[Albion] Alex Dawson is 80 today

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I always thought he was brought in from Preston by United after Munich. Happy Birthday Alex. Ooh Ooh.

Started in the first game I went to, vs Barrow in 69.

I am pretty sure he lived on Park Close near Easthill park in Portslade. Ooh Ooh!

 

[Lever]

I watched all the home games in which he featured.

What a competitor! If he didn't head the ball cleanly into the net, then the keeper would end up going with it!

Oops sorry DavidinSouthampton, you beat me to it!

Happy 80th wherever you are Alex Dawson!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

My first Albion hero, a proper centre forward. And absolutely terrifying when as a 7 year old sitting on the wall, he was running towards the north stand goal

I remember asking about a particular photo of him on here some years ago. Can't put the photo on this thread but it's here https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?280768-The-Picture-of-Alex-Dawson-standing-one-arm-raised-having-just-scored&p=5759188&viewfull=1#post5759188

Happy Birthday

Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1961 Manchester United 80 (45)
1961–1967 Preston North End 197 (114)
1967–1968 Bury 50 (21)
1968–1971 Brighton & Hove Albion 57 (26)

Some very impressive stats - could do a job ?

 

[papajaff]

A very clear memory I have of the great man is him ruffling my hair when I said "wow Alex Dawson".

He turned up to picked his son/daughter up from St.Mary's school on Vale Road around 1970.

Me, just a star struck 9 year old Albion JCL. I remember thinking he looked like a boxer.

Happy 80th to you sir.

 

[Questions]

Close call for me between him and Kit as to who was my first Albion hero. I was always Dawson in the park though although I was scared of heading the ball at 9. The king of the diving header was Alex.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

The king of the diving header was Alex.

Yep. And don't get in his way.

 

[marlowe]

Does it matter if the goalkeeper is still holding the ball when it hires the back of the net?.

*

One memory (unreliable) is that the keeper had the ball in his arms and Alex still launched himself at the ball (and keeper).

*

... Now Bert took keeper, ball and any defender in his way into the net.*** And I wanted, and became a goalkeeper, must have been mad!

*

What a competitor! If he didn't head the ball cleanly into the net, then the keeper would end up going with it!

 

[WATFORD zero]

Yep. And don't get in his way.

Because a proper centre forward's nose is meant to cover half his face

 

[el punal]

My first Albion hero, a proper centre forward. And absolutely terrifying when as a 7 year old sitting on the wall, he was running towards the north stand goal

I remember asking about a particular photo of him on here some years ago. Can't put the photo on this thread but it's here https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?280768-The-Picture-of-Alex-Dawson-standing-one-arm-raised-having-just-scored&p=5759188&viewfull=1#post5759188

Happy Birthday

Years Team Apps (Gls)
1957–1961 Manchester United 80 (45)
1961–1967 Preston North End 197 (114)
1967–1968 Bury 50 (21)
1968–1971 Brighton & Hove Albion 57 (26)

Some very impressive stats - could do a job ?

My first Albion hero too. I think the opposition goalies were probably more terrified than you though!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Ladies and Gentlemen. Alex - Alex Dawson. Ooh Ooh.

 

[studio150]

One of my earliest Albion memories is Alex Dawson scoring the only goal in the League Cup game against Portsmouth at the Goldstone in August 1969.

Edge of the box low drive into the South goal, at the time Portsmouth were a division higher so something of a upset (certainly with our League Cup record it was)

 

[Boys 9d]

I seem to remember that at the start of a match, he would hit the shoulder of the opposition goalkeeper with his own regardless of where the ball was. Intimidation ??

 

[Mr H]

One memory (unreliable) is that the keeper had the ball in his arms and Alex still launched himself at the ball. (and keeper). You wouldn't want to be a keeper diving at his feet.

Learned this tactic from Nat Lofthouse who he played against in the 1958 Cup Final, when Lofthouse fouled Harry Gregg(RIP) to score Bolton's decisive second goal.

 

[GT49er]

Learned this tactic from Nat Lofthouse who he played against in the 1958 Cup Final, when Lofthouse fouled Harry Gregg(RIP) to score Bolton's decisive second goal.

.....and Lofthouse may have learned it from Peter McParland from the previous Cup Final! Start at 6.50 in this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuL515DPIJ4

....... or watch the lot to see our own Pat Saward in action! Apart from McParland's GBH ("a pure accident according to the commentator!") there's some .... err .... lovely tackles to watch. You can see how good Duncan Edwards was too.

 

[Saladpack Seagull]

.....and Lofthouse may have learned it from Peter McParland from the previous Cup Final! Start at 6.50 in this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuL515DPIJ4

....... or watch the lot to see our own Pat Saward in action! Apart from McParland's GBH ("a pure accident according to the commentator!") there's some .... err .... lovely tackles to watch. You can see how good Duncan Edwards was too.

Duncan Edwards might well have kept Bobby Moore out of the England side had he lived. I know that's been debated ad nauseam over the years, but whatever your position on that, there's no denying the immense sadness of the circumstances of his death. Both wonderful players, though.

 

[AZ Gull]

He shares a birthday with Tony Meola, who is 51 today:-

[TWEET]1230877336658042881[/TWEET]

 

[Albion my Albion]

It was with some trepidation that I checked with Wiki that the big man was still with us, although I was surprised to discover he was only 5' 10". He's living in Northamptonshire AFAIK (his last club was Corby Town). Another fact new to me was that he scored two hat-tricks within a week for Manchester United, for whom he was a Busby Babe and fortunate not to be selected for the trip to Belgrade in 1958. His 18th birthday was marred by the death of team mate Duncan Edwards, 62 years ago today.

With Movi Prep, you do need unrestricted access to a toilet. I found you get 20-30 seconds notice of the first 'evacuation' however after that, it was only about 5 seconds. Basically I was stuck on the toilet for about 3 hours with liquid forcing its way out of my bottom every few minutes. Still, I had NSC to pass the time.

Were you doing the three hours Movi Prep with liquid forcing its way out of your bottom every few minutes when you wrote the first paragraph?