Pre-season | Page 11 | Vital Football

Pre-season

Merthyr Imp said:
I'm not sure he had something in the paper about City every night of the week, although he did cover other sporting matters, including, I seem to remember, reporting on Boston Barracudas speedway team.
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I must admit my memory was that there was pretty much a story every day. Monday report of Saturday, Friday Saturday’s preview & midweek match 1st team or reserves.
 
Red Wimp said:
I must admit my memory was that there was pretty much a story every day. Monday report of Saturday, Friday Saturday’s preview & midweek match 1st team or reserves.
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Yes, there would be the Monday report on Saturday's match and the Friday preview of the next day's match. Saturday of course was the Football Echo. But if there was no midweek game there wouldn't necessarily be anything in the rest of the week - apart from a possible reserve match report - unless there was any breaking news about transfers or off-the-field events. He tended to deal only in definite news rather than the speculative suggestions of what might happen that we seem to get nowadays. Anything on those lines would be confined to his Football/Sports Echo column - for example, following the sacking of Willie Bell in 1978, in mentioning who might be in the frame for his successor, he dropped what in hindsight turned out to be a very strong - and accurate - hint as to who it might be without actually giving a name.
 
Bazzzer said:
When did MB start on the Echo?

The Echo of Friday 19 Oct 1962 has quite a lengthy preview but no reporter's name is given.
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I'm not sure. Initially, in the Football Echo at least, he only appeared under his initials - e.g. 'MB's view of the game'. His predecessor was 'NHB' (don't know who that was), so it was evidently the Echo's policy at that time for some reason to only use initials.

I only go back as far as 1964 where the Football Echo is concerned and it was MB by then.

I have a piece where he says he first came to Lincoln in the mid-1950s (from Sheffield, I believe). It's only my speculation that he started in a junior post with the Echo at that time until succeeding 'NHB' as sports editor at some point before 1964.

It would be interesting to get any more information.
 
Merthyr Imp said:
I'm not sure he had something in the paper about City every night of the week, although he did cover other sporting matters, including, I seem to remember, reporting on Boston Barracudas speedway team.
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I never went, but New Hammond Beck Road is lodged in my memory? Did they race there, if so I imagined it must be quite exciting and a better version of Skegness Stock Car Racing Stadium which I loved going to as a kid? 🤔
 
Merthyr Imp said:
I'm not sure. Initially, in the Football Echo at least, he only appeared under his initials - e.g. 'MB's view of the game'. His predecessor was 'NHB' (don't know who that was), so it was evidently the Echo's policy at that time for some reason to only use initials.

I only go back as far as 1964 where the Football Echo is concerned and it was MB by then.

I have a piece where he says he first came to Lincoln in the mid-1950s (from Sheffield, I believe). It's only my speculation that he started in a junior post with the Echo at that time until succeeding 'NHB' as sports editor at some point before 1964.

It would be interesting to get any more information.
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I loved reading Maurice Burton’s match reports but Dad always used to scoff “Well he watched a different bloody game to me” 🤷‍♂️
 
My dear old dad used to get the scores from 'the wireless' in order to check his pools coupon (in the 60's). If I had been out playing footy or somesuch, when I came in he would usually greet me with 'owing to the wind and rain, Lincoln City lost again'. He knew how to keep me cheerful!
 
Norfolk Imp said:
I never went, but New Hammond Beck Road is lodged in my memory? Did they race there, if so I imagined it must be quite exciting and a better version of Skegness Stock Car Racing Stadium which I loved going to as a kid? 🤔
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I thought that name sounded familiar:

Boston (defunctspeedway.co.uk)

I used to enjoy reading the reports of the matches but not enough to prompt me ever to go to one anywhere (Long Eaton would have been nearest for me).
 
Merthyr Imp said:
I'm not sure. Initially, in the Football Echo at least, he only appeared under his initials - e.g. 'MB's view of the game'. His predecessor was 'NHB' (don't know who that was), so it was evidently the Echo's policy at that time for some reason to only use initials.

I only go back as far as 1964 where the Football Echo is concerned and it was MB by then.

I have a piece where he says he first came to Lincoln in the mid-1950s (from Sheffield, I believe). It's only my speculation that he started in a junior post with the Echo at that time until succeeding 'NHB' as sports editor at some point before 1964.

It would be interesting to get any more information.
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Maurice Burton certainly came over as a passionate Imps fan. Everything seemed so black and white in those days.
Merthyr Imp said:
Yes, there would be the Monday report on Saturday's match and the Friday preview of the next day's match. Saturday of course was the Football Echo. But if there was no midweek game there wouldn't necessarily be anything in the rest of the week - apart from a possible reserve match report - unless there was any breaking news about transfers or off-the-field events. He tended to deal only in definite news rather than the speculative suggestions of what might happen that we seem to get nowadays. Anything on those lines would be confined to his Football/Sports Echo column - for example, following the sacking of Willie Bell in 1978, in mentioning who might be in the frame for his successor, he dropped what in hindsight turned out to be a very strong - and accurate - hint as to who it might be without actually giving a name.
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Maurice Burton also had a regular Thursday Echo back page headline regarding his assumptions for the Saturday match. Pretty much the only mid week source of information from the club, unlike today's media frenzy. It was good in the olden days but I think it's better now.
 
Tonight's scores:

Bootle 1 Wigan 3
Cambridge 1 Brentford XI 3
Doncaster 2 Newcastle 3
Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 AFC Wimbledon 1
Plymouth 1 Middlesbrough 2
 
Today's scores:

Accrington 1 Preston 1
Barrow 0 Bolton 1
Bristol City 3 MK Dons 1
Burton 0 Leicester 0
Cheltenham 2 Coventry 0
Colchester 0 Gillingham 2
Crewe 2 Nottingham Forest 2
Dartford 1 AFC Wimbledon 0
Grimsby 0 Rotherham 1
Harrogate 0 Sunderland 4
Ipswich 0 Crystal Palace 1
Luton 1 Portsmouth 1 (Ahadme again)
Reading 1 Charlton 1
St Johnstone 0 Fleetwood 0
Tavistock 0 Plymouth 0
 
Merthyr Imp said:
In the good old days Maurice Burton in the Echo would have his finger on the pulse of what was happening at the club and would provide any news that was worth knowing - and with the Echo being a six-days-a-week publication in those days there'd be no need to save any news up for once a week.
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Mr Imp says ……….
 
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