1967-68 (55 years ago) match reports and photos

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Alan Birchenall's hair said:
That 2-2 at Hillsborough was my first ever match. And seeing Birch that day was the reason I became a Blade rather than an Owl like the rest of my family. Scored a double, and, well.... just look at that hair on the first glossy image! I just wanted to be him as a kid.
Mind you, on that first image, it's strange they made Mick Hill attempt a Cossack dance rather than find a bench big enough.....
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One of my first matches as well. There was just something magical about United in those days.
 
Silent Blade said:
My dad posted the Green Un to me every week during the football season, my Norwich supporting mate had the Pink Un posted to him by his dad, also my Hibs supporting mate had his posted to him too!
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Leeds had a Green un as well. Manchester was the Pink Final I think, and included masses of Rugby League. I was reading the Green un ( Sheffield) in my local in Rusholme Manchester and the cover had the résults of our local teams, entitled « The Big Six », embarrassing as we were all third or fourth tier at the time. My City/United supporting mates found it very amusing.
 
Jon B said:
The home game against Coventry City in December was my first sight of United and Bramall Lane.

A well deserved 2-0 win and people around me saying Coventry were the worst Division One team they'd ever seen.

Come the end of the season you can guess which team just avoided relegation instead of us. 🤦‍♂️
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Remember it well. It was their first season ever in the top division. I believe Jimmy Hill was guiding them, they went on to have 35 consecutive seasons in the top tier, meanwhile we………
 
Silent Blade said:
26/8/1967

Coventry 2 (Key, Bruck) Blades 2 (Reece, Cliff)

John Key scoring Coventry's first equaliser

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Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link

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I’m sure Cov 2 v 2 Blades was on telly, Sunday , the highlights at least, on ITV
 
We played Southampton home and away within 4 days over Xmas. Two results I remember from that season were Liverpool and Southampton away, won 1-2, and 1-4 respectively
 
28/11/1967

County Cup final replay 1966/67

Barnsley 2 (Humes, Bettany) Blades 3 (Hill, Woodward, Cliff)

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United Aren't Back. said:
Who was "the late" Archie Clarke? Only Woodward and Mick Hill cost nothing.
Bargain!!
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Caretaker manager from December 1958 to April 1959 then became a brilliant chief scout discovering many young players who went on to play for us in the top tier
 

Gary Sprake's famous own goal in Liverpool v Leeds match

Out of the corner of his eye the Welshman caught sight of Ian Callaghan edging out towards Cooper and he thought better of the quick throw. Roger Hunt was still close by, but represented little danger. Sprake intended to clutch the ball to his chest and readjust his position before clearing more safely. Stanger: "When he carried on with his throw the ball, instead of leaving his gloved palm near the top of the arc, stayed there for one split second and, on being released, it sailed over his left shoulder into the net."

It is said, apocryphally, that referee Jim Finney, who had missed the incident, asked Jack Charlton what had happened and what he should do. With typical dry humour Jack replied, 'I think the silly so and so has thrown it in his own net; you'll have to give a goal.'"

Sprake stood transfixed with despair for seemingly an eternity as the enormity of what he had done settled upon him. It was a spectacular own goal, one of the most memorable of all time, and Sprake clearly wished that the Anfield turf would open up and swallow him whole in his moment of misery.

Billy Bremner consoled his distraught keeper as the teams went off at the interval, but Anfield was ready to turn the screw. During the break, the home club's disc jockey waggishly featured Des O'Connor's No 1 hit of the time, 'Careless Hands', and The Scaffold's 'Thank U Very Much' in sarcastic tribute to the Welshman.

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Jack not looking happy!
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Silent Blade said:
Gary Sprake's famous own goal in Liverpool v Leeds match

Out of the corner of his eye the Welshman caught sight of Ian Callaghan edging out towards Cooper and he thought better of the quick throw. Roger Hunt was still close by, but represented little danger. Sprake intended to clutch the ball to his chest and readjust his position before clearing more safely. Stanger: "When he carried on with his throw the ball, instead of leaving his gloved palm near the top of the arc, stayed there for one split second and, on being released, it sailed over his left shoulder into the net."

It is said, apocryphally, that referee Jim Finney, who had missed the incident, asked Jack Charlton what had happened and what he should do. With typical dry humour Jack replied, 'I think the silly so and so has thrown it in his own net; you'll have to give a goal.'"

Sprake stood transfixed with despair for seemingly an eternity as the enormity of what he had done settled upon him. It was a spectacular own goal, one of the most memorable of all time, and Sprake clearly wished that the Anfield turf would open up and swallow him whole in his moment of misery.

Billy Bremner consoled his distraught keeper as the teams went off at the interval, but Anfield was ready to turn the screw. During the break, the home club's disc jockey waggishly featured Des O'Connor's No 1 hit of the time, 'Careless Hands', and The Scaffold's 'Thank U Very Much' in sarcastic tribute to the Welshman.

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Jack not looking happy!
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Thanks for this

Great stuff
 
Silent Blade said:
We became the only 9th club to enter the 50th season (some might say 51 because we started the 1939-40 season as a top flight club!) in the top division of the league.
The table for number of seasons in the top flight up to and including 1967-68 season looked like this

1= Aston Villa , Everton 65 seasons
3. Sunderland 61
4. Bolton Wanderers 58
5. Blackburn Rovers 54
6 = Liverpool, WBA 53
8. Arsenal 51
9. Sheffield United 50
10. Wendy 49
11 = Newcastle United, Manchester City 48
13. Preston North End 46
14 = Burnley, Wolves 45
16. Manchester United 44
17. Derby County 43
18. Chelsea 41

For Spurs it was their only 34th season in top flight!

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We decided to bring back the white shorts that had brought us luck in the home games between September and December 1966 ( 6 league - won 4 drew 1 and lost 1, 4 League Cup - won 3 and lost 1)

I have never seen a more glossy, bright and colourful squad photo as the one below in our history!

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Back row; Barry Wagstaff, Reg Matthewson, David Munks, Alan Hodgkinson, Ken Mallender, Bob Widdowson, Alan Birchenall, Frank Barlow, Bernard Shaw
Front row; Mick Hill, Alan Woodward, Tony Wagstaff, Mick Jones, Len Badger, Gil Reece, Phil Cliff, Tom Fenoughty

We had another squad photo during the summer too but not sure if the below was the first or second one, Willie Smith is in it but not in the other one!

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Bill Punton was still with the club but I think he was still living in Norwich, trained with Norwich City and travelled to our matches, if selected.

Our manager, John Harris looking ready for the new season

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We had finished in 10th place in the previous season, 9th place in the season before. No new signings during the summer, Cec Coldwell and Graham Shaw (left for Doncaster Rovers) had played their last 1st team game for us. With the young players in our squad being a year older and more mature, would our fans be more optimistic for the coming season?



My dad probably did take me to a few games 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.
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I went to a lot of home matches about this time sometimes with my brother. When I went on my own I tried to get in has a child admission by bending my knees slightly. Most of the time I got through but on one occasion the bloke at the turnstile asked to look at my hands and that was it they definately didn't look like schoolboys hands after a week in the steelworks. It was a great team under John Harris and I have many happy memories,
and plenty of gibes from the Wendy fan on the return to the factory on the Monday morning.No matter if we won they would always bring the old nugget up about the three sided ground.
 
Silent Blade said:
16/12/1967

Nottingham Forest 1 (Hilley) Blades 0

Earlier in the week Forest signed Jim Baxter (pictured below with manager Johnny Carey) from Sunderland for £100K
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Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link
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was at that game silent about 3k blades packed in on that big side terrace was always lively on there lol we dominated that game at the city ground after forest scored and deserved a draw at the least
 
Silent Blade said:
6/1/1968

Wendy 1 (Fantham) Blades 1 (Hill)

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Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link
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was on wednesdays kop that day never seen as many united fans on their kop as there was that day must have been 5k at least it was lively on there that afternoon coins raining down from both sets of fans very similar to the first derby at the lane earlier in the season those 2 games were the most violent encounters ive seen in the same season in over 60 years as for the game willie carlins run to set up mick hills equaliser was unbelievable with blades fans erupting on the east bank
 

13/1/1968

Arsenal 1 (Graham) Blades 1 (Addison)

You can see MOTD highlights of the match from 1 min 39 secs in below link.



We had signed Pat Buckley from Wolves on the eve of the match and he went straight in the 1st team in the next day

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Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link

 
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