Stevie_J Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Welcome to the seventeenth Latics Legend of the Week. This week it's a blast from the past, frontman, Jimmy Fryatt. 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!!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...
Hometownclub Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 Jim Fryatt played in the first match I ever attended at Boundary Park, I was only about 8 at the time. He formed a great striking partnership with David Shaw, Fryatt was good in the air and Shaw had electric pace, Fryatt would flick on headers and Shaw would get on the end of them. He also used to get his head on the end of alot of George McVities crosses from the right wing. The thing that sticks in my memory most about Fryatt was that balding head, he always looked alot older than he actually was. He also had a spell at Stockport around the same time. He is probably most famous for scoring the fastest goal in league football: 4 seconds, Jim Fryatt (for Bradford Park Avenue v Tranmere Rovers, 25 April 1964). He went out to play in the States at the end of his career and played for: Philadelphia 1973-1974 & Hartford 1975. When he retired he stayed out in America. His son Ed Fryatt is a Professional golfer who plays on the American Tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue-Mist Posted July 27, 2007 Share Posted July 27, 2007 yeah - spot on - he was second to none in the air and looked the part - mean n hungry ! co-incided with my first visits to BP remember the chant from the Chaddy 'Big Jim , bang one in !!' oh happy days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheshireblue Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Don't think I ever saw him play or if I did I can't remember, I started going in 1972. However my Dad could go on for hours about the Fryatt & Shaw partnership, always reckoned it was the best he had seen at Latics. Did Fryatt have the biggest sideburns of anybody who played for Latics. Cant think of anyone else. I seem to recall there was some grafitti on a wall near Westwood Park about Fryett which had been sprayed on in the early 70's and was still there 20 + years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davegtt Posted July 28, 2007 Share Posted July 28, 2007 Did Fryatt have the biggest sideburns of anybody who played for Latics. Cant think of anyone else. Does Diego count? Never had the pleasure of seeing Fryatt play tbh but hes a legend none the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penrhyn Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 I remember Jim Fryatt very fondly even to this day I have never seen anyone with heading ability to match him.He used to get so much power and accuracy into his headers you could hear the ball slap his forehaed at times. He also had the uncanny knack of hanging in the air. His goals helped us stave of having to apply for relection to the old fourth division,the season after he blasted 24 goals of a 47 goal partnership with his partner David Shaw. Happy Days, a true latics legend. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted July 29, 2007 Share Posted July 29, 2007 (cheshireblue @ Jul 28 2007, 14:12 PM) Did Fryatt have the biggest sideburns of anybody who played for Latics. Cant think of anyone else. Does Diego count? Jim is a Latics' legend. Diego is the Latics' legend that never was. When talking sideburns, I think Jim just shaves - I mean shades it! http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/936788...103e0d9.jpg?v=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafcprozac Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 'Fryatt and Shaw', my owd fella bores me to tears sometimes with how good these two were. However, from what he has told me they sounded a great partnership with Fryatt's brute strength and heading ability, along with Shaw's raw pace. Would've loved to have seen them terrrorise defences like they did in 70/71? When they scored 23 and 24 goals each - closest we've been since was Ritchie and Palmer in 87/88 when they scored 20 apiece and in 89/90 when Stitch scored 28 and Palmer 20, but loads were scored in the cup. I hope we are talking about Davies, Ricketts and Hughes in the same breath next season! One incident my dad constantly refers to, was in the days of Fryatt and Shaw, when David lost one of his contact lenses during a game. The referee halted proceedings and then the next 5-10 minutes saw between 10 & 15 Football League pro footballers on their hands and knees searching for said lense! Anyone remeber that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hometownclub Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 One incident my dad constantly refers to, was in the days of Fryatt and Shaw, when David lost one of his contact lenses during a game. The referee halted proceedings and then the next 5-10 minutes saw between 10 & 15 Football League pro footballers on their hands and knees searching for said lense! Anyone remeber that? I dont recall that particular incident but it must have looked very strange, I dont suppose they found it either (talk about a needle in a haystack). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue-Mist Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 I dont recall that particular incident but it must have looked very strange, I dont suppose they found it either (talk about a needle in a haystack). yeah - i was a nipper then but remember it vaguely !. Fryatt was simply awesome in the air and his strenght was amazing as he bulldozed through defences to power the goals in or knoek down for david Shaw to finish off ! Just heard an amazing story about Fryatt before matches when they used to kick off at 3.15 so all the fans could have last orders in the pubs which used to have to shut at 3pm. The tale is so funny and bizarre that it has to be true - I'll leave it to the guy who told me to post it, but if not i'll put it on next week with his permission as it might compromise some people !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leezyverpunk Posted July 30, 2007 Share Posted July 30, 2007 Ta-na nana, ta-na nana hey hey hey Jimmy Fry-att! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectormorose Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 I seem to recall there was some grafitti on a wall near Westwood Park about Fryett which had been sprayed on in the early 70's and was still there 20 + years later. The Fryatt shrine! Was on the wall of the hospital as i remember along the dirt track that runs between the hospital and the back of B & Q. One word "Fryatt" in huge letters,minimalist but iconic,was there years until someone blasphemously cleaned it off. Was going myself when the big man was with us but was that wee i don't really remember anything specific.Shame we didn't have the same wall to wall football coverage we have now to preserve him for posterity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy_dux Posted August 6, 2007 Share Posted August 6, 2007 Jim Fryatt Oldham Athletic record: Appearances: League 76, FA Cup 1, League Cup 2 Goals: League 40, League Cup 2 Debut: York City (a) 21 February 1970, drawn 0-0 Also played for: Charlton Athletic, Southend United, Bradford PA, Southport, Torquay United, Stockport County, Blackburn Rovers, Southport (a second spell), Philadelphia Atoms (US), Stockport County (a second spell), Torquay United (a second spell), Chorley, Hartford Bi-Centennials (US), Philadelphia Atoms (US) (a second spell) Managed: Las Vegas Quicksilver (US) Anyone who supported the Latics in the early 1970s is unlikely to ever forget Jim Fryatt; a barrel-chested, balding centre-forward with Dickensian sideboards and an intermittent penchant for a drooping moustache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonelylaticsfaninaus Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 I had the pleasure of seeing the Fryatt/Shaw partnership play countless unforgetable matches in the early 70,s. Shaw was exceptionally fast and Fryatt was huge, lethal and extremely accurate with his head. They both played in the first match I ever saw, during the season they were promoted from the 4th division. After that the leap up the third division was largly due to these two. We shouldnt forget the great manager they had, Jimmy Frizzell and 2 great defenders, Maurice Whittle and Ian Wood, who also made a huge contribution. Fryatt and Shaw were a joy to watch. Put fear into many a defence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted August 9, 2007 Share Posted August 9, 2007 Like the late great Bert Lister, Jim Fryatt was a master of the diving header - something rarely seen in the modern game. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/106039...534f59265_b.jpg 1970/71 season. Picture courtesy of Stewart W. Beckett's book 'The Team From A Town Of Chimneys - Revisted'. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1106/105947...ddefe497e_b.jpg Scoring in the 3-1 win against Darlington in January 1971. Picture courtesy of Stewart W. Beckett's book 'Keeping The Dream Alive'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts