1970-71 West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

[@johartford5408]

My Dad’s best and worst goal - bless him . Jeff A what a great game he had, great partnership with my Dad too

[@23rdjune]

I used to love watching your dad play. Great footballer!

[@eddabbs8690]

Your dad was a hell of a player. I was a young boy with my dad watching your dad play at this very game (also at many other games). Astle is the King... but your dad was highly rated by us Albion fans. He was a young player then, and his bursts forward from midfield, with his blonde hair flowing in his wake, were a sight to behold. I was heartbroken when we sold him. We certainly don't attract players of his calibre these days (along with most of that Albion side).

[@stephengodsmark4353]

Albion great Asa. I've seen 3 greats in bomber, astle and Robson. Next Asa and Statham. cantello partnership was great too.

[@gazza1196]

Your dad was a legend. Must be proud

[@EntrateParallele]

Are you Asa Hartford's son? I'm Italian, and I'm writing a book about English football. I will also mention him when talking about the Norwich vs. Ipswich match in 1985. Please give him my compliments. Thank you.

[@shawnflanagan4995]

i'm an american living in los angeles and a very casual soccer.....er football fan, and i must say that this old division 1 stuff is addictive. i love it. ratty fields....er pitches. muddy uniforms. great announcers. kids piling out of the bleachers after the locals score and noone freaks out. guys named bob wilson starring. fans packed in so tight i wonder how they could breathe. it's awesome. i can't get enough.

[@andchat6241]

Shawn ... I've always liked the American term 'Bleachers' as our (Football) stadiums in the U.K. didn't have them . Cricket grounds have something similar as it's played during the summer..

[@gazza1196]

Cheers pal. I was in that crowd behind the goal in Brummie road end. A 10 yr old Albion fan .long time ago. My heroes .bomber brown still does radio commentary on Albion games..

[@TennisLegends-ebay]

When football really meant something. Lots of local lads playing for each team, no sponsors on shirts, no diving and cheating, players would travel on public transport on they way to the match and so on..... Growing up in London, I can remember waking up on Saturday morning and deciding with your mates which match we were going to watch in London...... Arsenal, QPR and West Ham would play at home on the same day and Tottenham and Chelsea would.... The Golden Era of football, never to return I'm afraid!

[@ihateyoumother-fucker3204]

C C.: I don't understand people like you. It's pretty simple. Nothing lasts forever. It's the year 2019 now. For better or for worst, things change. Deal with it.

[@jeannotschumacher1024]

​@@ihateyoumother-fucker3204 But he's absolutely right. No soul in the game anymore.

[@richardedwin1000]

Just spotted myself aged 11 in the crowd ! I remember the excitement of seeing myself when it was on Star Soccer on the Sunday after

[@stuhall2689]

I was in the Brummie Rd for this game with my brother. I was 6 and my brother was 11 on our own. We lived in a pub in Dudley Saturday went like this... Morning at the pictures/cinema afternoon the Baggies game when at home then Saturday evening Netherton speedway. Those days where magical :)

[@hrothgar64]

Oh, the days when pitch invasions at the end of a game were a regular occurance. And it still looks weird to see goalkeepers picking up back passes. Thanks for posting. I hadn't seen that footage in years.

[@TheBarnyard56]

School boy memories. Thanks for posting.

[@infrasleep]

Watching this you can't help wincing every time Jeff Astle heads the ball because of what it ended up doing to him.

[@29au81]

Used to love Huw Johns Commentary on Star Soccer..

[@jacobcirius2142]

Johns was ‘Best of class’ alongside David Coleman for goal commentary. Forget about John statman Motson and Barry trivial Davis.

[@colinwestwood921]

I can remember this match like it was yesterday. The Saturday before we beat Leeds at Elland Road 2-1 to help the Gunners do the double. BOING BOING ⭐👍🙋‍♂️.

[@TennisLegends-ebay]

And thank you so much for all your uploads....

[@fisherpeter695]

As an Everton fan I always believed this Arsenal team were never given credit for winning the FA Cup and league title that season. Having to play 42 league games, on often difficult pitches, and Cup replays it shows the later advent of breaks for International games, and friendly's gave no benefits to club sides. Arsenal pulled this off with mainly home grown talent. Nailing the theory that splashing the cash, automatically bring success, as Everton fans are now sadly realising. Back in 1971, I was in Old Trafford at the FA Cup semi final v Liverpool. When the half time scores went up most fans nearby predicted a Everton v Stoke final. At the end Everton lost 2-1 after leading, and Arsenal pulled back to 2-2 after being behind 2-0 at half time. They won the replay which required courage and skill. Ironically Everton went into decline after this season after being champions the year before. Give me 1970s soccer any time over the hyped up Premier league.

[@Curseofsuperbowl49]

First hero Asa hartford ...gutted when he left , but started to realise Life was rubbish and all your best players always leave...

[@TheLastOilMan]

Sorry First hero Jeff, second Hope. Both stayed !

[@mikewest1542]

Jim Coombes could throw the ball as far as Peter Shilton could kick it!

[@davidmichaels8934]

Mike West, yes he had a great throw out, he played for Lancashire in the summer, as wicketkeeper, and now he is the CEO there.

[@eddabbs8690]

Ah, Jim "the sun got in my eyes" Cumbes... he was a better fast bowler for Warwichshire than he was goalkeeper 😉. John Osborne was the man in those days. I was at that game, aged 7, in the Halfords Lane Upper with my dad. What a team we had then.

[@mikewest1542]

Suppose he could also throw a Cricket ball far as he was also a top class cricketer, talented man!

[@stuarthandley7102]

good old days we used to pack the hawthorns out i feel that our club as gone backwards since thoes days great support in them days the penny pinching chairmans we have had over the years have made our club standstill instead of going forward lets hope one day some millionaire takes us over and takes us forward gets thoes fans back

[@GazzaJAnimal]

The legendary Hugh Johns commentating.

[@mikewest1542]

Brilliant Football, Brilliant players with easy names to remember, real men playing the game and no cheating , great commentaries compared to now. Uninspiring overpaid footballers, names that change every week on the team sheet, cheats trying to get opponents sent off, and now crap commentators ( apart from Sky).

[@apapawilko]

Hi, Any way of getting hold of the whole match? My father - actually a Villa fan, but at the time they weren't in the first division - attended this match with my brother, just a child at the time and now deceased. I think it would make his day if he were able to watch back the whole match. Many thanks for any help.

[@holmleighnyd]

I wouldn't have thought so Anne. Edited for TV and the rest long disposed of.

[@23rdjune]

Numbers 1-11 on the shirts. No need for names.

[@六O]

and no sponsors on the shirt

[@womba68]

that's a beautiful west brom shirt

[@BenNewton-c6z]

Totally agree. Much better than the slick, sleek multi-coloured pink (!), grey and turquoise-blue outfits worn today by teams at all levels - which changes at whim and often every dozen or so games - to pander to today's modern 'Sky' customers and consumers - in addition to fans in stadiums; it just confuses good old-fashioned folk and even those watching on television ! I started to go to matches about this time in the early 1970s as a 10-year old at Craven Cottage as a Fulham fan - great ground back then even before being re-developed - and watching the likes of Orient and Carlisle United in the old Second Division. Fulham's kit then was classic white crew-neck shirts (with old-style crest); black shorts with two white stripes - like Newcastle's or Hereford's - and red socks; so the players could see the good old-style plain white size 5 football on the deck !

[@forgive7449]

robert primrose wilson....! that middle name got him 2 scotland caps...!

[@lennylaa1686]

Think Hartford could rightly blame keeper Cumbes for his erratic advance off his line for the own goal. Probably moved out a fraction too soon and failed to cover his goal. Months later, he came to Villa, I remember his booming long drop kicks, almost like an extra man up front...…….. but really he was inconsistent and prone to too many errors including some real howlers.

[@davidmichaels8934]

That was a very good game in the by today's standards an awful pitch! The Baggies were a good side, but just a couple of years later, they were relegated! Big mistake by the directors in sacking Alan Ashman! Then a whole bunch of very poor managers came in, and it wasn't, until Johnny Giles was made player manager that the Albion really took off again!

[@chriscoughlan5221]

it was played like a cup tie!! baggies should have won!!

[@itsme-gm9oi]

Commentator said in response to west broms goal.. " that was a great little goal'..... whats a little goal? Top flight professional footballers nowadays look like athletes, back then they looked like dumpy blokes you might see in a pub

[@alanprior7650]

Players playing for the love of the game and their team...no political statement 🙄