Argyle Reserves v Tottenham Reserves

Bonzo · Mar 6, 2020

Whilst sorting through my old programmes I came across this match from December 1961. One of the Spurs players was Jimmy Greaves who was coming back from Italy but could not play for the first team so came down with the reserves. Argyle lost 4-1 with Greaves getting a brace. On the back of the programme is the 'half time code' which the oldies will remember was how they let the fans know what was going on - no instantaneous info here. Letter A was Liverpool v Plymouth Argyle!!!!!!

Anyway the point of this is to see whether there is any value in it for Argyle fans or should I offer it to Tottenham. The programme is very tatty.

Graham Green · Mar 6, 2020

Wasn’t that the game with a record combination league crowd of 12k or similar to see Greaves? Offer it to the Argyle Archive?

Presto · Mar 6, 2020

I was there. Great crowd turn out to see Jimmy Greaves although I do not remember exactly how many. He was a cracking player who just had the uncanny knack of scoring goals - often scrappy ones but he rarely missed an opportunity.

Bonzo · Mar 6, 2020

I know the crowd was around 12,000. Later in the season Jimmy Greaves came down again when we got thrashed 5-1 in the F A Cup Fourth Round. I think he got a couple more goals.

I actually think the biggest reserve attendance was the week before the cup game when Argyle reserves played Mansfield? reserves. They were selling tickets for the cup game and you had to go to this game to get a cup ticket. They left the gates open so you could buy a ticket and then go out and buy another one.

My Dad was not really into football and these two matches were the only time we went together.

By the way in the 3rd Round we had beaten West Ham 3-0 including a Johnny Williams special. That season has turned out to be my best ever with a 5th place finish in the second tier. I never believed nearly 60 years later that it would be the best that I ever experienced.

Ottawa Green · Mar 6, 2020

I was there also for all 3 games you mention Bonzo, for the West Ham game was up at the back of what is now the Lyndhurst, and for the FA Cup game against Spurs I believe my mum and I were in the ground by 11 am, I was up against the fence right in the corner between where the Mayflower and Barn Park is now there used to be a covered fence where at one time the players used to come out I think I spent most of that game half way up the fence, there was pre-game entertainment police dogs display community singing and brass marching bands.....

pafcprogs · Mar 6, 2020

It's a sought after programme from a Spurs perspective so you might be surprised how much you got for it on eBay!

Condition is everything but as long as the basic programme is intact you will get a few quid for it.

Peter

Keepitgreen · Mar 6, 2020

Bonzo":1rcdn7zb said:
I know the crowd was around 12,000. Later in the season Jimmy Greaves came down again when we got thrashed 5-1 in the F A Cup Fourth Round. I think he got a couple more goals.

I actually think the biggest reserve attendance was the week before the cup game when Argyle reserves played Mansfield? reserves. They were selling tickets for the cup game and you had to go to this game to get a cup ticket. They left the gates open so you could buy a ticket and then go out and buy another one.

My Dad was not really into football and these two matches were the only time we went together.

By the way in the 3rd Round we had beaten West Ham 3-0 including a Johnny Williams special. That season has turned out to be my best ever with a 5th place finish in the second tier. I never believed nearly 60 years later that it would be the best that I ever experienced.

The Argyle Archive would love to take it off your hands and ensure that it's preserved for generations to come.

The Argyle Archive Website

George Willis · Mar 7, 2020

I was at all three games and one of the things that stood out at the Greaves reserves game was the the number of newspaper photographers there. After the predictable solo photos before kick off they were all trying to get photos of his first goal back in England. From memory I think he got one in the first half which must have made life easier for them.

Bonzo · Mar 7, 2020

I am very happy to donate any of my old programmes to the Argyle Archive but must warn you that the condition of them is not good. As a ten year old I had no vision of the potential history I might be handling so team changes are made and goals scored recorded. I also seem to have been quite nervous as I managed to fiddle with them so much a staple got taken out.

61-62 was my first season so have many programmes from then and throughout the sixties. I also have a few pre 1960 which my elder sister gave me.

A Wednesday night match (note Wednesday not Tuesday) against Huddersfield which Argyle won 4-2 was actually my first match and I reckon I am now well past 1000 matches.

If there is a mass switch of programmes then it may need to be done over a period of time as most of my journeys are by train. I am driving to Morecambe and then Grimsby however,

Will soon be off to prepare for the train trip down but will resume, if necessary, this conversation tomorrow.

rsp4 · Mar 7, 2020

Blimey I read the title and got excited because I thought we were having a reserves match with Spurs :funny: :funny:

Maybe in the future eh

Quintrell Green · Mar 7, 2020

By the way in the 3rd Round we had beaten West Ham 3-0 including a Johnny Williams special. That season has turned out to be my best ever with a 5th place finish in the second tier. I never believed nearly 60 years later that it would be the best that I ever experienced.[/quote]

I was delighted to be present at this match. It was the only occasion where you could say ,'Eat your heart out of that Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst'. It is a pity that Sparksy was not around to commentate on that match. It would have produced further words for posterity, I am sure.

Dreamgreen · Mar 7, 2020

My dad always told me the crowd for the reserve game was 25,000 ! He went, but obviously may have been prone to exaggeration..

My first game was the West Ham cup game (3 v 0), my second was the Spurs (1 v 5).

Dreamgreen · Mar 7, 2020

I met someone this morning who claims to have been at the reserve game b Spurs. He said there were over 22,000 there !

Pogleswoody · Mar 7, 2020

I remember bunking off Environmental Health lectures, Wednesday afternoon, Tottenham Tech in (possibly?) 1978??
Argyle reserves at White Hart Lane. As both teams came out, I shouted: 'Come on Argyle!!' and both teams basically stopped and looked at me!! Most of them laughed!! Can't believe I was the only Argyle fan there!! Can't remember the result but Spurs had heck of a teamout!! :shock:

I'm sure Ralph Coates was their captain.

Crowd was somewhere between 22 and 22,000!!

Quintrell Green · Mar 7, 2020

Dreamgreen":3tu778df said:
I met someone this morning who claims to have been at the reserve game b Spurs. He said there were over 22,000 there !

The national newspapers quoted 12,907 spectators, 23 camera men and 4 news reels attended. I do not know the number of pasty sellers outside the ground. I have done my best. The programme cost one old penny. One of Argyle's most famous supporters, the late Clement Freud, was the journalist for The Sunday Observer. He must have been delighted to have been sent by his Editor on that assignment.

Argyle Reserves v Tottenham Reserves

Site Admin