Over 60’s! Peter Spiring!!

[Port Said Red]

1 hour ago, slartibartfast said:

I didn't know Spiring had injuries at Liverpool, I thought it was just them keeping him as "one for the future", as they used to do a lot. I didn't know (or remember) DB went to Swansea, either .

I remember seeing Spiring coming off injured in a game on TV and the commentator saying how unlucky he had been with injuries.

Both those links are from "Where are They Now?" type sites run by fans of the club, do we have anything like this? I know @Curr Avon did some excellent interviews around the time of the Ashton Eight plaque etc but I don't know if there is more out there.

[slartibartfast]

56 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I remember seeing Spiring coming off injured in a game on TV and the commentator saying how unlucky he had been with injuries.

Both those links are from "Where are They Now?" type sites run by fans of the club, do we have anything like this? I know @Curr Avon did some excellent interviews around the time of the Ashton Eight plaque etc but I don't know if there is more out there.

When you said you saw him come off on the tele, it must have been for Luton or Hereford as I just checked Wiki and he never made an appearance for Liverpool .

[Port Said Red]

19 minutes ago, slartibartfast said:

When you said you saw him come off on the tele, it must have been for Luton or Hereford as I just checked Wiki and he never made an appearance for Liverpool .

Yes I think it was Luton. I think he may have made the bench for Liverpool? 

[REDOXO]

1 hour ago, slartibartfast said:

When you said you saw him come off on the tele, it must have been for Luton or Hereford as I just checked Wiki and he never made an appearance for Liverpool .

He broke his toe in an early game for Luton. Yes I remember the commentator saying the same about previous injuries at City and Liverpool on MOTD!

 

2 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

I remember seeing Spiring coming off injured in a game on TV and the commentator saying how unlucky he had been with injuries.

Both those links are from "Where are They Now?" type sites run by fans of the club, do we have anything like this? I know @Curr Avon did some excellent interviews around the time of the Ashton Eight plaque etc but I don't know if there is more out there.

 

[3 Peaps In A PodCast]

Peter Spiring, 71 appearances 17 goals… 1969-73… As an England Youth midfielder Peter was an emerging figure at Ashton Gate in the early 1970's.
The son of former City player Gordon Spiring, he signed professional under Alan Dicks in June 1968 and made his League debut at home to Birmingham City in October 1969. He featured in the 1970/71 League Cup semi-final second-leg at Spurs before a surprise £60,000 move to Liverpool in March 1973.
Remaining in the top-flight after joining Luton Town for £70,000 in November 1974, he was reunited with John Sillett at Hereford United for £8,000 in February 1976 and helped to clinch the Third Division title in 1975/76 during seven years at Edgar Street. Still living in Hereford, he has been an electrical contractor since October 1983 and his son Reuben is a Worcestershire County cricketer.

Extract from Programme in 1997 - still in Hereford…

 

[Eddie Hitler]

8 minutes ago, 3 Peaps In A PodCast said:

Still living in Hereford, he has been an electrical contractor

 

And maybe still is, this looks fairly recent.

-ish anyway, it has a fax number.

https://b99.co.uk/electrician/hereford/peter-john-spiring/

 

[Rudolf Hucker]

I have a hazy recollection (maybe complete bollocks, mind you) of Peter being involved in an incident in the goalmouth at the East End whereby he and an opposing defender simultaneously kicked/blocked the ball and it burst! Never seen it happen before or since. Of course, it may never have happened and I’ve just dreamt it. Anyone?

[slartibartfast]

1 hour ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

I have a hazy recollection (maybe complete bollocks, mind you) of Peter being involved in an incident in the goalmouth at the East End whereby he and an opposing defender simultaneously kicked/blocked the ball and it burst! Never seen it happen before or since. Of course, it may never have happened and I’ve just dreamt it. Anyone?

Against Lester, Stuart(?) Whitworth ginger left back, must be same game/incident, but I remember it more on the wing in front of the enclosure (BTW Bobby Kellard was playing for LC that night ).

[RoystonFoote'snephew]

As a City player I always remember him as an emerging talent and exciting wide player that got a shock move to Liverpool. I remember him playing for Luton but lost sight of him after that. 

[The 'Bourne]

From memory I think he scored in 5 consecutive games for us.

An unimaginative editor kept using the headline "In- Spiring"

 

[Zip Nolan]

1 hour ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

I have a hazy recollection (maybe complete bollocks, mind you) of Peter being involved in an incident in the goalmouth at the East End whereby he and an opposing defender simultaneously kicked/blocked the ball and it burst! Never seen it happen before or since. Of course, it may never have happened and I’ve just dreamt it. Anyone?

Yes, I was there. Burst ball flew up in the air.

[Peter Coles]

2 hours ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

I have a hazy recollection (maybe complete bollocks, mind you) of Peter being involved in an incident in the goalmouth at the East End whereby he and an opposing defender simultaneously kicked/blocked the ball and it burst! Never seen it happen before or since. Of course, it may never have happened and I’ve just dreamt it. Anyone?

I think you are correct it's something i remember as well

[Ciderhead433]

8 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

I found this on a Luton page

https://www.hattersheritage.co.uk/peter-spiring

As he is 72 now I assume he has retired as there is no sign of the business online.

I also found this piece about another player from that era, Danny Bartley. It seems he worked with Spiring in his business a few times.

https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/sports-news/my-hereford-united-story-danny-bartley/

Remember Danny Bartley, who scored in a pre-season friendly against Southampton, Must have been late 60.

I remember it because I saw City training down the Imperial ground the following week.

I was talking to Danny Bartlry and he took great pleasure in showing us how he scored.

 

[Port Said Red]

11 minutes ago, Ciderhead433 said:

Remember Danny Bartley, who scored in a pre-season friendly against Southampton, Must have been late 60.

I remember it because I saw City training down the Imperial ground the following week.

I was talking to Danny Bartlry and he took great pleasure in showing us how he scored.

Did he have a brother who was in our youth set up? I know Tom Ritchie's brother Steve was, but I have a memory that there was another set of brothers too.

[22A]

18 hours ago, REDOXO said:

For the under 60s Peter was sold to Liverpool for a decent sum in the early 70’s, but (if my recollection is accurate) got injuries that he never really got over, playing much of his career At Hereford! 

Where he played alongside former City team mate John Galley for 1975 & 76 seasons.

In the Autumn of 1971, Spiring scored in five consecutive games for City.

[phantom]

I hate to say his name is not one that I recognise 

Not sure why he didn’t play more games for us as was with us a few years 

Interesting that he signed for Liverpool for £60k didn't play a game for them but was then sold for a higher fee of £70k to Luton the following year 

 

[East End Old Boy]

5 minutes ago, phantom said:

I hate to say his name is not one that I recognise 

Not sure why he didn’t play more games for us as was with us a few years 

Interesting that he signed for Liverpool for £60k didn't play a game for them but was then sold for a higher fee of £70k to Luton the following year 

As others have said, he did have a number of injuries, but we also had a some great wide players during that time, so plenty of competition!

[22A]

22 minutes ago, East End Old Boy said:

but we also had a some great wide players during that time, so plenty of competition!

Wasn't it a choice of Peter Spiring or Keith Fear in the team? One was fast, the other was tricky.

[HomerRed]

1 hour ago, Ciderhead433 said:

Remember Danny Bartley, who scored in a pre-season friendly against Southampton, Must have been late 60.

I remember it because I saw City training down the Imperial ground the following week.

I was talking to Danny Bartlry and he took great pleasure in showing us how he scored.

 

Did we win 5-3? I remember the game - but not who scored! 

[Ciderhead433]

Just now, HomerRed said:

Did we win 5-3? I remember the game - but not who scored! 

I think it was something like that. I remember the 5 City scored.

I thought it was great because Southampton were 1st division 

[Port Said Red]

1 hour ago, phantom said:

I hate to say his name is not one that I recognise 

Not sure why he didn’t play more games for us as was with us a few years 

Interesting that he signed for Liverpool for £60k didn't play a game for them but was then sold for a higher fee of £70k to Luton the following year 

 

 

1 hour ago, East End Old Boy said:

As others have said, he did have a number of injuries, but we also had a some great wide players during that time, so plenty of competition!

You have to remember that there was only one sub in those days so it was a lot harder for youngsters to get game time, the one sub was usually something of a utility player.

43 minutes ago, 22A said:

Wasn't it a choice of Peter Spiring or Keith Fear in the team? One was fast, the other was tricky.

I think we tried a few players in a more central role after Garland was sold, he was one of a few tried there, like Fear and Broomfield.

[Red Shadow]

4 hours ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

I have a hazy recollection (maybe complete bollocks, mind you) of Peter being involved in an incident in the goalmouth at the East End whereby he and an opposing defender simultaneously kicked/blocked the ball and it burst! Never seen it happen before or since. Of course, it may never have happened and I’ve just dreamt it. Anyone?

Yes @Rudolf Hucker, I was going to post the same thing. I was on the East End railings in line with the right hand post. Reckon it happened just inside the right hand side of the six yard box as you looked from the EE. Hell of a noise with 50/50 tackle and burst ball. I remember Spiring was laid down holding his leg afterwards. Well remembered @slartibartfast if the Leicester player was Whitworth, I always had it in my mind that it was David Nish but probably wrong.

[slartibartfast]

39 minutes ago, Red Shadow said:

Yes @Rudolf Hucker, I was going to post the same thing. I was on the East End railings in line with the right hand post. Reckon it happened just inside the right hand side of the six yard box as you looked from the EE. Hell of a noise with 50/50 tackle and burst ball. I remember Spiring was laid down holding his leg afterwards. Well remembered @slartibartfast if the Leicester player was Whitworth, I always had it in my mind that it was David Nish but probably wrong.

Funny that, I remembered it as Nish, but this was bought up a few years ago and someone was convinced it was SW...........well it was 50 odd years ago !

[Rudolf Hucker]

2 hours ago, Red Shadow said:

Reckon it happened just inside the right hand side of the six yard box as you looked from the EE. Hell of a noise with 50/50 tackle and burst ball.

Exactly as I remember it!

[REDOXO]

16 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

Exactly as I remember it!

As @slartibartfast says 50 years and more ago is a long time I don’t remember it at all!

However question for you both! How long after did he go to Liverpool?

Edited October 17, 2023 by REDOXO

[Nogbad the Bad]

23 hours ago, REDOXO said:

@Nogbad the Bad and I are having one of our semi regular discussions on  a subject that anyone under 60 need not apply with our memories varying (it’s a thing kids). In order not to clog up the QPR thread I’ve started this one! 

 

Not a bad idea to have a dedicated Spiring thread but a pity the comments on the QPR away thread are not included.

@phantom is it possible to remove the string of Spiring comments from the QPR away thread and add them to this one instead?

 

[slartibartfast]

1 hour ago, REDOXO said:

As @slartibartfast says 50 years and more ago is a long time I don’t remember it at all!

However question for you both! How long after did he go to Liverpool?

It was one of (if not the)  last games of the 70-71 season , by winning 1-0 LC got promoted and according to Wiki PS left sometime in 73 .

[phantom]

11 hours ago, Nogbad the Bad said:

Not a bad idea to have a dedicated Spiring thread but a pity the comments on the QPR away thread are not included.

@phantom is it possible to remove the string of Spiring comments from the QPR away thread and add them to this one instead?

 

All sorted - I slipped up there not noticing that

[42nite]

Pretty sure he was an apprentice at Brecknell DOLMAN & Rogers.

Used to see him every week at the old Technical College behind the Council House.

It was a bit like a whispered nudge nudge type thing...Look there's Peter Spiring over there!

He always looke very fit.  Mind, that's not saying much compared to the rest of us who saw the day college release as a bit of a day off.

If it wasn't Peter Spiring.... we were getting a bit starstruck over someone else! 

[ashton_fan]

I remember him playing at Millwall in that game where we lost 3-1 and scored two own goals (Merrick and Rooks I believe), embarrassing it was on Motd but Spiring scored our goal and had a good game from memory putting City back in the game at 2-1 with ten minutes or so to go, then they scored a third walloped from about 20 yards.