One for the older supporters. Was a Busby Babe but only 18 at the time of the Munich air crash in 1958 and not on that trip. Played regularly for Man Utd in the following 2-3 years. Then joined Preston for whom he scored a lot of goals. Saw him play a couple of times at The Valley and was in the Preston team that lost to West Ham in the 1964 cup final. A big bruiser of a centre forward.
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(Would have watched the '63 Final, but that was delayed so long by the legendary 62/63 winter, that I was on holiday when it was played)
RIP
Anyway back to Alex Dawson. He was a typical old fashioned centre forward who stuck in the memory of an impressionable young football fan and another part of my childhood memories has gone.
RIP
RIP Alex Dawson
A powerful centre forward built a bit like Gerd Muller with a low centre of gravity. Always reminded me of Fred Flintstone.
1966. I saw 4 matches CAFC/PNE and remember them vividly.
Jan FAC3 - Charlton in dreadful form but the home tie brought the hope of a change in fortune. No such luck - a miserable cold and rainy day at a bleak Valley saw us fall behind early and we were never in the running. Finished 2-3.
Apr - an early Good Friday start (11 am?) and a rampant Charlton revitalised by Cliff Holton won 5-2. (Then to WHL in the afternoon for THFC 1-4 West Ham and the next day to Stamford Bridge for Chelsea 6-2 West Ham.) On the Tuesday night the return at Deepdale. Addicks 3-1 up in 50 mins and playing superbly but the match ended 3-3 - a long night on the train back to London and then straight into work.
Oct - an indifferent start to the season gave us little optimism for the Deepdale visit but the tenacious defence of a 1-0 lead and a 1-1 spell almost succeeded until a desperate 89th-minute goalmouth scramble in by then dire conditions saw Alex Dawson score PNE's winner. A dismal evening on the train back duly mellowed as brown ale followed brown ale (Whitbread's Forest Brown our default lubrication in those days) and the buffet table gradually disappeared from view under countless empty bottles.
Stood behind the goal with the Hammers supporters. Think he put Preston in front.
Remember Alex Dawson known affectionately as 'The Black Prince',
because of his swarthy completion. Was great in the air.
RIP Big Alex!
No h/t for Alex Dawson. After beating Carlisle 3-2 at The Valley on 9 Oct 65 CAFC's next win did not come until 5 Feb 66 - 4-1 at Portman Road. Cliff Holton was largely responsible. It was indeed a brilliant day at Ipswich, with the Addicks contingent surprisingly large, especially given our prevailing form. A remarkable start to the game.
A young Howard Kendall made his debut for Preston.
Strangely enough I can still remember the West Ham team.
It was.
Jim Standen G.K.
John Bond, Jack Burket
Eddie Bovington, Ken Brown and Bobbie Moore.
Braybrook, Buyce, Burne, Geoff Hurst, and Johnny Sissons.
Useless trivia and I'm not even a Wet Spam supporter.
Players did not move about much then did they.......unless they played for us!