Harry Catterick

[davek]

Thanks
Husband played 30 league games, but his goal ratio fell away
Whittle came in with 11 in 15, nobody wins it on their own but he scored 3 times in 3 1-0 wins and 2 in a 2-0 win
So I'd call it 50/50, with both playing their roles on the day as required.
Edit. And no one should underestimate the part Tommy Jackson played either.

By the way: who was Gerald Humphreys?! Never heard of him before looking at those lists! 46 minutes of the title winning season...he'd get a medal these days!

 

[degsy]

By the way: who was Gerald Humphreys?! Never heard of him before looking at those lists! 46 minutes of the title winning season...he'd get a medal these days!

Welsh winger from the youth team, close but not quite.

 

[summerisle]

 

[Sharpies volley]

It's strange how your memory plays tricks on you isn't it. But the only thing I can remember Jimmy Husband for is missing a sitter with his head, I think in the 68 fa cup final.

 

[royvernon39]

I don't think there was much wrong with Henry Newton.

He was Rubbish. I remember at Spurs I think in his first game when he marked Peters at a corner. You can guess the result.

Newton was one of those players who used to do well against us but once signed was poor.

 

[summerisle]

An excellent read.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

It's strange how your memory plays tricks on you isn't it. But the only thing I can remember Jimmy Husband for is missing a sitter with his head, I think in the 68 fa cup final.

My old fella has never forgiven him lol

 

[bignosey]

Back when we were running away with the league (remember those days?)in Nov 69 the BBC midweek sports program Sports Night with Coleman did an in depth piece on Us and Harry.

He talked at length and for him...maybe seduced by the glamour of TV, let his mouth run away with its self.
They may have...and hardly anybody was media savvy in those days...used the old - yes Mr Catterick the camera's not running now...you were saying?

He described our plays, our formation, even our perceived weakest link - Sandy Brown. Which did Sandys confidence no good what so ever. Add to that the OG soon after...Which was why Keith Newton was brought in between Christmas and New Year.
Harry saw the finished piece on TV, hit the roof and did a belated stable door job on the media - All Media.
So where did they go - to the man with the ready sound bite and the ever open boot room door. Which is was, amongst other reasons, the start of the media and BBC in particular love in with the rs.

Harry had faults. (we all have faults)
He had a tendency to buy players who had a good game against us.
When it worked you got Pickering
When it didn't you got Ernie Hunt, Henry Newton and Bernie Wright to name but 3

Also, He was the boss and he didn't like players having an opinion of their own. If you told him yours he remembered...you were ok while you did the biz, but fail to do so AND be near or at the 30yr age sell by date and especially if he could get a fee for you, you were gone.
Collins, Vernon Young, Gabriel.
Ball, was sold for double the money, luverly juberly for Harry...there may have been other reasons to add to this, like the post world Cup slump and the fact that Harry had health problems...nobody knows for sure.

But in the 60s, nobody - anybody...pick a 'name' got more 1st Div points in those10 years than Harry.

great post degsy. spot on

 

[bignosey]

Signed as a midfielder, played 60% (or more) of his games at fullback, though tbh, im not his biggest fan, the glass kneed bluffer.
He was Forests pin up boy in midfield but we'd have done better signing his minder Terry Hennessey.

great call. hennesey was just the type we needed.

 

[degsy]

@Dario Terracotta

This from Peter Mills who attended the Centenary do on Friday.

...There were also good cameos from Ian Snodin, Ronnie Goodlass and Terry Darracott.

Terry was one of a few speakers to comment on the fact that Harry spoke very little to the players, to the extent that when he was brought into the squad as a 17 year-old to possibly make his debut due to injuries to Ray Wilson and Sandy Brown, he had no idea whether he was going to play or not, much to the irritation of his Mum. Eventually, he was sent home earlier than usual on the Thursday afternoon, avoiding the usual boot cleaning and sweeping up.

He was waiting at the bus-stop to go home to Huyton when a purple Ford Capri pulled up.
It was Bill Shankly. “Son, are you playing on Saturday?”.
“I’ve no idea, Mr Shankly”.
“Son, you’re going home at one o’clock, I’m telling you, you’re playing”.
When he got home his Mum asked “Are you playing?”.
“Yes, Mum”.
“How do you know?”.
“Mr Shankly told me.

 

[mrb85]

By the way: who was Gerald Humphreys?! Never heard of him before looking at those lists! 46 minutes of the title winning season...he'd get a medal these days!

He scored one of the best goals I've ever seen. Against Sheff Wed I think in the late 60s. A rocket from the corner of the penalty area

 

[Dario Terracotta]

@Dario Terracotta

This from Peter Mills who attended the Centenary do on Friday.

...There were also good cameos from Ian Snodin, Ronnie Goodlass and Terry Darracott.

Terry was one of a few speakers to comment on the fact that Harry spoke very little to the players, to the extent that when he was brought into the squad as a 17 year-old to possibly make his debut due to injuries to Ray Wilson and Sandy Brown, he had no idea whether he was going to play or not, much to the irritation of his Mum. Eventually, he was sent home earlier than usual on the Thursday afternoon, avoiding the usual boot cleaning and sweeping up.

He was waiting at the bus-stop to go home to Huyton when a purple Ford Capri pulled up.
It was Bill Shankly. “Son, are you playing on Saturday?”.
“I’ve no idea, Mr Shankly”.
“Son, you’re going home at one o’clock, I’m telling you, you’re playing”.
When he got home his Mum asked “Are you playing?”.
“Yes, Mum”.
“How do you know?”.
“Mr Shankly told me.

Great story that Degsy!!

 

[allezlesbleus]

In some ways he was unlucky. WBA and the Greek cheats which with Liverpool the same week saw the Catt off basically.

Not West Brom imo mate, that was a painful blip. That team grew into the 1969-70 masters.
Panathanaikos cheats and RS FA semi at OT, 200% correct. He felt he could ditch players and rebuild again but his health caught up with him and as others have said his replacements for West, Labone, Ball, Wright over the next 2/3 seasons were nowhere near as good. Then the club traded Kendall to get Latchford, Royle had back problems Harvey was sold also getting on a bit and struggling with injuries and in what seemed the blink of an eye the blink of an eye (2/3 seasons in reality) we had lost the canny old master in the dugout, the team of teams had disappeared before our very eyes and the new era was a worse manager(Bingham) trying to get the same out of generally worse players. (Latchford excepted and he was signed by Bingham). I have telescoped the precise chronology a bit there but things fell apart pretty quickly after March 1971. The European Cup final was at Wembley that year too!! Can you imagine 70k Blues there??? That was our dream snatched away by poor finishing in the first leg and dodgy ref in second.
And to make matters worse the RS were more or less sweeping all before them!! League and UEFA cup wins and big steps forward on the media profile and a real domination in derbies too!

 

[mannsy]

I thought the team for the 1968/1969 season was,in my opinion slightly better than the one that won the League 12 months later. However, having the opportunity to have seen most of the sixties sides I've got to say he made us some cracking teams. The memories are still very strong and I loved that decade. Yes he was aloof and an introvert but he could spot a player. Superb Manager, wish we could have his time back again now!

 

[mannsy]

Gerry Humphreys scored that cracker against Leicester City in a 7 - 1 win at Goodison. I seem to recall it was Peter Shilton's debut game in the first division.