Leicester '61 semi final - questions for older Blades

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SUFC Handsworth

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Working on a piece for the 61 semi final v Leicester, first game at Elland Road and first replay at Forest.

For any Blades out there that went to either of the games can you recall any of the following:-

1. Did trains to the games depart from Midland or Victoria stations?

2. Did trains for the games arrive in Leeds and Nottingham at the same stations as they do today?

3. Which ends of the grounds did United have? Been told Trent end at Nottingham

4. Any stand out moments or stories from either games? Any stand out players from either side in either of the games?

5. I believe the games were all ticket, was it a case of turning up at the Lane (probably the Pavilion) and queueing to get them and/or postal application?

6. If the semi final had been Barnsley rather than Leicester (their quarter-final game had gone to a replay at Ockwell) was it suggested/confirmed where a South Yorkshire game would have been held?

Thanks in advance
 

I can tell you that a lot of fans from both clubs missed most of the first half because both sets of fans were trying to use the same road to Leeds.
I missed a week of school because of the replays.
 
I was 11 and I am unsure which game my granddad took me too - I can remember however catching a coach from outside the SUT office at "Pond Street" Other than that I have little memory of the game or anything else A bit like last Saturdays game really!.
 
1/ Went to the first game at Elland road by coach but came back by train,and disembarked at the Midland station...
2/ still got the ticket some where but has I remember it if you where at the lane we would have been on the Kop...
3/ memory Pretty sure Pace scored with what looked like a header but was adjudged to have used his hand, but pivotal point and this I'll never forget is Keith Kettleborourgh stood all alone on the half way line receiving the ball and setting off for the goal at the opposite end, the only player any way near him gave up the chase and with all the time in the world shot straight at the keeper. the keeper dived on the ball but couldn't hold it,the ball then bounced off the keeper who was lying on the ground and rolled back towards Kettleborough, who unfortunately had turned away from the goal and sunk to his knees with his head in his hands while the ball was rolling back towards him. Every Blade in the ground was screaming at him to turn round but by the time he did the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet he ran and threw himself on the ball.
It finished a nil nil draw but we were that close to a Wembley cup final......

It's the Blades way
 
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4. Any stand out moments or stories from either games? Any stand out players from either side in either of the games?


Thanks in advance

Older fans said Doc Pace scored a good goal in the dying minutes of the 1st match but the ref ruled that he handled the ball. My dad only went to the replay in Nottingham as he was busy for preparations with his wedding (25th March)
 
1/ Went to the first game at Elland road by coach but came back by train,and disembarked at the Midland station...
2/ still got the ticket some where but has I remember it if you where at the lane we would have been on the Kop...
3/ memory Pretty sure Pace scored with what looked like a header but was adjudged to have used his hand, but pivotal point and this I'll never forget is Keith Kettleborourgh stood all alone on the half way line receiving the ball and setting off for the goal at the opposite end, the only player any way near him gave up the chase and with all the time in the world shot straight at the keeper. the keeper dived on the ball but couldn't hold it,the ball then bounced off the keeper who was lying on the ground and rolled back towards Kettleborough, who unfortunately had turned away from the goal and sunk to his knees with his head in his hands while the ball was rolling back towards him. Every Blade in the ground was screaming at him to turn round but by the time he did the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet he ran and threw himself on the ball.
It finished a nil nil draw but we were that close to a Wembley cup final......

It's the Blades way

Anyone who was aged 16 at that game would be 71 now and have endured a lifetime supporting the Blades. Thanks for your memories :)
 
but pivotal point and this I'll never forget is Keith Kettleborourgh stood all alone on the half way line receiving the ball and setting off for the goal at the opposite end, the only player any way near him gave up the chase and with all the time in the world shot straight at the keeper. the keeper dived on the ball but couldn't hold it,the ball then bounced off the keeper who was lying on the ground and rolled back towards Kettleborough, who unfortunately had turned away from the goal and sunk to his knees with his head in his hands while the ball was rolling back towards him. Every Blade in the ground was screaming at him to turn round but by the time he did the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet he ran and threw himself on the ball.
It finished a nil nil draw but we were that close to a Wembley cup final......

It's the Blades way

Leicester's keeper was Gordon Banks!
 
Queued on John Street and the queues wound round on to Shoreham Street. Tickets served at Kop turnstiles. I was 12 years old.

I can still see Pace chesting the ball down and firing it home. Ref disallowed it and Pace pointed to a mark on his chest. I can still see the whole incident in my mind and yet I hear Pace admitted he handled it !:confused:

My memory is that all supporters were mixed together.

Went to a packed St James Park for the sixth round game. Sat on my Dad's knee in the stand. 3-0 up after 20 minutes - Billy Russell hat-trick. 2nd division team away at the mighty Toon from the First Division. Crowds were crowds in those days, mostly standing and the Geordies were massed ranks of swaying singing black and white - until the game started!!

Week after the semi-final, in between the two replays we were back at Elland Road in the league. In those days Leeds were not a succesful club ( much like now) and the ground seemed very empty; Jack Charlton was a journeyman player yet to make his mark, we won at a canter. Len Allchurch played a blinder.

Journey to Leeds in those days was by the two A Roads, no M1. Imagine twenty odd thousand highly decorated cars and coaches slowly winding their way.

Replays evenings on school days. My Dad went to both replays. Tears in his eyes reporting back next day after Birmingham; well beaten I think, but what an achievement, what a season with promotion too.
 
Barnsley drew 0-0 at Leicester took them back to Oakwell and lost 1-2, after extra time I think. Presume any match between us and Barnsley would have been at the Rust Phuket. Leicester were a top team at the time
 
Just looked up the cup run that year. Everton away 3rd round won 1-0. I think I was there too. If I remember rightly Cliff Mason was suddenly picked on the right wing, or was that another year?

What a ground Goodison Park was then. Two tiered stands all the way round in like a blue and white Tudor timber effect. We were up in the high tier behind the goal where we scored. It seemed like a fairy tale for a twelve year old, the setting and the excitement (48000 crowd) ( 54000 at St James, 54000 at Elland Road)
 
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Queued on John Street and the queues wound round on to Shoreham Street. Tickets served at Kop turnstiles. I was 12 years old.

I can still see Pace chesting the ball down and firing it home. Ref disallowed it and Pace pointed to a mark on his chest. I can still see the whole incident in my mind and yet I hear Pace admitted he handled it !:confused:

My memory is that all supporters were mixed together.

Went to a packed St James Park for the sixth round game. Sat on my Dad's knee in the stand. 3-0 up after 20 minutes - Billy Russell hat-trick. 2nd division team away at the mighty Toon from the First Division. Crowds were crowds in those days, mostly standing and the Geordies were massed ranks of swaying singing black and white - until the game started!!

Week after the semi-final, in between the two replays we were back at Elland Road in the league. In those days Leeds were not a succesful club ( much like now) and the ground seemed very empty; Jack Charlton was a journeyman player yet to make his mark, we won at a canter. Len Allchurch played a blinder.

Journey to Leeds in those days was by the two A Roads, no M1. Imagine twenty odd thousand highly decorated cars and coaches slowly winding their way.

Replays evenings on school days. My Dad went to both replays. Tears in his eyes reporting back next day after Birmingham; well beaten I think, but what an achievement, what a season with promotion too.

Woody , was it on pay per view , when you could money in a meter to watch it on telly .

UTB
 
Woody , was it on pay per view , when you could money in a meter to watch it on telly .

UTB


No football on any television ( only got our first television when I was 10), no local radio. Can't recall if there was a commentary on Home Service (radio), doubt it very much. Recall we knew at home what was happening in the replays but not sure how. Don't think we had a telephone even.

In those days we had to go to reserve matches to keep abreast of United's away score.
 
No football on any television ( only got our first television when I was 10), no local radio. Can't recall if there was a commentary on Home Service (radio), doubt it very much. Recall we knew at home what was happening in the replays but not sure how. Don't think we had a telephone even.

In those days we had to go to reserve matches to keep abreast of United's away score.

Man in white coat putting the scores up on the cricket pavilion . Used to watch the games at 5 year old at the front of the pavillion . Mind you i couldn't see much but very happy days being a blade .

UTB
 
I remember explaining to the headmaster the reasons for me wagging off school for the replay - before the inevitable holocaust, I asked him to bear in mind that I was going to second replay as well.

There was a long silence, then he burst out laughing and said "get out of here".
 

Off topic a bit. I have clearer memories of the 1967 Cup run, reaching the quarter final against dirty Leeds (Christ were they dirty players) and unluckily losing 1-0, Addison had the ball in their net but it was disallowed. The above writer is correct you went to Leeds via A roads, pre Motorway days
 
Off topic a bit. I have clearer memories of the 1967 Cup run, reaching the quarter final against dirty Leeds (Christ were they dirty players) and unluckily losing 1-0, Addison had the ball in their net but it was disallowed. The above writer is correct you went to Leeds via A roads, pre Motorway days

1968 :)
 
Working on a piece for the 61 semi final v Leicester, first game at Elland Road and first replay at Forest.

For any Blades out there that went to either of the games can you recall any of the following:-

1. Did trains to the games depart from Midland or Victoria stations?

2. Did trains for the games arrive in Leeds and Nottingham at the same stations as they do today?

3. Which ends of the grounds did United have? Been told Trent end at Nottingham

4. Any stand out moments or stories from either games? Any stand out players from either side in either of the games?

5. I believe the games were all ticket, was it a case of turning up at the Lane (probably the Pavilion) and queueing to get them and/or postal application?

6. If the semi final had been Barnsley rather than Leicester (their quarter-final game had gone to a replay at Ockwell) was it suggested/confirmed where a South Yorkshire game would have been held?

Thanks in advance

From my dad...

"Perhaps this was Cup nerves, because we were in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup and drawn against Leicester. My brother-in-law was twelve years older than me, (still is, come to that), and he took me up to Leeds to see the Semi-Final. The ground was packed. Before the kick-off some Leicester supporters carried a mock coffin round the pitch with "Sheffield United" on the side. For us, an elderly gent dressed in red and white with a long red and white baton walked round the pitch escorted by two young lasses with United hats and scarves. The game was real end-to-end stuff, and both sides had goals disallowed. Doc Pace hit the ball into Leicester's net, but the ref ruled he had handled it first. Doc pointed to a mark on his shirt, to show he had chested the ball, but there was no change. Ever after, I cited this as evidence we had been robbed, but I heard that Doc, just before he died, admitted he had handled the ball.

The game ended 0-0 and the replay was a few days later at Notts Forest's ground. We were at school, and the teacher let us listen to the second half commentary on the old school radio. This was 0-0 again. The third, and deciding, match was won by Leicester 0-2. They went on to lose in the Final to Spurs who were in their Double-winning year. We took comfort by saying we could concentrate on the promotion drive."
 
I went to the Elland Road game with my Dad. I was 12 at the time. I only have vague recollections of the match; I know we stood on their kop (which was uncovered in those days) and it was mostly Blades fans in that end.

I do remember near the end my Dad saying "let's go to avoid the crowds", and as we were leaving the ground there was a huge roar from the Blades fans. That would have been Doc Pace's disallowed goal. I was sure we had scored and were in the final, only to find out later when we got home that the goal had been disallowed.

That is the reason that since then I have never left a game early!
 
Obviously not that clear. Bear (sic) with me I am an. Old f***er

I know how you feel. There are United fans who are now adults who were not even born when we went down in 1994*

* My son being one of them, though he is fairly nominal these days....
 
I know how you feel. There are United fans who are now adults who were not even born when we went down in 1994*

* My son being one of them, though he is fairly nominal these days....

There are United players who weren't born then.
 

Elland Road looking towards the old "Scratching Shed" end which was where their noisy supporters congregated. In 1968 we had the open bank at the other end and I think we took 13,000 to that match.

Can remember the old Tannoy speakers belting out "No don't stop de carnival" by Alan Price :)
 

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