Thank You Billy McCullough
Jan 28th, 2008 by 'holic
The column inches dedicated to the latest philandering of one Ashley Cole over the weekend came in a week when two completely different and unconnected people had reminded me of one of his predecessors at Highbury.
Billy McCullough was in the first Arsenal side I can recall watching, and as such is assured a place in my footballing affections.
It’s fair to say that the Gunners side of the early to mid sixties will not be remembered for its defensive excellence. That fact was largely due to the number of partnerships tried in the centre of the defence.
Billy made his debut against Luton in 1958 and established himself as a regular in the 1959-60 season. For the next six years he was a fixture, and usually on the opposite flank was his international teammate, Jimmy Magill.
Billy was the quicker, and more aggressive, of the pair. His game was based on pace and power, combining crunching tackles with a willingness to gallop forward in support of the attack. His distribution was probably not on a par with his partner, but that didn’t stop him winning ten full caps for Northern Ireland, or indeed pulling on the red and white of Arsenal 268 times.
The exploits of Cole rankle somewhat when you read that Billy had to seek employment as an electrical engineer when his long and distinguished career came to a close. He was an Arsenal fixture at a time when he would have ‘swerved off the road’ if he had been offered an extra five pounds a week.
‘Flint’ (after a character in the western series Wagon Train) will be 73 in July, and I’m told is still living in North London. He doesn’t make the headlines these days. He never really did in all honesty. I know who I would rather have in my Arsenal eleven though. Billy made the most of his abilities, showed true loyalty, and never let an inflated ego get the better of him. That is why he will always be fondly remembered. Thanks Billy.
Geordies Return
There is no point in another wordy preview of the Premiership clash with Saturdays FA Cup opponents. You only want to know where the ‘holic pound is going anyway. Short and sweet, I’m plumping for 3-1 again. I know Newcastle failed to score at the weekend, but they may have Viduka back which must strengthen them, don’t you think? Stories escaping the dressing room suggest the players were less than impressed with Keegan’s exhortations that they would have to pass the ball better than Arsenal. They don’t sound up for ninety minutes and that should be their downfall, I hope!
Arsenal TV
Just a brief word to let you know I haven’t let this drop. There is still no response from Setanta, which doesn’t surprise me, or from the Premier League, which does a little. I’ll be trying again, just so they know we are still not happy with the situation. Updates will follow.
FA Cup Draw
Apparently we have got United away. Just before we play AC Milan in the Champions League. The Tottenham fans will be at home watching the dvd of their win against our makeshift side last week. Well they will have bugger all else to do that weekend!
Cheers all.
10 Responses to “Thank You Billy McCullough”
I remember Billy McCullough, like you I started watching in the early sixties. We had quite a Northern Ireland defense connection then. Apart from McCulough and Magill we had Neill, Nelson and Rice all in the sixties from NI. I also remember the wing pairing of Armstrong and Mcleod[spelling?]. Baker, Eastham and one of my favourites.. Alan Skirton. Maybe not the most skilful player but I always liked him.
This brings back memories, i also started watching arsenal in 1961, i remember flint and all the names above . plus jack kelsey ,other keepers like mcclelland & mckechnie. laurie brown , john sneddon , eddie clamp, geoff strong, dave baccuzzi .,. happy days,
Ah! Memories! I remember a lot of the early teams but players like George Eastham and Alan Skirton bring back a lot of memories. I was a very young boy when my dad took to Highbury and I saw players like the Compton Brothers (in those days they played cricket as well as football and Dennis Compton played for England as well as Arsenal.
I also had a newspaper clipping of a picture of a back named Evans diving behind the goalie Kelsey and heading off the line. Absolutely brilliant play.
I also remember a left back named Stan Charlton who had thighs like tree trunks, when you got hit you went down like wheat to a scythe.
Incidently, Newcastle coming up and my dad always said “watch Jimmy Scoular, dirty bugger!!”
Tommy Docherty once said of Billy McCullough that “he could trap a ball farther than most people could kick it!”
Billy McCullough was playing when I first started going to Highbury too. My favourite player of that era was Joe Haverty, a great little winger.
Reading your article took me back even further in time to the late 40’s, 47/48 to be precise. Dad told me he would take me to see a proper team on Saturday, I can even remember the month April. We won the league that season, that was the day I was hooked. The two full backs in those days Laurie Scott and Wally Barnes, unfortunately we lost that day 1-2 to Derby County. We played Man U. at Main Rd. that year in front of 82,000 plus. The standard of football in these days may have improved beyond belief but football has lost its true identity with the all the cheating and play acting. Such beautiful days.
Ditto to neamman, Stekac and Michael Sullivan..what great memories…Our family used to call Alan Skirton…Thunderboots..either in the back of the net or more usually, half way up the North Bank!! Others from then were the devastating David Herd and the not so devastating Mel Charles (brother of John), Vic Groves…uncle of Perry…George Eastham was another great favourite and for “new Gooners” have a look at Hleb and you will understand how good Eastham was….how he played so few games for England is a mystery…too good..didn’t fit in with Alf’s wingless warriors….a bit like Vladmir Petrovic in later years….Whilst slightly after the Flint MCullough era, my all time favorite player was Peter Simpson….never played for England but made the initial 66 World Cup Squad..in my opinion he was a better player then Shirley Temple ‘Bobby Moore” but lacked his charisma…Bobby was a darling of the era
The full back was Dennis Evans, he took penalties side footed into the top corners, cant remember him missing too many. Also remember Jim Furnell ( fumbling Jim) as he was known on the north bank and laurie Brown who left us and went to Yanited.Tough tackler and also my boyhood hero Joe Baker.
We played West Brom in a Cup Tie. It was one of my first away games . It was a 3-3 draw and Flint used the corner flag to conduct our Supporters in a song. He had a great rapport with the fans. Shame he wasnt at Highbury for the farewell.
We won the replay 2-0, and were crunched out by Liverpool in the next round
It was 1963-4 season when we scored 90 league goals! but probably let in 91. Our defence was wider than the M1! but what a forward line
Laurie went to our friends up the other end of Seven Sisters, Potter. It was dear old Ian Ure we managed to offload onto United after the disaster that was Swindon. We had the choice of those two, a young Terry Neill or John Sneddon in my earliest memories, and it seemed like every week was 4-4 or 5-4. Joe Baker struggled to score them fast enough before we conceded another.
Spot on about ‘Stan’ Simpson, Malcolm. Great defender, but Frank had to bully him a bit to keep him on his game, apparently.
I knew Bill quite well. I saw him on the terraces at Watford, when we played them in the cup. Sammy Nelson was playing & Bill said ‘good player Sam, but a bit reckless’. Those that saw Bill play would appreciate the irony.
There was also an occasion when we were about to play Stoke & he was concerned about being made a monkey of by the nearly 50 year old Stanley Matthews, or being the one to end his career.
He certainly didn’t have a great opinion of Tommy Docherty.
Peter, Bill was definitely at the farewell to Highbury, walking round.
‘all time favorite player was Peter Simpson’
Mine too Malcolm.
If you remember ‘Stan’ was a slow developer but once he got there he was like, Steve Bould, a truly wonderful & most underrated player. It is said that he lacked the ambition that could have thrust him into the international arena, that he deserved.
Laurie Brown went to the Spuds the day before we played the at WHL. He played CF for them & if my memory serves me well scored.