Memories Down CUT THROAT LANE Afternoon and welcome back. We are here again but it’s joyfully different from last season, in at least two ways. Today it’s the local derby today that never was! Our ‘league’ record against these other U’s is mixed, seven wins against eight defeats and eight draws. We have some great player connections though over the years going right back to the 1960s, including the late Graham Atkinson, brother of Big Ron, the one-man engine room that was Paul Wanless and of course current striker Sam Smith. It’s time to wander back down Cut Throat Lane and we are heading to 7th August 1985, which is an unusually early date to start a league season. Everybody knows the history of the Cambs Professional Cup and the fact that it was steeped in rivalry during the 1960s when Utd and City were tearing lumps out of each other. Sadly, the relative demise of City post 1970 meant that ‘Cambs’ was in effect moved all around the country, including Cheshire at one point, to provide opposition for the U’s. Come 1985 and Norfolk came to town in the form of the Canaries. As you might expect for a non-league fixture that early in August and a Wednesday evening affair to boot, the programme is a thin effort, costing just 10p (about 30p in new money) and it’s fair to say the cover gives the game away a bit in terms of more recent apathy on Utd’s part towards the competition. Anyway, the visitors left chirping with a comprehensive 4-1 victory, Utd’s sole hitting of the back of the onion bag coming from a penalty by Steve Massey, our recent signing from Hull City. The Norwich line-up wasn’t exactly second string and featured the likes of Chris Woods in goal, Steve Bruce, Mike Phelan, Dave Watson, Kevin Drinkell and John Deehan. My only bone of contention about having a game this early in August is that we are still
amidst the first test match against our friends from India. It doesn’t take much to get this old lag confused though – I am still dealing with the U’s v the U’s and the Olympics is still on! Talking of athletics, on this day in 1954, Roger Bannister beat Australia’s John Landy in the one-mile race at the Empire Games in Vancouver - the first time a mile was run in under four minutes by two contestants. Enjoy the game. ■
Harry
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