That Was The Prog That Was - 3

 

George writes:

This programme holds a lot of memories, despite the game taking place  almost 50 years ago (and despite being told by my partner on almost a  daily basis that “you can’t remember what you did yesterday”). I am sure I wore the Manchester United scarf Mum had knitted for me to Old Trafford, and I can definitely  remember the year, score, the crowd size (unlike my brother). And it’s the one and only time I heard a record played in a ground that I then went to purchase (the record, that is).

Jim Gilstrap - Rock Your Daddy

When I talked to Dave just over two weeks ago (assuming this goes out on Jan 31), I told him the crowd was 46 000 (actual 46 802), the score was 2-1, and the year 1975. ((Did I mention that Dave got every part of that wrong.) This I also  remember - when Man United first scored, everyone in the stand stood up apart from my mum “I didn’t know you were meant to stand up”, but she certainly did when the second goal went in.

We had great seats, in the upper tier of a huge stand, and either I or my Dad took three photos on my Kodak Instamatic of the game. We had great seats thanks to the generosity of a friend of my grandfather who purchased match tickets for us- I can remember my father protesting that it was too kind a gift as Mr Morris would not accept any money: the two adult tickets for the upper stand were £1 each, mine and Dave’s tickets less, maybe not half price but perhaps 70p. Combined total £3.40, which is equivalent to £26 today (that’s for your eyes Mr “fan-since-childhood tax exile” Ratcliffe). Now, look at that team, it was Docherty’s great side of the mid-1970s (only Gordon Hill was still to sign), and who knows what could have been achieved if he hadn’t been sacked a couple of years later?

Apart from a programme (that cost the equivalent of 61p today) I also purchased a booklet about the history of the club for a very affordable 25p:

The AITT of that week has one of my all-time favourite songs, a single that I bought in 1975, subsequently lost and purchased again in a charity shop in Coventry ca. 1997 for I think 45p (Mr. CC was with me at the time, maybe he can remember?).  (CC writes - I've never been to Coventry George!)

Sweet - Fox on the Run

Which of course should not be confused with this:

There’s a song by Fox of which I have no recollection, and four truly awful singles. I bought this group’s first single, but can’t remember if I bought this pop gem that was at no. 6. 

And how toptastic are those breeks? I also purchased the single that was at no. 9, and still have.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Mr CC for putting this piece up. 

CC writes:

Many thanks for this George despite the historical geographical in accuracy I highlighted above.

I have an album by Fox (see here)