[Lord Snooty]

November 24:

Ooh! Phil Starbuck, is 54 today. Born on this date in Nottingham in 1968, he started his playing career with his local team, the Nottingham Florist. He scored in his first two outings for them as an 18 year old, under the management of Brian Clough, against Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Cloughie had Phil traveling to Sid James' Park for his debut as assistant to the kitman and it wasn't until he'd put all the shirts out on the pegs that he pointed at the number 10 shirt and told him to put it on, you're playing!

He had seven years there, in which time he had loans at Birmingham, Hereford and Blackburn, before Cloughie let us have him on a free transfer. Surely one of the best free transfers we made and a sign that the old boy was finally losing his judgement.

Starby scored 47 goals for us, leaving him now in 29th position in our all time goalscorers chart, level with Charlie Luke. His most famous one would probably be the final goal at Leeds Road, the winner in the 2-1 win against Blackpool. But he had a record breaking goal as well, officially timed at three seconds, scoring from a corner just after coming on as a sub. That was the winner in a 2-1 win at home against Wigan.

After initially being disappointed at having to drop from the First to the Third Division to play for us, he always speaks fondly of his time with us and was always friendly enough to talk to fans who were bothering him whilst pushing a trolley around Asda. No, not me. Couldn't get near enough to ask his opinion on Neil Warnock.

Not sure what his response would've been as it was Colin who eventually let him go. It was up a division though, to Sheffield United, but I do seem to recall there had been some kind of rift between the two of them. His final goal in the bright blue n white came in an Auto Windscreens Shield match at home to York City, scoring from the spot in a 3-0 victory.

After that, it was lower league football and non league management. Back in the day, we used to call him the Reverend Phil in the fanzine Hanging On The Telephone. Well in 2012, that joke came to reality when he and his wife Claire officially became a part of the ministry team at New Springs City Church in Loughborough. https://www.newsprings.org.uk/about/lead...-starbuck/

On this date in 1928, we once more walloped Sheffield United. It was 6-1 at home this time, just over 12 months after smashing them 7-1 at Bramall Lane. It was also just a fortnight after hammering Burnley 7-1 as well. So why on earth were there only 7,590 spectators there? I know times were hard, but some of these attendances are really flummoxing me.

Anyway, six goals, three scorers. A hat trick for Alex Jackson, two for Laurie Cumming the Irish international whose dribbling style was described as a "pirouetting Charlie Chaplin swagger". Johnny Dent got the other. He went the other way to Starby, by becoming a legend on the banks of the Trent with Nottingham Forest, scoring over a hundred goals for them.

A couple of FA Cup games against non league opposition now. On this date in 1973, we played our first game with Wigan Athletic of the Northern Premier League. Having dropped down to the 3rd Division for the first time, this was our first entry into the competition at this stage since 1910.

We won it 2-0 with a couple of goals from Bob Newton, a day after his 18th birthday. Later in the season, he would play in our FA Youth Cup Final team against Spurs.

On this date in 1981, a Tuesday night home replay against Workington. We'd drawn 1-1 up at theirs on Saturday, with Malcolm Brown scoring for us. This was the game where Steve Smith came out of retirement to play at left back, due to a cripplingly long injury list.

Worse was to follow on the way home when our van broke down and we spent the entire night stuck in Tebay Services.

Anyway, the replay went much better, winning 5-0 with goals from Ian Robins, Mark Lillis, Micky Laverick (2) and another from the long legged Mally.