50 years ago today

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

7/11/1970

Blackburn 1 (Russell) Blades 3 (Currie, Powell (pen), Dearden)


My dad decided in the morning that we head off to Ewood Park but he then parked his car on the path off Lea Road in Dronfield (where Ted Hemsley had a Turf Accountant shop some years later) , he told me to stay in the car while he goes in the Midland pub (now Dronfield Arm) as "two or three" Blades were keen in going to the match. I waited ages in the car and eventually my dad came out with two big men who didnt seem familiar to me , both of them greeted me when they got in the car as if they knew me. I may have met them before but I couldnt remember. They were Ray "Nip" Hague and Graham Beresford who I got to know quite well in the next few years as they often travelled in the same coach, organised by the Dronfield SUSC branch, as me. Both were well known Dronfield Blades over the years. I also knew Graham's two brothers Jimmy (RIP) and Roger (now lives in Buxton, I think) who also travelled to away matches in the same coach as me. I have never met anyone who hated Wendy as much as Nip did. A few years later one Sunday afternoon watching the "New Faces" programme on tv he got really incensed that the "Save our Owls" band appeared in the programme so he trashed his own tv by kicking it!

Either due to setting off Dronfield late or that the traffic on the way to Ewood Park was so bad, we missed seeing the whole of the 1st half. I went straight to the toilet as soon as we got in the ground and my dad had heard from someone that we were leading by a goal meaning that we missed Currie's goal. For the whole of the 2nd half I was stood right in front (near to the goal) of what is now called the Ronnie Clayton End or the Bryan Douglas End. Early in the second half at the other end , a Blackburn chance was half cleared, and the ball fell to Alex Russell outside the box and he didnt have a clean strike of the ball, Hodgy had the shot covered but he let the ball roll slowly over his outstretched arms. It was a poor goal to concede. Soon after Billy Dearden broke away and got tripped in the box as he was about to shoot. It was a clear penalty that would have been a red card offence nowadays but I dont think the defender got a booking. I hadnt really realised that it was to be the first time I saw our player taking a penalty (only realised that in the last few years), the last penalty we had was in the 5-0 home win against Villa in Nov 1969. I turned to my dad asking him who was going to take the penalty, he wasnt sure! Then we saw Dave Powell pick the ball up and walked to put the ball on the spot. I wasnt expecting a defender to take the penalty. Powell converted the spot kick like he did in the Villa match 12 months earlier. The paper report stated that the keeper almost saved Powell's penalty but I dont remember it being like that. I cant remember our third goal scored by Dearden.

Nip passed away over 10 years ago and I have not seen Graham since 2007.

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A painful read for a Hodgy fan! What rating did the paper give him - on my little screen it could be 5, 6, or 8. Surely it can’t be 8! I am not obsessed by all the comparisons of crowds at the Lane/Hillsborough, but it is interesting that in 1960-61, Wednesday were riding high and getting over 50000, and we were getting well short of 20000. 10 years later a crowd of 12000 was pretty awful for Wednesday.

 

[Bert]

I have never met anyone who hated Wendy as much as Nip did. A few years later one Sunday afternoon watching the "New Faces" programme on tv he got really incensed that the "Save our Owls" band appeared in the programme so he trashed his own tv by kicking it!

Marvellous, what a man!

 

[Silent Blade]

Marvellous, what a man!

He also tried to run on the pitch and hit Alan Ball after that "sitting on the ball" incident in our 5-0 defeat to Arsenal in January 1972 but Jimmy Beresford grabbed hold of him.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I went with 3 mates to the 1970 Blackburn match and , just as we reached the outskirts , a fire broke out in the car we were travelling in !

We managed to put it out and a local cop directed us to the nearest garage . They identified the fault , carried out a temporary repair and we got there in time to see the whole match .

Happy days.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

It’s nice to see in many of the match reports , the reporters at the time appreciating TC’s work rate and energy .

This is an aspect of his game which often gets overlooked but one which contributed massively to his all round effectiveness as a player . Many are the times I’ve seen him take the ball off an opposing player in our own penalty area and then carry it fully 60 or 70 yards before delivering the perfect pass to set up a goal scoring opportunity for Woody or Billy D .

Down the years there have been other players in English football who could just about match his sublime skills but only a very small number who combined both qualities and they were among the true greats , as was TC himself .

I'd say there's Gazza and that's about it.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Am I alone in reaching the list of results that day, and immediately looking for the Wednesday score? As with this one, I smile with satisfaction when they have lost. Human behaviour can be very strange...

No you're not, I did the exact same!

I was thinking only the other day about how little interested I've had in football since no fans have been allowed in and it even crossed my mind that I wasn't even getting any pleasure from Wednesday losing. Then later on that day heard that Wednesday had lost and thought nah, still pretty good hearing they've f***ed up

 

[Paisley Blade]

Marvellous, what a man!

Perfectly acceptable behaviour .

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I'd say there's Gazza and that's about it.

That’s who I was thinking of when I was typing it and , now you mention it , I’m struggling to think of others .

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

That’s who I was thinking of when I was typing it and , now you mention it , I’m struggling to think of others .

Perhaps Beckham but he was more a different position, generally being out wide and I don't think he was a skillful as Currie or Gascoigne.

 

[Silent Blade]

A painful read for a Hodgy fan! What rating did the paper give him - on my little screen it could be 5, 6, or 8. Surely it can’t be 8!

Just had another look. It was 6.

 

[bornablade]

Perhaps Beckham but he was more a different position, generally being out wide and I don't think he was a skillful as Currie or Gascoigne.

Beckham doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as TC and Gazza

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Perhaps Beckham but he was more a different position, generally being out wide and I don't think he was a skillful as Currie or Gascoigne.

We obviously think along the same lines as I was thinking of putting “ .... perhaps Beckham at his best “ but discounted it for the reasons you suggest .

 

[Silent Blade]

11/11/1970
A shock for Cardiff fans but a boost for other promotion candidates as John Toshack signs for Liverpool from Cardiff for a transfer fee of £110,000

 

[XM657]

I'd say there's Gazza and that's about it.

Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

11/11/1970
A shock for Cardiff fans but a boost for other promotion candidates as John Toshack signs for Liverpool from Cardiff for a transfer fee of £110,000
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Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly
Have you heard of the North Bank, Highbury
He said no, I don't think so,
But I've heard of the SUFC,
I've heard of the SUFC

 

[Summers & Pace]

Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly
Have you heard of the North Bank, Highbury
He said no, I don't think so,
But I've heard of the SUFC,
I've heard of the SUFC

For me Handsworth it always ended “I’ve heard of the SHOREHAM AGRO”

 

[Silent Blade]

14/11/1970

Blades 1 (Tudor) QPR 1 (Hunt)

Remember the ref John Yates (Redditch) disallowing Colin Addison's goal at the end of the match because he blew his whistle just before Addison's shot went into the net? More of that later.



A friend of mine who lived three doors away from me (he still goes to home and away matches) came with me and my dad to the match. Looking at QPR's line up they had one ex-England international (Venables) and four future ones Parkes, Clement, Francis and Marsh).

Early in the game Geoff Salmons broke through at the Lane End and was brought down from a heavy challenge by keeper Phil Parkes, the ref waved "play on" giving us the advantage rule as seen in below photo, John Tudor was the first to get to the loose ball and fired us into the lead despite that a QPR defender got a foot to it but it wasnt enough to divert it away from the net.

Early in the 2nd half Ron Hunt equalised by heading in a free kick. For the rest of the 2nd half Phil Parkes made several brilliant saves also we were frustrated with the ref's poor decisions. There was a long delay after a clash for an aerial ball between Phil Parkes and Billy Dearden, Parkes' feet had got onto Dearden's chest so both players needed treatment as seen in below photo.



More attacks in the 2nd half.



Badger's shot forcing another great save by Parkes

As the report says that the ref played only 1 minute and 5 seconds of injury time before disallowing Addison's winner, it should have been at least 3 minutes. I remember after the final whistle Parkes jumping for joy and hugging his team mates as QPR managed to get an unlikely point at the Lane. After the match myself, my friend and my dad saw quite a few policemen standing in front of the players entrance in John Street waiting to give the officials an escort to their cars and making sure they are not attacked by angry Blades fans. I told my dad "when Alan Hodgkinson comes out I will tell him that he didnt play well today". My dad looked at me in horror and said "dont do that , it would upset him, he is a good man". I followed his advice and then when Hodgy came out, I said nothing but Hodgy was in his usual chirpy self and ruffled my hair. It made me realise that my dad was right after all!







From the programme

 

[Silent Blade]

Forgot to include Star report

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

14/11/1970

Blades 1 (Tudor) QPR 1 (Hunt)

Remember the ref John Yates (Redditch) disallowing Colin Addison's goal at the end of the match because he blew his whistle just before Addison's shot went into the net? More of that later.

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A friend of mine who lived three doors away from me (he still goes to home and away matches) came with me and my dad to the match. Looking at QPR's line up they had one ex-England international (Venables) and four future ones Parkes, Clement, Francis and Marsh).

Early in the game Geoff Salmons broke through at the Lane End and was brought down from a heavy challenge by keeper Phil Parkes, the ref waved "play on" giving us the advantage rule as seen in below photo, John Tudor was the first to get to the loose ball and fired us into the lead despite that a QPR defender got a foot to it but it wasnt enough to divert it away from the net.
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Early in the 2nd half Ron Hunt equalised by heading in a free kick. For the rest of the 2nd half Phil Parkes made several brilliant saves also we were frustrated with the ref's poor decisions. There was a long delay after a clash for an aerial ball between Phil Parkes and Billy Dearden, Parkes' feet had got onto Dearden's chest so both players needed treatment as seen in below photo.

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More attacks in the 2nd half.

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Badger's shot forcing another great save by Parkes
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As the report says that the ref played only 1 minute and 5 seconds of injury time before disallowing Addison's winner, it should have been at least 3 minutes. I remember after the final whistle Parkes jumping for joy and hugging his team mates as QPR managed to get an unlikely point at the Lane. After the match myself, my friend and my dad saw quite a few policemen standing in front of the players entrance in John Street waiting to give the officials an escort to their cars and making sure they are not attacked by angry Blades fans. I told my dad "when Alan Hodgkinson comes out I will tell him that he didnt play well today". My dad looked at me in horror and said "dont do that , it would upset him, he is a good man". I followed his advice and then when Hodgy came out, I said nothing but Hodgy was in his usual chirpy self and ruffled my hair. It made me realise that my dad was right after all!

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From the programme

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I was in suspense there waiting for what happened when Hodgy came out after the game! Glad it ended amicably. The photo of Parkes jumping with Dearden is a classic goalkeeper jumping with the leading knee used in ‘self-defence’.

 

[blade.i.am]

My first ever trip to the Lane, can't believe it's half a century ago!

 

[kevreedy]

Can anyone remember we played QPR at Bramall Lane 69/70 season correct me if I am wrong on a Friday night match?.
Terry Venables was about to take a corner and Blades fans at the top middle of the kop we taking the mickey. Venables started to wave the corner flag.
I was stood at the front of the kop right-hand side near the railing that separated kop and terrace. he seemed to enjoy the banter.
I always stood on the wall while the coppers were, not looking. looking.i turned round to look at the crowd and they was a haze I think people breathing on a cold night 25,000 was the attendance.I think we won 2-1.I am sure Bert and silent Blade will correct me if I m wrong.1 was 12 and loved every minute going to the lane.

 

[Silent Blade]

Can anyone remember we played QPR at Bramall Lane 69/70 season correct me if I am wrong on a Friday night match?.
Terry Venables was about to take a corner and Blades fans at the top middle of the kop we taking the mickey. Venables started to wave the corner flag.
I was stood at the front of the kop right-hand side near the railing that separated kop and terrace. he seemed to enjoy the banter.
I always stood on the wall while the coppers were, not looking. looking.i turned round to look at the crowd and they was a haze I think people breathing on a cold night 25,000 was the attendance.I think we won 2-1.I am sure Bert and silent Blade will correct me if I m wrong.1 was 12 and loved every minute going to the lane.

Yes, the attendance was 25,724 on Tuesday 24th February, Colquhoun and Reece were the scorers, both heading in Woody Corners. QPR didnt score that evening. Dont remember the Venables corner incident

Edit: this is what I wrote about the match

24/2/1970

Blades 2 (Colquhoun, Reece) QPR 0

My second midweek match. Sat in the John Street that evening instead of BLUT (Cant remember why). Some of the QPR players were tanned (Clement, Venables, Hazell, Leach and Bridges) making their blue and white hooped shirts and white shorts look very bright in the floodlights, both goals in the first half were headers from Woodward's corners. Below are what the Morning Telegraph described of the goals.

The first corner was a marvel of inswinging accuracy, placed to the near post where Colquhoun headed in while the Rangers defence stared in disbelief.

The second corner by Woodward was floated high to the middle, where Reece rose like a dove to head a goal which had the Lane's biggest crowd of the season singing joyfully.

 

[kevreedy]

Thanks for correcting me silent Blade.I definitely saw Venables wave the corner flag.it was a night match now I wonder if it,s season before.

 

[kevreedy]

Just Checked not season before

 

[Silent Blade]

21/11/1970

Sunderland 0 Blades 0

A few days earlier a classmate (from Blayton Road in Burngreave) at my school was taken round to my house by his brother who is about 15 years older than him. His brother asked my parents if he could take me to watch Wendy play Middlesbrough. They agreed and I was happy with that as I didnt think my dad was keen on going to Sunderland. My classmate says he is a Wendy fan like his older brother but my classmate's football knowledge wasnt that good at the time and it is not much better nowadays (he now lives in Lancaster). Whenever my classmate was having an argument with someone at school he would threaten that he would ask his brother to give the pupil "a good hiding" so we all thought he was a "hard and dangerous" man! I discovered on the day of the Wendy v Boro match that the brother was a kind and a gentle person, much different to what my classmate had described! The two moments I remember about the match was when Boro scored their 2nd goal to make it 2-2, my classmate cheered thinking Wendy had scored and it amused me! His brother had to tell him that it wasnt Wendy who had scored! The other moment was soon after that, Wendy were awarded a penalty, the penalty taker was Tommy Craig (I have to admit he was a good player) and he did a little feint when running up to the ball which made Boro keeper Willie Whigham dive one way and Craig rolled the ball to the other side of the goal to make it 3-2 to Wendy.

Interesting that Albert Stubbins, who played for Liverpool and Newcastle, and who was included on the front cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, was one of the reporters of our match at Roker Park. Any of you remember the match?

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Interesting report and it came as no surprise to me that Colin Todd was their star player . I often said that of all the players I ever saw , he was the one who came closest to Joe Shaw and there were a number of similarities between the two .

Like Joe , he started his career as a wing half but later converted to the role of centre back even though he was not particularly tall . Like the master , he made up for this with his exceptional positional sense , a calm and unruffled approach , perfectly timed tackles and the ability to carry the ball forward and deliver accurate and incisive passes .

Towards the end of his career at Derby , I sat and watched him at the Lane give a master class in the art of defending the likes of which I’ve seldom seen since , with the possible exception of Paul McGrath .

 

[bornablade]

21/11/1970

Sunderland 0 Blades 0

A few days earlier a classmate (from Blayton Road in Burngreave) at my school was taken round to my house by his brother who is about 15 years older than him. His brother asked my parents if he could take me to watch Wendy play Middlesbrough. They agreed and I was happy with that as I didnt think my dad was keen on going to Sunderland. My classmate says he is a Wendy fan like his older brother but my classmate's football knowledge wasnt that good at the time and it is not much better nowadays (he now lives in Lancaster). Whenever my classmate was having an argument with someone at school he would threaten that he would ask his brother to give the pupil "a good hiding" so we all thought he was a "hard and dangerous" man! I discovered on the day of the Wendy v Boro match that the brother was a kind and a gentle person, much different to what my classmate had described! The two moments I remember about the match was when Boro scored their 2nd goal to make it 2-2, my classmate cheered thinking Wendy had scored and it amused me! His brother had to tell him that it wasnt Wendy who had scored! The other moment was soon after that, Wendy were awarded a penalty, the penalty taker was Tommy Craig (I have to admit he was a good player) and he did a little feint when running up to the ball which made Boro keeper Willie Whigham dive one way and Craig rolled the ball to the other side of the goal to make it 3-2 to Wendy.

Interesting that Albert Stubbins, who played for Liverpool and Newcastle, and who was included on the front cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, was one of the reporters of our match at Roker Park. Any of you remember the match?

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I cannot recall Sunderland being in the same league as us that season.

Looking at the league table at the teams directly above us. Some interesting games to come against Luton, Hull and of course Cardiff.

Interesting report and it came as no surprise to me that Colin Todd was their star player . I often said that of all the players I ever saw , he was the one who came closest to Joe Shaw and there were a number of similarities between the two .

Like Joe , he started his career as a wing half but later converted to the role of centre back even though he was not particularly tall . Like the master , he made up for this with his exceptional positional sense , a calm and unruffled approach , perfectly timed tackles and the ability to carry the ball forward and deliver accurate and incisive passes .

Towards the end of his career at Derby , I sat and watched him at the Lane give a master class in the art of defending the likes of which I’ve seldom seen since , with the possible exception of Paul McGrath .

Colin Todd was a quality player. I'd put Martin Buchan up there as well from that same era.

 

[Silent Blade]

28/11/1970

Blades 3 (Currie, Tudor, Woodward) Oxford 0

The day before was a sad day. When I got home from school there was no one in the house and the doors were locked. I waited on the drive and then my dad arrived early from work to let me know that my maternal grandmother had passed away and then he took me to my grandmother's house in Hartley Brook Road. On getting in the house there were my mum, my uncles, aunties and cousins mourning in the living room.

My dad already arranged for my classmate and his brother (who took me to S6 the previous Saturday) to come with us to the Oxford game. All four of us were sat in the BLUT. Oxford's manager was Gerry Summers who was a popular Blade player between 1957 and 1964.

The biggest talking point of the first half was TC's tackle on Mick Way (got carried off the pitch after the foul) which enraged the Oxford players. When play resumed, my dad told me "Watch Oxford's number 11, he is after Currie". This number 11 was big, slow moving and had a ridiculous combover. He tried hard to be near TC whenever TC had the ball. TC was too quick for him every time. I hadnt known the Oxford player's name until years later when my dad recalled that Oxford match and I could remember him telling me to watch the Oxford number 11, I had realised that it was Ron Atkinson (who was WBA's manager at the time my dad was recalling the Oxford match).

In the 2nd half at the Lane End, three great goals by Currie (a thunderous low shot from outside the penalty area), a powerful header by Tudor and a lovely rising shot by Woodward from outside the penalty box. Late in the game Dave Powell had a good chance to make it 4-0 but he hit his penalty over the bar.

I dont think my classmate went to another football match again for a long time as I remember my dad saying "He is more interested in watching the pigeons flying to the roof of the stand than watch the football match"

Tudor handling a cross into the net in the 1st half. The ref disallowed the goal. You can see Big Ron behind him!



More action in the 1st half




2nd half












From the programme

 

[Silent Blade]

5/12/1970



There is no report of the match in the scrapbook that I bought a few years ago, I am afraid.



My dad and I had set off in in a good time his big black car (Austin, I believe as it did have trafficators like this)
As soon as we arrived in the town centre, the car had broken down and with the help of by passers, the car was pushed to the nearest garage. The mechanics in the garage agreed to try and fix the car while my dad and I watched the match at Kenilworth Road. Luckily the weather was dry and mild that day and the football ground being a walking distance away from the garage. We were stood in the side terrace where the tv cameras were.

Early in the game John Ryan (a future Blade) sent over a cross from the right (you may note Colin Addison's unusual way of trying to stop the cross) for Malcolm MacDonald to head firmly towards our goal and at first I thought Hodgy had made a good save as it seemed that he had tipped the ball over the bar, I clapped immediately, but quickly stopped clapping, when I realised that the ball unfortunately had dipped into the net (as you can see in the below video from 3 mins 16 seconds)

During half time I was either in the toilets or getting refreshments from the bar when the second half had started, the first action I saw on the pitch when I got back to the terraces was seeing the ball looping over Hodgy and Dave Powell was on the goal line trying to head the ball out but it ended up in the net. I had missed the build up to the goal. About 20 to 25 years later visiting my Norwich mate in Gorleston, he showed me a recording of Luton's goals against us that appeared in Anglia tv's football programme a few weeks earlier. I hadnt realised that the build up to the 2nd goal was started by a MacDonald long throw that Hodgy had failed to punch clear only for Jimmy Ryan to head the ball over the the crowd of players in the box despite Powell's attempt to head the ball away (I remembered the last bit).

Near the end I think Bill Dearden won a penalty for us. TC then became our new penalty taker (note Roger Hoy trying to put TC off by using a shoulder nudge), not a well taken penalty but it was enough to beat keeper Tony Read (who had a spell as an outfield player scoring 12 times for Luton in the mid 1960s).

After the game walking back to the garage my dad discovered that the mechanics couldnt repair the car so my dad had to call for the AA despite not being a member of any breakdown service (he realised afterwards that it was important for him to be a member of the AA). Eventually the car got repaired and I remember looking at the speedometer when we were back on the M1 and being surprised that it was travelling at 90mph in some parts of the M1. Unfortunately MOTD was reaching the end by the time we arrived home.

Sadly it was Colin Addison's last competitive game for us as he had an injury which was to rule him out for nearly the rest of the season, he made a sub appearance in the County Cup 4-0 win at Millmoor after the end of the season. In October 1971 he joined Hereford United as the player-manager replacing the legendary John Charles. What a season Hereford had! Their famous FA Cup 3rd round replay win against 1st division Newcastle. Despite finishing 2nd in the Southern league at the end of the season, they were elected a place in the Football League replacing Barrow who had finished 3rd from bottom of 4th division. The reason why Barrow didnt get many votes from FL chairmen were highly likely to be for geographical reasons.




First half action (not the goal). My dad and I are somewhere in the terraces behind.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Thanks Silent - my memories of that match also involve a ‘car incident’ but of a different kind .

Our usual 4 were supplemented that day by another friend who asked if he could join us and offered to take us in his newly acquired car . We were happy to accept his offer and the car in question turned out to be a Cortina 1600E .

OMG - If I tell you that we got to Luton in 1hr. 40 mins. you will get some idea of how fast he drove although , to be fair , he was a very good driver and I never felt uneasy .

I’d completely forgotten that Malcolm McDonald played for Luton but not at all surprised that he scored , as he always gave us a torrid time whenever he came up against us . One of my all time favourite strikers .

If only he had played alongside TC and Woody ..........