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Search: 'John Wark'

Stories

Charlton Athletic 2 Crystal Palace 2

There’s heartache for the visitors as survival hopes are dashed – but have we just been brainwashed into thinking that being in the Premiership is all that matters? Taylor Parkes finds out

First – and this isn’t unusual – a team owned by a very rich man won the title. People who don’t know what the term “Russian oligarch” actually means, who have probably never heard, say, the exciting story of the race for the governorship of Chukotka, will think nothing of it, or applaud, because the money “must be good for football” and, after all, who cares where money comes from? There he is on television, look, sitting in the stand. Half-smiling. He looks a bit like Harry Enfield.

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Parkin’s restrictions

Csaba Abrahall  looks back on a bench-warmer in the days before three subs, a loyal servant who rarely got to serve – Ipswich Town’s Mr Reserve Team, Tommy Parkin

So successful was Ipswich’s youth policy in the 1970s that anyone learning his trade at Portman Road could reasonably expect to have to consider storage arrangements for international caps sooner or later. Eric Gates, George Burley and John Wark were among many who made the transition from Ipswich junior to full international. Tommy Parkin, a member of the club’s FA Youth Cup-winning team in 1973, was not, yet his rather prosaic contribution is remembered al­most as fondly as those of his illustrious peers.

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Letters, WSC 165

Dear WSC
An idea for a movie script, in which hard man Vinnie Jones plays a villain called, er, Hard Man. A large group of ex-footballers who’ve been on the receiving end of one of his so-called “tackles” lure him to a deserted warehouse and wallop the shite out of him.
Stephen J Bunting, Cambridge

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Letters, WSC 114

Dear WSC
Continuing on the debate about those heartbroken fans of Newcastle, one has to ask where these ‘devoted’ supporters were a few years ago. Commentators frequently reminisce about the dark old days of Newcastle when the club was on the verge of bankruptcy on gates just above 10,000. There is the same fickle element at Middlesbrough – at Ayresome Park back in 1993, matches attracted around 8,000. Now they’d expect 28,000 for a League match against Wimbledon!  I can only have limited sympathy for the Toon Army, and even less for the tens of thousands of supporters on the season ticket waiting list. If they’d bought one in 1990, they would have one by now.  If would seem that Newcastle’s chums Sunderland are the only ‘North East giant’ with fans of any loyalty: they brought 5,000 to Watford this year – and that was on a wet Tuesday night!
Will Ginster, Chesham

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Letters, WSC 113

Dear WSC
During his career Bobby Charlton did get a proper booking as opposed to one meted out by a FIFA official in the stand (Six of the Best,WSC No 112). It happened during the FA Cup Quarter-Final against Stoke City at Old Trafford in March 1972. As I recall, he hammered a direct free kick into the net but had the ‘goal’ disallowed because the kick had been taken too quickly. Charlton refused to retake the kick and was booked for dissent. The match ended 1-1 and Stoke won the replay 2-1. If you print this letter I might write again to tell you about the time I pinched Nobby Stiles’ backside after the Man Utd v Middlesbrough Third Round Cup tie in 1971. He played only five more games for United after this and I’ve been feeling guilty about a possible connection for more than 25 years…
Gareth Davies

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