Anoraks 62 - with a whiff of Wills!

Sainghin Green · Dec 25, 2020

In the early days you hardly needed to ask who the opposition was. Since then it's quite often been teams from either side of the Channel, with an unbeaten record against the white cliffs brigade! All the goal scoring legends have produced the goods with Jack Leslie and Wilf Carter on equal terms with Gary Sawyer! A fixture however that has not always taken place.

This could break the record for speediest solution.

The Doctor · Dec 25, 2020

Sainghin Green":13jwou6x said:
In the early days you hardly needed to ask who the opposition was. Since then it's quite often been teams from either side of the Channel, with an unbeaten record against the white cliffs brigade! All the goal scoring legends have produced the goods with Jack Leslie and Wilf Carter on equal terms with Gary Sawyer! A fixture however that has not always taken place.

This could break the record for speediest solution.

I’m thinking something to do with Boxing Day games, formerly/usually against local rivals (presumably Exeter or Torquay) but then also against teams from South Wales (Bristol Channel) with white cliffs = Bluebirds = Cardiff City. Perhaps players who have scored on Boxing Day at Home Park. Not sure about the whiff of Wills clue in the title... Kevin Wills perhaps - did he score a Boxing Day goal?

Sainghin Green · Dec 25, 2020

The Doctor has done a proper job on this one - all the clues sorted and Boxing Day fixtures identified as the answer. Full details later, perhaps after someone can re-assure me that I am not the only one who associates Wills Whiffs with Home Park on Boxing Days!

The Doctor · Dec 25, 2020

‘Proper Job’ - that’s what my Zummerzet born and bred and fought in the trenches in the First World War grandfather used to say. That and ‘elegant sufficiency’ once he’d had seconds or thirds of his Christmas dinner.

I might have unpicked the clues but I’m not sure I actually have a complete answer. The cross has come in, the ball is hanging in the air, who’s going to nod it over the line?

kernow19 · Dec 26, 2020

Sainghin Green":2meo3sax said:
perhaps after someone can re-assure me that I am not the only one who associates Wills Whiffs with Home Park on Boxing Days!

I'm the same. For some reason I always associate it with standing on the Mayflower Terrace with my Dad in 1969 to watch the 6 - 0 win over Torquay. Happy days. :thumbs:

lipsonlad67 · Dec 26, 2020

The Doctor":5tpi954p said:
I might have unpicked the clues but I’m not sure I actually have a complete answer. The cross has come in, the ball is hanging in the air, who’s going to nod it over the line?

Not sure if I'm still going to make a hash of it and head over, despite it being laid on a plate by The Doctor.
So, is it being unbeaten against our South Wales 'neighbours' Cardiff City and Newport County on Boxing Day?
Jack Leslie netted against the Bluebirds in a 5-1 win in 30-31 at HP, Wilf Carter likewise in a 1-0 victory at Somerton Park, County's old ground, in 57-58. And a young Gary Sawyer, remember this one well, scoring the only goal at Cardiff's new ground in 2009-10. There was also the 2-2 draw, a brace from David Norris, at Ninian Park in 2006-07 season.

Sainghin Green · Dec 26, 2020

Between them The Doctor and Lipson Lad have just about buried this one but first of all thanks to Kernow 19 - my Dad and I were also on the Mayflower Terrace for the 6-0 against Torquay -who knows, we might have been standing next to each other!

This one was just about identifying Boxing Day matchers as the answer - I wanted to avoid the obvious Charlton 4-6 and Mike Bickle's Torquay exploits, hence the clues which The Doctor sorted out.

In the 1920s we played Exeter in 5 consecutive seasons. Subsequently South Wales teams have featured 11 times but I think Cardiff are the only ones against whom we have an unbeaten Boxing Day record. Bristol teams have been played 10 times.
For the record it's 11 times in all against Exeter.

I just noticed Gary Sawyer's 2 goals put him on a goal scoring par with Jack Leslie and Wilf Carter - something that doesn't happen very often and to Gary's credit both of his goals were away from home while Jack and Wilf were Home Park scorers.I reckon it's Jack Vidler and Sammy Black who lead the way on 5 each.

Do people still light up a Will's Whiff as a Boxing Day treat - not the players of course hopefully!

kernow19 · Dec 26, 2020

Sainghin Green":3mq2f3o1 said:
Between them The Doctor and Lipson Lad have just about buried this one but first of all thanks to Kernow 19 - my Dad and I were also on the Mayflower Terrace for the 6-0 against Torquay -who knows, we might have been standing next to each other!

An added interesting bit of trivia, also on the Mayflower Terrace that day was one Fred Binney, who at the time was a Torquay player but was recovering from injury or illness I think. We shared a good bit of banter with him as the match progressed

Mark58 · Dec 26, 2020

kernow19":3fdh974t said:
Sainghin Green":3fdh974t said:

Between them The Doctor and Lipson Lad have just about buried this one but first of all thanks to Kernow 19 - my Dad and I were also on the Mayflower Terrace for the 6-0 against Torquay -who knows, we might have been standing next to each other!

Click to expand...

An added interesting bit of trivia, also on the Mayflower Terrace that day was one Fred Binney, who at the time was a Torquay player but was recovering from injury or illness I think. We shared a good bit of banter with him as the match progressed

I was up in the Grandstand for that one - looking down on the backs of your heads.

I still relive that game in my dreams, especially the four from Bix. It was made even more special by the bumper crowd and the consequent bragging rights.

Although some younger fans would find this hard to believe, in the 60s there was a similar level of rivalry and antagonism towards Torquay United as there now is to 'those up the road.' Indeed, I seem to recall the same sort of 'Aw, bless 'em' view of 'little Fourth Division Exeter City' as we now tend to reserve for Torquay United. It's a funny old world...