60 years ago this month...

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Pictures and Report of Everton 0-1 United

 

[originaltrueblade]

Roll back the years...remember it well...Hodgy best keeper ever

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Roll back the years...remember it well...Hodgy best keeper ever

Did you go to the Everton game? I would love to hear others’ memories of the day and that Cup run. I still can’t believe we got away with playing Mason on the right-wing!

 

[originaltrueblade]

Did you go to the Everton game? I would love to hear others’ memories of the day and that Cup run. I still can’t believe we got away with playing Mason on the right-wing!

Could not get to the Third round game at Goodison but I went to every game after that Lincoln at home 3-1 Blackburn at home 2-1 that was a great game they had the terrific winger Bryan Douglas then Newcastle in the quarterfinal away a day to remember playing in tangerine shirts white shorts always remember Hodgy wearing black shorts but on this day he had white shorts probably the only time her did. 3-0 up at half time with a Billy Russell hat trick we won 3-1 then a great trip back on the football special with my dear old Dad...Then of course the three semi-finals and as I stated recently we were robbed at Elland Road

 

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Could not get to the Third round game at Goodison but I went to every game after that Lincoln at home 3-1 Blackburn at home 2-1 that was a great game they had the terrific winger Bryan Douglas then Newcastle in the quarterfinal away a day to remember playing in tangerine shirts white shorts always remember Hodgy wearing black shorts but on this day he had white shorts probably the only time her did. 3-0 up at half time with a Billy Russell hat trick we won 3-1 then a great trip back on the football special with my dear old Dad...Then of course the three semi-finals and as I stated recently we were robbed at Elland Road

Newcastle away was, I think, my favourite away-day ever. A few weeks to wait before re-living it...

 

[originaltrueblade]

Newcastle away was, I think, my favourite away-day ever. A few weeks to wait before re-living it...

I was an unforgettable day as Billy Russell turned them inside out....not bad for a school teacher for Manchester eh

 

[Silent Blade]

Interesting to see George Smith in charge of training. A few months later he took charge at Portsmouth and stayed there until 1970

 

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I was an unforgettable day as Billy Russell turned them inside out....not bad for a school teacher for Manchester eh

And the irony is that he had 2 trials for Everton when he was a student at Loughborough, but they couldn’t make their minds up on whether to give him a contract. He certainly outshone their big names that day. And there was the Newcastle match to come...

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Interesting to see George Smith in charge of training. A few months later he took charge at Portsmouth and stayed there until 1970

That photo shows one of many inaccuracies in Hodgy’s enjoyable autobiography. He tells the story (130-31) as if Smith was appointed by John Harris pre-season 1960-61, was a sergeant-major style military man, and that he upset all the players with his excessive demands in training, with Joe Shaw leading the rebellion which then led to Smith’s dismissal by John Harris. The photo supports your version that he stayed until April, when he went to Portsmouth. Wikipedia has him as Trainer at the Lane 1955-56, but doesn’t mention 1960-61. Hodgy’s story is a good one, involving sabotaging of rucksacks full of sand, and Harris acting in support of the players, but appears not to be totally true.

 

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A footnote for the Everton match. While looking at materials for the following weeks, I came across this from the programme v Stoke 2 weeks later:

The context for this praise for travelling Blades fans at Everton is that United were drawn to play Lincoln at home in the next round, while Wednesday were playing Man Utd at S6. No messing about with fixtures in those days, so Utd’s 4th Round home match would not be nearly as profitable as hoped. I am sure I will have been impressed at the time to read that the players appreciated the atmosphere we helped create at Goodison; and I am sure that at the following match v Leyton I will have contributed fully to the ‘hearty bursts of applause’! Such innocent times...

 

[Silent Blade]

A footnote for the Everton match. While looking at materials for the following weeks, I came across this from the programme v Stoke 2 weeks later:
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The context for this praise for travelling Blades fans at Everton is that United were drawn to play Lincoln at home in the next round, while Wednesday were playing Man Utd at S6. No messing about with fixtures in those days, so Utd’s 4th Round home match would not be nearly as profitable as hoped. I am sure I will have been impressed at the time to read that the players appreciated the atmosphere we helped create at Goodison; and I am sure that at the following match v Leyton I will have contributed fully to the ‘hearty bursts of applause’! Such innocent times...

I have seen a photo of the shirts we were wearing in the 4th round against Lincoln. FA Cup rules on kit clashes were strange

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I have seen a photo of the shirts we were wearing in the 4th round against Lincoln. FA Cup rules on kit clashes were strange

It happened infrequently. Was the rule that both teams changed when there was a clash? United played in red v Lincoln. Against Sunderland in 1956 Utd played in blue, Sunderland in Newcastle colours. Not sure about the replay. At Newcastle in 1961 we played in tangerine shirts, white shorts, for reasons I don’t remember. And I have a picture from a couple of seasons later in the League Cup replay, where it looks as if Utd were in something similar. I don’t recall any other changes in the Cup.

 

[ancientblade]

It happened infrequently. Was the rule that both teams changed when there was a clash? United played in red v Lincoln. Against Sunderland in 1956 Utd played in blue, Sunderland in Newcastle colours. Not sure about the replay. At Newcastle in 1961 we played in tangerine shirts, white shorts, for reasons I don’t remember. And I have a picture from a couple of seasons later in the League Cup replay, where it looks as if Utd were in something similar. I don’t recall any other changes in the Cup.

didnt wednesday win the replay at old trafford 7 - 2 hodgy ? seem to recollect that scoreline or was it later in 60s

 

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didnt wednesday win the replay at old trafford 7 - 2 hodgy ? seem to recollect that scoreline or was it later in 60s

That’s the one. Too horrible to even think about. Ellis got a hat-trick; how did that happen?

 

[Silent Blade]

It happened infrequently. Was the rule that both teams changed when there was a clash? United played in red v Lincoln. Against Sunderland in 1956 Utd played in blue, Sunderland in Newcastle colours. Not sure about the replay. At Newcastle in 1961 we played in tangerine shirts, white shorts, for reasons I don’t remember. And I have a picture from a couple of seasons later in the League Cup replay, where it looks as if Utd were in something similar. I don’t recall any other changes in the Cup.

We borrowed Barnsley's kit for the Lincoln match, I believe?

We wore all white and Fulham wore all red when we played them in the 4th round and the replay in 1967.



In the FA Cup 5th round in 1968, Wendy (the home team) wore all white against Chelsea



FA Cup 3rd round in 1971, Wolves (the home team) wore white shirts against Norwich (all red)

 

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We borrowed Barnsley's kit for the Lincoln match, I believe?

We wore all white and Fulham wore all red when we played them in the 4th round and the replay in 1967.

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In the FA Cup 5th round in 1968, Wendy (the home team) wore all white against Chelsea

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FA Cup 3rd round in 1971, Wolves (the home team) wore white shirts against Norwich (all red)

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Didn’t know that about borrowing the Barnsley kit. Sounds likely. Hope we washed them properly afterwards!

 

[ancientblade]

We borrowed Barnsley's kit for the Lincoln match, I believe?

We wore all white and Fulham wore all red when we played them in the 4th round and the replay in 1967.

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In the FA Cup 5th round in 1968, Wendy (the home team) wore all white against Chelsea

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FA Cup 3rd round in 1971, Wolves (the home team) wore white shirts against Norwich (all red)

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remember that replay with fulham didnt it take 3 attempts to get it played in those days it was a regular thing for both teams to wear their 2nd kit in cup ties

 

[Silent Blade]

remember that replay with fulham didnt it take 3 attempts to get it played in those days it was a regular thing for both teams to wear their 2nd kit in cup ties

Yes, the replay was postponed more than once.

Yes, in the FA Cup 6th round in 1973, Derby (home team) wore all blue against L**ds (all red)

 

[ancientblade]

Yes, the replay was postponed more than once.

Yes, in the FA Cup 6th round in 1973, Derby (home team) wore all blue against L**ds (all red)

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yeah think it was an icy pitch then fog that caused first 2 postponements

 

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I have seen a photo of the shirts we were wearing in the 4th round against Lincoln. FA Cup rules on kit clashes were strange

More random bits and pieces on changes of shirts in the Cup. The home game v Forest, the cup-holders, in 1960, saw Forest play in all-white; I corrected the programme, as you can see. And in the League Cup v Newcastle (October 1961), both teams played in their usual kit; for the replay away, it looks from my grainy pics that United wore those tangerine shirts they used a few months earlier in the Cup 6th round (lucky shirts?). Hodgy appears to be wearing different socks from the rest of the team.

 

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Jan 14, 1961: Utd 4-1 Leyton Orient
(Text to follow in next post)

 

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In front of a crowd of just 17438, United beat Orient 4-1, and completed a double with the same score-line as in the away match against a team who we often seemed to lose against. The Orient team included 2 players whose names struck fear into Blades fans: old-fashioned centre-forward Tom Johnston, who often gave Joe Shaw a hard time, and winger Crossan, who had played a big part in Norwich’s giant-killing act against United a couple of years earlier. In the event, the threat never materialised, and the match report credits Joe Shaw with completely outplaying Johnston this time.
The match was played in conditions that most people on here will not have experienced: thick fog was not unusual in the winter months, and with rules saying that if the ref could stand on the half-way line and see both goals, the game was on, meaning that you could spend a match standing on the Kop, and not see any of the action in the penalty area at the Lane End. Those were strange experiences. For the Orient game it was only the second-half that was a problem, so we will not have seen the Orient goal.
The United goals were scored by Russell, Mason, Coldwell, and Simpson. It is hard to convey how astonishing that was, at a time when full-backs rarely ventured beyond the halfway line. One goal scored by reserve left-back Cliff Mason, playing effectively as an emergency right-winger, and one goal from Cec Coldwell at right-back. He played 477 games for United, and scored just 2 goals. AND I AM ASHAMED TO CONFESS THAT I DO NOT REMEMBER THIS ONE! His other goal was the previous season, v Swansea, and I now realise that that is the only goal of his that I remember. Both were at the Kop end. The one I remember he followed the attackers upfield (a rare event), hit a decent shot from outside the area which was going towards the keeper, but a defender lent into it, got his head to the ball, and deflected it just inside the post. I remember that one as clear as day, perhaps because it was his first. The goal described in the report v Leyton was clearly a beauty, but I have no memory of it all.
By way of apology to Cec -one of the great servants to our club - I have included in the pictures one of him which was given the honour of being on the front cover of one of our scrapbooks. It came, I think, from Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly, and has suffered over 60 of years of being on the outside of the book, but to me that is the iconic picture of Cec. And it really bugs me that I can’t remember the best goal of his career.

 

[ancientblade]

me old dad knew cec well from dungworth and played crown green bowls with him great servant for the blades even if he did only have 1 leg he played football with lol

 

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Jan 22, 1961: United 4-1 Stoke City
Attendance: 13860

[Apologies: tried and failed to copy the match video here. Please feel free to add it
The video of incidents from the first half of this game (see post 30 of the thread ‘Roy Ridge RIP’) is an astonishing record of football from that era. According to the commentary, there had been snow overnight, it was still cold and wet, and the pitch turned into a complete bog within the first few minutes. The crowd was very small for a team at the top of the league (perhaps we were the snowflake generation), but the quality of the football was astonishing in such conditions, and United could have been ahead by more than 3 goals by half-time. As it was, a second successive 4-1 victory strengthened the promotion challenge; and it was against a Stoke side that was improving, having beaten Plymouth 9-0 in December, and they came to the Lane having put 5 past Charlton in the previous game. Apart from a header in their first attack, they were never in the game, with Utd attacking down both wings.

The team was again little changed. Coldwell was out with flu (or perhaps it was the aftershock of scoring his second and final career goal the previous Saturday); he was replaced by the remarkable Roy Ridge, playing his first game for the first team in 6 years. He had a quiet afternoon, as the Stoke right-back Ward was injured after 12 minutes, and played the rest of the game as a passenger on the left-wing; from the commentary it is clear that (through the gloom) Ridge started the moves which ended in goals 2 and 3. And in other news on full-backs, Graham Shaw was getting back to his best after injury, and reserve left-back Cliff Mason was doing a remarkable job as emergency right-winger. I don’t think any of us expected that experiment to work. A final detail arising from Coldwell’s absence: this left 4 ever-presents (Joe Shaw, Summers, Russell and Pace), 3 players who had missed 1 game (Coldwell, Richardson and Hodgkinson), and 1 player who had missed 2 games (Simpson). Remarkable consistency, bearing in mind the awful pitches and the total absence of substitutes. The Stoke player Ward was injured after 12 minutes, and spent the rest of the game on the left-wing - this sort of thing must have risked making injuries much worse.
Much of the attacking play from Utd was impressive, with all the forwards passing well, and good crossing from both wings. Given the general soundness of the defence, the improvement in attack promised much.
And a few final details. Bobby Howitt, former inside-left at the Lane, was playing right-half for Stoke (and did a yellow-card crunch tackle on Simpson in the first half). The programme notes are largely about trying to drum up support for the following week in the Cup, bearing in mind that Wednesday were at home to ManU at the same time. And the scoreboard, in addition to showing Charlton in their usual high-scoring game, showed that Wednesday won 6-1 away at Fulham, and ManU lost 6-0 at Leicester. Surely we could not be heading for another local Derby in the Cup?

 

[Silent Blade]

 

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Thanks. Lockdown brain fog defeated me!

 

[JonnyRed(WCFC)]

62years ago on this date.. remembered on our fb archive page as we do with the Liverpool victory. Sure there's a few new piccies found this time..

 

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62years ago on this date.. remembered on our fb archive page as we do with the Liverpool victory. Sure there's a few new piccies found this time..

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Great photos. Quite a few I have not seen before. Suppose I can forgive them being 2 years late... I look forward to next year’s anniversary. Ta.
Particularly enjoyed how they convey the crowd crammed into the ground.

 

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The scoreboard for the Stoke game has ManU losing 6-0 at Leicester. It turns out they had a young lad making his debut in goal, Ronnie Briggs. Then played the 2 Cup games v Wednesday (1-1; 2-7). First 3 games, conceded 14 goals. Not surprisingly, he didn’t play again that season... Typical luck for Wednesday!

 

[finlaytheblade]

That’s the one. Too horrible to even think about. Ellis got a hat-trick; how did that happen?

I seem to remember a young goalie called Briggs played in goal for man utd and had a stinker! Cost them a few goals