New book looks at footballing heroes of the 1960s and 70s

Born in London in 1963 and raised in Huntingdon, Colin Whelan, a lifelong football fan, has published his first book, Super Squad: The 60s and 70s greats who transformed English football.

A “labour of love”, Super Squad tells the story of the 23 footballers who, in the 1960s and 70s, had the greatest influence on English football, and how that influence laid the path for football as it is today.

Players mentioned include George Best, Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Hill, Sir Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Bobby and Jack Charlton, and Kevin Keegan.

With so many great names around at that time, how did Colin narrow it down to these 23?

“There’s a loose theme about all of that,” he says, “I think you have to include the stand-outs – the world-class players – and include obviously the two greatest ever England players, Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, the two greatest ever Scottish players, Kenny Dalglish and Dennis Law, and you have to include George Best. And then you’ve got the other world-class players, like Gordon Banks, Kevin Keegan, Jimmy Greaves…

“You have to include all of those, and then what you’re left with is, as I said the loose theme running through the book, is every single one of those players, they were pioneers – they did something for the first time.

“They moved the game on because of who they were, their physical presence to the game – both on the field and off the field as well.

“For instance, there’s a chapter about Ian Ure, who’s celebrated as a bit of a donkey at Arsenal, a bit agricultural in his playing style, but at the same time he built up a reputation on the telly.

“There was a programme in the 60s called Quiz Ball, a quiz that involved football players and football teams – and he’d already established a reputation before his reputation on the field got trashed.

“It’s those type of things that are quite important. Jimmy Hill, he only played briefly in the 60s, but what an influence on the game of football, about bringing football to life on TV, and bringing football to life on colour TV. He was a massive pioneer himself.

“So that’s the loose theme… Viv Anderson, first black guy to ever get an England full cap… and throughout the whole of it [the book], I try to pinpoint the uniqueness of that player.”

Colin, a part time civil servant, reveals that back in the 70s, he was a Leeds fan (he now describes himself as having “a list of about three or four teams I ‘sometimes’ support”) and a great admirer of their centre forward Mick Jones – as well as Leeds United legend Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan.

Comparing football back then to today’s game, Colin says: “Football as a product is fantastic today – players are better, better pitches, more protection for forwards, so it all leads to a better final product.

“However, looking back on the old days, there was something else about football that really attracted people, and I think the big thing for the 60s and 70s is TV.

“The massive influence that TV had on football, because for the first time we were actually watching our favourite players on a TV screen – and you cannot underestimate the impact that had, because before that all you had was newspaper reports, football annuals… Pathé newsreels showed you the cup final...

“Of course, in 50 years’ time there’ll be people who’ll look at football, however it develops, and they’ll look back on this era and say ‘Oh, it was the best ever era’, because that’s what you do as you get older.

“Your childhood memories, when you first fall in love with football, that is where your fondest memories are, I suppose.

“But to be honest, I prefer the game of football as it is today, and that does include VAR, unfortunately!”

Colin recalls that his family moved from London up to Huntingdon a week after England won the World Cup in 1966.

“We were part of the London overspill that moved out in the 60s,” he remembers, “and the first FA Cup Final I saw, in 1970, was the brutal Leeds versus Chelsea encounter, including the replay.

“The first colour FA Cup Final I ever saw was Arsenal versus Liverpool a year later – and that was my dad taking me round to see his mate at work, Uncle Ernie, who had a colour telly. Those things stick in your mind.”

Colin’s book isn’t just the story of the players who stood out through their greatness alone, it also looks at players who were often overlooked, unfairly mocked, or who have been largely forgotten. Super Squad seeks to honour their legacy.

The book also deals with the significance of the abolition of the ‘maximum wage’ and the almost immediate effect it had on the sport, the salaries and transfer fees.

The author reveals that he has two ‘sequels’ planned, which will examine the game in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

Super Squad: The 60s and 70s greats who transformed English football is available now, priced £9.99.