City legend lauds goal fever

Having caught up with Aimson to discuss the prospect of Clayton Donaldson equalling the seven-match club record for scoring in successive games that he shares with James Cowie, Billy Fenton and Arthur Bottom, the retired Dorset probation officer also expressed his pleasure that City are playing attractive, attacking football.

Aimson, now 62, was part of the Tom Johnston side that rattled in 78 goals on their way to a fourth-place finish in the old Division Four in 1971.

That tally has only been surpassed twice in the 34 years since, by Denis Smith's side in 1982-83 and his Fourth Division champions of 1983-84.

Billy McEwan's free-scoring side are averaging two goals a game in the Conference. And should the Minstermen continue bulging the net at their present rate then they would finish the season with 86 league goals, and Aimson reckons McEwan's fellow Scotsman, Johnston, would be proud of such a return.

He said: "I'm a believer in attacking football and so was Tom Johnston when he was my manager at York. We never went away from home looking for a draw.

"The crowd turned up knowing they would see goals. I remember going to Brentford and losing 6-4 but going to Lincoln later in the season and winning 5-4.

"I like to see shots on goal. I watched England for the first ten minutes against Austria and turned it off in disgust.

"I've got no time for players who play for themselves. There were too many chiefs and not enough indians.

"We never played like that at York and I wasn't as successful at the other clubs I went to because they used to stick me on the halfway line and boot the ball forward for me to chase."

Aimson scored 113 goals in 237 starts for City in two spells between 1964-66 and 1969-73 and is fifth in the club's all-time scoring list.

Having arrived at Bootham Crescent from Manchester City, he played for Bury, Bradford and Huddersfield in between leaving and rejoining the Minstermen and then finished his career with Bournemouth and Colchester.

He now lives in Muderford - a small fishing village near Bournemouth - but still regards York as his team and admits that three fellow former Minstermen were the best in their positions from all his old team-mates.

Aimson said: "Billy Rudd was the best player to play behind me and Phil Boyer was the best to play alongside me because I always knew where he was. We then had Archie Taylor on the right and he was a great crosser.

"I think if Tom Johnston could have got Dave Wagstaffe on the left wing from Manchester City then me and Phil could have broken Dixie Dean's scoring record.

"York is my team and, from all the places I went, I loved York the most. The people and crowd were wonderful to me and I'd climb mountains to please them.

"They were the happiest days of my life, although being a granddad is running that close."

Aimson has five grandchildren and the eldest two are already proving to be a chip off the old block.

"Portsmouth want my 11-year-old grandson William," said a proud Aimson. "Southampton have also offered to send a taxi to take him to training, while Chelsea, Brentford and Reading want him as well. He's just scored 15 goals in his last four matches but my son wants him to finish his schooling first before joining any football club.

"William's brother, Lewis, is 14 and plays for the area as a left-back but he also scored in his last match so you can see we are a family that like attacking football, but they are far ahead of what I was at their age."

Aimson retired from his job as a probation officer seven years ago where he had a high success rate integrating young offenders back into the community.

He said: "I was a physical recreation officer and we used to play golf with the youngsters to show them how much fun you could have staying out of trouble. Many of them went on to have good careers and earn more money that I ever did."

Aimson is also now cherishing retirement after a hospital operation not only ended his football career but almost claimed his life.

He recalled: "I had an operation to have a cartilage out of my knee and they told me to go back to playing but every time I jumped and landed it swelled up. I went back to hospital and they found that the whole of my knee had collapsed and had to be rebuilt.

"After the operation, I was complaining that the plaster of Paris was too tight and when an Australian doctor put a window in it, my knee had ballooned and, when he put the scissors in, the blood travelled four yards.

"I had haemorrhaged and a blood clot had to be removed. They tried to keep me awake and it worked when the priest was sent in to give me my last rites.

"I eventually fell asleep for 36 hours after they had got rid of the clot and it was touch and go whether I would wake up. It has left me disabled but you would not really know and I will never give in to it."

Reigning champion Merris off the mark

LAST season's Evening Press Player of the Year Dave Merris picked up his first points in this season's competition with a man-of-the-match award during the 2-2 draw at Gravesend and Northfleet.

Merris picked up three points as top man in Kent with the efforts of goalscorers Andy Bishop (two) and Clayton Donaldson (one) also being rewarded.

Donaldson is now three points clear of nearest rival David McGurk in the standings and leads the Player of the Month contest having gained an extra two bonus points towards that award after polling the most man-of-the-match readers' votes for the Gravesend game.

To be in with a chance of making the presentation to this month's winner, please e-mail dave.flett@ycp.co.uk with your man of the match for any of City's fixtures in October or drop it in at our office at Sports Desk, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.

Latest Evening Press Player of the Year standings: Donaldson 17, McGurk 14, Bishop 10, Dunning 10, Convery 9, Dudgeon 5, O'Neill 4, Merris 3, Peat 3, Panther 2, Hotte 1.

Evening Press Player of the Month for October standings (based on Evening Press ratings and including two points per game for the player who polls most man of the match votes from our readers): Donaldson 8, Bishop 4, Merris 3, McGurk 1.

Bev in battle

Gutsy City fan Beverley East-Watson has decided to shave her head to raise money for the Youth Cancer Trust after being told she still needs more treatment to beat the illness.

Doctors thought Beverley had made a complete recovery from thyroid cancer but she has been told to return to Leeds' Cookridge Hospital after recent tests.

Beverley is now looking for sponsors for her head shave which will take place at New Bronze Age in Lord Mayor's Walk on October 24. The Youth Cancer Trust provides free holidays for youngsters with cancer aged between 14 ands 25 and anybody willing to sponsor Beverley should call her on 01904 330077.

STATS ATTACK

City goals: Donaldson 8, Bishop 6, O'Neill 4, Convery 3, Dudgeon 3, Stewart 2.

Goal assists: Bishop 6, Convery 5, Donaldson 5, Dunning 4, O'Neill 2, Mansaram 1, McGurk 1, Merris 1, Panther 1.

Bad boys: Dudgeon three yellows; Bishop, Donaldson both two yellows; Hotte one red; Convery, Dunning, Mansaram, McGurk, Merris, O'Neill, Palmer, Peat, Price all one yellow.

Updated: 11:37 Saturday, October 15, 2005