Alas they key turning point for me was committee men forcing Neil to play a game before the final when he told them he'd pulled his groin.

He ended up missing this game and the GB tour.

Possibly but as Neil says, he may have kicked that one but would possibly have missed the others or something like that.

All the same, thank god committee men are no longer allowed anywhere near team selection.

So the committee called the shots not the coach ?

That was quite common at most clubs and in most sports up until the '80s. They also signed and sold players, often without consulting the coach. It's only since the Aussies showed us how it should be done that the Coach has risen in the hierarchy. There were of course exceptions, Peter Fox for one but even he would have to defer to the committee in the end.

Despite winning the World Cup Alf Ramsey was never invited to a committee meeting and was never allowed to address the committee members by their Christian names, even, when he himself became a Sir!

Nothing was more class-ridden than British sport, dominated by pompous upper-middle-class prats, unlikeable versions of Captain Mainwaring. Glad that is mostly over with.

It's not just about the kick.
Having Neil playing would have changed the game.
Don was an excellent player and goal kicker so it's not about him.

But a team with Neil Fox in it will be better than one without.

I'm only going on what he said, it's not my opinion, he seemed to think his playing would have made no difference. I'll try and find the quoete.

In a cup final you play your best 13 it’s about winning nowt else.leaving Neil out was bloody crazy

No, you've got that wrong.

He was injured for the final so couldn't be selected, the error was playing him in the previous game when he should have been rested or that's how I read PT's post. HTH.

They played they're best 13 available if that helps.

Correct.
Playing a meaningless game cost him tge final and the GB tour in which I think he was due to be captain too.

I can't remember the details of the games but he told me that himself.

That game was the championship final so it wasn't just another game. Worse than that was that the GB selectors wanted Neil to prove his fitness to captain the World Cup team in the summer and forced him to play in a friendly on the eve of the championship final. Although he only played the first half, that was one and a half games in two days when not fully fit.

It was the Championship final so hardly meaningless.

A couple of years ago I attended a performance at the Trinity Club. It was a very entertaining dramatised version of David Hinchliffe's book; "They Walked on Water" . It was written by a Trinity supporter ( I can't recall his name), and it had a humourous slant on what was a very dramatic occasion. One of the performers was the former Trinity coach, Brian Lockwood. The play also contained a very funny impersonation of the late (not so) great Eddie Waring. If it pops up again anywhere I suggest going to see it.

That was before the final but I don't think it was the game. It was a trial game for GB or something similar.
I'll have to check now I've said it.

Went to this game in the most unusual of circumstances. Was working in South Africa when I received a telegram that my dad had died suddenly back in Hull. When I flew home for the funeral I found out that my dad had been sent a seat ticket for the match by Roy Francis the Leeds coach.
My dad and Francis were very good friends having met through business in Hull. Dad and I had been to 2 previous Wembley finals to see Hull lose consecutive matches against Wigan and Wakefield when coached by Francis.

After the funeral before flying back to SA I went to the match to see Francis win at his 3rd attempt.