The first two sentences Alan. Sums the player up perfectly.
I liked Alan Hinton. He’s mentioned a few times in SAM and ITV 7.
Played for England a couple of times in the mid-sixties even though Ramsey supposedly hated wingers.
There’s a great story in my book regarding the other AH coming to Seattle. We had missed out on the Play-Offs by one match because I got injured and Alan Ball was brilliant in the Kingdome in my absence. I’m not saying I would have stopped him, but I would have had some influence on this massive match for both ourselves and Vancouver. AB had the last laugh and on my return to London for a short break, I was in a restaurant when I received a phone call saying Jimmy had been sacked, so I phoned him straight away offering my resignation.
Like the great man Jimmy (Gabriel) was he talked me into giving AH a chance telling me “Al, you have a great contract, I know you love it here, don’t give it all up on my behalf”, which was great advice from a great man. For the second time in my life I listened (the first being Bobby Moore talking me into going there) and never regretted it because me and AH got on famously immediately, not knowing what Jimmy had done. We became very close and got great success under his management and my captaincy. I was very fortunate to have the relationship with both AH and JG after the Terry Neill nightmare, never thinking I would get on with another manager after TW.
Everything was fantastic until another bombshell dropped when the Coluccio’s (owners) pulled in their oars and I was faced with another Demon in the shape of Bruce Anderson…exit Alan Hudson once again….it shattered my life more than the incredible ‘happenings’ at Chelsea (running out of money through that East Stand), therefore selling Oz and me, Stoke City (having no money after the roof blew off the Butler Street Stand) therefore having to sell me and Greenhoff, and after that after leaving TW coming face to face with TN. Much like Ramsey getting the sack whilst I was banned and Revie taking over, talk about “out of the frying pan…..”.
That is what my books are all about, just when I thought it safe….and then there was still the Mile End Road to come….
I first played against Alan in my first season (1969/70) in that very good Derby team that Clough was building, though in 1975 when we beat them in a classic (in a quagmire) at the Baseball Ground three days after England/W.Germany match, our Stoke team ere heading for the title.
It’s on U-Tube with Greenhoff getting 2 stunners and I ran the game, however we got three or four broken legs and they won the League, although were far the better side.
Then four years later, after Arsenal, he became my boss and a good one.
Yeah, like Peter Houseman also, he got the ‘jeering’ at the Bridge for being rather ‘lightweight’ but nothing was further from the truth, AH was the best crosser of a ball I have ever seen and even four/five stone overweight he’d show our players how to put it on a sixpence, with the ‘key’ not thinking you had to beat the full-back, simply take it ide of him and wrap your foot round it. Simply The Best!
Like Jon Sammels, he was barracked by the crowd. Especially when he was with Wolves.
Did you meet Jon Sammels when he was at Vancouver?
No James never met Jon there, which was a shame because I liked him as a player.
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