Laurence Noga – Goalie Extraordinaire.
The events of January 1976 happened so soon after the Watergate Scandal had unfolded, I don’t suppose it had yet become standard journalistic practice to attach the suffix “-gate” to any scandal. I don’t care – I’m calling this one “Nogagate”.
My diary note of Thursday 15 January 1976 starts with the phrase:
Noga leaving form.
Then, on Monday 19 January 1976, I open my diary note with:
Wrong about Noga. All OK.
How very contra reverse ferret of me. Professional journalism would not have been for me.
So what happened…I mean, something must have happened and then unwound. Was Noga believed to have been promoted or relegated, but actually staying in our division all along? Was Noga initially perceived to have scored an own goal but actually adjudicated to have made a great “on the line” save? Was Noga initially adjudged to have committed a sending-off offence foul but then reprieved by VAR (Various Alleyn’s Representations)? Was I the victim of a “false rumour/class prank”?
I didn’t mention people lightly in my diary, so in my mind, for a few days, this must have been THE big deal. Yet, I’m sorry folks, I now remember absolutely nothing about this.
Someone out there must remember roughly what went on. Mike Jones, for example, was the form master. David Wellbrook and/or Nick Wahla – you two were never far away from the mischief side of 3BJ life. Laurence Noga himself might vaguely recall this matter, of course. If indeed it ever was a real matter.
Here are the diary notes:
For those who like to refresh their memories with earworms from that time, here are three tracks (other than Bohemian Rhapsody, which was surely spent in our consciousness by then even if it was still Number One) from the top 10:
…and for the completists (probably just me and the 1970s TV savages) – here are the full extracts from those diary pages.
Intriguingly, it seems I spent that intervening weekend of Nogagate going through my ‘O’ Level choices with my parents. I have a feeling that the word “perspex” is a malapropism (perhaps deliberate) for “perplexed”. Did they really expect me to persevere with biology, geography and/or Latin? I could get all that at home.
Tuesday, 13 January 1976. Back at school. TV Are You Being Served? Ellery Queen, Pro-celebrity Golf, 48 hours.
Wednesday, 14 January 1976- All OK. TV film -Stewart Granger [Swordsmen Of Siena].
Thursday, 15 January 1976 Noga leaving form. TV World At War, When The Boat Comes In.
Friday, 16 January 1976 – Mum and Dad O-level choices, OK. Uncle Cyril [Barnett] marsala [which means that I went with Cyril and Marion Barnett in the back of their van to their Chalk Farm shmutter premises and they treated me to Marsala ice cream at Marine Ices afterwards].
Saturday, 17 January 1976 – Perspex parents. TV film, New Faces, Sale Of the Century, S.W.A.T. Squad, Upstairs Downstairs.
Sunday, 18 January 1976, classes is good. Paper could be published.! Auntie Doris [Marcus]. TV ?
Monday, 19 January 1976, Wrong re Noga. All OK. TV Ask The Family, Hello Cheeky, Walton’s.
Please folks, let’s solve the mystery of Nogagate collaboratively.
