Sheffield United 1968-1969
- Thread starter JJ Sefton
- Start date
All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?
bornablade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,351
- Reaction score
- 8,715
The season started with a 3-1 home win against Aston Villa and I thought we would just rip the league up and be promoted by Christmas. Overall it was a disappointing season.
We'd never been a 'buying' club and for all those players to come in and at the start of the season was a novelty.
The game against Preston was John Tudor's second game where he scored twice. In his debut the previous week we played at Bury away, think we won 2-0 and he scored both goals. Our hopes were lifted.
The final game on the clip shows Ted Hemsley scoring. Can see he was played as a right hand midfielder. Really settled into the side when we moved him to left full back to form part of the back four of Badger, Colquhoun, Powell/ Flynn, Hemsley.
The initial team photo taken at Ball Inn ground - it looks as though Bernard Shaw has just seen the Wolves manager arrive in the car park.
This was the start of our three years in the wilderness. It took 3 seasons to put together a promotion winning side. A side that would then top the old First division at the start of the 1971/72 season.
Who would have predicted in the following century we would be taking at least SIX seasons to get out of the old third division?
We'd never been a 'buying' club and for all those players to come in and at the start of the season was a novelty.
The game against Preston was John Tudor's second game where he scored twice. In his debut the previous week we played at Bury away, think we won 2-0 and he scored both goals. Our hopes were lifted.
The final game on the clip shows Ted Hemsley scoring. Can see he was played as a right hand midfielder. Really settled into the side when we moved him to left full back to form part of the back four of Badger, Colquhoun, Powell/ Flynn, Hemsley.
The initial team photo taken at Ball Inn ground - it looks as though Bernard Shaw has just seen the Wolves manager arrive in the car park.
This was the start of our three years in the wilderness. It took 3 seasons to put together a promotion winning side. A side that would then top the old First division at the start of the 1971/72 season.
Who would have predicted in the following century we would be taking at least SIX seasons to get out of the old third division?
spongebobblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2013
- Messages
- 3,739
- Reaction score
- 7,566
Unlike our modern day lot we managed to get back up in 3 seasons. Obviously we weren't blessed with any bad luck at the time
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Hemsley wasnt picked for the team by John Harris for the first three months of the 1969/70 season. Harris wasnt happy with Heaton's form at left back so he tried Hemsley in that position for the 4-0 win over Blackburn in November 1969 and it was a success so he was our regular left back for the next 6 years
SUFC Handsworth
Wings of a sparrow
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2010
- Messages
- 2,953
- Reaction score
- 4,361
That era was slightly before my time but from what I've read and been told didn't we have a good chance to go up in 69-70 but blew it in the run in?
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Lost 4 successive games in March. Middlesbrough (a), Leicester (a)- my first away match, Bolton (h) and Blackpool (a) who got the 2nd promotion place 4 points ahead of us.
Table at 14th March 1970
http://www.clarets-mad.co.uk/snapshot_tables/1969_1970/14/mar/queens_park_rangers/index.shtml
Table at 30th March 1970
http://www.followfollow.com/snapshot_tables/1969_1970/30/mar/huddersfield_town/index.shtml
We won three of our last 4 matches but we knew we had blown it due to that 4 successive losses
Dnblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,555
- Reaction score
- 2,942
Great video WB...I remember being at the Bury game on the Kop..forgotten about Tudor's Hattrick.
We were in a transitional period after relegation..but you can see from the clips the early signs of what was to come..We were a bit inconsistent..trying to remember,but there were some scrappy games...remember stood on John Street playing Palace in a scrappy draw..they had a player with a long throw called Bobby Woodruff..some really good wins though like Bury..also remember being optimistic coming away from a good win v Blackburn...haha I'd forgotten about the slow hand clap...wonder what happened to Mick Harmston?
We were in a transitional period after relegation..but you can see from the clips the early signs of what was to come..We were a bit inconsistent..trying to remember,but there were some scrappy games...remember stood on John Street playing Palace in a scrappy draw..they had a player with a long throw called Bobby Woodruff..some really good wins though like Bury..also remember being optimistic coming away from a good win v Blackburn...haha I'd forgotten about the slow hand clap...wonder what happened to Mick Harmston?
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
5 games in 1968-69 season. Harris never picked him for 1st team. Went on loan to Southend in Dec 1970 but only played one game for them. Not even in 1971-72 squad photo. Either he retired due to injury or went into non league
bornablade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,351
- Reaction score
- 8,715
Each of the three seasons we seem to show improvement. As Silent has mentioned - it was four losses on the trot March 17th - March 30th that put paid to our promotion hopes. The game before these four losses was at home to Carlisle. We won 1-0 attendance 22,005. The final game of the season when we were going through the motions was Oxford United at home. We won 5-1 and the attendance was only 10,535.
The season started off well with a home victory against Middlesborough 3-0 but there were problems behind the scenes. Arthur Rowley was sacked on August 6th and the following day Len Badger and Alan Woodward asked for transfers.
At the end of the season - April 17th John Harris made a remarkable signing. Billy Dearden from Chester City for £10,000. The jigsaw was taking shape for the following season.
Dnblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,555
- Reaction score
- 2,942
Yeah,injury seems the most likely,or released at the end of the season..only18 wasn't he...It's funny how certain things you remember..that own goal jogs a memory.
bornablade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2014
- Messages
- 4,351
- Reaction score
- 8,715
We played Palace on Boxing Day 1968. It was a bone hard surface and as you say it was very scrappy. 1-1 Colin Addison
If the sale of Mick Jones and Alan Birchenhall the previous season sealed our relegation then it could be argued that the sale of Willie Carlin to Derby put the skids on our success that season. The Blades and Derby's fortunes following the Carlin deal were a complete contrast.
On August 24th 1968 Derby were second from bottom. On August 26th they bought Carlin. The following night we beat Fulham and went top of the league. Then it all changed. Derby went from strength to strength and easily won the league. We slipped from top and finished 9th.
The film Damned United shows Brian Clough in those years putting together that early Derby side. So much emphasis was placed on the signing of Dave Mackay from Spurs. It's my opinion that Willie Carlin was the catalyst to what Cloughie went on to achieve. Our loss.
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Didnt know that, cheers. I have seen him walking towards BDTBL now and then in recent years. Still looks the same
LSF
Active Member
Also scouted for Burnley, currently scouts for Wolves. His son scouts for Pigs. Genuinely nice bloke is Mick.
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Born in April 1950. What was the own goal?
Dnblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,555
- Reaction score
- 2,942
Sorry SB,didn't mean Harmston..i meant the o.g. in the PNE game.
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Dnblade
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 2,555
- Reaction score
- 2,942
Didn't Clough turn up at the Lane unannounced,and asked to speak to Carlin...then took him home to speak to his wife?...It was early in the season about 4 games in I think...he'd impressed Clough when we recently beat Derby at the Lane 2-0.
On that season,not sure if I'm right,but Rowley taking over and a transition period after been relegated made it difficult..added to that,selling Jones and Birchenall..TC and Woody only just establishing themselves,the back line not really settled barring Len Badger,and we had Mallendar and Monks who were eventually shipped out,and he'd brought in Eddie Colquhoun,David Powell and Ted Hemsley who was his skipper at Shrewsbury...I think Bernard Shaw didn't get on with Rowley and by the end of the season signed for Wolves..Then Rowley went before the start of the following season and John Harris took back over..Thinking back,it's no wonder we weren't promoted,although we had the makings of a good side as it proved to be a couple of seasons later.
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Before our 2-0 win over Derby (Carlin scored one of the goals), Clough came up to Carlin and said to him "I hear your boss doesnt fancy you!" Carlin was surprised and wondered if Clough tried to bribe him
A week or two later he refused to even talk about the possibility of a move to Derby, but Sheffield United manager John Harris insisted it would be rude not to at least meet the Derby manager, who as usual had arrived in person, uninvited.
Carlin agreed to talk it over with his wife, Marie. Brian drove Carlin home to meet the missus but Clough was singing "Who wears the trousers, who wears the trousers?" during the car lift. It turned out she was not too enthused about Sheffield and when Willie asked her: "Do you want to move to Derby?'' she replied instantly: "Now or tomorrow? We have only just moved house". Clough then went to talk to her, Carlin was taken aback "It is me you are trying to sign!" Clough replied "I have already signed you, now I am talking to the wife"
232 Bramall Lane
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
- Messages
- 115
- Reaction score
- 162
Thanks for posting the clips. remember the season well.
I too thought we'd go straight back up and recall the disappointment of losing to a Fat Ron marshalled Oxford United in front of the Match of the Day Cameras! They'd only been in the league 5 minutes! True to form we let ourselves down on a rare BBC TV appearance.
Good to also hear the abysmal Yorkshire TV commentary by Danny Blanchflower again and remind ourselves of his inability to recognise our players when having a rare day off from Leeds United's almost weekly coverage.
These were my first away matches and I know that I had to attend quite a few before we actually won one.
I know the memory can play tricks but I recall us being a very strong home side and very poor way. Maybe the Cricket side had an effect?
I too thought we'd go straight back up and recall the disappointment of losing to a Fat Ron marshalled Oxford United in front of the Match of the Day Cameras! They'd only been in the league 5 minutes! True to form we let ourselves down on a rare BBC TV appearance.
Good to also hear the abysmal Yorkshire TV commentary by Danny Blanchflower again and remind ourselves of his inability to recognise our players when having a rare day off from Leeds United's almost weekly coverage.
These were my first away matches and I know that I had to attend quite a few before we actually won one.
I know the memory can play tricks but I recall us being a very strong home side and very poor way. Maybe the Cricket side had an effect?
SUFC Handsworth
Wings of a sparrow
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2010
- Messages
- 2,953
- Reaction score
- 4,361
Unfortunately, that's happened far too regularly in recent seasons.
Seanshoreham
Arise Sir Tufty
Funny you should mention the cricket side 232 - many years ago I was working for my firm in Australia. I was staying in a motel in Newcastle NSW when I bumped into Mick Channon (he was playing for Newcastle KB United) in the bar. He told me that players disliked the cricket side (particularly wingers) because they didn't have a stand to judge the touchline.
You're right we seemed strong at home and poor away - remember winning at Blackpool 1-0, it seemed strange at that time (like today in fact LOL)
Silent Blade
Well-Known Member
Ian Callaghan said in Shoot! that he felt playing at Bramall Lane was like playing at a public park.
Some years ago a Liverpool fan recalled going to Bramall Lane in the 1960s and was saying that Blades players liked to "waste time" by booting the ball to the cricket pitch when we were winning. When I told my dad about what the Liverpool fan had said, he replied "The opposition would do the same when they were winning"
JJ Sefton
Live, Laugh, Love
BladeFisher
Well-Known Member
- Banned
- #27
A couple of interesting things in the video.
1. Big Ron playing for Oxford
2. Both teams wearing black shorts but
3 Only Hodgy has a badge on his shirt, the rest of the team don't. Is it the Sheffield coat of arms badge? I think it is but the camera doesn't stay long enough on him to see.
Really miss the floodlights, stanchions and actually the white railings. Glad to see no advertising!
When was the space behind the BL stand to the pitch reduced? Seems quite large. Also at the John Street/BL corner it looks as if the railings are on a curve rather than meeting at right angles.
Finally, the mini stand/shed (!) extension to the JS towards the BL end. What was that and who sat there? Noticed the flag flying too. Oh happy memories though didn't go to the Lane until 1970, but there again I did live on the Isle of Wight!
Similar threads
All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?