Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Spurs’ John White glided into spaces just as if he was a ghost
immediately caught Rob’s eye, as he explained: “Early on, under atrocious conditions, talented Burnley inside man Jimmy McIlroy was on the ground writhing in the mud.
“Above him, Dave Mackay, as you might imagine, was gesticulating to the referee that he never touched him.
“Within 15 minutes of play, I reckon, by today’s football standards, that Mackay had earned three red cards.
“Tottenham were 4-1 up at half-time, with both teams outstanding, and every player on view was either English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish.
“Former Dundee goalkeeper Bill Brown made a great save for Spurs early on, and powerhouse Dave
Mackay hit a screamer from 40 yards for their third goal.”
Rob continued: “But then there was John White – a slip of a lad who had incredible stamina, superb ball control, with a gifted awareness and intelligence.
“White read the game like a chess grandmaster.
“The second half belonged to Burnley and they scored three goals to earn a 4-4 draw. What an epic battle it had been.
“After the game, back at the pub, Mickey and the lads were disappointed with a draw, but, at the same time, almost exhilarated with the level of performance both teams delivered.
“We dissected the match, the glorious highs and the abysmal lows, and I was asked which player impressed me the most.
“Without pause I said ‘John White’. They all nodded. ‘The Ghost’ said Mickey. Rob thought The Ghost was brilliant.
“This was the first time I had heard John White’s nickname – ‘The Ghost’.
“And it was a perfect descriptive name for White.
“He would drift in and out of spaces, and suddenly appear it seemed out of nowhere to receive a pass and maintain possession.
“My memory of that game is tattered and faded, but I can still conjure up an image of John White in the mud and gutters as he glided into spaces, just as if he were a ghost.”