Stevie_J Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Welcome to the sixteenth Latics Legend of the Week. In light of today's news that he has suffered a heart attack, this week it's one for the oldies, Bert Lister. We're looking for you, the OWTB members, to post their memories, anecdotes and stories of our weekly Legend. Anything at all. Mate of yours? Met him in a pub? Go to school with his Mrs? Get hit by his car? Had a scuffle with him?! Anything and everything! If you have access to some season stats or career stats then post those too; pictures, videos, songs, etc, etc...!? Post them all!! GET WELL SOON BERT!A couple of very simple rules: 1. Please stay on the topic of a single legend at once... it probably apparent why by now. (If you would like to suggest an upcoming legend then please feel free to PM me) 2. Please don't post anything which may subject you to libel... as OWTB cannot be held responsible for that. 3. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oa_exile Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Nice touch that Stevie , hope some of the Lads can post some memories of one the Legends. Quotes from the "Bert Lister Suffers Heart Attack" thread I am far too young to have seen him play but i have heard the stories off several different people. This bloke is a gent and was an amazing footballer. I hope he gets well soon. A fantastic goal scorer. Some great diving headers and loved playing with Bobby Johnstone. His goals got us out of Div 4 . Get well Blistering Bert Lister!! Bert Lister holds the record for Division 4 for most goals scored in a game. 6 for Latics V's Southport 26.12.1962 we should flood the message boards with get well wishes. He was a key part of the 60's escape from oblivion - bobby johnstone provided the pass and bert the finish.95 goals in 62/63 with bert scoring 30. It was played on a snow-covered surface at Ice Station Zebra with the orange ball and blue markings on the pitch. Boxing day with the whif of cigar smoke throughout the Chaddy. Other goals came from Colin Whitaker (3), John Colquhoun and Bob Ledger. Final score 11-0 and a crowd of 14,662. Happy days. Bert Lister also scored a goal within ten seconds of the kick-off against Chesterfield in April 1963. Hold on Bert, keep fighting - it's not time for your final whistle yet! Well said Diego. A wonderful centre forward (oh, all right then, striker), always in the right place at the right time. We should never have let him go to Rochdale. Hang on in there Bert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oa_exile Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Quote from Where Are They Now? Bert Lister (1960-65) was one of the best goalscorers ever to put on an Oldham shirt. As a centre-forward he would have gone through a brick wall to score with one of his brilliant diving headers. In 1963 he almost broke the all time record for goals in a season and his six goals against Southport on Boxing Day 1962 will always be remembered. Bert was later a taxi-driver in Blackpool but now lives in Drumboy in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, although he still has a place in Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostofcecere Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Well before the time of most of us who post on here but to put him into perspective, In 60 years of watching Latics my Dad only gets doey eyed at 3 players; Bobby Johnstone, Bert Lister and Andy Ritchie. I think that says it all really. Get well soon Bert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Quote from Where Are They Now? Bert Lister (1960-65) was one of the best goalscorers ever to put on an Oldham shirt. As a centre-forward he would have gone through a brick wall to score with one of his brilliant diving headers. This picture illustrates what would take a thousand words to describe in detail. The picture is courtesy of the excellent publication 'Pine Villa & Oldham Athletic - A 100 Year Journey' by Stewart W. Beckett - hope it's OK to reproduce it here in these special circumstances. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/790792...1e9009201_b.jpg Me and my mates used to spend hours taking turns at crossing low balls to each other so that we could do diving headers, just like Bert. It's a fantastic feeling to score a diving header! P.S. Why do we never see players scoring diving headers these days? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 This picture illustrates what would take a thousand words to describe in detail. The picture is courtesy of the excellent publication 'Pine Villa & Oldham Athletic - A 100 Year Journey' by Stewart W. Beckett - hope it's OK to reproduce it here in these special circumstances. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/790792...1e9009201_b.jpg Me and my mates used to spend hours taking turns at crossing low balls to each other so that we could do diving headers, just like Bert. It's a fantastic feeling to score a diving header! P.S. Why do we never see players scoring diving headers these days? Because they don't have the bottle to put their head in where it hurts. Great pic, DS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 In the 1962/63 season, Bert Lister scored 33 goals (including those six against Southport on Boxing Day) in all competitions, and many fans believed that if he had not been dropped for a spell in March, he would surely have established a new goalscoring record. His 30 league goals were scored in only 39 games and he also scored 3 League Cup goals in 2 games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hometownclub Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I've been watching Latics since about 1970/71 so Bert wasn't much before my time. The stats being quoted speak for themselves, not just well up the charts of Latics all time goalscorers but his goals to games ratio is exceptional. Scoring many diving headers which shows his bravery and willingness to risk pain and injury in order to score. A real Latics legend, get well soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristolatic Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Nice touch that Stevie , hope some of the Lads can post some memories of one the Legends. Quotes from the "Bert Lister Suffers Heart Attack" thread I'll never forget his double hat-trick on Boxing Day, 1962. He'd have had more if Southport's goalkeeper (Joe Harris, I think) hadn't played a blinder - and it was 11-0! He could do it all, right foot, left foot and header (often horizontal and 3feet off the floor). Quite simply, one of the best ever. Hang in there, Bert. You've got loads of stoppage time to go yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 (edited) I'll never forget his double hat-trick on Boxing Day, 1962. He'd have had more if Southport's goalkeeper (Joe Harris, I think) hadn't played a blinder - and it was 11-0! Harry Massey, the Latics' Chairman, had offered the team a £5 per goal bonus prior to this match. He paid out over £600, then withdrew his offer for subsequent matches. Edited July 15, 2007 by Diego_Sideburns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I mentioned in a post about Bert Lister's heart attack "the whif of cigar smoke throughout the Chaddy" on Boxing Day. I came across this advert from an old Latics' programme (they put the apostrophe in the wrong place even in those days). http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/815939...497817038_o.jpg It was at the Featherstall & Junction Inn that the landlord, John Goddard and his son Fred formed the Pine Villa football club, which became Oldham Athletic when the club moved eventually to the Athletic Grounds.. The Pine Villa players stripped on matcdays at a smithy adjacent to the Inn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 He could do it all, right foot, left foot and header (often horizontal and 3feet off the floor). Quite simply, one of the best ever. Here Bert demonstrates what Bristolatic was saying (v Chesterfield in 1962) - autographed photo courtesy of Stewart W. Beckett's excellent book 'The Team From A Town Of Chimneys'. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/817216...7fa560017_b.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted July 15, 2007 Author Share Posted July 15, 2007 Here Bert demonstrates what Bristolatic was saying (v Chesterfield in 1962) - autographed photo courtesy of Stewart W. Beckett's excellent book 'The Team From A Town Of Chimneys'. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/817216...7fa560017_b.jpg Now that's what I call a penalty area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristolatic Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Now that's what I call a penalty area! ....... it sure was, with very little sign of grass. But it all came the same to Bert. You could stick him in the middle of a haystack with a brick wall round it and he'd still find a way of scoring. Ye Gods, do I remember those days of torrential rain, the pitch 6" deep in mud, a ball that was as controllable as a bar of soap and getting heavier by the minute, and the half time entertainment being a brass band playing in the main stand 'cos 1) they couldn't stand up on the pitch and 2) they'd have got pneumonia. Please keep the Bert Lister tributes coming and our thoughts must also go out to his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 RIP Bert true latics ledgend gone but never forgoton ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy_dux Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Oldham Athletic record: appearances: league 135, FA cup 14, league cup 4 goals: league 81, FA cup 10, league cup 6 debut: York city(h) 1st October 1960, won 3-1 (Bert scored one) also played for: manchester city, stockport county, altrincham, stalybridge celtic R.I.P Bert Lister, a true legend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sheridans_world Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Played for Rochdale too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murrayzmint Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 R.I.P. One of my brother's favourite players. And well done to whoever designed the OWTB Memorial Header. Very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy_dux Posted July 17, 2007 Share Posted July 17, 2007 Played for Rochdale too people can make mistakes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 In tonight's Chron (page 39) there are two good letters in tribute to Bert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 My parents are in the country this week, and I mentioned that Bert had died to my mum. She went off on a long rambling story about how she used to go to parties with all the players in the 60s, with her first husband. She was name-dropping like her life depended on it - Jimmy Frizzell, Bert Lister, Bobby Johnstone, and some bloke called 'Large' (I keep wanting to say Eddie, but that can't be right ) who I've never heard of. Apparently, she used to sit in Mr Large's car to 'shelter from the rain' (yeah, right, Ma ) when they were waiting for their respective kids to finish school. (I know it's not really about Bert, but I didn't think Mr Large would get his own LotW thread.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted July 20, 2007 Author Share Posted July 20, 2007 In tonight's Chron (page 39) there are two good letters in tribute to Bert. Any chance you could scan them, Diego? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Any chance you could scan them, Diego? Sorry, I haven't got the Chron - I saw it in the digital version on line (page 39). http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/digitaledition.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Report on the funeral service in tonight's Chron. "Soccer legends mourn Latics star by TONY BUGBY MANCHESTER United legend Denis Law was among the mourners at the funeral of Athletic legend Bert Lister on Saturday. Law had been a friend from the days when they were team mates at Manchester City in the late 1950s. And another mourner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Blackley, was Wilf McGuinness, a former Busby babe and later to become Reds manager. McGuinness played in the same school side at Mount Carmel as Mr Lister, who died last Monday at the age of 67 following a heart attack. McGuinness added he had been with Mr Lister only a couple of weeks earlier at the funeral of former United player Warren Bradley. And another famous ex-United player present was Jack Crompton, a member of their 1948 FA Cup winning side. Mr Lister was an active member of City’s former players’ association who were represented by 1950s stars Johnny Williamson, Steve Fleet and Peter Horridge. Athletic were represented by chief executive Alan Hardy who gave an address outlining Mr Lister’s goalscoring exploits which saw him score 97 goals in 153 appearances. These included the six goals in the 11-0 win against Southport on Boxing Day 1962, a feat only two other players have matched in the post-Second World War era. And Mr Lister scored a goal inside 10 seconds against Chesterfield in the campaign in which he hit 32 goals in Athletic’s promotion winning team from Division Four, Mr Hardy also read out a letter published in the Chronicle last week paying tribute to Mr Lister who was described as a gentleman. The service was followed by burial at Cross Cemetery, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, where Mr Lister lived in recent years." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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