grounds weren't safe places.

Football fans were generally treated like scum in the 1970s and 1980s, especially away supporters. Or in the case of Hillsborough, fans from neutral clubs. I used to travel to Luton Town away games in the '70s, and, though this was the decade where football hooliganism grew, the treatment of away fans indicated that all fans from all clubs were potential hooligans.

I remember Luton winning promotion in 1974 at West Bromwich Albion. While the Luton fans were jumping up and down in celebration a gnarled old copper thought that he didn't like that. He waded in. His young sidekick thought that he better follow suit and he was beaten unconscious. When Luton fans tried to run on at the end of the game, to congratulate the team, some were pushed back onto the concrete terracing. So who, exactly, were the hooligans in this instance? I was 14 and a placid soul, yet even I was shouting and swearing at the cops.

At a match in Chester a young Luton fan was having a joke with a cop on a horse, and the next minute the cop has this kid by the hair and is dragging him along. I heard the banter and the kid didn't say anything disrespectful or threatening.

Football still has problems, and hooliganism is still around - as is racism. Elements of the Establishment are also still corrupt, so if a tragedy on the scale of Hillsborough did happen again, I wouldn't be too optimistic that things would be any different than that distressing day in April 1989.