60 years ago this month...

[Silent Blade]

Many thanks for that. It broadly agrees with the other report, although it makes Allchurch’s goal sound like one which should have been prevented. The other detail which surprised me is that Simpson almost scored with a header. I may be doing him an injustice, but I don’t remember him ever scoring with a header, in fact I don’t remember him ever heading the ball goalwards. He was from the Stanley Matthews tradition of wingers as far as heading the ball went.

Pompey's scorer Ron Saunders!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

You have given me a ‘Doh!’ moment there. I was aware of Saunders as a Portsmouth goal scorer/threat to worry about (he was their top scorer for 6 seasons (1958-64), and then I became aware of Saunders as manager who kept getting clubs to the League Cup final in the mid-70s, and of course more notably winning the League with Villa and resigning when they were already through to the last 8 of the European Cup, and went on to win it (Peter Withe!). I don’t think I ever realised that it was the same Saunders.

 

[Silent Blade]

You have given me a ‘Doh!’ moment there. I was aware of Saunders as a Portsmouth goal scorer/threat to worry about (he was their top scorer for 6 seasons (1958-64), and then I became aware of Saunders as manager who kept getting clubs to the League Cup final in the mid-70s, and of course more notably winning the League with Villa and resigning when they were already through to the last 8 of the European Cup, and went on to win it (Peter Withe!). I don’t think I ever realised that it was the same Saunders.

Knowing him in the 1970s and the 1980s, I imagined him to be a defender when he was a player. I was surprised to find out recently that he was a striker!

 

[bornablade]

Beattie the Pompey goalkeeper got caught in the bribery scandal of 1964.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Knowing him in the 1970s and the 1980s, I imagined him to be a defender when he was a player. I was surprised to find out recently that he was a striker!

In my mind, when he was a manager, I assumed he was a hard man midfielder.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Beattie the Pompey goalkeeper got caught in the bribery scandal of 1964.

Another detail I had forgotten or never known. It seems to have been one of several sad stories, though one of the games he took part in seems to have been very obvious - he was playing for Peterborough against QPR, and winning 1-0 with 10 minutes to go. Twice he got the ball, twice he threw it straight to a QPR forward, leading directly to a 2-1 defeat. He ended up with a prison sentence, a lifetime ban from football, and working in the Glasgow shipyards.

 

[Big Hitter]

My dad went to this one, 2 days before his wedding.

How old were you then SB?

 

[Silent Blade]

How old were you then SB?

Minus one

 

[Bennyand the Blades]

I was at the Ellan Rd game, against Leicester, stood halfway down the Kop with my mates,
I can still see it all now, when Keith Kettleborough, who was stood on his own on the half way line received the ball without a Leicester player anywhere near him, he took off like a rocket down the pitch and with only the goal keeper to beat, he shot from just outside the box, straight at the advancing goalkeeper who had come running out of his goal. and hit him in the chest,
What he didn't see was the ball hit the goal keeper in the chest so hard it bounce off him and come rolling back towards him with the goalkeeper laid on the deck , he didn't see it because he had spun around with his head in is hands and dropped to his knees
Can you imagine the pandemonium going off from the Blades supporters stood on the kop while this was happening at the other end of the pitch ?
People where screaming at him to turn round and see the ball rolling slowly towards him with the keeper stretched out in his aria, while he just knelt there with his head in his hands.
He did eventually realise that something was going on behind him and turned round to see what was going off just in time to see the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet run forward and grabbed the ball.

I couldn't get my breath .........

 

[cahill]

You have given me a ‘Doh!’ moment there. I was aware of Saunders as a Portsmouth goal scorer/threat to worry about (he was their top scorer for 6 seasons (1958-64), and then I became aware of Saunders as manager who kept getting clubs to the League Cup final in the mid-70s, and of course more notably winning the League with Villa and resigning when they were already through to the last 8 of the European Cup, and went on to win it (Peter Withe!). I don’t think I ever realised that it was the same Saunders.

Seems to have managed every West Midlands side

 

[cahill]

I was at the Ellan Rd game, against Leicester, stood halfway down the Kop with my mates,
I can still see it all now, when Keith Kettleborough, who was stood on his own on the half way line received the ball without a Leicester player anywhere near him, he took off like a rocket down the pitch and with only the goal keeper to beat, he shot from just outside the box, straight at the advancing goalkeeper who had come running out of his goal. and hit him in the chest,
What he didn't see was the ball hit the goal keeper in the chest so hard it bounce off him and come rolling back towards him with the goalkeeper laid on the deck , he didn't see it because he had spun around with his head in is hands and dropped to his knees
Can you imagine the pandemonium going off from the Blades supporters stood on the kop while this was happening at the other end of the pitch ?
People where screaming at him to turn round and see the ball rolling slowly towards him with the keeper stretched out in his aria, while he just knelt there with his head in his hands.
He did eventually realise that something was going on behind him and turned round to see what was going off just in time to see the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet run forward and grabbed the ball.

I couldn't get my breath .........

You've just depressed me.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

You've just depressed me.

It’s what we older Blades are here for - we don’t want the youngsters to think that they are the only ones allowed to be miserable. They need to know they are in for a life of suffering...

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I was at the Ellan Rd game, against Leicester, stood halfway down the Kop with my mates,
I can still see it all now, when Keith Kettleborough, who was stood on his own on the half way line received the ball without a Leicester player anywhere near him, he took off like a rocket down the pitch and with only the goal keeper to beat, he shot from just outside the box, straight at the advancing goalkeeper who had come running out of his goal. and hit him in the chest,
What he didn't see was the ball hit the goal keeper in the chest so hard it bounce off him and come rolling back towards him with the goalkeeper laid on the deck , he didn't see it because he had spun around with his head in is hands and dropped to his knees
Can you imagine the pandemonium going off from the Blades supporters stood on the kop while this was happening at the other end of the pitch ?
People where screaming at him to turn round and see the ball rolling slowly towards him with the keeper stretched out in his aria, while he just knelt there with his head in his hands.
He did eventually realise that something was going on behind him and turned round to see what was going off just in time to see the goalkeeper had gotten back to his feet run forward and grabbed the ball.

I couldn't get my breath .........

If the goalkeeper’s aria was ‘Ave Maria’ I can’t blame Kettleborough for dropping to his knees - it has the same effect on me .

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

If the goalkeeper’s aria was ‘Ave Maria’ I can’t blame Kettleborough for dropping to his knees - it has the same effect on me .

If Paddy Kenny had been the keeper, Kettleborough would have known that it’s not over til the fat goalie sings...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

April 8, 1961
Rotherham 1-2 United
Attendance: 19382

Lightning can strike 3 times! For the 3rd successive away match, United won 2-1, with the decisive 2nd goal scored by newly-signed Len Allchurch on each occasion. That meant that each of his 3 goals had earned a point for the Blades, and given that United with this victory retained their 3-point lead over third-placed Liverpool, it can immediately be appreciated how important his signing was; has any other signing in United’s history ever made such a vital immediate impact?
I used to enjoy visits to Millmoor. It was probably in part a snobby thing, like visiting the poor relatives, but when I went there as a neutral I enjoyed getting behind them. It helped that United usually won there, and indeed the match I remember better than this one was a couple of years earlier when United won 6-1, and Rotherham’s goal was a last-minute penalty. That was the biggest away win I have seen, and I think I have only seen United score 7 on one occasion, v Northampton in Division 4. The Rotherham players from that era that most impressed me were giant centre-half Peter Madden, who Rotherham twice refused to sell to Liverpool, before Liverpool signed Ron Yeats instead; and Roy Ironside (‘Tin Ribs’), who I thought of as a good, reliable keeper, and whose son had a career as a keeper in lower league football, and whose grandson Joe Ironside almost made it with United as a striker, but is still making a career in the lower leagues.
For reasons I can’t remember, I never seemed to stand behind the goal at Millmoor. For this match, I was crammed in on the terracing shown in 2 of the scrapbook photos - at the end Utd attacked in the first half. We had lots of the play in the first half, but were running out of steam in the second half, until Allchurch yet again sparked great late celebrations. I think it was another of his firm well-placed shots when running into space, but my recollection of the celebrations (lots of waving of rattles, slightly worrying crowd movements on the cramped terracing, and difficulty in seeing properly that we were holding on to the lead) is stronger than my memory of the goal itself.
We did hold on, but Liverpool won as well, though Ipswich dropped a point v Portsmouth. So it was now 3 teams for 2 promotion spots, 4 games to play, we were a point behind Ipswich and 3 ahead of Liverpool. Looking good, but not yet secure. The following week it was Southampton at home. It would be ridiculous to imagine another 2-1 win with a late Allchurch winner ... wouldn’t it?

 

[Sandygate Blade]

It's great reading this thread at present. Even though I know how it ends up it is still better than the dross served up this season.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

It's great reading this thread at present. Even though I know how it ends up it is still better than the dross served up this season.

Thanks for that. A bit of escapism is good for us at the moment for all sorts of reasons. One lesson from history I keep telling myself is that if you don’t suffer the pain of relegation, you never enjoy the delights of promotion. 2 promotions in 3 years under Wilder were probably the best years I have experienced as a Blade. Realistically, we are unlikely to win the Premier League or Cup, so we need to go down to experience promotion again. Of course, less pleasant possibilities are possible...

 

[ancientblade]

Thanks for that. A bit of escapism is good for us at the moment for all sorts of reasons. One lesson from history I keep telling myself is that if you don’t suffer the pain of relegation, you never enjoy the delights of promotion. 2 promotions in 3 years under Wilder were probably the best years I have experienced as a Blade. Realistically, we are unlikely to win the Premier League or Cup, so we need to go down to experience promotion again. Of course, less pleasant possibilities are possible...

yeah great threads the 60 and 50 years ones thanks silent and hodgy

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

yeah great threads the 60 and 50 years ones thanks silent and hodgy

Your kind words are appreciated. Unfortunately, despite a few good solid seasons each time following promotion, further opportunities for real celebrations of success only came after relegation. Or, in the case of 50 years ago, after 3 relegations! I hope United understand that some of us can’t afford to wait that many years again... But at least all this has taught me that it is the experience of the individual games that really matters, and that is why it will be so good to be back at the Lane in person. Sharing the experience is what it is all about in my view. Re-living some of these experiences has also been a pleasure.

 

[ancientblade]

Your kind words are appreciated. Unfortunately, despite a few good solid seasons each time following promotion, further opportunities for real celebrations of success only came after relegation. Or, in the case of 50 years ago, after 3 relegations! I hope United understand that some of us can’t afford to wait that many years again... But at least all this has taught me that it is the experience of the individual games that really matters, and that is why it will be so good to be back at the Lane in person. Sharing the experience is what it is all about in my view. Re-living some of these experiences has also been a pleasure.

dont think things will ever change hodgy with united promotion relegation are a way of life at the lane but its never dull thats for sure

 

[Sandygate Blade]

My first promotion was 70/71. Even though it was over 40 years since we'd won a trophy at that time, our history was amongst the best. Wed been in the top Division for the majority of the time. I thought I would see us win at least the Cup with the early 70s team.

Since the relegation in 75/76, we've only 7 seasons in the top division and spent time in bottom divisions for first time.

The upside of supporting the Blades is we've had plenty of promotions and relegations so seasons are rarely dull.

The best seasons for me are the promotion years to top Division. I'm hoping to see the Blades win a major trophy but feel with how football is now it's unlikely unless we can become established in the Premiership.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

In looking ahead to prepare the next few posts (I do prepare them, honest!), I was wondering why there were no County Cup matches for me to include. Before I had looked for the reason, I came across this in the programme for the match v Derby, which will soon be reported on:

So in addition to the growing apathy around the competition, it was because of the success of Utd, Wednesday and Rotherham in the big Cup competitions that there was no room in the schedule for the County Cup. It was not held in the following 2 seasons either, and has subsequently disappeared. At least we will for ever hold the record for number of times winning the competition.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Going slightly off-topic, Rotherham’s journey to the Final of the League Cup in 1960-61, which contributed to the fixture overload which scuppered the County
Cup , came in the first year of the League Cup, and such were the problems with the fixtures that the 2-leg Final was not played until the following August. The opportunity to watch a Cup Final was too good to miss, so I went to the 1st leg at Millmoor, which Rotherham won 2-0. I was wondering how I got a ticket, but looking at the programme (pics below), I see the crowd was under 13000 ( much lower than the game v Utd the previous April), so I assume I paid on the night to get in. The new competition had not fired much enthusiasm. My only ever experience of a proper Cup Final saw the team I was supporting win 2-0, but they lost 3-0 in the return leg. Apart from that, the only Cup Finals I have seen are the County Cup and the Youth Cup a few years back. Oh, and the Spanish Cup Final in Madrid, 1967; incredibly, I paid a handful of pesetas on the night to watch the game at the Bernabeu. Valencia v Atletico Bilbao; needless to say, the team in red-and-white stripes lost

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

April 15, 1961
United 2-1 Southampton
Attendance: 21225

Supporting United through this wretched 2020-21 season (pity the poor soul who decides in 2070 or 2080 to undertake a ‘50/60 Years Ago’ thread), it is difficult to imagine that there can be spells when absolutely everything is well in the Blades world. April 15-19, 1961, was one such spell; the footballing gods were smiling down on us. The match against Southampton had been preceded by 3 away wins, 2-1, with new signing Allchurch scoring the vital second goal each time. The impact of Len Allchurch went up a gear in this match; not only did we win 2-1 again, but this time Allchurch scored both goals. So he had now played 5 games, scored 5 goals, and those 5 goals had won United 5 points. Perfect symmetry. A manager’s dream signing. And at the end of the game, on the Pavilion scoreboard, it was confirmed on the white indicator, letter B, that Liverpool, who were losing 1-0 at Norwich at half-time, had lost 2-1. With 3 games left, we were 5 points ahead of Liverpool, thus needing just 1 win to clinch promotion. It was good to be a 13-year-old Unitedite.
For some reason, that 13-year-old Unitedite did not include anything in the scrapbook on this match, for which I apologise. The attendance of 21225 was the highest for a league match so far that season except for the games against Liverpool and Sunderland, but it was still a poor crowd for a vital promotion clash. At a similar point in the 1970-71 season, against Cardiff, the crowd was almost 43000. The United programmes were full of comments about the low crowds for league matches, and for good reason. Part of the explanation was no doubt the success of Wednesday in the top division, and the fact that Cup matches stirred the emotions more than league games, but it is still puzzling that the crowds never built up that season.
Southampton were one of the stronger sides in Division 2, with 2 excellent wingers, Paine and Sydenham. But United mainly spared the crowd too many nervous moments, except tor immediately after half-time, when they conceded an equaliser, followed quickly by a thunderbolt from Paine which missed the goal by a hair’s breadth. Fortunately Allchurch scored his second a couple of minutes later, and United dominated the last half-hour, without major alarms. The goals by Allchurch (13 and 54 minutes) were both shots, if I remember correctly, the first driven in after a shot was blocked, the second after collecting a good pass from Hodgson.
So, it was celebrations at the final whistle, and Liverpool’s defeat meant that we needed just 1 win from 3 games to secure promotion; the first opportunity was a home match v Derby, just 4 days later. And the Pavilion scoreboard had even more to interest us: Wednesday had been removed from their traditional slot (Red Indicator, Letter A), as they did not have a game. Their slot was taken by a 9-3 victory for England v Scotland, a score which I greatly celebrated. Frank Haffey’s performance in goal for Scotland made him a role-model for Lee Baxter’s career with the Blades. In addition to a Greaves hat-trick, 2 goals were scored by Spurs’ Bobby Smith; he would be playing again on Monday, as the Spurs v Wednesday game had been moved from the Saturday. Wednesday had to win that game to retain a chance of catching Spurs and winning the League Championship. So if the football gods were still smiling on us, Monday would see Wednesday drop out of the Title race, and 2 days later we would be promoted. Not long to wait to find out...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Monday April 17, 1961
Spurs 2-1 Wednesday

As we anticipated with excitement the match which could see Utd confirm promotion back to the top division, we had the added bonus of Wednesday finally confirming that they were not going to deny Spurs the League Championship (and the first half of a historic Double). They did take the lead at Tottenham, through Megson, but goals from Bobby Smith and Les Allen gave Spurs the points which confirmed Spurs the Championship and left Wednesday as runners-up. To be fair to Wednesday, they had done fantastically well to give that great Spurs side a run for their money, but they never repeated that level of achievement, though they did get to the 1966 Cup Final, which they managed to lose in a way that both Sheffield clubs seem to specialise in.
So, all was well; we had won on Saturday, leaving us 2 points from promotion; Wednesday lost 2 days later, confirming that they would not win anything that season, and the focus could switch fully to Utd; and we had 2 days to wait to see if Utd could confirm promotion. The next match was eagerly anticipated; it could be the first time in my short life as a Blade that we had won something...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Wednesday April 19, 1961
United 3-1 Derby
Attendance: 21173

PROMOTION TO LEAGUE 1 IS CONFIRMED!

Just 2 days ago, United’s relegation from the Premier League after a horrible season was confirmed; today, it is exactly 60 years since, at the end of an exciting and enjoyable season, we confirmed promotion to the top division. These 2 seasons are at the extremes of success and failure, but illustrate vividly the lives of committed Blades fans, and no matter what has happened in the past, the pain of current failure is always hard to take. However, history teaches that nothing lasts for ever.

We were not made to wait long for promotion to be confirmed. This was partly because the kick-off was at 6.15; I have no idea why that time was chosen. Did that affect the attendance? There were only 21000 present, which is very low for such a big game, and it was understandable that the Directors were concerned about the disappointing attendances. But that was not something I was interested in - confirmation of the first promotion of my life was the only thing that mattered, and it was with a great sense of excitement that I set off for the game. Derby were mid-table, and unbeaten in 6 games, so they would not be a pushover; but United, kicking towards the Lane End in the first half, set off as if they meant business, and thoroughly deserved their 1-0 lead at half-time, the result of a thumping volley by Pace (report and photos are below). All looked to be settled when an Allchurch cross was turned into his own net by the Derby left-back in the 53rd minute, and after a brief moment of worry when Derby pulled a goal back, nerves were soon settled when Pace scored again, this time with a trademark header, in the 71st minute. 20 minutes of rising noise and excitement, and the referee (see my irreverent comment on the teams page in the programme!) blew for full-time. For the first time in my life, I ran onto the hallowed turf (or, rather, dried mud) of Bramall Lane; I think there was no attempt to prevent the on-pitch celebrations, and eventually the players appeared in the stand and Cec Coldwell addressed us all. And then it was off home, looking forward to the following day and being able to give the Wednesdayites at school a bit of grief about what we would do to them next season in the local derbies - which as it turned out, went pretty well.
A couple of very different final thoughts:
1. 1960-61 was a really enjoyable season, but what I still remember clearly is that it was the 2 away wins in the Cup at Everton and Newcastle which were the absolute highs for me. Promotion was clearly important, and gave a sense of achievement, but for powerful emotion, there is nothing to compare with the feelings produced by FA Cup success when that competition was in its heyday. League football is in many ways much better than it was, but most Cup matches now leave me with a sense of disappointment, even when United win. The emotion of the Cup has been killed.
2. A totally random trivial fact: Derby’s reserve keeper that season, Terry Adlington, was great-uncle of celebrity Derby fan and Olympic swimming great, Rebecca Adlington.
Pictures follow in the next post.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Pictures for the Derby game:

 

[Silent Blade]

At the start of the season John Harris thought we would get bigger crowds if the kick off was at 6.15pm rather than 7.30pm for midweek games because he thought the average man would go straight to the ground after finishing work. He thought if the kick off was at 7.30pm many would go home for tea after work, then switch the tv on and then they liked the tv programme they were watching therefore decide to stay at home rather than go to the match. The experiment didnt really work.

 

[ancientblade]

Pictures for the Derby game:
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great stuff hodgy was only 9 at this time so dont recollect a lot of that season but this thread is going to be a great read for the next 18 months keep em coming

 

[Silent Blade]