Goodison Park

We were living at Chapel Farm in Cheshire at the time,I got a phone call from our neighbour
are you coming to the game on Saturday ?,he was a big Manchester United supporter and was 
        able to get tickets they were playing Everton away.I was free so took up his offer.

He was not only our neighbour but also a close family friend,his wife and my wife were also
close friends as were his children and our children they were all of a similar age and went to
                                                      the same school together.

Bill was quite a character and there were many funny stories linked to him,one in particular, I was
told  by another close farmer friend of his, they were going to look at at a bull which was for
sale and got stuck in traffic,every time the traffic stopped the car in front stopped and needed to
be pushed to get going again,he said Bill would get out and give him a push,and get back in not
mentioning a thing this went on for about 4 times,the 5th time he jumped out never saying anything
to me went to the drivers window,he just said I am bloody fed up with you, he said he could see
the shocked expression on the drivers face.I remember one occasion we were heading back to
his place driving in the narrow country roads,I looked over my shoulder and behind us was a fire
          engine ,in somewhat of a hurry,we were that busy talking we hadn't heard him.

In those days Goodison Park was a top venue,on this day George Best (Besty)was playing for
United he was a special talent and scored on that day United won 3-1 It was the best season for
                                          Best he scored 32 goals that season.

When Bob Bishop The United scout found Best in Belfast ( he was just 15yrs ) he sent a
                 telegram to Matt Busby  telling him he has just found a genius for him .

                                                                                      Best at 46yrs

He was only 59 when he died on November 25, 2005.Belfast City Airport was named
after him and he was named European footballer of the year in 1968,the year he helped
                              Manchester United win the European Cup.

He really was a special talent he brought so much to the game with his exciting style.
his control of the ball had to be seen to be believed It was very sad to see him die  so
young he was unable to show the same control off the field as he did on it and in spite
of having so many good people trying to help him to change his lifestyle it was all in
                                    vain and his body finally gave up.

Unusual circumstances

It was the start of the new football season in the UK,we were all visiting my mother in Cheshire

This itself was not a familiar visit,it was more common for the children and their  mother to be

visiting their Grandmother we were living in South Wales then and I was usually too busy on the 

                Farm,so it was one of the odd times we were all together.

It was never a straight forward journey when the children used to travel with their mother, before

they had travelled very far there was always an argument among the children as to who should sit 

next to the window and it was about the same spot each time where mother would stop the car 

and read the riot act,'do you want to go and visit your grandmother  or do you want to go back 

home' ? the thought of missing out on a trip to Cheshire and visiting Grandmother and other's 

                                  usually returned a promise to behave

Manchester City was playing at home that weekend so I thought it would be a good opportunity

for the boys to watch a live game,I had been to the Manchester United ground before but not to 

the City ground,with no real plan and no tickets we set off,we were travelling in the fast lane on the 

motorway and there was a loud bang ,a tyre had blown so we pulled over onto the hard shoulder 

and changed the wheel,we were just pulling out onto the motorway and this car passes us with 

blue and white scarves waving through the windows,follow them they must be going to the ground

immediately came to mind,which we did ,it wasn't long before they left the motorway,I remember 

thinking they must know some short cut,we continued to follow them until they suddenly turned 

off the main road and onto a housing estate,and eventually stopping in the driveway of one of the 

properties,the driver came across to us with a big smile realising why we were following him.

They were calling to take their father to the match,no problem we are close to the ground if you

go back onto the road,and he continued to give us directions,we took his advice but not the right 

direction,realising we were travelling against the main flow of traffic,turned around and 

approaching the junction we had previously left,who should turn out in front of us was the car we 

were following before,we followed him to his favourite parking spot near to the ground.

As if all the circumstances leading up to us arriving at the ground were not surprising enough,

It turned out that his father was our local policeman in the village where I was born,and he lived 

there for some years before retiring,we had parked the cars and were walking through the side 

streets in deep conversation and at the same time trying to remember where it was we had 

parked the car,don't worry he said we will walk back together,they were going in at a different

gate on the ground,but he promised to meet up after the game at an arranged spot which we

did,what an interesting and exciting day that was.one of many involving the 'Beautiful Game'.