Hatters Worldwide S2- 1 Franz Collinge ( Germany )

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It is with great pleasure that hedgegrower starts the second `Hatters Worldwide` series with an  article that comes to us penned by long time County supporter Franz Collinge from  the village of Lippertsreute ,about 5 miles from the Southern German lakeside town of Ueberlingen in the awe inspiring shadow of the Alps!

 

With the sole exception of the link explanatory text , every word that follows below are Franz` own……

……………………………………………….

 

My name is Franz Collinge (bodensee 57 on yellowboard), and have been following County since 1965 when I remember seeing us beaten by Hamburg SV 5-1 in a friendly at EP.

 

( See this report on that match - https://hedgegrower.blogspot.com/2016/05/stockport-county-v-fsv-hamburg-10-may.html

 -by Des Hinks Snr )

 

I was born in Offerton, just across the road from the Belgrade Hotel which at the time was owned by Dragan Lukic- the older ones will remember him. The hotel was not the dump it is now and was often used by teams from the First Division even Liverpool stayed there, I have got autographs including Ian Lawler and Ian St. John.

 

 Early days for Franz at Our Lady`s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School wise I attended Our Lady's  RC (fond memories walking to the school canteen on Booth St. near EP), and then went to St. Augustine`s RC in Sharston in 68 (have included 2 photos maybe someone recognises me).

 

 Franz in 1969

 

 

 

 

When I started at Augustine`s  Paul Power (later Man. City) was the school football captain ,and  I was probably the only County fan until Steve Bellis started there in 76!

 

I started going regularly to see County in the champion season of 66/67 being taken by my older brother, think I went to most of the home games including the 1-0 win against Southport in front of over 13000. I missed the only goal as I had just got a cup of tea in the Railway End, and it was knocked out of my hand just before we scored!

 

Continued going seeing the good years in Division 3 and the not so good ones when we got relegated back to Division 4 and the crowds had gone down to below 2000 in the early seventies. I often stood on the Pop Side with just a few others, I can remember a particular game against Exeter when we lost 3-0 and Fred Binney scored as he always did against us.

 

The Go Go Go County era was well and truly over, but I still kept going to see my favourite player Alan Ogley in goal and would always join in to " Here's to you you Alan Ogley the Cheadle End loves you more than you will know" to the tune of Mrs. Robinson.

 

In 1976 I moved to Southern Germany (long story) and have been living there since. The first years over here it was difficult to follow County the only way really to keep up to date was the BBC World Service or when I phoned back home. From the mid-90s it got easier, catch up was via Sky News on satellite and now everything is accessible on internet (Yellowboard!)

 

When I visit back home, I always go to a game at EP if there is one on, the last being the 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Walsall last season.

Worst game I`ve been to? Got to be Bradford PA at home in the NLN on a cold Tuesday night when we were 1-0 up then Danny Lloyd missed a penalty. Awful game with them equalizing just before full time after which I'd had enough and left. The ref must have played a lot of injury time and as I walked past Alexandra Park, I heard the announcement that PA had scored to win 2-1.

Best game has got to be the 2-1 League Cup win against West Ham in 1972 which I watched from the Pop Side stood at the back of the cowshed! I have included a photo of the programme I still have- full strength Hammers including Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking and Frank Lampard senior.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

I have also added a photo from the programme v. Scunthorpe from 1970 when Kevin Keegan played ..................

 


 

 

 

 

 

and 2 from 2005 when there was an article about me in the programme v. Barnsley (L1) as an "Exiled Hatter". It was signed by the manager Chris Turner and several players including Ash Williams and Ricky Lambert.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also included is a photo taken from my bedroom window with the snow-covered Alps in the background just to show what a lovely place I now live in.

 

 

 


 

 

 

It's great to see that things are on the up again after the bad years where we could have gone out of existence, and I am looking forward to next season.

 

Don't think we will struggle to stay up, think a push for the play-offs would be OK.

 

Go Go Go County

 

Franz Collinge.

 

                          

 

 

Comments

  1. A Huddy3 May 2024 at 06:19

    Surely Smith from Shaw Heath two years below you was a County fan? (Fr. McGuinness wasn't.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. hedgegrower3 May 2024 at 06:40

    Hi , just in case Franz does not pick up your comment, I will pass it to him - thanks A Huddy!

    ReplyDelete

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