When Elton came on as a sub

Discussion in 'The Golden Years' started by Lloyd, Apr 30, 2019.

  1. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    I have an early childhood memory of attending a game at Vicarage Road (possibly the Pat Molloy testimonial v Wolves in 1973) during which Elton John briefly appeared as a sub. Have I imagined this or did it actually happen?
     
  2. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    It happened.. almost as you said. Duncan Welbourne's testimonial in May 74.. seems he started the game.

    elton wolves.JPG

    I remember someone mentioning this to me but i'd kind of forgotten about it. It would be great to find a pic.
     
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  3. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    I was definitely at this game but I don’t remember EJ’s performance. I was probably knocked sideways by the rare sighting of Malcolm Dalrymple and that moustache.
     
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  4. The Voice of Reason

    The Voice of Reason First Team Captain

    It's a pity Elton John wasn't playing last Saturday, as judging by the scoreline in that game we might have beaten Wolves had he been in the team :D (View attachment in quote shown above)
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2019
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  5. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Ha ha!! Fantastic!! Thank you Stevo - much appreciated
     
  6. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Somewhere in my attic I have an autograph book in which Malcolm Dalrymple's signature shares a page with Elton John's. There must be thousands of collectors of Malcolm Dalrymple memorabilia out there who'd pay a fortune for that!
     
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  7. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    Just a shame the Malcolm Dalrymple collectors don't come on this forum, after playing 7 games for Bristol Rovers and 5 for us he signed for FC Hendon making 67 appearances. Then escaped to Lancashire in 1976 where he still lives and works as a lorry driver!

    I'm afraid he was one of those players we have had over the last 50 years, not remembered for their football prowess!
     
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  8. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I believe there is an exhibition in the Tate later in the year. Run jointly with Peter Coffill's.
     
  9. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    I found a programme for the game online. Check out the referee......... :eek:

    51989_a.jpg
     
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  10. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Very strong Wolfs team too !
     
  11. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Elton John at the 'Top Rank'. In your face Vegas!
     
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  12. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Probably did better than Collins John !
     
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  13. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Thanks for finding that! I thought Elton came on as a sub but he clearly started. I don't think he lasted more than about 10 mins though and, I also think he played in his glasses! There must be some images taken on the evening somewhere and I wonder if there's a report hidden away in some dusty corner of t'internet?
     
  14. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Yes. And I can't imagine Derek 'The Doog' Dougan poncing around with a Mexican wrestler's mask as part of his goal celebrations either!
     
  15. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Giant haystacks or Mick McManus mask maybe ?
     
  16. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    I'm sure I remember seeing Stevo or someone post some pics of EJ in a WFC kit on the pitch doing what looked like warm up calf stretches. Maybe before that game ?
     
  17. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    There's a very good book called The Wrestling by Simon Garfield that is worth reading if you're at all nostalgic about Mick MacManus, Giant Hyastacks, Big Daddy etc and the whole 70's World of Sport wrestling circuit. It came out a few years back, but I'm sure you can get a copy on Amazon
     
  18. Stevohorn

    Stevohorn Watching Grass Grow

    There's a whole series of pics of Elton and the boys warming up.. but they include Rod Stewart as it was a promo thing the pair of them did for the concert they played at the Vic, which was actually 2 days before the game.

    https://the18.com/sites/default/fil...he18-Image-Rod-Stewart-Elton-John-Watford.jpg


    But.. there are some other pics of Elton with the full kit on (different glasses.. no hot pants) which i'd always presumed was the same day but could well have been the day of the game.

    https://imgs.smoothradio.com/images...elax=1&signature=m8x7orMON5uqBauWgRiRT3-z3V0=
     
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  19. vic-rijrode

    vic-rijrode First Year Pro

    No, absolutely not.

    upload_2019-5-2_11-12-33.png
     
  20. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Any other occasions when a team owner player for the team? I think I can remember it happening in Sky's Dream Team. Got a feeling it was the stipulation too far with Bassini's takeover of Bolton that finally scuppered the deal.
     
  21. HenryHooter

    HenryHooter Reservist

    Sorry for chipping in a bit late. I thought Elton came on as a sub too, for some reason I also think it was in the second half, but I was only seven at the time. The most surprising thing about him was that he had football boots on and not platforms! I don't remember him getting much of the ball, but he spent most of his time in the Rookery/Shrodells quadrant, and I am sure, but again, I was seven, that we were attacking the Rookery. I was in front of the Shrodells stand, and went down the front to watch him, but apart from it being Elton John, the football part was all a bit underwhelming.

    My Mum and Dad were friends of Duncan and they went to the 'Dance' at the Top Rank, later Baileys, Paradise Lost, etc., etc.. They got introduced to Elton and Co, and the thing that stood out the most to my Mum was how short Rod Stewart was.

    I didn't go to the concert, but I could hear it from my back garden, a bit further up Vicarage Road, on the Holywell end.

    The other testimonial I remember going to when I was a wee thing was Ron Rollit's. We played a Watford All Stars team, that included my then footballing hero Billy Jennings. Me and a few other kids hung around the directors entrance for ages hoping to get his autograph, and although we didn't get to see him, one of the stewards went down and got them for us.
     
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  22. MIlton Dammers

    MIlton Dammers Reservist

    Slightly before my time this, but I seem to remember watching GT turn out for us in a testimonial, or friendly of some kind. I think the team wore old-fashioned kit for the match.

    ...or maybe I just dreamt it.
     
  23. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Sheriff of London Shield v Corinthian Casuals.
     
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  24. HenryHooter

    HenryHooter Reservist

    He, GT, gave away a penalty so Corinthian Casuals could get a gosl, I think.

    There is a team photo of the players in period kit out there somewhere, if I remember correctly. For some reason Jan Lohman seems to stick in my memory as particularly looking the part. Which will be really embarrasing if it turns out he wasn't in it!
     
  25. Johnny Todd Sings

    Johnny Todd Sings First Year Pro

    GT gave away a penalty because he wanted re-enact what Corinthian Casuals did in the 19th century when they conceded a penalty: The goalkeeper would stand by a post to provide the penalty taker with an open goal, as they felt that that was more gentlemanly. GT told Sherwood to do that but the ref wouldn't allow it.

    In the Centenary book there is a picture of Elton playing in the game against Wolves, I think.
     
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  26. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    [​IMG]

    It does look like someone has superimposed his head on somebody else though.
     
  27. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    They had footage of this in the following weekend's Saint and Greavsie. Didn't they have just a bucket of col water instead of a treatment bag. I think Watford won 10-1. As mentioned, the Casuals goal was courtesy of a deliberate penalty conceded by GT. Their goalkeeper did the honours of smasing the penalty home. This was also the first appearance of the Steve Terry playing as a centre-forward experiment.
     
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  28. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    There was also the friendly v Vancouver Whitecaps. 1-0 victory with an early goal scored by Malcolm Poskett. They ended the game with a US soccer league style shootout. The type where you dribble the ball from outside the penalty area (was it the centre spot?) in a 1 v 1 contest against the goalkeeper. The Vancouver team was stuffed full of former Football League Division 1 (the top division) pros.
     
  29. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Poor old Walter Lees on the left in that photo.
     
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  30. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    05B5E207-6558-4BE8-9AB5-7402C57D0C8E.jpeg Elton on his own stand .
     
  31. Teide1

    Teide1 Squad Player

    That was for Johnny William’s testimonial, Mike Keen as manager and Laurie Craker in crutches!
     
  32. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    Am assuming we lost with a referee from Hemel and a lino from Lootown.
     
  33. BigRossLittleRoss

    BigRossLittleRoss First Team

    My first ever game .

    Pretty sure it was that year that I scored into the Rookery end when it was the away end in the half time youth team shoot out which was also a 25 yard shoot off.

    That was for Watford Rockets who used to get beaten by double figures every week , think our record was 22-0 loss when their keeper scored a brace .
     
  34. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Presume connected with the purchase of Steve Harrison from VW ?
     

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