Footballers & their wives, 1970s.

[Wowbagger]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2014/aug/21/memory-lane-1970s-footballers-at-home-in-pictures

Not a quiz exactly, but I tried scrolling down through the photos to see how many I recognised before reading the captions. It was 4/20, although there were a couple of "Oh yes, of course!" moments when I had read the captions. I used to watch quite a lot of football in the '70s

The hair styles are wonderful, especially the beehive leaning against the Jag.

(click to show/hide)

I recognised Trevor Brooking, Ron Harris, Geoff Hurst and Dennis Law. My "Yes of course" moments were for Ray Clements and Pat Jennings. Curiously, I have no recollection of Harry Redknapp's name as anything other than a manager.

[bobb]

I would have thought that Geoff Hurst would have had something a bit more exotic than an HC Viva!

[Psychler]

What strikes me is how "average" the houses in the background of most of the pictures look.  No mansions, no Beckham Palace!  Unlike today's riduculously rich players.  How many modern players own a caravan like Peter Bonetti seems to?

I grew up living opposite Mark Lazarus, who played for QPR, Wolves and Crystal Palace.  He was never a top player but had a long [10 year plus] professional career and scored the winner in the 1967 League Cup final.  He lived in a three bedroom terraced house and I think he made most of his money from a scrap firm after he retired.  He also worked for a while after retiring from football as a bouncer.   

He was a bit of a local hero, as was his brother, Lew Lazar, the boxer. He was a big lump [from a child's eyes] and always favoured a short back and sides.  At a time when long hair was becoming popular my mum always used this as a reason for me to have a "sensible" hair cut.

[LEE]

Agree, all relatively modest dwellings and possessions.

To put it in perspective Manchester United have just agreed to pay the wages of Nani (a player they no longer want and have loaned out to FC Porto for a year) of £4,800,000.  Yes, almost 5 million pounds for the year.  That implies he's been paid around £30 million since he joined United.

I doubt whether a Sprite Caravan is top of his shopping list.

Cristiano Ronaldo, when you take his sponsorship deals into account earns over £50 million a year.  He could afford the top-of-the-range Sprite, with all the extras (blown heating, electric flush WC, LED lighting, possibly some electric "movers" to help him manoeuvre the caravan into his driveway ).

Also, i think you'll find that the correct 1970's term for Wives and Girlfriends was, in fact, "Birds".

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

David Wagstaffe's wife Barbara has the best hair I've ever seen.

[Woofage]

What was the typical 1st Div footballer's wage in the early 70s? I thought I had read (along with a link to the article posted above) that is was c. £30pw but that seems too low.

[Wowbagger]

Didn't a player for whom a transfer fee was paid automatically receive a given percentage of the fee? Denis Law would have done OK out of that, given that he was transferred 3 times for a total fee of £280,000. By the 1970s, 1st division footballers were receiving big money. Mervyn Day, of West Ham and Leeds, bought a plush house in a village bear my parents' house. Day was in the year below me at school - in fact, he is a year younger, sharing my birthday.

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2011/01/20/from-20-to-33868-per-week-a-quick-history-of-english-footballs-top-flight-wages-200101/

shows 1st division average pay. £70 pw in 1970, £550pw in 1980.

[Psychler]

Didn't a player for whom a transfer fee was paid automatically receive a given percentage of the fee? Denis Law would have done OK out of that, given that he was transferred 3 times for a total fee of £280,000. By the 1970s, 1st division footballers were receiving big money. Mervyn Day, of West Ham and Leeds, bought a plush house in a village bear my parents' house. Day was in the year below me at school - in fact, he is a year younger, sharing my birthday.

http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2011/01/20/from-20-to-33868-per-week-a-quick-history-of-english-footballs-top-flight-wages-200101/

shows 1st division average pay. £70 pw in 1970, £550pw in 1980.

Up until 1961 players wages were subject to a ceiling which was set at 1/3rd above the national average.  In 1960 the national average was £15- pw and for a footballer was £20- pw.  When the wage ceiling was removed, Fulham and England Captain Johnny Haynes received a 500% increase to £100- pw.

I believe that Bobby Moore was the first £500-pw footballer but I can't confirm when.

[bobb]

Mervyn Day, of West Ham and Leeds, bought a plush house in a village bear my parents' house. Day was in the year below me at school - in fact, he is a year younger, sharing my birthday.

I remember Mervyn Day visiting my primary school in the early 80s. IIRC he had something to do with some kind of sports kit/equipment company? Although I may be thinking of someone else...

He and Geoff Hurst went to said primary school (obvioulsy some years before I did!) and perhaps more interestingly a mate of mine's dad played in a band with Geoff Hurst's dad!


Edit: I've probably banged on about that in the tenuous claims to fame thread before 

[Cudzoziemiec]

One thing that strikes me is what a lot of kids some of them had!

I only recognised some of the names and fewer faces, none to be able to match. Harry Redknapp was a surprise because he's one you still see in the news today.

[Exit Stage Left]

The third picture reminds of my childhood a bit. Builder's kids move a lot, and in pictures of me playing there's always the same cardboard box, for apples from British Columbia. So the French cardboard box is a bit Proustian.

The pictures of decorating, gardening and bemused kids are probably even more nostalgic for service families.

[Exit Stage Left]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2014/aug/21/memory-lane-1970s-footballers-at-home-in-pictures



The hair styles are wonderful, especially the beehive leaning against the Jag.

It's a Daimler 250 V8, and he's probably wondering how he got tricked into buying a 19mpg car on the eve of a fuel crisis.

[Nuncio]

Eleanor Jennings' man looks like a keeper.

[Jurek]

David Wagstaffe's wife Barbara has the best hair I've ever seen.

Indeed.
How can we possibly have gone from that to the 'council estate face lift' in so few years?

[Tim Hall]

I would have thought that Geoff Hurst would have had something a bit more exotic than an HC Viva!

You can tell he was a top flight player though, as his car is in colour.

[Mrs Pingu]

Am loving a) the furry baffies (that's slippers to you) on show and b) the look of indignation that only a boxer could summon, stuck behind the table in Harry Redknapp's house!

[Wowbagger]

Eleanor Jennings' man looks like a keeper.

I only just noticed this. Well done!