A bit before my time , but my father has installed on me what Ivor Allchurch meant to him as a footballer. There is not a game we watch together where my father does not reminisce about the talents of Ivor, and stated that in his heyday there was no-one that could get even close to him. For a man of such talent , he was by all acounts one of the most modest and nicest man you could ever meet. Quote from Sir Matt Busby – "Ivor never needed a number on his back for identification. His polish, his class could not be missed. He vies with the greatest of all time, yet he has a modesty that becomes him" Therefore Ivor's Boots (both now in bronze) are duly carressed prior to every home game to ensure his spirit is supporting the swans during the match. I know this is a john charles thread , but whenever the big man's name is mentioned , somehow Ivor's name always makes an appearance to emphasize that both were huge talents of their era.
"you won't tell me anything about Ivor,he was my hero". A bit arrogant there,SS. Well,Ivor was/is also my hero,and his position in the teams he represented was of inside forward,sporting the No.10 on his jersey. The centre forward wore No.9. To the best of my knowledge Ivor only ever wore the No.10 on his back. However,during an actual game,he would be seen in different areas of the pitch,i.e.,where the centre forward,or any other player,other than goalkeeper,might operate. Ivor Allchurch as a centre forward? It never happened.
Nottage,your father was a great judge of a footballer. When I look at today's so called stars,and the way they are built up,coddled and overpaid,I smile to myself and think how the great Ivor Allchurch shows them all up. Sir Matt Busby summed him up expertly in your quote. Walter Winterbottom,a former England Manager said about Ivor," You simply had to admire everything about him". In football terms,Swansea is seen as a "small Club",and in some ways we are,but when you consider that Swansea produced the likes of Ivor Allchurch and John Charles,then that tag seems so irrelevant. The post war years saw a conveyor belt of top quality footballers come through the Swansea Schools system,and many looked on enviously at the phenomenon that was The Swansea Schoolboys teams of those years. They dominated Welsh football,and even won The English Schoolboys Titles,against the likes of Liverpool,Manchester,and London teams. We should be very proud of the history and heritage of this great Club,I know I am. When people call Swansea a "small Club",they are only showing their ignorance of it's history.
Musty,since J.C. played for Leeds United before going to Italy,it would have been interesting to read comments from some of their fans. He was/is held in high esteem there. Is it too late to place this thread on their Board?
