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Post by footiebadgebloke on Jan 20, 2009 10:21:23 GMT
My dad used to rave about him, from what I've heard Harry was a top player RIP Harry
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Post by podolipotter on Jan 20, 2009 11:00:44 GMT
Harry "Ozzy" Oscroft scored one of the six goals we put past Notts County in the game which was my debut to heartbreak, joy, despair, delight, and pride in being a potter. Van-Basten-esque, Ozzy was just outside the six yard box and three foot inside the touch line some 10 foot to the left of the goal when the ball dropped on his sweet left foot volley. The ball flew over the keeper who was thankful that it never hit him en route. A brilliant goal from one who was much under-rated in his day. Thanks for the memories Ozzy.
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Post by podolipotter on Jan 20, 2009 11:09:48 GMT
Boothen boy, what a team that was. While Frankie Bowyer had the right foot power, Ozzy definitely had the left. Thank you for the memories of such a great Stoke City team.
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Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2009 11:15:58 GMT
Crikey, talk about 'when men were men'! RIP Harry - Stoke City legend.
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Post by knowles on Jan 20, 2009 11:16:37 GMT
It would be nice if that picture could be used in the next Oatie...
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Post by stokieblokie on Jan 20, 2009 11:56:31 GMT
RIP and best wishes to the family.
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Post by Trubritt on Jan 20, 2009 11:57:10 GMT
RIP. Harry Oscroft you were and are a legeng in our red and white stripes
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Post by stokienorthants on Jan 20, 2009 12:07:21 GMT
So sorry to learn of the sad loss of Harry. My condolences to his family and fellow Stokies, unfortunately I am too young to ever see him play but it sounds as if he was a fantastic player who would serve us well today.
R.I.P. Harry.
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Post by SussexStokie on Jan 20, 2009 12:43:33 GMT
He was in the first Stoke Team I ever watched, It was rumored that dear Harry never started a game without a fag and a scotch.
ONE OF THE BEST RIP Harry
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Post by mermaidsal on Jan 20, 2009 13:13:41 GMT
RIP Harry. All footballers should look like you. Thanks for all you did and the entertainment you gave to so many people over so many years.
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Post by jezzascfc on Jan 20, 2009 13:21:18 GMT
RIP Harry.
I knew of him through stories from my dad, who like you Mick, as you know, grew up watching Harry and Johnny King terrorise defences in the 50s.
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Post by magwitch on Jan 20, 2009 13:23:37 GMT
Very sad to read about Harry Oscroft. He was playing outside left for Stoke in the first game I ever saw at the Vic.On the right wing was Johnny Malkin, later replaced by Tim Coleman. This was a match against Nottingham Forest, who had a player called Stuart Imlach on their left wing.I believe Oscroft replaced a winger called Johnson who had played for England when Stoke had 3 English internationals in their forward line in Matthews, Steele and Johnson. Harry was fast, powerful and had a very hard shot as others who remember him have said. Burrows was very similar in build and style, and I would not be sure who I would rate the better of the two.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2009 13:31:36 GMT
Reading Old Stokies descriptive article on how football was once played by stoke teams of ywester year makes you damn proud that the team we follow still has such a hard graft work ethic with players who would make Harry proud.
I hopwe those old guys passed on see todays Stoke team and feel proud that they are just like them, true men fighting for the cause.
RIP old timer - I never knew you but you look a right handful in the photo. Ab Faye there is your hero
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Post by 339187 on Jan 20, 2009 13:33:16 GMT
RIP Harry.
Cheers OS and magwitch; always glad for a tidbit of SCFC history.
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Post by y_oh_y_delilah on Jan 20, 2009 13:41:13 GMT
Sad news indeed. Harry Oscroft was in the team for my very first Stoke game in August 1956 v Leicester and as Fornside (Lakeland Potter) say's was always a crowd pleaser with his runs down the left flank. I haven't got his statistics, but seem to remember that he used to chip in regularly with a few goals. Sad loss - RIP to one of Stoke's true sons.
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Post by thestatusquo on Jan 20, 2009 13:48:18 GMT
Condolenses to the family. My dad has mentioned him often.
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Post by falirakipotter on Jan 20, 2009 13:54:08 GMT
R I P Harry.
My late father mentioned you many times in some great stories of the past, you were certainly one of his favourites.
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Post by baystokie on Jan 20, 2009 14:00:08 GMT
RIP Harry. This post has seen a roll call of our past heroes so can mention Harry's predecessor, another goalscoring winger - Alec Ormston. Together with Frank Baker at inside left(!) they were the scourge of many First Division defences of the late 40s.
PS on a previous post,the Joe Johnson who appeared with Nobby and Neil for Engand left before the war.
Amazing what they did with a waterlogged casey!
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Post by lancer on Jan 20, 2009 16:58:02 GMT
Another one of our giants. A fearsome player, and as strong as a bull. Harry could really hit a ball, almost as hard as Harry Burrows. Couldn't push him off the ball. Left Stoke late 50s. R.I.P Harry. Pass our regards on to Sir Stan, Big John, and all the other heroes in red and white.
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Post by bogus on Jan 20, 2009 17:23:28 GMT
When talking of the old Stoke teams, Harry Oscroft was always a name my late father would mention in the first few, often the first. Ten years before my first times and I'm sure I missed out on a real treat.
RIP Mr Oscroft and my sincere condolences to the family
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Post by donaldingleton on Jan 20, 2009 17:24:19 GMT
Like so many 60-somethings, like me, have already expressed on here today, Harry Oscroft was indeed a player with a fearsome left foot. Back in those days, mudbaths for pitches were commonplace, with only the green grass on the flanks allowing for speed, which Harry Oscroft exploited to the full.
I know that Harry Burrows, as quiet and unassuming as he still is, will be flattered to be compared with his namesake.
There just has to be some way in which those who have served the Club so well in earlier times can be recognised and their memories, so special still to a fair number of fans today, preserved. For a start, what about putting names above some of the numbered exits eg 11 = Oscroft, 8 = Bowyer, 5 = Thomson etc whilst still keeping the numbers in place for 'H & S' purposes.
No doubt, too, that Nigel Johnson will have something on HO in his programme piece for the Man City game, and PLEASE, if his passing is recognised by silence, can it be just that.....silence and respect for one of the most popular players ever to pull on the shirt!
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Post by lancer on Jan 20, 2009 18:03:28 GMT
Kenny Thompson. Another name to drool over, donald. I once worked with a Polish bloke who had changed his name to Kenny Thompson, because he worshipped Kenny. Yes indeed, Kenny, another brick( made from the same mold as used for Smithy) in the wall of Stoke greats.
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Post by powchirper on Jan 20, 2009 18:49:48 GMT
RIP Harry.
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Post by surreystokie on Jan 20, 2009 19:09:22 GMT
Harry provided so much pleasure, on the wing. Always an end of seat player, pacey and so exciting.
A number of years ago, I was sitting at the top of the Ipswich Town away stand, when the fellow next to me started to chat, and, realising that I was a true Stokie, asked if I'd seen Harry Oscroft play.
I had just started to enthuse, when I suddenly clicked and shouted, 'Blimey, that's you, isn't it?' !! We got on just fine, though it was a bit difficult watching the lads, in between reminiscing about such happy days.
Thanks Harry. Nothing much better in life, than making people happy and you certainly did your bit. Keep dreaming, fella.
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pna1
Youth Player
Posts: 318
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Post by pna1 on Jan 20, 2009 20:19:58 GMT
Thanks for letting us in on what is of course sad news, Mick.
I too remember him in my very early years of Stoke supporting and he was always worth the admission money. Rest in peace, Harry.
There's quite a team of former Stokies up there having a kick around!
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Post by RonnieStokie on Jan 20, 2009 20:43:53 GMT
RIP Harry. Condolences to friends and family. I can remember hearing his name being mentioned to me probably by my Step Dad, but i didn't really know much about him at all. So i went on to Wikipedia to try and find out more about him, but he didn't even have an article about him. Therefore i have just created one, it's quite brief and definately needs a bit of work on it, check it out in the link below: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_OscroftIt was created mainly by reading the information posted in this thread and using one other source.
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Post by tazi on Jan 20, 2009 20:52:41 GMT
R.I.P Harry and condolences to all concerned.
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Post by wizzardofdribble on Jan 20, 2009 20:53:24 GMT
Scored over 100 goals in 350 games for The Potters in the 1950's...before moving to The Vale..
RIP Harry Oscroft
A True Potteries Legend
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Post by Block 26 on Jan 20, 2009 21:00:00 GMT
RIP
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Post by Staying up for Grandadstokey on Jan 20, 2009 21:09:46 GMT
That's sad news.Harry was in the forward line in the first Stoke game I saw as a 4/5 year old. Sincere condolences to the family of a great old Stokie. The first team I ever saw was Robertson,Mountford,McCue,Cairns,Thomson,Sellars and a forward line comprising Coleman,Bowyer,King,Kelly and Harry Oscroft. I'm guessing that would be 1956-57 season,this was my 1st.season as well.Sad news about Harry R.I.P.
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