KevP Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Never saw him play, was just before my time but had he still been with us he would be 90 today. I will have a couple of ciders tonight in his memory. Cheers all. 8 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanjita Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 I consider it a privilege and a pleasure to have seen the great man play. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 2 minutes ago, fanjita said: I consider it a privilege and a pleasure to have seen the great man play. A real privilege to have seen his first and last games and a few hundred in between. To have travelled on trains with the team, when he was always willing to talk with us, never refusing autographs for anyone. And after he had retired, always approachable before and after matches in the car park. A Legend is not enough to describe him. On a train back from Cardiff after a 1-0 win, a current England player, he admitted in front if his teammates that he had a stinker in the previous home game when we lost 1-4 to Sheffield United. That's how big a character he was. 9 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shireman Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 I remember that the only occasion when I played truant from school was when Big John was selected to play for England. It was a mid-week game at Wembley . ,,,can't remember who were the opponents.. it was an afternoon kick-off and I went home to watch the match on TV. Can't remember if I received a detention the next day but I wasn't alone in deciding to take the afternoon off from school. Happy memories of "the legend". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmite Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Would have had many more England caps had he played for a top league club. Great player, great memories. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Army 75 Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 (edited) His name and legacy lives on amongst Bristol City fans. Obviously never watched him play. But remember the old man saying to me as a kid , that’s John Atyeo stood there. Under the Bristol City sign. Stood outside the main entrance to the Grandstand/ Enclosure. Didn’t realise as a kid his importance to our club Edited February 7, 2022 by Red Army 75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Deserves a statue! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 1 minute ago, Davefevs said: Deserves a statue! Let’s not be extravagant…. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Just now, Slippin cider said: Let’s not be extravagant…. Ok, just name a stand after him instead then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Just now, Davefevs said: Ok, just name a stand after him instead then! Ok we’ll go with that , incidentally, when was the stand built? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcfc01 Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 31 minutes ago, marmite said: Would have had many more England caps had he played for a top league club. Great player, great memories. He was a part timer until 1958 and only went full time from then until 1963. Scored 5 in 6 internationals and then got dropped for the World Cup (despite scoring the goal that got England to the finals) because the selectors (as it was then, men in suits) decided England couldn't be represented on the world stage by a part timer. He turned down the likes of Spurs, Chelsea, and AC Milan in his time. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 His biography is a great read. Incredible that he was also a Maths teacher & that he taught Rob Newman. I don’t want to stereotype all footballers because there are some smart ones but another world to think an England player would go on to teach maths after packing up playing now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weepywall Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Davefevs said: Deserves a statue! Don't mention statues, fans of other clubs think we are a bunch of statue destroyers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atyeo's lift Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 He often arrived by train at Temple Meads and walked to the Gate. On one occasion my father gave him a lift as we were driving along the Cut - he was very outgoing and discussed his team-mates openly as well. Great man, I must have watched him play many many times over the years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Isewater Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 2 hours ago, Davefevs said: Deserves a statue! There are a few in our back four. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivorguy Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 To see him in his glory days was a real privilege. I feel particularly fortunate In his case it is true to say we will never see his like again. My grandfather who saw almost all his home games and also saw Wedlock play said Big John was the greater footballer of the two. Gentleman John, those who saw you play will never cease to miss you. Ashton Gate has never seemed the same to many of us since you stopped playing. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sglosbcfc Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Ivorguy said: To see him in his glory days was a real privilege. I feel particularly fortunate In his case it is true to say we will never see his like again. My grandfather who saw almost all his home games and also saw Wedlock play said Big John was the greater footballer of the two. Gentleman John, those who saw you play will never cease to miss you. Ashton Gate has never seemed the same to many of us since you stopped playing. How amazing, to have had conversations with a grandfather who could compare Wedlock and Ayteo from first hand experience of having seen them play. Understandably, there is so little said about the City team that reached the Cup final and were second in the top flight over 100 years ago. I wonder how many old timers on here have memories of grandparents talking about those teams? Would be great to hear some accounts of Bristol City pre WW1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Ivorguy said: To see him in his glory days was a real privilege. I feel particularly fortunate In his case it is true to say we will never see his like again. My grandfather who saw almost all his home games and also saw Wedlock play said Big John was the greater footballer of the two. Gentleman John, those who saw you play will never cease to miss you. Ashton Gate has never seemed the same to many of us since you stopped playing. My father also saw both Wedlock and Atyeo. As Dad grew up in the Rhondda, son of a father born in Claverham, he only saw the former when visiting his uncle (his father's brother) who lived on Coronation Road. He said it was very difficult to compare them at different positions and era's Edited February 7, 2022 by cidered abroad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBW Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 6 hours ago, cidered abroad said: A real privilege to have seen his first and last games and a few hundred in between. To have travelled on trains with the team, when he was always willing to talk with us, never refusing autographs for anyone. And after he had retired, always approachable before and after matches in the car park. A Legend is not enough to describe him. On a train back from Cardiff after a 1-0 win, a current England player, he admitted in front if his teammates that he had a stinker in the previous home game when we lost 1-4 to Sheffield United. That's how big a character he was. Could you upload a scan of his autograph please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 Peaps In A PodCast Posted February 7, 2022 Report Share Posted February 7, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norn Iron Posted February 8, 2022 Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 10 hours ago, 3 Peaps In A PodCast said: Didn't John co-commentate for either BBC Bristol or HTV at the Wembley final against Bolton? I remember him saying, "It's there, it's there" when we scored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cidered abroad Posted February 8, 2022 Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 11 hours ago, TBW said: Could you upload a scan of his autograph please? I have that Cardiff programme and a Sheffield U. I'll look them out. House a bit chaotic with DIY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slippin cider Posted February 8, 2022 Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 Never saw him play but what a player, and a real gentleman . Legend . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockneydave Posted February 8, 2022 Report Share Posted February 8, 2022 Iwas lucky enough to see him play for quite a time and remember well his last game. my father in law was always on about him. The day john retiredwas the day the father in law also retired from watching the city. we will never see the likes of john agiain.Anybody who is any good we always sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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