And despite having no competition from foreign forwards, they still never reached the dizzy heights of the top tier for any length of time. They were heroes of mine too, but I'm not sufficiently star struck to believe they were anything but great second tier players. Maybe Waggy could have been good enough to play in top division and develop into an England player, but may be I could if.....We'll never know. Equivalent to suggesting Bowen should soon be considered for England.
Emlyn Hughes had written in his contract that he could have a separate changing room. Bremner drank half a bottle of scotch before and at half time.
I remember people saying that about Stuart Pearson. And it's far from being 'star struck' to suggest Wagstaff and Chilton could have played internationally. They never reached the 'dizzy heights' but it wasn't just down to their efforts. They scored goals for fun in a team when you had to score three goals to have a chance of getting a draw. Read my earlier posts, in a better team both could and should have played for their country when lesser players did.
I'm too young for Waggy but on both sides of the argument here, could someone like Steve Bull be held up as an example? Absolute goal scoring phenomenon in all but the top tier, but actually ended getting a few caps and scored at least a couple of international goals (Tunisia and Scotland I remember, might have been more). Can't remember him getting much of a look-in post Robson but despite the goals, never looked that comfortable (as far as I recall). Remember, even David Nugent has scored for England. Point is, could Waggy have done that - got a few caps (with an opportunity and therefore a few goals) and had that esteemed accomplishment? Or, could the negative be upheld that, like Bull arguably did, he might have looked a bit out-of-his-depth at the international level, therefore, justifying Waggy's hypothesised* exclusion? * I say hypothesised as I'm not sure he was ever considered for selection to be excluded
Waggy did play for England B once I believe, whether either could have played in an England team or not is very much down to the competition at the time. There were good players around at the time such as Greaves, who would be in front of them. It's really is a difficult one to judge, but IMO with the forwards around at the time, there were quite a few ahead of them. I always felt that even for England, why didn't managers play striker pairings who played together for clubs and were eligible to play England. It's a debate that could go on for a long time.
The Chillo/Waggy partnership worked in that team, at that time and in that division. They would have needed to be playing in a better team, individually to really see what they were capable of. Before his injury Chillo didn't do too well at Coventry, a Coventry-supporting pal of mine likened him to a 'typical 3rd division donkey'. Harsh probably but maybe he was exposed a bit without Waggy and at the higher level? Apart from that Chillo remains one of my heroes. I used to deliver his Sunday papers and he always gave me a tip (money that is, not the winner in the 3.30 at ...)
Both Waggy and Chilton played in the FA tour to Australia in the summer of 71 ( or around that time). Both scored goals. It was seen as the England 2nd X1 at the time.
Sir Al's dilemma 1967-70: strikers for 1970 WC All much of a muchness really, he went with Clarke, Astle, Lee and Osgood. No place for Hector, Radford, Waggy and Chillo, Neil Young, Martin Chivers etc. All these were of a similar ability. Waggy had no problems at all sticking 2 past Gordon Banks in 71 or Bonetti in 66. Like Steve Bull in 1990, lack of top level experience trumped instinctive goalscoring talent.
England losing 1-0 to Brazil in 1970 WC....Astle comes on as sub. Terry Cooper swings in a cross. A Brazil defender heads it down to Astle who is standing, all alone, on the penalty spot...All the time in the world to pass it into the net. Drills it wide of the post, when its easier to score...Astle was a bit of a donkey if the truth be told.
Was talking to Ian Butler last weekend and he said Man Utd came in for him (late 1960s) but was told the club had “ no intention of selling him or any of the other leading players. How times have changed. He was gutted btw!
The selling of fading Chris Chilton with his knackered back in 1971 was a stroke by Sir Terry. That 66 team grew old together and was not overhauled gradually by Cliff Britton and Harry Needler, hence they were all suddenly were past it in 1972
