1966-67 match reports and photos

[Silent Blade]

I had been hoping to start a 55 years ago thread last summer but had put it off due to restrictions and not having much time to go to the Central Library. I hope I have managed to obtain all the 1966-67 match reports so in the next few days I am going to post them in this thread. My dad probably did take me to a few games probably because I wanted to be with him when he says "I am off to the match". On each occasion my antics/lack of concentration/ demands for refreshment would irritate him so when we return home, he would say to my mum "he isnt ready yet!". I welcome your memories of the matches and I would be interested in your recollections.

England won the World Cup on 30th July 1966, the start of the FL season was only 3 weeks away! We didnt sign any new players from any FL or SFL football club since Gil Reece from Newport County in summer 1965.

In the previous season we started well and John Harris still trusted the players that came through the ranks at the Lane. We were at the top of the league on October but fell away to finish in 9th position. 20 year old Len Badger became the club captain midway through the season and Mick Jones scored 21 league goals for the whole season (Doc Pace was the only one since the war to have scored at least 20 goals in the top division for the Blades).



Top row l to r: Cec Coldwell, Bob Widdowson, Alan Hodgkinson, Graham Shaw.

Middle row: Frank Barlow, Barry Wagstaff, David Munks, Ken Mallender, Reg Matthewson, Bernard Shaw.

Front row: Alan Woodward, Alan Birchenall, Len Badger, Mick Jones, Tony Wagstaff, Gil Reece

 

[Silent Blade]

6/8/1966

Pre season Friendly

Stockport 0 Blades 2 (Reece, Birchenall)

 

[Silent Blade]

10/8/1966

Pre-season friendly

Oldham 1 (Bowie) Blades 1 (Reece)

Billy playing for Oldham that evening!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I had been hoping to start a 55 years ago thread last summer but had put it off due to restrictions and not having much time to go to the Central Library. I hope I have managed to obtain all the 1966-67 match reports so in the next few days I am going to post them in this thread. My dad probably did take me to a few games probably because I wanted to be with him when he says "I am off to the match". On each occasion my antics/lack of concentration/ demands for refreshment would irritate him so when we return home, he would say to my mum "he isnt ready yet!". I welcome your memories of the matches and I would be interested in your recollections.

England won the World Cup on 30th July 1966, the start of the FL season was only 3 weeks away! We didnt sign any new players from any FL or SFL football club since Gil Reece from Newport County in summer 1965.

In the previous season we started well and John Harris still trusted the players that came through the ranks at the Lane. We were at the top of the league on October but fell away to finish in 9th position. 20 year old Len Badger became the club captain midway through the season and Mick Jones scored 21 league goals for the whole season (Doc Pace was the only one since the war to have scored at least 20 goals in the top division for the Blades).

View attachment 132006

Top row l to r: Cec Coldwell, Bob Widdowson, Alan Hodgkinson, Graham Shaw.

Middle row: Frank Barlow, Barry Wagstaff, David Munks, Ken Mallender, Reg Matthewson, Bernard Shaw.

Front row: Alan Woodward, Alan Birchenall, Len Badger, Mick Jones, Tony Wagstaff, Gil Reece

I felt that was an unusual squad. The senior players were coming to the end of the careers, most of the rest were 21 or younger. We were very short of players with experience in their mid-twenties.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

10/8/1966

Pre-season friendly

Oldham 1 (Bowie) Blades 1 (Reece)

Billy playing for Oldham that evening!

View attachment 132015

‘Billy playing for Oldham that evening’? For a moment I thought Sharp was much older than I assumed

 

[Karaoke Blade]

I went to my first match at the Lane in this season against Man City. Looking forward to the report of it. I can only remember snippets, mainly my eldest brother telling me to be careful swinging a wooden rattle around. I can recall Mick Jones scoring the only goal and I know there was a lot of blood spilled on the Kop.

 

[Silent Blade]

13/8/1966

Pre season friendly

Brighton 1 (Matthewson o.g.)

Blades 1 (Woodward)

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Silent, where was the post season 65/66 tour that summer, assuming there was one? Maybe not if it was a World Cup summer here??

 

[Silent Blade]

20/8/1966
Burnley 4 (Harris 3 (1 pen), Irvine) Blades 0

 

[Silent Blade]

Silent, where was the post season 65/66 tour that summer, assuming there was one? Maybe not if it was a World Cup summer here??

Norway and Mexico in May 1966, South America in June

 

[Silent Blade]

23/8/1966

Blades 0 Newcastle 1 (McGarry pen)

 

[Silent Blade]

27/8/1966

Blades 1 (Reece) Nottingham Forest 2 (Baker, Storey-Moore)

 

[Silent Blade]

31/8/1966

Newcastle 1 (B.Wagstaff og) Blades 0




Scores, scorers and tables on that day are in the below link. Lost first 4 games and just a goal scored!

1966-08-31

 

[Blade In Flame]

13/8/1966


View attachment 132021

It looked as though Sheffield United tried a plan which beat bewildered AC Milan 4-0 during there south american tour

Say what???????

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

31/8/1966

Newcastle 1 (B.Wagstaff og) Blades 0

View attachment 132047
View attachment 132048

Scores, scorers and tables on that day are in the below link. Lost first 4 games and just a goal scored!

1966-08-31

So playing in tangerine at Newcastle doesn’t always bring good luck…

 

[Silent Blade]

It looked as though Sheffield United tried a plan which beat bewildered AC Milan 4-0 during there south american tour

Say what???????

Yes we beat AC Milan in a friendly in June 1966. Dont think AC Milan had players who were in the Italy 1966 World Cup squad

 

[Silent Blade]

3/9/1966

Fulham 0 Blades 1 (Birchenall)

 

[Blade In Flame]

Yes we beat AC Milan in a friendly in June 1966. Dont think AC Milan had players who were in the Italy 1966 World Cup squad

It sounds good tho

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Silent - When you get to the 4-3 against West Brom, see if your research can tell us why they played in all red when we had red and white stripes on. Troubled me since my childhood that has........

 

[Blade1959]

31/8/1966

Newcastle 1 (B.Wagstaff og) Blades 0

View attachment 132047
View attachment 132048

Scores, scorers and tables on that day are in the below link. Lost first 4 games and just a goal scored!

1966-08-31

Was the tangerine kit different to the one worn at Palace in 1971?

 

[Silent Blade]

6/9/1966

Blades 2 (T. Wagstaff, Birchenall) Spurs 1 (Greaves pen)

Spurs brought their black shorts to the Lane so the ref ordered the Blades to wear white shorts

 

[Pollingtonblade]

Howard and Farnsworth are ok, but they are no Deadbat or pommpey . Also, who did the 'view from' back then?

 

[Silent Blade]

Was the tangerine kit different to the one worn at Palace in 1971?

Yes, a few weeks ago, Panini discovered that the shirts we wore at Palace in Dec 1971 looked similar to Palace's away kit in 1964

 

[Silent Blade]

10/9/1966

Blades 0 Everton 0

First point for us wearing the black shorts!

 

[Silent Blade]

14/9/1966

League Cup 2nd round


Sunderland 1 (Mulhall) Blades 1 (Matthewson)

 

[Piffle and Tosh]

I went to my first match at the Lane in this season against Man City. Looking forward to the report of it. I can only remember snippets, mainly my eldest brother telling me to be careful swinging a wooden rattle around. I can recall Mick Jones scoring the only goal and I know there was a lot of blood spilled on the Kop.

Was that why your brother told you not to swing your rattle round ?

 

[Silent Blade]

17/9/1966

Stoke 3 (B.Wagstaff og, Dobing 2) Blades 0

 

[Silent Blade]

20/9/1966

League Cup 2nd round replay

Blades 1 (Woodward) Sunderland 0 (after extra time)

We bring back the white shorts!

 

[bornablade]

I still have my membership card for the Young Blades Club. It's dated September 12th 1966. I can remember meeting in the building on the corner of Bramall Lane and Cherry Street. I think it was used by Yorkshire CC for indoor nets.

 

[Silent Blade]

24/9/1966

Wendy 2 (Munks og, McCalliog) Blades 2 (Woodward, Jones)



Woody about to score the opener






Wendy's equaliser