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Argyle over 50 years ago

Steve Dean

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There's a gem of a video now on YouTube: 38 minutes of Match of the Day in January 1970 when Luton 0 Argyle 2 was the main match (and Argyle's first MotD appearance). David Colman presented, Kenneth Wolstenholme was the commentator, and in Luton's line-up was a young Malcolm MacDonald, who of course went on to play for England, and also Keith Allen, who joined Argyle later that year.

The video was provided by Martin Clamp, who was in goal for Argyle that day. Some wonderful memories of Martin, Norman Piper, Colin Sullivan, David Lean, Winston Foster, Johnny Hore, Steve Davey, Richard Reynolds, Derek Rickard, Mike Bickle and Aiden Maher. I normally post the latest video links each Friday, but this is a special and deserves its own slot.

Oldies, enjoy! Young 'uns, I hope it's fascinating too.

Greens on Screen
 

Biggs

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Great stuff, and not often (if ever!) I've seen that classic kit in action.
 

demportdave

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Remember it well, particularly the excitement of Argyle actually being on MoD, which was unmissable in those days as one of the TV highlights of the week.

It was a nice bit of payback for Argyle who had been beaten 3-1 at HP by Luton early in the season.

In those days, the Argyle A team used to play in the old P&D Premier and they played their home games on Cottage Field, usually with a 1.30 kick off. So if you wanted, you got to see 2 Argyle games in the same afternoon, as I usually did.

At about 2.15 there was the sound of loud chanting coming from up by the Golf Course - not unlike that made by the local residents in the the film Zulu when they arrived on the high ground overlooking Rorkes Drift - and it was the arrival of hundreds of very boisterous Skinhead Luton fans coming from North Road Station.

With their shaven heads and Doc Marten boots, it was quite intimidating to a young teenager, the first time I had actually seen a Skinhead. After a minor pitch invasion on Cottage Field, they went on their way but I recall there was a bit of trouble in the ground during and after the match.
 
Aug 8, 2013
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I seem to remember that home game as being Plymouth's
first real experience of football hooliganism. Didn't the Luton
fans cause some damage up on the Hoe ? Or is that my imagination ?
 

The Doctor

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That’s well before my time as an Argyle fan but what a thoroughly enjoyable watch. To begin I was thinking how on Earth did Argyle manage to win the game as Luton pounded the goal incessantly but the first goal was a real thing of beauty and so well timed. It was interesting to see goalkeepers picking up back passes, tucked in shirts, one substitute line-ups etc. I thought the quality of the football was really pretty good and the interview at the end really sums up just how much the game, and the world more generally, has changed in the last 50 years.
 

Mark58

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Yes, I watched it live on MOTD with my heart bursting with pride that MY football team was actually featured in the main match! I may be wrong but I seem to recall that the BBC chose that match to unveil their new 'space age' graphics, showing the names of the goal scorers as a half and full time overlay of the standard picture. Heady times! :lol:

What a performance from Martin Clamp in goal! Not the tallest or widest of keepers ever to wear the Green but that footage just confirms that if you are good enough you are big enough. I note that Martin supplied the footage - for which we should all be eternally grateful - but I am intrigued as to how he recorded it. My research suggests that domestic VCRs were not generally introduced in the UK until 1971, but this might be an example of using a really early model...

Great memories. :scarf:
 

Lundan Cabbie

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I wonder why it is black and white. I have looked it up and Match of the Day went colour in 1969 and it's too early for when industrial action forced the BBC to revert to B&W for some broadcasts.
 

jerryatricjanner

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The most remarkable thing about that Argyle line up is that 8 of the 11 were Devon or Cornwall born, with just Clamp, Foster and Maher the outsiders.
 
Jul 24, 2009
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I found it an interesting watch. The coverage was so different to today, one camera, only replays were for the goals and I don't think there was a single shot of either manager and barely any of the crowd. Just the players on the field. The standard looked pretty high and Luton looked a decent side, I guess born out by the fact they went up that year. Lovely move for Argyle's opener.

I hadn't heard of Martin Clamp but based on GoS he played in 8 league games that season of which Argyle won 4 and looked decent on that performance so slightly surprising he didn't stay longer? Apparently only stayed the one season and then drifted into non-league. Maybe that game was as good as it got for him at Argyle.
 

jerryatricjanner

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Just watched it myself, I have seen it before but not for several years. When you consider they were playing on an uneven and heavily sanded pitch it wasn't bad at all. The ball spent more time in the air than we generally see now and keepers largely kicked it long downfield. Can you imagine our keeper and defenders trying to play it out from the back on a surface like that today? It's much easier on the beautifully manicured surfaces today. I may have one or two slightly wrong but look at where these players were from:
Sullivan- Saltash
Hore- Foxhole
Reynolds-Looe
Tedesco-Plymouth
Davey-Plymouth
Bickle-Plymouth
Rickard-Plymouth
Lean-Plymouth
Piper-North Tawton
Nine out of the twelve born within 30 to 40 minutes of Plymouth.
 
Nov 2, 2004
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I have never seen Norman Piper give the ball away as often as he did in that game. What a good player Richard Reynolds was.