There is a knock on your door. When you answer it, the person standing there is the assistant manager of Manchester United, Jimmy Murphy. He wants you to play in the first team for United in the next First Division fixture. The answer he got was "No thank you. I can earn double those wages laying bricks". It was in the days after the Munich crash. What would you have said?
The Munich Air Disaster - I think that was in 1958, I would have been four - I think I would have asked him if he could wait until I was in long-trousers!
I think if they wanted a woman in the team and if I were talented enough to be asked to play I would do it, even if just the once. Back then you could just walk into a new job whenever you felt like it, as far as I've heard from my parents and my partner. So I'd play then leave when I realised I needed more money. I don't think footballers got the colossal wages they get now.
I'd be surprised if good brickies earned more than £50 a week in 1958 but I'd be interested see any data. According to Hansard the average full time male manual worker earned 253 shillings a week- i.e. around £12.50.