1973-74 match reports and photos (50 years ago today)

[Silent Blade]

10/11/1973

West Ham 2 (Bonds, Brooking) Blades 2 (Woodward 2)



There was a Sheffield Newspaper strike for the most of November 1973 and the below is how the Sunday Express described Woody's goals.

Woodward's first, in the fifteenth minute, came from a sharp deflection off the luckless Taylor's body as the defender moved in to tackle. Up spun the ball and Ferguson, a few yards out, was left stranded as it looped out of his reach to settle gently in the net.
Woodward's second was a terrific volley from some twenty yards that might have gone anywhere. It was hardly seen until it flashed into the net. He met a Currie corner a foot above ground and crashed it home.







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

1973-11-10

 

[Silent Blade]

In the programme for the previous home game (v Birmingham) it stated that the kick off time for our next home game (v Derby on 17th November) would be 3pm but in the week leading to the match it was confirmed that the kick off would be 2.15pm for the reasons below.

As the Yom Kippur war intensified, the Arab members of OPEC - the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - had suspended oil deliveries to all western countries that supported Israel, the United Kingdom included. This led to an energy crisis in Britain late in 1973, with the famous miners’ strike in February 1974. The British prime minister back then, Edward Heath, has declared on a new rule to save electricity: the “Three-Day Work Order” to save electricity. The Three-Day Work Order had an impact on all levels of life, from hospitals to communications, street’s lights, and of course, football. In order to save electricity from floodlights, most of Nov through to end Feb clubs had to finish their matches in daylight. The price of petrol was soaring, many were in a state unstable employment, and the new kick-off timings were highly unpopular. This had a severe influence on the game. Many stopped, or simply couldn’t, attend matches. Most November 73 matches started at 2.15, December and January at 2.00 and Feb 2.15 or 2.30.

 

[Silent Blade]

14/11/1973

TC's 6th England cap, Bobby Moore's last game for England.

 

[Silent Blade]

17/11/1973

Blades 3 (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) Derby 0

It was a match I remember very well because I was home for the weekend, my family invited my Norwich supporting mate, David, to stay at our house for the weekend. It was the first of his many visits to BDTBL. He remembered feeling strange to watch a match at a 3 sided ground. I had never got that feeling in my early years as a Blade, I suppose that it was because it was "my second home" and I didnt see having a 3 sided ground a negative thing! When you are young, you dont really see any faults in your house until the friends you have invited in your house point them out!

The kick off was 2.15pm as football clubs were encouraged to finish their matches in daylight to save electricity. Brian Clough had left Derby a month earlier and Dave Mackay had become Derby's new manager quite recently.

It was a good win and we deserved it. Woody's goal was memorable, the lovely link up on the right between Badger, TC and Woody also the powerful finish. It is amazing how TC had time and composure to flick the ball up before returning the pass to Woody!

In the evening my dad took me and David to the Sheffield Deaf club at Psalter Lane. It was my first time there and although it has moved location twice, I still go to the Sheffield Deaf club.



Still no Green Un and Morning Telegraph reports because of the Sheffield newspapers strike










Scores, scorers, line ups and league table in below link

1973-11-17

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme

 

[Silent Blade]

24/11/1973

Coventry 3 (Stein, Cross 2) Blades 1 (Woodward)

Dont think my dad went to the match. In the next day at my school the Sunday afternoon walk (which was compulsory for first to fourth formers) was cancelled because of heavy rain so I along with football mad pupils were able to watch "The Big Match" on tv and the 2nd match in the programme was showing highlights of our match. Woody's equaliser drew gasps and admiration from the audience in the tv room and I was feeling proud! I was annoyed that TC's free kick was disallowed and wondered why the ref had disallowed it. At that time I wasnt aware that not all free kicks could be taken directly towards the goal and it was a year or two later when I realised the ref's signal for an indirect free kick is to put one arm up in the air. It happened when I was in goal for the school u13 team when I tried to stop a free kick from going into the net and I had touched the ball. The captain told me that I should have left the ball alone and then the ref would have disallowed the goal.

We werent to realise that the match was John Harris' last as the manager.



No Green Un that day because of the Sheffield Newspapers strike but the Morning Telegraph was back for Monday football reports



TC's column in the following Saturday's Green Un


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

1973-11-24

 

[Bell4]

17/11/1973

Blades 3 (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) Derby 0

It was a match I remember very well because I was home for the weekend, my family invited my Norwich supporting mate, David, to stay at our house for the weekend. It was the first of his many visits to BDTBL. He remembered feeling strange to watch a match at a 3 sided ground. I had never got that feeling in my early years as a Blade, I suppose that it was because it was "my second home" and I didnt see having a 3 sided ground a negative thing! When you are young, you dont really see any faults in your house until the friends you have invited in your house point them out!

The kick off was 2.15pm as football clubs were encouraged to finish their matches in daylight to save electricity. Brian Clough had left Derby a month earlier and Dave Mackay had become Derby's new manager quite recently.

It was a good win and we deserved it. Woody's goal was memorable, the lovely link up on the right between Badger, TC and Woody also the powerful finish. It is amazing how TC had time and composure to flick the ball up before returning the pass to Woody!

In the evening my dad took me and David to the Sheffield Deaf club at Psalter Lane. It was my first time there and although it has moved location twice, I still go to the Sheffield Deaf club.



Still no Green Un and Morning Telegraph reports because of the Sheffield newspapers strike


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Scores, scorers, line ups and league table in below link

1973-11-17

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme
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Brilliant stuff - thanks

 

[bornablade]

17/11/1973

Blades 3 (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) Derby 0

It was a match I remember very well because I was home for the weekend, my family invited my Norwich supporting mate, David, to stay at our house for the weekend. It was the first of his many visits to BDTBL. He remembered feeling strange to watch a match at a 3 sided ground. I had never got that feeling in my early years as a Blade, I suppose that it was because it was "my second home" and I didnt see having a 3 sided ground a negative thing! When you are young, you dont really see any faults in your house until the friends you have invited in your house point them out!

The kick off was 2.15pm as football clubs were encouraged to finish their matches in daylight to save electricity. Brian Clough had left Derby a month earlier and Dave Mackay had become Derby's new manager quite recently.

It was a good win and we deserved it. Woody's goal was memorable, the lovely link up on the right between Badger, TC and Woody also the powerful finish. It is amazing how TC had time and composure to flick the ball up before returning the pass to Woody!

In the evening my dad took me and David to the Sheffield Deaf club at Psalter Lane. It was my first time there and although it has moved location twice, I still go to the Sheffield Deaf club.



Still no Green Un and Morning Telegraph reports because of the Sheffield newspapers strike


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Scores, scorers, line ups and league table in below link

1973-11-17

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme
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I know what you mean about our three sided ground.

I just accepted that football grounds were 3 sided so the first away game for me was at Hillsborough and I thought it was strange to be in a 4 sided ground.

 

[Silent Blade]

Stewart Scullion returns to Watford

 

[Pintor75]

17/11/1973

Blades 3 (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) Derby 0

It was a match I remember very well because I was home for the weekend, my family invited my Norwich supporting mate, David, to stay at our house for the weekend. It was the first of his many visits to BDTBL. He remembered feeling strange to watch a match at a 3 sided ground. I had never got that feeling in my early years as a Blade, I suppose that it was because it was "my second home" and I didnt see having a 3 sided ground a negative thing! When you are young, you dont really see any faults in your house until the friends you have invited in your house point them out!

The kick off was 2.15pm as football clubs were encouraged to finish their matches in daylight to save electricity. Brian Clough had left Derby a month earlier and Dave Mackay had become Derby's new manager quite recently.

It was a good win and we deserved it. Woody's goal was memorable, the lovely link up on the right between Badger, TC and Woody also the powerful finish. It is amazing how TC had time and composure to flick the ball up before returning the pass to Woody!

In the evening my dad took me and David to the Sheffield Deaf club at Psalter Lane. It was my first time there and although it has moved location twice, I still go to the Sheffield Deaf club.



Still no Green Un and Morning Telegraph reports because of the Sheffield newspapers strike


View attachment 174757
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View attachment 174760
View attachment 174761

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Scores, scorers, line ups and league table in below link

1973-11-17

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the programme
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Brilliant stuff from Woodward and that touch from TC too. Nice to hear some decent commentary too from Wolstenholme, instead of todays boring ,tedious, stat after stat men

 

[Silent Blade]

1/12/1973

I was home for the weekend expecting to see Blades play the home game against Ipswich but the game was postponed after an overnight frost. I think it was the first time since February 1969 that we had a home game postponed due to weather conditions which meant that it was the first time as a committed Blade fan I was expecting to go to a match at the Lane only to find out that it had been postponed.


Jim Bone asking for a move


It was the day when Brian Clough's Brighton got beaten 8-2 at home by Bristol Rovers! Ex Blade Alan Warboys scoring 4 times!



Scores, league tables etc in below link

1973-12-01

 

[Silent Blade]

Earlier in the week Jimmy Hagan visits Sheffield.

 

[Silent Blade]

7/12/1973

Ken Furphy becomes our new manager.

I dont think I was prepared for this and I was sad that John Harris was no longer our team manager. He had been "moved upstairs" to be the club's general manager like he did for the 1968-69 season. Not sure what was the general feeling amongst the Blades fans as I was at school at the time. My dad seemed to see this in a more positive way. In his letter to me he was trying to explain why he thought it was a good appointment. At a short notice he informed me that he and my mum would be travelling down south to pick me and two of my friends up from my school near Newbury and then we travel on the M4 to West London so that we can watch us play at QPR. I decided that the two friends coming with us to the match would be David (Norwich fan) and Michael (RIP) from Luton.

 

[Silent Blade]

8/12/1973

QPR 0 Blades 0

Ken Furphy's first match

My dad, with my mum, drove down to my school near Newbury to pick up me and my school friends, David and Michael and then go on the M4 to Loftus Road. I dont remember much about the match and neither does David. The five of us were sat in a side stand. I dont think I saw Ken Furphy as he was probably sat in the stand. MOTD showed highlights of the match but I didnt get to see the programme as I had to be in my bed at my school by 8.15pm!





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

1973-12-08

 

[Bell4]

1/12/1973

I was home for the weekend expecting to see Blades play the home game against Ipswich but the game was postponed after an overnight frost. I think it was the first time since February 1969 that we had a home game postponed due to weather conditions which meant that it was the first time as a committed Blade fan I was expecting to go to a match at the Lane only to find out that it had been postponed.

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Jim Bone asking for a move
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It was the day when Brian Clough's Brighton got beaten 8-2 at home by Bristol Rovers! Ex Blade Alan Warboys scoring 4 times!



Scores, league tables etc in below link

1973-12-01

Why was Barry Gibb at the lane ?

 

[Silent Blade]

Why was Barry Gibb at the lane ?

I thought it was Noel Edmonds!

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[HighfieldBlade]

17/11/1973

Blades 3 (Flynn, Woodward, Colquhoun) Derby 0

It was a match I remember very well because I was home for the weekend, my family invited my Norwich supporting mate, David, to stay at our house for the weekend. It was the first of his many visits to BDTBL. He remembered feeling strange to watch a match at a 3 sided ground. I had never got that feeling in my early years as a Blade, I suppose that it was because it was "my second home" and I didnt see having a 3 sided ground a negative thing! When you are young, you dont really see any faults in your house until the friends you have invited in your house point them out!

The kick off was 2.15pm as football clubs were encouraged to finish their matches in daylight to save electricity. Brian Clough had left Derby a month earlier and Dave Mackay had become Derby's new manager quite recently.

It was a good win and we deserved it. Woody's goal was memorable, the lovely link up on the right between Badger, TC and Woody also the powerful finish. It is amazing how TC had time and composure to flick the ball up before returning the pass to Woody!

In the evening my dad took me and David to the Sheffield Deaf club at Psalter Lane. It was my first time there and although it has moved location twice, I still go to the Sheffield Deaf club.

Love that second goal...TC shaped up as though he was going to hit it on the volley, but lays it on a plate for Woody.

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Silent Blade]

15/12/1973

Everton 1 (Clements) Blades 1 (Colquhoun)

It was decided, that due to the petrol rationing, many of the pupils at my school would be allowed home for the xmas holiday earlier than scheduled. I was due home on Thursday 20th December but it was decided that my dad would drive down on Sunday the 16th to take me and three other pupils home (one from my year was from Chesterfield, two senior pupils were from Sheffield). On the afternoon we were playing Everton I was enjoying being in the school Xmas party. Years later I was wondering how my dad got the fuel so that he could pick me up from school. He told me that he had siphoned some fuel from a van at his work!

At around 6pm I was thinking if anyone else in the party know the Blades score then I thought of the Chemistry teacher, Ken Ward, who is a Blade and was in the same school as Neil Warnock. I was looking for him and when I found him, I asked "how did we get on at Everton?" He replied "1-1" but he didnt know who had scored for us. I was thinking "a good point for us"








Wendy fans during 3-0 home defeat to Fulham

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

1973-12-15

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[DifferentClass]

Wendy fans during 3-0 home defeat to Fulham
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Some things never change!

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Silent Blade]

22/12/1973

Blades 4 (Woodward 3, Currie) Southampton 2 (Gilchrist, Channon)

Ken Furphy leads his team out before the match.




Woody's first goal. Not sure which is the correct photo?



Woody's 2nd was a brilliant low diving header. Heading wasnt his strong point and he didnt hide his delight during his celebration



Southampton then hit two quick goals just before half time.
During half time in the BLUT concourse there was quite a bit of talk about Woody's diving header, a mate of my dad's came up to me saying "Woody!" and then nodded his head to do an impression of the diving header.

The third goal was a beauty as it was from a Currie-Woody set piece combination (the third time it happened during the season. The first was the 5-0 win at home to Arsenal, the second was the 2-2 draw at West Ham). TC floated the corner straight to the unmarked Woody waiting outside the box, although the connection to the ball wasnt perfect , it was enough to go through the bewildered Saints defence as the ball bounced on the ground like a dambuster before it crashed against the back of the net.

TC made it 4-2 but I dont remember the goal, only remember Woody's 2nd and 3rd.


Before the match Southampton were in 5th place in the league then didnt win many games after that and were relegated to the 2nd division at the end of the season.











From Nick Udall's book, Sheffield United thirty memorable games from the seventies











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

1973-12-22

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[Silent Blade]

From the programme

 

[Greenwich Blade]

From the programme

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Judging by the photo in the programme, the strain of aiming to be recognised as a super-club aged Furphy overnight.

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Silent Blade]

I dont remember the talks about the possibility of us playing the FA Cup match at Ipswich on a Sunday. It didnt happen. Cambridge played their FA Cup match against Oldham on Sunday 6th January. Millwall v Fulham was the first football league match being played on a Sunday (20/1/1974)

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Silent Blade]

 

[Greenwich Blade]

View attachment 176572

No wonder it took so long to build.