1972-73 match reports and photos (50 years ago today)

[Bell4]

6/6/1973

World Cup qualifier

Poland 2 (Banas, Lubanski) England 0

Although I watched a lot of Munich Olympics on tv in September 1972, I dont remember watching any of the football and I wasnt aware that Poland had won the football Olympics. I knew they had lost at Wales in the recent World Cup qualifier so I was confident about England getting a point, at least, in Poland. Before the match I looked at the Star to find that TC wasnt named in the starting line up, I was fuming but it made me realise that I have more passion for the Blades than for England.

I watched the match at my friend's house as he lived three doors away from me and the family had colour tv. We didnt dominate the first half as I thought we would and we were a goal down early in the game. Soon after half time Poland scored the 2nd goal after Bobby Moore's terrible mistake. I remember my friend's dad being furious with Moore for the mistake. It reminded me of Moore's mistake against West Germany in the previous year's Euro quarter finals so I thought Moore was now past his prime. I remember Alan Ball's sending off to but I wasnt clear at the time about the reason for the sending off. It was a surprise at the time that he got a straight red card.

At the end of the game I believed that the omission of TC was the reason for England's loss!

Remember it like it was yesterday

 

[ancientblade]

Remember it like it was yesterday

yeah me too that was the end for bobby moore after that mistake but what a fantastic player he was

 

[Silent Blade]

10/6/1973

Friendly match

USSR 1 (Muntian pen) England 2 (Chivers, Khurtzilava og)


Not sure if I knew the score before watching the highlights of the game on ITV. I watched the highlights with my dad and we were proud of how well TC played. Even more pleasing was that Gordon Banks and Jack Charlton were praising TC during the post match analysis (my dad did the interpreting for me). In the next few days there were newspaper articles comparing TC to Gunter Netzer, the star player for West Germany who was about to sign for Real Madrid!

Like many Blades fans, I was still worried that TC may leave the Blades to go to a big club before the start of the 1973-74 season

 

[Silent Blade]

14/6/1973

Friendly match

Italy 2 (Anastasi , Capello) England 0

TC's 3rd England match. I watched highlights of the match on tv in the evening, TC played ok. I remember in the next morning in the waiting room at the Lea Road surgery (Dronfield) my mum was telling me that she overheard two elderly men discussing the match and they were in agreement that Bobby Moore was "finished" as an England player.

 

[Silent Blade]

23/12/1972

Spurs 2 (Chivers, Perryman) Blades 0

Didnt go. I do not remember anything about the day. I hadnt realised that the match was on "The Big Match" in the next day until the evening we played at Spurs in the League Cup semi final 1st leg on January 2015. Before the game, Spurs TV screen were showing footage of the goals scored by Chivers and Perryman.

View attachment 149810

View attachment 149813
View attachment 149811

[/URL]

Found the footage, WalthamstowBlade a new addition for your 1972-73 video. Starts 55 mins 23 secs in below link

 

[Silent Blade]

9/12/1972

Blades 1 (Woodward) Manchester City (Bell)

I remember Woody's equaliser because it was unusual to see him score a tap in as he usually score screamers! Credit to him for his quick thinking anticipating that keeper Joe Corrigan would push out a shot from Dearden

Dearden shoots and the shot is saved by Corrigan
View attachment 148993
Woody appeared from nowhere to tap in the equaliser
View attachment 148994
and celebrates
View attachment 148995
The most memorable moment of the game was the sending off of Francis Lee. My dad often spoke to Ted Hemsley at the bookmakers in Jordanthorpe in the early 1970s. He told my dad that he dislikes Francis Lee and that was before this match. Near the halfway line on John Street side, the pair had got into a tussle in a chase for the ball and Ted was on the ground. The ref decided to send Lee off. To be honest I thought a booking would be the better decision and the crowd cheered as Lee made his way toward the tunnel.
View attachment 148998
View attachment 148999
View attachment 149000
View attachment 149001
View attachment 149002
View attachment 149003
View attachment 149004
View attachment 149005
View attachment 149006
View attachment 149007
View attachment 149008
View attachment 149009
View attachment 149010

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

1972-12-09

From the programme
View attachment 149011
View attachment 149012
View attachment 149013
View attachment 149014

Woody's goal




Lee sent off

 

[HighfieldBlade]

In the words of Barry Davies "Look at his face!..."
View attachment 232730
"...Just LOOK at his face!!!"
View attachment 232731

Ok that quote was from his Derby days, but whatever!