Silent Blade
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I had never seen us win Saltergate!
1970-71 (55 years ago today) match reports and photos
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Rufus Smalls
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Same here, in both League and Cup.
I’ve never been to the new stadium so missed our victories.
Silent Blade
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First time I saw us win at Chesterfield was in 2011
ancientblade
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so the oxford away game will be on here tomorrow then silent keep em coming mate great memories 
Silent Blade
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30/1/1971
Oxford 1 (Smithson pen) Blades 2 (Dearden 2)
One of my favourite away matches ever! New signings John Hope and Trevor Hockey made their debuts, Frank Barlow was recalled to the side, Gil Reece, who was in and out of the side for most of the season also returned (although he played at the Chesterfield friendly the previous week). John Tudor had left us for Newcastle, John Barnwell was dropped from the side, Geoff Salmons relegated to the sub's bench and sad to say, I think Hodgy did travel with the team and in his autobiography he said Harris had told him in the coach that he wouldnt be playing.
It was a surprise to see that our new signing in the middle of the pitch sporting a beard! I couldnt think of any footballers at the time that had a beard! Hockey was very vocal and very keen at winning the ball (Strange that reporter Frankie Taylor only gave him a 5!). Hope kept coming out of crosses and catching them which made my dad stand up from his seat and applauding him because it was a long time since we had a keeper cutting out crosses by coming out and catching them, Hope made a brave save or two too. I do not recall the goals. The win took us to 2nd place in the table but Luton, with two games in hand, were only a point behind us and their next match is at the Lane! Highlights of the Oxford v Blades match was shown on Southern tv in the next day and I have never seen the footage.
You may note that Peter Howard praised in his Star summary wishing that his boo-boys had seen Frank Barlow's performance. He wrote in the following week's Green Un (see below) that when the players were getting off the team coach after arriving at the Manor Ground before the match, "a so called Blade" shouted "BARLOW!!" and then said a rude word before telling him that he shouldnt be in the team. Howard was disgusted at the stick Barlow got but he was glad that it didnt not stop Barlow from playing well.
After the match, my dad and I went outside the players entrance to see the players board the coach, Eddie Colquhoun patted on my head as I was wearing a Blade cap and he was saying "Hello young Blade!". When Oxford's manager Gerry Summers came out of the players entrance, my dad pointed me to him and said "he was a good player for us". John Hope was friendly and signing autographs for anyone who requested one and he greeted me too. As I used to meet John Tudor after matches, now he was gone (I am still in touch with him via his wife on Facebook) but that day was the beginning of my "friendship" with John Hope!
On the way back to my dad's car we looked for a chippie but could only get chips from a Chinese take away. I didnt enjoy the chips so I threw half of the portion away. Unfortunately the car wouldnt start so my dad had to call the AA (he got his membership after learning his lesson when the car broke down at Luton 8 weeks earlier) and we eventually got home!
Green Un middle pages that evening
Oxford 1 (Smithson pen) Blades 2 (Dearden 2)
One of my favourite away matches ever! New signings John Hope and Trevor Hockey made their debuts, Frank Barlow was recalled to the side, Gil Reece, who was in and out of the side for most of the season also returned (although he played at the Chesterfield friendly the previous week). John Tudor had left us for Newcastle, John Barnwell was dropped from the side, Geoff Salmons relegated to the sub's bench and sad to say, I think Hodgy did travel with the team and in his autobiography he said Harris had told him in the coach that he wouldnt be playing.
It was a surprise to see that our new signing in the middle of the pitch sporting a beard! I couldnt think of any footballers at the time that had a beard! Hockey was very vocal and very keen at winning the ball (Strange that reporter Frankie Taylor only gave him a 5!). Hope kept coming out of crosses and catching them which made my dad stand up from his seat and applauding him because it was a long time since we had a keeper cutting out crosses by coming out and catching them, Hope made a brave save or two too. I do not recall the goals. The win took us to 2nd place in the table but Luton, with two games in hand, were only a point behind us and their next match is at the Lane! Highlights of the Oxford v Blades match was shown on Southern tv in the next day and I have never seen the footage.
You may note that Peter Howard praised in his Star summary wishing that his boo-boys had seen Frank Barlow's performance. He wrote in the following week's Green Un (see below) that when the players were getting off the team coach after arriving at the Manor Ground before the match, "a so called Blade" shouted "BARLOW!!" and then said a rude word before telling him that he shouldnt be in the team. Howard was disgusted at the stick Barlow got but he was glad that it didnt not stop Barlow from playing well.
After the match, my dad and I went outside the players entrance to see the players board the coach, Eddie Colquhoun patted on my head as I was wearing a Blade cap and he was saying "Hello young Blade!". When Oxford's manager Gerry Summers came out of the players entrance, my dad pointed me to him and said "he was a good player for us". John Hope was friendly and signing autographs for anyone who requested one and he greeted me too. As I used to meet John Tudor after matches, now he was gone (I am still in touch with him via his wife on Facebook) but that day was the beginning of my "friendship" with John Hope!
On the way back to my dad's car we looked for a chippie but could only get chips from a Chinese take away. I didnt enjoy the chips so I threw half of the portion away. Unfortunately the car wouldnt start so my dad had to call the AA (he got his membership after learning his lesson when the car broke down at Luton 8 weeks earlier) and we eventually got home!
Green Un middle pages that evening
Bell4
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Although we had a ‘great’ team - our points total after 26 games would be 45 in today’s money . Quite an average return when compared with even a poor Championship this season .
ancientblade
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yeah 4 of us went to this one silent can remember it snowing at some point we were on the side terrace cant remember how many blades made the trip but you could hear hockey barking out the orders from the terraces but he broke play up and just gave ball to tc or woody was a good win
MagnifiqueShorehamStreet
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Strangely enough, it’s also one of my favourite trips of all time too.Don’t really know why it stands out so much, as that.There have been much more exciting days and games, but this one really sticks in my memory.
Was allowed to go on my own, on the train, as a 15 year old, and loved the trip down, feeling very grown up.Seeing Oxford for the first time, inspired me a bit, to work harder for my O levels(never made Oxford, but did enough to set me on my way, to keele Uni a couple of years later)
It seemed like United, had grown up a bit too, they had actually behaved like an ambitious team, and went for it in the transfer market, very unlike them. It paid dividends.The train ride home, eating a British rail sandwich, and a coke, (full fat, didn’t need diet in those days) never tasted so good.
Bladesince61
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We too were on the side terrace tho watched final few minutes behind the goal we were defending, not sure why. I remember the coach journey down as there was a doubt over the match ( snow?) and wasn't confirmed on until we were half way there.
Trevor Hockey must have made his own way there as his " blue velvet" Triumph was in the car park. Police let us go and have a look when we showed red and white scarves!
Looking forward to reports/pictures on the Luton match next week.
Silent Blade
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Cuypers
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Amazing post Silent. Thank you.
Silent Blade
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5/2/1971
Malcolm MacDonald feeling confident about Luton's promotion chances while Eddie Colquhoun doesnt want to make rash predictions
Malcolm MacDonald feeling confident about Luton's promotion chances while Eddie Colquhoun doesnt want to make rash predictions
Silent Blade
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6/2/1971
Blades 2 (Woodward 2) Luton 1 (Jimmy Ryan)
I was expecting to watch the match from the BLUT but ended up watching the match from the John Street Stand West Wing (which was closed for safety reasons a few years later). The West wing is on the left of the below photo and it probably had the worst seats in the ground. Think all the seats in the BLUT were taken up by the time my dad and I arrived at the ground so we went to the JSS instead. I think we may have missed the kick off as I do not remember much about the 1st half.
Early in the second half Woody ran in front of Chris Nicholl to meet Reece's cross to put us into the lead. On the YTV highlights in the next day the camera was unable to show Woody's first goal because for some reason the camera went out of focus as it swung to the left just after Reece crossed the ball and then when it was panned back to the goal at the Lane end, the ball was already in the net.
The 2nd goal was spectacular as I was right in line behind the corner Woody took, after he crossed the ball, my eyes were were focused on the ball and the goalmouth action and TC crossed the ball from the left, I hadnt really expected Woody to sprint towards the goalmouth and volleying in TC's cross. This time the TV camera had footage of the 2nd goal (see below)
Jimmy Ryan pulled back a goal for Luton
We had a great chance to go 3-1 up after Woody got tripped in the box after a solo run
I wasnt aware of John Hope looking away from watching TC's spot kick until I saw the below photo in the next match's programme.
TC was our penalty taker at the time but crashed his effort against the bar and the Luton players managed to clear away the rebound.
Some years later my dad recalled that Luton's Malcolm MacDonald was blabbing out in the papers early in the week saying that he found it easy to score against the 2nd division centre halves. Throughout the match Eddie Colquhoun had MacDonald in his pocket. After the final whistle Eddie sarcastically slow hand clapped MacDonald off the pitch and many in the crowd loved it!
We reached the top spot for the first time in the season!
First half action
Second half action
To be continued in next page
Blades 2 (Woodward 2) Luton 1 (Jimmy Ryan)
I was expecting to watch the match from the BLUT but ended up watching the match from the John Street Stand West Wing (which was closed for safety reasons a few years later). The West wing is on the left of the below photo and it probably had the worst seats in the ground. Think all the seats in the BLUT were taken up by the time my dad and I arrived at the ground so we went to the JSS instead. I think we may have missed the kick off as I do not remember much about the 1st half.
Early in the second half Woody ran in front of Chris Nicholl to meet Reece's cross to put us into the lead. On the YTV highlights in the next day the camera was unable to show Woody's first goal because for some reason the camera went out of focus as it swung to the left just after Reece crossed the ball and then when it was panned back to the goal at the Lane end, the ball was already in the net.
The 2nd goal was spectacular as I was right in line behind the corner Woody took, after he crossed the ball, my eyes were were focused on the ball and the goalmouth action and TC crossed the ball from the left, I hadnt really expected Woody to sprint towards the goalmouth and volleying in TC's cross. This time the TV camera had footage of the 2nd goal (see below)
Jimmy Ryan pulled back a goal for Luton
We had a great chance to go 3-1 up after Woody got tripped in the box after a solo run
I wasnt aware of John Hope looking away from watching TC's spot kick until I saw the below photo in the next match's programme.
TC was our penalty taker at the time but crashed his effort against the bar and the Luton players managed to clear away the rebound.
Some years later my dad recalled that Luton's Malcolm MacDonald was blabbing out in the papers early in the week saying that he found it easy to score against the 2nd division centre halves. Throughout the match Eddie Colquhoun had MacDonald in his pocket. After the final whistle Eddie sarcastically slow hand clapped MacDonald off the pitch and many in the crowd loved it!
We reached the top spot for the first time in the season!
First half action
Second half action
To be continued in next page
Silent Blade
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continued from last page
From the programme
From the Green Un middle pages
From the programme
From the Green Un middle pages
Freddie
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Wow, fantastic photos!!
ancientblade
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fantastic silent remember the game well supermac mouthing off again in the week about what he was going to do to us but eddie never gave him a kick big big win for us that day keep em coming silent
Silent Blade
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Most of the photos were from the Hatters Heritage website.
Missing Spark
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I reckon I’m about the same age as Silent. I too was sat in the John Street Stand with my dad who’d been telling me all week how important the game was. The one thing that I remember clearly is MacDonald trying to get the ball from a ball-boy at the Kop end despite United being awarded a goal kick. He got properly mardy and moved towards the ball-boy who threw the ball over him and into the hands of John Hope. The crowd erupted into laughing and MacDonald slunk back to his position, I can’t remember the goals, just the roar at the end of the game.
Silent Blade
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I remember the Hull game well but didnt go to the Carlisle game. I have match reports for both
ancientblade
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we thought we had blown it with that hull defeat they really kicked us off the park that night but if anything it spurred us on to go on the run that got us over the line great days and great memories
232 Bramall Lane
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It wouldn't be the Blades if it was all plain sailing!
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