RIP John Smout

[Banksy]

Just a little rainy day John Smout story - that might interest people who wonder how City players lived back in Johns time:

It was the evening of October 25th 1967. City were at home to Workington and I couldnt go; I had something in town I had to deal with. I was coming home to our flat in Cowick Lane - upstairs at the front of a double decker and went to get off at the Falmouth. As I walked back towards the stairs, I noticed John Smout sat at the back in his long raincoat that were the rage in the 60's. "How'd you get on John" I said. He looked up smiled and said "Won 1-0". I said "well done", as I passed thinking nothing more of it. Thats it really, but it goes to show that back in those times, regular first team players (John didnt miss a match that year) had to amble from the ground up to the Odeon area, risking life and limb to catch a bus to get home to their digs! Imagine modern day prima donna's doing that!

Interesting little tale Pete.I watched a lot of his games free then because my sister’s then fiancé was Ray Elliott who is also in the picture , and I always got a complimentary ticket from him! My sister couldn’t accept the life of a footballer’s wife and they separated , but his mum and dad got to know mine very well and regularly came to stay with us on holiday.Sadly , both Ray and my sister died fairly young , both , oddly, from brain tumours.

 

[John William]

I'll look for that, John. Imlach, I know the name, featured in a Cup Final as I recall off the top of my head.

Yes MoM in 1959 when Forest won despite a player breaking a leg. Also played for Scotland in the 1958 World Cup but didn't win as many caps as he should because Scotland would only play a minority of English based players ! Saw him play a couple of times for Palace when I was a kid.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Father-Other-Working-Football-Heroes/dp/0224072684

 

[PeteUSA]

Interesting little tale Pete.I watched a lot of his games free then because my sister’s then fiancé was Ray Elliott who is also in the picture , and I always got a complimentary ticket from him! My sister couldn’t accept the life of a footballer’s wife and they separated , but his mum and dad got to know mine very well and regularly came to stay with us on holiday.Sadly , both Ray and my sister died fairly young , both , oddly, from brain tumours.

Sorry about that sad ending my mate. Yes there were some quality players in that team photo. George Ley, Jimmy Blain, George McClean, John Corr, Alan Banks, the list is endless. Yet they only managed 20th in Division 4 that season! Even with squads like that we were under-achievers!

 

[PeteUSA]

Yes MoM in 1959 when Forest won despite a player breaking a leg. ]

Thats right, I remember that final now, on the black and white 14". Forest lost Roy Dwight early on as I recall and still beat Luton with 10 men. My interest was always in the keepers: Forests 'Chick' Thompson, who I think died recently, and Lutons Ron Baynham, who's still going strong in his 90's! I think that was the year that then Division 1 Luton played us at St James Park in front of 20,000, with Billy Bingham (dirty b*stard!)

 

[John William]

Thats right, I remember that final now, on the black and white 14". Forest lost Roy Dwight early on as I recall and still beat Luton with 10 men. My interest was always in the keepers: Forests 'Chick' Thompson, who I think died recently, and Lutons Ron Baynham, who's still going strong in his 90's! I think that was the year that then Division 1 Luton played us at St James Park in front of 20,000, with Billy Bingham (dirty b*stard!)

I think Gary Imlach interviewed Chick Thompson for the book before he died.

By the bye, Stewart Imlach was sold to Luton soon afterwards, having had the club house he was waiting for given to another player Forest were desperate to sign. Allocation of Club houses to married players was a big instrument of control for the clubs.

 

[PeteUSA]

Allocation of Club houses to married players was a big instrument of control for the clubs.

Thats interesting John. Club houses to married players. I know that Citys Alec Bell (largely George Hunters GK understudy) lived in a nice new house in Newcombe Street, while George lived in digs with people I knew? Alec's house was later taken over by Eddie Nash, Citys trainer of the early 60's. He was married with a son Alan Nash who became good friends of us 'footballers' at Heavitree Park.

 

[robchave]

I remember him well.
Aye, aye, aye, aye.
Smout is better than Yashim!
Banks is better than Eu-say-be-o,
and (enter team of choice) are in for a thrashing!
R.I.P.

 

[Greyhound]

Always very sad to read something like this. I wish I could remember John better than I do. 1966-68 wasn't a time of great success for ECFC. We were mid-table in 66-67, then had a major clearout which didn't do us much good, as we struggled the following season. One of those to go was Dixie McNeil, who went on to score a lot of goals for other clubs. One highlight in 1967 was the double signing of John Newman and Alan Banks from a club somewhere to the west, for a reported £8,000. RIP John.

 

[STURTZ]

Sorry about that sad ending my mate. Yes there were some quality players in that team photo. George Ley, Jimmy Blain, George McClean, John Corr, Alan Banks, the list is endless. Yet they only managed 20th in Division 4 that season! Even with squads like that we were under-achievers!

Can't see Corr or Banks in the photo I think you're referring to, also how can the list of quality players be endless when there are just 22 players in the photo? The maximum number of quality players must surely be 22?

 

[PeteUSA]

Can't see Corr or Banks in the photo I think you're referring to, also how can the list of quality players be endless when there are just 22 players in the photo? The maximum number of quality players must surely be 22?

Sorry STURTZ. I dont want to play a quiz on how many players make up a squad. You're right though; Banks and Corr aren't in that photo. My mind ran away regarding the players of the day, and I knew that Banks and Corr blended into that same City squad surely after that photo with Banks scoring 27 and Corr a respectable 17 during that same 1967 campaign.