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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

Happy Birthday Jb


DomRepWanderer

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Happy Birthday and a true legend.

I've told this story before and no apologises for saying it again :blum:

As a young lad I went down to Bromwich Street with my Dad to watch the lads train and with my note book in hand I went over to JB for his autograph. He looked at me and smile "is this a rent book" needless to say I thanked him kindly before leaving sharpish.

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Met him in the Prince Bill years ago.

Had a good chat over a couple of pints,then walked down Manny Road with him. Got to Burnden Park. He walked into the players entrance.

I stood on the Embankment. 30mins later he ran onto the pitch.

Around 15mins later he scored !!

As it turned out we drew 2-2 but he will always be a legend to me.

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Before my time, but those who came of Burnden age in the early 70s all seem to adore him. And those who watched from the late 50s and early 60s hold Freddie Hill in the same high regard. Though not like for like I know. Who would you put up there in the years after that - in the real legends bracket? I guess doing it over a period of time has to be a criterion - so could you really class Hierro as one? More a legend of the game, who played for us at the end of his career. McGinlay obviously not in the same class as Hierro, but a bigger BWFC legend...

Edited by davidjack
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Always recall Byrom turning up at the local in Atherton. The Station Hotel as it was called then contacted the club to ask if John Byrom would come down to push over a pile of pennies.

 

Also in attendance that night was a local beauty queen called Linda Ramsbottom. Byrom mixed with us all and talked openly about the team members and what they got up to. One lad asked Johnny B " do you think you will be going up at the end of the season" Byrom relied, "I'm hoping I'm going to be up tonight, pointing at the beauty queen.

 

Happy birthday John, you were never the quickest but you knew where the nets were.

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Before my time, but those who came of Burnden age in the early 70s all seem to adore him. And those who watched from the late 50s and early 60s hold Freddie Hill in the same high regard. Though not like for like I know. Who would you put up there in the years after that - in the real legends bracket? I guess doing it over a period of time has to be a criterion - so could you really class Hierro as one? More a legend of the game, who played for us at the end of his career. McGinlay obviously not in the same class as Hierro, but a bigger BWFC legend...

There used to be at least one banner on th'Embankment saying "Freddie Hill is God". Or words to that effect.

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Yes - we won 3-2. A Burnden crowd of 39,000. Not bad for a side not long up from the old 3rd Division.

Yes - we won 3-2. A Burnden crowd of 39,000. Not bad for a side not long up from the old 3rd Division.

Entry by programme. Farcical. Various 'Repent ye sinners' protestors.

 

We got 33,000 against t'Rovers in 3rd division around that time. We're not a football town though. :lol:

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