mitchmouse
loves to hate United.
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2014
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Bit surprised not to find a thread already but he joined for (a then massive) £45k in the aftermath of Munich, scoring 50 goals for the club.
RIP
RIP
It was at the time a British Club record transfer fee. A real inside forward (today would be a 10 or an 8)Bit surprised not to find a thread already but he joined for (a then massive) £45k in the aftermath of Munich, scoring 50 goals for the club.
RIP
The Final was my first ever United game and to be honest I just fell in love with the Lawman that day and didn't have eyes for anyone else!A very astute buy by Sir Matt, was a driving force behind the rise of Utd., after Munich a silky inside forward whose passing ability was top notch. Born Sheffield 9.8.1933, played for Utd, from 1958 to 1964, 165 games and scored 50. FA Cup winner 1963. If you can watch that game do so he in my opinion was the driving force for that win. Loved watching you play, RIP
Definitely one of his stand out moments, but moved on in December 1963...A very astute buy by Sir Matt, was a driving force behind the rise of Utd., after Munich a silky inside forward whose passing ability was top notch. Born Sheffield 9.8.1933, played for Utd, from 1958 to 1964, 165 games and scored 50. FA Cup winner 1963. If you can watch that game do so he in my opinion was the driving force for that win. Loved watching you play, RIP
He was in the team when I first went to OT. Saw him play many times. Remember that combed-back blond hairstyle. Never a hair out of place!Underrated is not a term I generally like or use since I feel that most things eventually reach the right level, but there is no doubt that Albert Quixall is something of a forgotten man at OT. Over the last decade I've scoured all corners of the internet, and most of the references to him in published literature, to find out more about him. For one thing, judging by fan postings, he is more fondly and regularly recalled by Sheffield Wednesday fans than our own fans. That begs the deeper question of why he seems to fallen through the cracks of OT..? There is no clear answer.
There is universal agreement that he was incredibly skilled with a football, and do things that would now be termed 'freestyle'. The flip side of this was that the pros termed him a 'cheat' who went missing in games (see for example Dunphy's Strange Kind of Glory). He was also a marquee signing who never fully established himself as a regular (hence 'only' 184 appearances and 56 goals in six seasons). The same seems true of his international career which was truncated after 5 senior appearances before he joined MU. When he left United he went into the scrap metal business while continuing to live in Stretford, but developed dementia quite young and so spent about two decades in care homes. This may well explain why he was less prominent than other former players, but many disappeared to private life like David Herd.
Some texts have mentioned that he was also unpopular with team mates due to unpleasant practical jokes... the detail of which I won't mention. He was unique in that he sought training from a ballet teacher to improve his coordination and movement; indeed, he married his ballet teacher from Sheffield.
Perhaps this should be a new thread where older fans can share memories / reflections, although there are probably not too many around he recall his MU career.
There are certainly references to him being booed by the fans, even at Wembley in the '63 cup final. It's always strange who the fans take against - David Herd, John Aston jr, and my dad who couldn't stand Ray 'Butch' Wilkins! I think your reflections sum up what a lot of fans seemed to thing - good, but didn't live up to his promise... I've also read he lost form due to injury and mental strain of the pressure at OT.Quixall arrived at United in a blaze of glory, think he broke the Transfer record at the time £48,000. Never really lived up to it. I was at what I think was his first game at OT against Spurs, and he was certainly different in style and approach; however he always seemed a bit of a loner and was never really fancied by many fans at the time as a true Busby Babe.
I'm in my mid 70's now so maybe the memory is going, but I cannot recall a particular game in which his performance was 'very good', let alone spectacular.
In my own memories I tend to think of him as the 'nearly man' or 'forgotten man of the time'. Probably that is unfair but I was only in my mid teens, so probably didn't know what I was watching.
It's great that you managed to see him. BTW, the big freeze was the start of 1963 rather than the end. It started very soon after I was born. The two things are not connected as far as I am aware.I was very young when he played. I have a vague memory of seeing him play while sitting on my granddad's shoulders at the fag end of 1963 before the freeze. I believe it was against Stoke and we won by 4 or 5. I remember him turning out for Altrincham in the late 60s but that's about it.
I'm sure you're right. I prefer to go by memory rather that look it up as it keeps the old grey matter sharp, though not in this case. I remember the canal froze solid and my granddad dragged me on a sledge from Broadheath all the way to the Axe and Cleaver in Dunham Massey. Anyway, I did look it up eventually and it was Stoke at home. Law get 4 and Herd 1 in a 5-2 win. Albert played outside-left.It's great that you managed to see him. BTW, the big freeze was the start of 1963 rather than the end. It started very soon after I was born. The two things are not connected as far as I am aware.
Many fond memories of the Axe and Cleaver! As a young baby I wasn't allowed out of the house until the end of the big freeze in March. It's probably why I hate being cooped up indoors for too long. Albert's last game was Boxing day 1963 before being sold to Oldham.I'm sure you're right. I prefer to go by memory rather that look it up as it keeps the old grey matter sharp, though not in this case. I remember the canal froze solid and my granddad dragged me on a sledge from Broadheath all the way to the Axe and Cleaver in Dunham Massey. Anyway, I did look it up eventually and it was Stoke at home. Law get 4 and Herd 1 in a 5-2 win. Albert played outside-left.
My brother, God rest his soul, had his wedding reception there after getting married at St. Marks. He was a lot older than me and by the time I was old enough to go to games, he was going with his pals. After he got married, not so much.Many fond memories of the Axe and Cleaver! As a young baby I wasn't allowed out of the house until the end of the big freeze in March. It's probably why I hate being cooped up indoors for too long. Albert's last game was Boxing day 1963 before being sold to Oldham.
That's definitely true..."no accounting for taste" as my old man use to say.There are certainly references to him being booed by the fans, even at Wembley in the '63 cup final. It's always strange who the fans take against - David Herd, John Aston jr, and my dad who couldn't stand Ray 'Butch' Wilkins! I think your reflections sum up what a lot of fans seemed to thing - good, but didn't live up to his promise... I've also read he lost form due to injury and mental strain of the pressure at OT.
That's exactly right, Maticmaker. My dad couldn't stand sideways passing - 'move the bloody ball forward' he shouted, much to my embarrassment!That's definitely true..."no accounting for taste" as my old man use to say.
Your dad wasn't on his own with 'Butch' Wilkins, think a lot of it was to do with his 'tutoring' under Dave Sexton, in many ways ahead of his time, he had Wilkins moving the ball sideways, backwards, anything to hold on to the ball, an early believer in 'the opposition can't score whilst you have the ball' never really fitted in then (or now) with the so called 'United style'. Where I use to stand (United road paddock) Wilkins was known as 'the crab'.
Like watching paint dry at times!
Yes you are right, Sexton was admired within football for his 'knowledge' etc. but for me he was never a manager, more a coach. There have been one or two posts about Dave Sexton, that I have noticed on the Red Cafe but I think pretty much the view seems to be either he was 'ahead of his time', or he was the coach who played the most boring style we ever had?That's exactly right, Maticmaker. My dad couldn't stand sideways passing - 'move the bloody ball forward' he shouted, much to my embarrassment!
Is there much on the site about Sexton? As one of 'Doc's Army' I was never going to welcome his arrival, but I don't think for one minute I ever thought we would win the league under him.
If I get passed Newbie stage I may start some topics on historical themes. It so happens that I had my most intense and dedicated year as a fan during the year in the second division. Of course, I was hardly alone in that. United's attendances went up that year and so there's a whole cohort of fans from 60 (my age) upwards who recall that Doc's army period with great fondness. At least there are a couple of books about it now, not least Wayne Barton's '1974/5 - the players' stories' . It was a genuinely exciting time, and a bit nerve wracking sometimes given crowd trouble. It was an important time in my life as I made the transition to secondary school, and a strong bonding thing with my dad too. In fact it was one of the few things we agreed on!Yes you are right, Sexton was admired within football for his 'knowledge' etc. but for me he was never a manager, more a coach. There have been one or two posts about Dave Sexton, that I have noticed on the Red Cafe but I think pretty much the view seems to be either he was 'ahead of his time', or he was the coach who played the most boring style we ever had?
'You pays your money you takes your choice'
I assume you are referring to Tommy Doc? Yes he had his own style and had his personal life not taken a twist in the way it did, who knows how far he could have got with United, after he had 'cleared house. The 'Doc' took us down to Div 2 but bounced straight back to Div 1 and into an FA cup final with Southampton; he certainly had a way with the younger players, although with the more established players he always seemed one step away from a full blown fallout, e.g. his arguments with Willie Morgan, in particular, are legend!
Tommy Doc was great at 'one liners', about Dave Sexton he is reported to have said "Dave's idea of excitement is eating an after 8 mint at 7.45" and another famous one was when one of his previous teams (not United) had lost 6-0 , his comment was 'we were lucky to get nil'.
Still miss that about Tommy!
Sorry about your brother, Moriarty.My brother, God rest his soul, had his wedding reception there after getting married at St. Marks. He was a lot older than me and by the time I was old enough to go to games, he was going with his pals. After he got married, not so much.
I looked Albert's last game up and it was a 1-6 defeat at Turf Moor. I vaguely remember the return just after Christmas when we returned the favour beating them 5-1. The most vivid memory I have of that season was beating Forest at home in the last match. Liverpool won their first title under Shankly and we finished 2nd. Hard to believe it was 59 years ago.