It's a time of much contemplation for me regarding the final goodbye of the old 7071 website. I see it's still actually there, but sadly it is in its death throes as I've stopped the direct debit to dial.space.

I've chosen to re-engage with the real world and leave webspace behind, at least for the time being.

It is very odd hearing that Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Bobby Robson were at Wimbledon, but having no-where to report it! At the 2008 Euro I've seen Franz Beckenbauer and Eusebio... but kept it to myself.

I almost shouted to Kathrin, my wife, when I saw Derek Fazackerley on Sky Sports News, only to remember that, hey, she never was interested and would not have known the significance anyway! (This is only normal and in no way a slur to my wonderfully supportive spouse...)

The odd email comes through asking for team line-ups from 60s sides and I sigh, wanting so much to do it, but trying even harder to not engage with past hobbies.

I like being Bob from Bob and 1970-71 Footballers, but enjoy the freedom of leaving it behind even more. Who knows if I'll ever pick up the mantal again.

The reason for stopping it was really because the site isn't needed any more Wikipedia do a better job than I ever could. The quirkiness of my site looked anachronistic in todays sophisticated world wide web, and not in a good way.

It was also holding me back from other projects I want to explore, which involve more creativity and less cutting and pasting of other people's news.

My wife has often heard the words,'If only I could make money doing it' and now the credit crunch is chomping very close to me it is time to listen to those words and act. I can no longer keep putting this much of my life into a hobby that haemorrhages money, but gets very little back, other than some very kind people who have sent me books and magazines (for which eternal thanks).

So for now all I have left is this not very oft visited MySpace and the wonderful 60s70s Yahoo group page and a head full of happy memories, I probably will be back for a new assault on the world of 70s football, but not for the foreseeable future.

Bob

Did anyone see the ESPN Classic fight last week????

This one was not Ali versus Fraser/ Cooper, no it was much better than that. It was Hunter v Lee. Norman v Francis. Derby County v Leeds Untited in 1975 or so.

I was whooping at the telly. OK you may be a fan of the portly Bog-roll manufacturer, but even you have to admit 'Bite Your Legs'  Norman got him that day...

It prooved to me that even pitch fights were better back then than now!

Today I watched for the first time Leeds United's latest video - a praise to their good start to Division Three. God it made me depressed. Why are we so happy about being so far down the Leagues ? My only comfort is that in 70-71 Aston Villa were in Div 3and later went on to win the European Cup.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool fans will never know what it is like to be a fan of a team that has hit the depths. I actually do not wish it upon them.

Of course the big 70-71 news is Capello appointment as England's manager. I'm 70's based and you may expect I hate the idea of a non-English manager. But that is simply not the case. All I want is England to be the very best, and personally I reckon the appointment has the potential for being superb.

... but am I alone in feeling humiliated that we cannot find a decent Englishman?

How many humiliations must I endure? Leeds in Division 3 and England choosing an Italian manager because he truly is the best available.

Bob

Life's like that isn't it?

Last Tuesday I was on my way to see Leeds United play Hereford United with my son, Joe, and all was well with the World. Then Leeds contrive to lose 1-0 after believing they it was a kick-about friendly whilst 'the Bulls' realised it was an FA Cup match with the potential of playing Man U in the third round.

Chances are Tresor Kandol's family didn't pay for their tickets so will never know how much his and his colleagues' lack of committment hurts financially as well as emotionally. As Joe and I said on the train home, 'What a waste of time, money, effort, and hair gel'. The last point being more pertentant to Joe than his balding father.

Then there was the whole Wednesday thing with England throwing it all away in spite of Next Generation star Frank Lampard scoring a penalty, and Beckham inspiring an equaliser. The game in which an ex-Leeds goalie made his competitive debut from hell. The only upside was seeing the former Ell Tel (Terry Venables name when he managed Leeds) suffer.

McClaren didn't have a first team available on the night, but any team that loses 3 matches in qualifying is never going to qualify, so it wasn't about this one match alone, but the general dreadfulness of the England team when the pressure cranks up. He was the best English manager available, so ... let's drop that English England manager policy right now.

Then we move on to today and Leeds lose again to one-off-bottom placed Cheltenham Town so that Leeds' League Championship challenge starts to flounder. 70-71 Star Dave Bassett (when he was a Walton and Hersham player!) has become the new Leeds United Assistant Manager, and since then we've lost 4 matches. There's a buzz going around that he's the new Brian Kidd - the last cursed coach Leeds United had.

And to cap it all, my son's team gets a 9-0 whipping.

God of football I hate you.

Ronnie Radford must be having a better week. Rejected by Leeds United in 1961, his future teams were Hereford United - where he was my My Space friend Ricky George's partner in crime when they scored the 2 goals that beat Newcastle United 2-1 in 1972 -  and Cheltenham Town!

That's fitting revenge for one of football's nicest people. It was Cheltenham's first ever match against Leeds United. Sadly there's still the home fixture to go, thankfully Leeds don't play any other of Ronnie's teams this season...

Very sad to hear of Graham Paddon's death at the age of just 57. I always remember him having a Trevor Hockey style beard. Trevor was another footballer who died tragically young. Are beard's in football dangerous? I noticed one of the West Ham United current side is sporting one, perhaps he should reconsider this choice. That's putting aside the shear tragic fashion decision he's made.

But like all good football fans, I shall forget this week's sorrows and on Tuesday week cheer Leeds on through the sun and rain (hold on that's Chelsea, isn't it?) and hope we get right back on track.

Incidentally that's our 3rd home match on a Tuesday in 4 weeks. The fixture list people obviously don't live 25 miles from their work with their football team smack bang in the middle of that journey. The irony of trying to rush home and getting caught up in the very football traffic I'm attempting to join once I've got home and picked up my son and set off again, has not gone unnoticed by me.

Bob

Something odd has happened in the Dunning household recently, and that has been the fact that we've all joined the gym, rather Ski family style. In its favour I can burn off 750 calories in one night without too much bother, against it, I have a curry and 6 to 7 pints every Saturday night and feel guilty - what's that all about ?????!

To be a Leeds fan is the greatest of things right now. 9 wins in 10 matches, and the only draw was Gillingham's 90th minute equaliser. This is as close to heaven as it gets ... OK it would be better if we weren't in  the third division, but hey let's take each bit of happiness as it comes.

Today I took young Harry Cooke, for whom I'm a sort of step-Godfather sort of thing, for his first ever live football match. He was great and seemed to enjoy it, but isn't it sad that his first game was Leeds Un ited v Yeovil when mine was Leeds v Spurs and Billy Bremner was on the pitch???

I know this Blog goes to roughly 17 people 3 of whom know me personally, but I thought I wopuld like to tell the waiting world about a magazone called 'Back Pass', see http://www.backpassmagazine.co.uk/ Not only is it a teriffic magazine because it is about football from my era, but, I actually helped contribute (unpaid!) towards one of the articles!

Please go to the site and buy it, I want it to do well so that I can buy it every month!

Last thought... good to see Amir Khan's progress in the boxing, but even better to see Jimmy Hill's contribution to the Ladbrookes' advert that was shown during the most recent fight's advert break. Jimmy I hate you and love you in equal proportion, which is what you are all about, which means .. er .. I like you erm more. What ?? Oh I don't know, I think it is just that he's an old gadger now and it seems unfair to be horrid about him especially when he made such an enduring mark on the modern game.

Chin, chin,

Bob

Listen, if you are related to Ian Porterfield, I truly am sorry for your loss. My father-in-law died at the same age, and I still find this painful because I loved him so much.

But on the other side of the coin ...  when it comes to Ian, no other man has caused me so much sadness as this individual. In 1973 he humiliated me, brazenly. Not only that, but every other person alive, who was not a Leeds fan,  simply loved him. Hurrumph!

I cried more in 1973 because of this man than for any other reason in my 10 year existance. And given that Leeds haven't reached the FA Cup Fnal since this year, then every one of those tears was wholly justified.

The ****ard. I hated him.

But in truth, I loved him, too. Because lets face it without villains there are no heroes. Ian's untimely death was a truly sad moment in English football, even if he was 1) not English, and 2) he made his reputation abroad.

As for Leeds United. We have just clocked up our 6th straight victory, which I like. Personally I hope we get to 12 straight wins, but even if that does not happen, let me tell you this... Beckford and Kandol will both get 20 goals each in the League this season, I promise you.

Bob

When you are a Leeds fan, or a fan of any disintegrated club, a 4-1 victory does feel like a v's up to the whole hating world around you. We were 1-0 up, then slipped to 1-1 and I was full of vitriol and hate to the Universe as a whole, then suddenly we scored; I jumped up high with sardonic relief and before I knew it we scored twice more and I began to wonder if I was just living a dream ... in Division 3.

Well if I was, it wasn't Peter Ridsdale's original dream, but this week was made so much better for knowing the man is doing it all again at Cardiff. Larf, I almost dressed in Welsh national clothing and danced like a host of golden daffodils at the joy of seeing another club suffer at the hands of this ridiculous man.

But what is new on the 70-71 front? Hmm well I did get a copy of 'Soccer History' this month,  (the Summer 2007 edition, issue 16, price in UK £4-50 via cheque made payable to 'Soccer History Ltd' at 26 Saxon Street, Lincoln LN1 3HN) which I would recommed to all lovers of footie history. It is well and lovingly produced, if a trifle nerdy in the best possible way.

Unfortunately it has an extensive Obituary section. I barely knew any of the listed players, but I was downright morbid by the time I finished reading the section. The one problem with one's heroes being in their 60s + is that they are dropping like flies. It truly breaks my heart. Great men; I wish I'd got to meet them all and had a chat about the good times.

Not a 70-71 player, but I feel for Sammy Lee. Bolton are just a bit crap right now and he must surely be the first managerial victim of the current season. Shame. Viva the little people. He must be 5'6" like me at a guess, and us littlees should stick together.

And it looks like Beckham has blown his chance to join the England 100 caps club. LA Galaxy are a pub team. I know old footballers and let me tell you the money will mean nothing to Becks; he will be cursing his mistake at blowing what is left of his England career. If he had any sense he would ditch the LA nonsense and chase a Premiership club NOW. Two more years in an England shirt would be worth more to him than any number of millions in the bank, believe me. He may have more wealth than I'll ever know, but as he is an unfulfilled truly great sportsman, he has my pity.

Terry Owen's son, Michael, is on his way back. I may be a huge Shilton fan, but I hope Michael slaughters his caps record; as an outfield player this will be an even more remarkable achievement, good luck to him. Charlton, Moore and Shilton are all 70-71 players and are the current top three in terms of England caps, but records are made for breaking.

August's 70-71 Player of the month has to be Sven GE. Old blue eyes is back and as cool as ever. I'm really pleased to see him do well at Man City, I've always maintained the criticism of him is grossly unfair. He rescued England don't let that be forgotten. Agreed he went a tournament too far, but that was the FA's fault not Svenge's.

Cheers,

Bob

The day of the Community Shield (which I still think of as the Charity Shield , of course) is the traditional day for the 70-71 website season awards. It's the day I close the public vote for the player from the 70-71 season who everyone thought contributed the most to the 2006-7 season.

This season Sir Alex Ferguson was the clear winner. Why? Well Man U did win the Premiership afterall. Yes, that old reason. Anyone could do that with his resources ! (Bitter Leeds fan talking.)

The Special Bob goes to the person I nominate and this year a clear winner by several millions pre-metric yards, was Eddie Gray. I had a great long chat with him at the Yorkshire Playhouse, where he loyally defended Dennis Wise for all very nice reasons, and he gave me an award on behalf of my son's team at my son's football awards night. So clear winner, as I say.

The odd thing is that Sir Alex and Eddie were the very same winners of the first awards in the year 2000! Its is nice to know that my site is forever reaching forward...

Erm. I missed the Charity Shield itself, but I see van der Sar was the winner. Frank Lampard's son, Little Frank, was on the losing side for the second year running and Fabio Cudicini's son, Carlo, was on the bench for Chelsea, too. Frank once again missed a penalty in the shoot-out. Tut tut. In true England footballer tradition.

Today the blog and MySpace generally goes live on the main site for the first time. I estimate a slow build up of interest...

Bob7071

Well I managed to make the MySpace site look more in keeping with the 70-71 site, even though it is still a little rough round the edges.

Feeling a bit depressed at Leeds starting the season 15 points down. Hurrumph! I know that causes great joy to the Leeds haters, but still.

On the 70-71 front I met, shook hands and spoke to Howard Wilkinson the other day. He was opening a bar at Elland Road dedicated not only to himself, but to crap 70s telly also, as it is called, dubiously, 'Howards Way'!

I asked him if he thought England would win the World Cup. It was an unguarded  moment, so his answer is between him and me!

I reckon the site is sufficiently up and running to joim the rest of the World now, so I'll try and see if there is any more 70s Football saddos like me out there who like MySpace, too!

Bob7071

I have almost no clue what the hell is going on. I flick buttons and things come up, some stick and others don't. I need a teenage son to help me get my profile up and running I reckon.

I just spent the day updating Bob and 1970-71 Footballers adding a couple of book reviews and as an afterthought joined MySpace. Reckon it will take a few visits to get active, though.

The things I'll do just to make John Motson my friend...