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John Templeman



cunningplan

New member
Apr 1, 2011
354
Sussex Coast
Yup, a few pints, fish & chips, then time to put his boots on and gracefully stroke a few telling long balls around the Goldstone plus the odd goal here and there to keep Archie happy. He was like a combination of Alf Tupper & Roy of the Rovers. A talent clouded in manly 60's machismo, our own Jimmy Greaves and a firm favorite among the South & West stand like minded regulars.

You absolutely nailed him! Not sure whether I was more impressed or disgusted by the culture of those days
 




cunningplan

New member
Apr 1, 2011
354
Sussex Coast
That was my first Albion match, and I would have mentioned it if nobody else had. I think it was Boxing Day. I was 13 and i was sat at the back of the west stand with my brother and father. JT was my footballing hero for a while after that.

Great spectacle - but Albion had won a few home matches prior to that and I was anticipating a win and disappointed we only got a draw. Typical Albion supporter!
 


DavidinSouthampton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 3, 2012
17,357
Great spectacle - but Albion had won a few home matches prior to that and I was anticipating a win and disappointed we only got a draw. Typical Albion supporter!

Dis Ashley barnes do anything in that match, or was he rubbish then, too?. And yes, I am joking! I rate him.
 




Nov 14, 2011
44
Hassocks
You absolutely nailed him! Not sure whether I was more impressed or disgusted by the culture of those days

"Not sure whether I was more impressed or disgusted by the culture of those days ". I've always thought Alan Duffy was the worst case of waisted talent that graced our team. He seemed hell bent on out doing George Best In all the wrong departments (Drinking,Clubbing..........), and he certainly had the ball skills. Just wish there was the video evidence to back that up.
 








Freddie Goodwin.

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2007
7,186
Brighton
John Templeman.

The 'half time guest' is a great feature but it's a shame that, like so many, I tend to miss it during the half time mellee.

However, it was great to see John Templeman at the Cardiff game even if it did bring home how time has moved on.

I guess he must be retired now and it must be near 40 years since I last saw him in the stripes. For the many youngsters out there, John was a 6' blond 'utility' player, as they called them back then. He could play full back or midfield.

He made his debut at 19 and apparently did a good job of marking QPR's promising youngster, Rodney Marsh. Perhaps his best moment on film was playing a major part in Willie Irvine's goal v Aston Villa in 71/72, which came 2nd in the MoTD goal of the season. He picked the ball up deep in our half, made a surging run, played a 1-2 before sweeping the ball out to Irvine, who cut inside and hit a screamer.

I also remember a game at Reading when both our blond fullbacks (Eddie Spearritt being the other) scored with cracking shots from way out of the area, as if to out do eachother!

In the early/mid 70's, he sometimes became the butt of boo boys (yes, always there) who called him Shirley, after Shirley Temple the child star and maybe because of his flowing locks.

John was a rareity in being one of a few Sussex players to have really 'made it' with Albion but he was sold (by Peter Taylor?) as part of the deal bringing Fred Binney to the Albion.

Fond memories & thank you John!

(Sorry, I missed that there was already a thread!)
 
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catfish

North Stand Brighton Boy
Dec 17, 2010
7,677
Worthing
My enjoyment at seeing John on Wednesday night was slightly tempered by the pillocks behind me in the North Stand who shouted WHO? when he was introduced :tosser:
 


dejavuatbtn

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2010
7,574
Henfield
My enjoyment at seeing John on Wednesday night was slightly tempered by the pillocks behind me in the North Stand who shouted WHO? when he was introduced :tosser:

Yeah - we had similar comments in the east. Templeman was an ok player and popular with most fans. I would probably liken his physique and game as similar to Dean Hammond. Local lad and good servant.
 


LamieRobertson

Not awoke
Feb 3, 2008
48,430
SHOREHAM BY SEA
The goal i remember him scoring was the one against Rochdale...last game of the season...i think we had already secured promotion ...midweek game..lovely summers evening...capacity crowd 33k? and i think it was a 3rd minute free kick...lovely goal..i think it ended 1-1 in the end....happy days
 




perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe
Jul 5, 2003
23,461
Sūþseaxna
Offside, supposedly. Bobby Tambling (from Storrington) for Chelsea, Dave Turner for us. Wasn't this one of the games where you could only get a ticket by going to a Reserve Team match - something like 17,000 turned up vs Notts Co reserves?

The queue to the Chicken Run was four abreast all the way under the railway bridge to the bus depot, two hours before the start of the reserve match to buy tickets. I got there at ten o'clock and only had to wait three hours to get a ticket.
 


The goal i remember him scoring was the one against Rochdale...last game of the season...i think we had already secured promotion ...midweek game..lovely summers evening...capacity crowd 33k? and i think it was a 3rd minute free kick...lovely goal..i think it ended 1-1 in the end....happy days

Do you remember the off-white/pale yellow/yuk Rochdale kit that night? Looked like it had been washed on "Whites" instead of at 40C.
 


The Large One

Who's Next?
Jul 7, 2003
52,343
97.2FM
I was at the Amex last night, and had the pleasure of meeting John, together with Tony Towner, for the first time.

I suppose a lot of people - those who went to the presentations and stuff when they went to choose their seat - remember being excited and anticipatory about where they were going to sit, what they were going to see etc. That's what these two were like yesterday as they chose their season ticket seats for them and their families in ESU - like a couple of kids in a sweet shop. I suppose I was a bit surprised that ex-players could be so excited about it...

Anyway, as Soul Finger said earlier in the thread, you couldn't have wished to have met a couple of nicer fellas than Tony and John. :)
 




chairman

New member
Mar 5, 2009
97
lostwithiel cornwall
i have fond memories of John, i played in a trial match at the Goldstone with him, all the Brighton staff were raving about him as he was big and strong and stood out. It was no surprise when we signed him. There was a striking resemblance between John and me in those days and at one away game i think it was Cardiff i was approached on the station platform and asked for my autograph l.aughing i said i'm not who who think i am, yes you are your John Templeman , not wishing to disappoint the fan i duly signed best wishes John Templeman. A local lad who made it in the game , sadly i wasnt good enough myself to make it but at least i was asked for my autograph.
 




Lincoln Imp

Well-known member
Feb 2, 2009
5,964
He spoke at the Historians' AGM in Dick's Bar a couple of weeks ago. Wonderful memory and was generous, knowledgeable and full of affection for the Albion. Oh for those qualities in more players today. The only people he wasn't generous about were Clough and P Taylor. They apparently did half of bugger-all during their time at the club together, and Clough was never around for more than two days a week, making it clear that he felt he deserved better things than us.
 


BearwoodSeagull

New member
Feb 2, 2012
178
Chalkhouse Green, Oxon
great match! so they say! saw hardly any of it from the back of the north! :rolleyes: but the atmo was great,villa pulled in huge crowds that year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUBREZlitK0???

I was at the Villa v Bournemouth game - i was 13 and living in Birmingham during that season. 48,110 people at that game and Villa averaged 33,000 - i also went to the Villa v Santos game and saw Pele - there were 54,000 for that friendly! Amazing times for a Third Division side. Great memories
 




GT49er

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 1, 2009
49,188
Gloucester
JT was one of my first Albion heroes. Watched him make that Willie Irvine goal against Villa - fabulous moment. He would be in my all-time favourite (favourite, but not necessarily the best) Albion team
 


Seagull on the wing

New member
Sep 22, 2010
7,458
Hailsham
"Not sure whether I was more impressed or disgusted by the culture of those days ". I've always thought Alan Duffy was the worst case of waisted talent that graced our team. He seemed hell bent on out doing George Best In all the wrong departments (Drinking,Clubbing..........), and he certainly had the ball skills. Just wish there was the video evidence to back that up.

And scored the greatest goal at the Goldstone...forget who against...but crossed the halfway line and hit a screamer into the South goal....the crowd was still buzzing about it minutes after the kick off...lucky I got his autograph...but as you say...wasted talent....wonder where he is now..
 


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