[Lord Snooty]

May 15:

Another day another four Play Off matches. Like yesterday, I'll start from the furthest back, but first, an obituary.

This is from the Guardian and it's for Town's World Cup winning full back, Ray Wilson, who died on this day four years ago in 2018, aged 83. I never saw him play for Town and I barely remember him playing at all, so I'll let the Guardian man tell this one..........

Pacy, mobile left-back who gave an extra attacking drive to the England World Cup-winning team of 1966

Ray Wilson, who has died aged 83, had the lowest profile of any player in England’s 1966 World Cup final-winning team, and generally liked to keep it that way. He was a fast, skilled, mobile left-back who was capped for his country 63 times, played in every England game in the 1966 finals, and was one of the best defenders his country has produced. Yet he kept firmly out of the limelight and, unlike most of his peers, made no attempt to make a living from football after retiring from the game – preferring instead to pursue a career as an undertaker.

Wilson was an important member of the 1966 World Cup team, not only for his resilient defensive qualities, his pace and his powers of recovery, but for the extra drive he gave to the attack. In the absence of true wingers, he and his right-back partner George Cohen offered the England manager Alf Ramsey some degree of speed and penetration on the flanks.

Thus, in the semi-final against Portugal at Wembley, it was Wilson’s shrewd, long pass to Roger Hunt that set up England’s first goal. Costa Pereira, the Portuguese goalkeeper, raced out desperately, reaching the ball at full stretch, only to play it straight to Bobby Charlton, who promptly sent it into the net. In the final, too, undeterred by an early error when he contrived to clear the ball weakly to the feet of Helmut Haller, who drove it home to give his team the lead, Wilson was eager to join in attacks.

He was one of only eight in the 1966 squad who played every match in the finals, and was on the pitch for all 570 minutes of England’s campaign. Such was his prowess that even the supremely self-assured England captain, Bobby Moore, declared that “it was a comfort to play alongside him”. Of the 37 England matches that Wilson and Cohen played together as a full-back partnership, they lost just three.

Wilson had also figured in all of England’s games in the 1962 World Cup in Chile, but even he could do little against the remarkable wiles and devastating pace of Brazil’s right-winger, Garrincha, who tormented the England defence in the quarter final, which they lost 3-1.

Although at 31, Wilson was the oldest member of the 1966 World Cup squad, he continued to hold off younger challengers for his England place until 1968, when he was still first choice and ever-present in his position at the European Championship in Italy as England finished in third place. However, the third-place play-off match against the USSR in that tournament proved to be Wilson’s last appearance for England, as an increasingly troublesome knee and the emergence of the young Leeds United full-back Terry Cooper combined to bring the curtain down on his international career.

A Derbyshire man, born in Shirebrook, Wilson became an apprentice railwayman after school, and when Huddersfield Town signed him he was playing as a left-half. He made scant impact in that position – so much so that he was thinking about giving up the game. Called for national service in the army, he was posted to the Middle East and detested it. On his forearm he sported a tattoo that read “Egypt never again”.

Once demobilised, he was bedevilled by a series of injuries, but the crucial event in his career was his translation to left-back by Huddersfield’s then manager, Bill Shankly. Having made just half a dozen league appearances in the 1955-56 season in Division Two and only 13 the season after, Wilson became a regular member of the team from 1957-58 onwards, and made his debut for England, against Scotland, as a Second Division player in 1960.

In the 1964-65 season, after 266 league appearances for Huddersfield, he was transferred to First Division Everton for what was then the considerable sum of £40,000. In 1966, shortly before the World Cup finals, he was a member of the Everton team that beat Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup final. He was at Wembley again two years later in the same competition, although that final was lost to West Bromwich Albion.

By 1969, after more than 100 league games for Everton, he had moved to Oldham Athletic in Division Four. But he was there for just a season. He appeared twice in the 1970-71 campaign for Bradford City, where he had a 10-match spell as caretaker manager, but then left football altogether to set up an undertaking business in Huddersfield with his father-in-law.

He ran the firm until retirement in 1997 and, perhaps because of his many years in the profession, was noted for his gallows humour. When his old England colleague Cohen was struggling through a bout of cancer in later life, Wilson phoned him to ask how he was getting on. Cohen replied that he was doing just fine, but, detecting a slight air of disappointment in his friend’s voice, asked what the matter was. “Well, I was ringing to offer you a deal,” he replied.

Like several other members of the victorious 1966 England team, Wilson had to wait many years before receiving any honour for his achievements, but eventually, in 2000, he was appointed MBE. In 2004 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

He is survived by his wife, Pat, whom he married in 1956, and their two sons, Russell and Neil.

He played for Town between 1955 and 1964, making 283 appearances and stands at 27th in our all time appearances chart.

And so to the Play Offs. First up, it's Lincoln City away in 2004. This was our first and only Play Off campaign in the 4th tier and on this date, we had the first leg semi final, played at Sincil Bank.

So this was on the Saturday after the choking at Cheltenham, when we threw away our chance of automatic promotion, with a three o'clock kick off. Town had finished 7 points better off than the Imps and we started the brighter of the two sides, taking an early lead. It was in the 5th minute from a corner by Rob Edwards. He took an inswinger, which looked to have gone in direct, but Iffy Onuora, who had scored our first ever Play Off goal 12 years earlier, was awarded this goal as it glanced in off his eyebrows. Get in, Iffy lad.

That was the big lad's only goal in his return to the club after ten years away. He'd come back to play for his old team mate Peter Jackson, who was now Town manager.

It was Keith Alexander, the Imps boss, who was celebrating next though, just after half time. In true Town fashion, we were still asleep after our half time nap and allowed them to score from a long throw. Paul Rachubka in the Town goal, made a brilliant reflex save from a shot by Simon Yeo, but the ball came back into the area and Gary Fletcher poked the ball into the net. That's the same Fletcher by the way, who later became Taylor-Fletcher and signed for Town.

But it was Town who scored another goal to take a lead into the 2nd leg. From another corner, this time taken by Andy Holdsworth. It was met with a towering header from Andy Booth, looking for his 101st Town goal, but Alan Marriott the Lincoln keeper parried it to safety, or he thought he had. It fell to David Mirfin on the edge of the 6 yard box with his back to goal. He swivelled, shot and fell over. He didn't see the ball hit the back of the net and admitted afterwards that he never realised he'd scored, thinking that somebody else must've touched it in. No Mirf. It's your goal, mate. 

Two years on from that and we're now in the third tier and playing Barnsley in the second leg of the 2006 Play Offs. We were at home after beating them 1-0 at Oakwell with a goal from ex Lincoln striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher. But that lead was cancelled out shortly after half time, in a night that started in celebratory mood, but soon turned into deep anguish.

Paul Hayes, who would come to us on loan in the following season, scored the equaliser from the spot, after Danny Schofield was adjudged to have fouled him.

No worries. Town went back into the lead a few minutes later when Nick Colgan messed up a clearance. Jon Worthington charged it down, rounded the keeper and slotted in from a narrow angle. Looking at Wikipedia, it's been given as an own goal by current Sheffield Utd boss, Paul Flippinheckinbottom, so I must assume that he got the last touch to it after trying to keep it out.

Anyway. Lead restored, we ain't gonna blow it now. 

Oh yes we are!

Paul Reid, no not our Paul Reid, headed the Tykes back in front on the night from a corner and then Daniel Nardiello won it on aggregate for them 12 minutes from time, slotting home the rebound from a shot that Paul Rachubka had saved, but not held.

So we were out, but really, we should've been out of sight with a more comfortable away leg win when we should've scored more. Barnsley went on to beat Swansea in the final on penalties.

So four years later, we are still in League One and we've made the Play Offs again and on this date in 2010, we played Millwall at home in a semi final first leg. This was a Saturday dinner time kick off and Danny Schofield was now playing for Millwall. Well not in this one, but he should be back for the 2nd leg.

The match ended goal less and wasn't  a very good spectacle. Jordan Rhodes and Danny Dishwater came close for us and Neil Harris had the ball in the net for them. Luckily, the ref had his eyes open on this occasion and booked the cheating little twat for hands ball.

As usual, the Millwall fans were causing trouble. Here they are on route to the ground, stopping off for a fight outside the Waterloo pub.

And then in 2012, we had another game at the Galpharm. This was a 2nd leg game against MK Dons and we went into this one with a healthy 2-0 lead. Sheffield United had beaten Stevenage the night before, so we knew who our opponents would be, should we win tonight.

It was 3-0 on aggregate in the 18th minute when Jordan Rhodes scored his 40th goal of the season, becoming only the third Town player to score 40 or more for the club in a season. Sammy Taylor and Dave Mangnall being the others.

Three nil up. Are we gonna do it the easy way this time for a change? 

Not a chance! 

Daniel Powell pulled one back for the Dongs. Ian Bennett had gone off injured minutes before the equaliser on the night and Alex Smithies, who had been on the bench after recovering from injury himself, picked the ball out of the net. Far from doing it the easy way, it was all Dons in the second half and Smithies kept the score down right up to injury time when ex Leeds tosser, Alan Smith scored from a corner.

Luckily, there was no time left and even though we lost on the night, we were through to face the Blunts at Wembley.