1974-75 match reports and photos (50 years ago today)

[Silent Blade]

ps. Our lowest EVER finishing position at this stage was 10th in the second division.
And we were of course put in the second division to start with.

11th in 1935 and 1952

 

[haich1889]

For me, this is probably going to be the last of the "50 years ago today" threads.

9/7/1974

Two days after being disappointed seeing Holland lose to West Germany in the 1974 World Cup final on tv, I was shocked to hear the news that Geoff Salmons had moved to Stoke for a record fee of £180,000. My dad was disappointed too but he explained that the reason we accepted Stoke's offer was because of our rising debt caused by the expenses on building the new stand. I remember thinking "what's the point of spending on a new stand if it meant that we would sell a key player?"

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Fans reaction to the sale in the Green Un postbag the following Saturday
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As this sad scenario was playing out I was a kid living in Ghana. Our only communication with Sheffield came by airmail (very slowly) sent by Grandad. Contents were a letter for mum, the Topper for r kid, Spiderman mag for me, always a match programme + Green'un.

Imagine going straight for the green'un only to be met by 'Salmons sold to Stoke. After Badger Salmons was my 2nd favourite players.
My grief was only interrupted by what was to be a sentence I was to/and still hear over and over again from me father. 'THEY did same wi Jones & Birchenhall'.

I thought he was better than TC.

 

[Silent Blade]

22/7/1974

Pre season friendly in Poland.

Gornik Zabrze 2 (Kurzeja, Deja) Blades 2 (Dearden, Eddy (pen))




I remember Andrzej Szarmach scoring goals against Argentina, Italy and a hat trick against Haiti in the World Cup (he is in the below photo against Haiti). He played against us in the friendly.

 

[Silent Blade]

28/7/1974

ROW (Poland) 0 Blades 1 (Woodward)

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Enjoyed reading this thread as the 74/75 season seems to be seldom talked about despite a high finish in the table , it was 3 seasons after this before my first appearance at The Lane , looking at the league table looked like one the most open top divisions in years . Looks like we were in the mix for Europe that season & then a nightmare the season after , very similar to our first season back under Wilder & following season ?
Good financial backing & investment in on the pitch has held us black for years ( and continues to do do ) , for you lads that we’re going at this time , would you say this team was better than the 71 promotion team , or just a good side in a more even league that season ?

 

[ancientblade]

Enjoyed reading this thread as the 74/75 season seems to be seldom talked about despite a high finish in the table , it was 3 seasons after this before my first appearance at The Lane , looking at the league table looked like one the most open top divisions in years . Looks like we were in the mix for Europe that season & then a nightmare the season after , very similar to our first season back under Wilder & following season ?
Good financial backing & investment in on the pitch has held us black for years ( and continues to do do ) , for you lads that we’re going at this time , would you say this team was better than the 71 promotion team , or just a good side in a more even league that season ?

thats a very very good question jswt we played some fantastic football in the 2nd half of the 74/75 season scoring for fun and with 3 good additions the season after could have been english champions no doubt about that but of course the south stand put paid to that but just cant forget the 70-72 team what a fantastic attacking team we were playing 424 and having no respect for any of the big boys great era to be a blade that was and for me john harris is the best manager weve ever had

 

[Pintor75]

70-72 was imo the best I've seen as a blade, as described we took it to the big clubs and gave as good as we got, watching some old videos on YouTube proves it, solid defence, hard working midfield and quality upfront, great manager, brilliant times

 

[Silent Blade]

Enjoyed reading this thread as the 74/75 season seems to be seldom talked about despite a high finish in the table , it was 3 seasons after this before my first appearance at The Lane , looking at the league table looked like one the most open top divisions in years . Looks like we were in the mix for Europe that season & then a nightmare the season after , very similar to our first season back under Wilder & following season ?
Good financial backing & investment in on the pitch has held us black for years ( and continues to do do ) , for you lads that we’re going at this time , would you say this team was better than the 71 promotion team , or just a good side in a more even league that season ?

Collectively, I think the year 1973 was the best side as we had McAlister in goal (until Marsh broke his leg in October), full backs Badger and Hemsley were at their peaks, same for centre back Colquhoun. Keith Eddy was a regular starter in midfield until he broke his collar bone in September, Geoff Salmons had developed to be a stronger midfielder, playing more deep than he did in 1971. Bill Dearden is still our last player to have scored at least 20 league goals in the top division for one season (1972-73). Big clubs wanted to sign TC as he had become one of the biggest stars in football, Woody was the leading marksman in the 1st division midway in the 1973-74 season despite that he was a winger. Results wise the year was a strange mixture, we thrashed Derby twice, beat Arsenal 5-0, won at Chelsea and Spurs (beating the latter at home too), won at Man U twice but we lost 3-0 at Southampton who got relegation at the end of the season, failed to beat lowly Birmingham, lost 3-1 at Coventry.

1971 was the more memorable as we got the promotion then started brilliantly in the top division winning 8 and drawing 2 in the first 10 games. I missed only 8 games during that year (Charlton, Carlisle, QPR, Bristol City, Everton and Arsenal). I missed many in the second half of the year 1973 as I had started at boarding school. For both the years 1971 and 1973 I felt that we were 2 class players short to be the top 4 side (Hockey instead of Eddy for 1971).

For the season 1974-75, after the sale of Salmons I felt we were more than 2 class players short. On paper Tony Field had a great season but I didnt think he was a top division player but things were happening for him throughout the season. I was in my second year at boarding school so I missed more than half of the matches but it was great to see us nearly winning the league. I remember the home game against Derby in October 1974, the match was level with both sides searching for the winning goal but it had happened for Derby, but thinking about it, if we had scored the winning goal then a win at Birmingham in our last game of the season would have seen us win the league!

 

[ancientblade]

1970 - 1975 was the golden era for me and it all started with an early season league cup game against don revies leeds side at the lane one crazy night from john tudor rattling the shoreham crossbar in the 3rd minute we absolutely battered leeds that night as a 2nd division team culminating in still my favourite ever tc goal a 25 yard screamer all along the deck at the lane end that sprake never saw how leeds got away with only a 1 goal defeat that night was incredible but they wernt so lucky the following august when we hammered them again 3 - 0 in the old first division great days never to be forgotten

 

[reedy63]

The Leeds game at beautiful downtown Bramall Lane in August 1971, was the last game I saw before leaving for Sydney Australia the following Sunday. We gave Leeds a pasting 3-0. I think the second goal was scored when Charlton Bremner and co, were arguing with the referee and we broke away and scored at the Bramall Lane End..what a match the atmosphere was electric. We were that excited we got on the wrong bus home. but we weren't bothered about that. treasured memories. Silent Blade was attendance more than the Legendary Cardiff match at the end of the previous season?

 

[Silent Blade]

The Leeds game at beautiful downtown Bramall Lane in August 1971, was the last game I saw before leaving for Sydney Australia the following Sunday. We gave Leeds a pasting 3-0. I think the second goal was scored when Charlton Bremner and co, were arguing with the referee and we broke away and scored at the Bramall Lane End..what a match the atmosphere was electric. We were that excited we got on the wrong bus home. but we weren't bothered about that. treasured memories. Silent Blade was attendance more than the Legendary Cardiff match at the end of the previous season?

Cardiff 42,963
Leeds 40,725

 

[Pintor75]

The Leeds game at beautiful downtown Bramall Lane in August 1971, was the last game I saw before leaving for Sydney Australia the following Sunday. We gave Leeds a pasting 3-0. I think the second goal was scored when Charlton Bremner and co, were arguing with the referee and we broke away and scored at the Bramall Lane End..what a match the atmosphere was electric. We were that excited we got on the wrong bus home. but we weren't bothered about that. treasured memories. Silent Blade was attendance more than the Legendary Cardiff match at the end of the previous i remember that Cardiff game, the atmosphere was amazing, never fethe atmosphere was amazing

The atmosphere at that Cardiff game was amazing, I've never experienced anything like that in all these years after, ground felt as if it were full looking around from Bramall Lane Upper tier, must be one of our best matches of all time!

 

[ancientblade]

The atmosphere at that Cardiff game was amazing, I've never experienced anything like that in all these years after, ground felt as if it were full looking around from Bramall Lane Upper tier, must be one of our best matches of all time!

your right it was couldnt get on the kop properly that night ended up watching the game from the aisle steps mind every aisle was rammed anall the watford game was a bit of an anticlimax but remember scullion hitting our crossbar early doors and watford were on top for the first 25 minutes or so

 

[Pintor75]

your right it was couldnt get on the kop properly that night ended up watching the game from the aisle steps mind every aisle was rammed anall the watford game was a bit of an anticlimax but remember scullion hitting our crossbar early doors and watford were on top for the first 25 minutes or so

Felt like waiting for the cup final, all day at school could hardly wait to get home

 

[ancientblade]

Felt like waiting for the cup final, all day at school could hardly wait to get home

all day at work for me lol

 

[Sandygate Blade]

The period from 1970 to1975 was the start of my journey of being a regular at BDTBL. Who would have known ethos would be as good as it gets!

 

[Silent Blade]

3/8/1974

Texaco Cup group C match

Oldham 4 (Blair 2, Whittle pen, Garwood) Blades 0

I was at the match with my dad and we were shocked at our poor display, I remember a bearded Ted Hemsley failing to control a soft throw in pass allowing the ball to go out of play early in the match and it was a sign that it wasnt going to be a good day. After the match I did fear that we would have a poor season thinking we might get relegation! Imagine the doom and gloom in this forum if the internet was invented before that!

In the next day I was watching Texaco Cup highlights on YTV at my twin uncles house in Hartley Brook Road , thankfully our match wasnt featured but at the end of the programme it was showing results from other Texaco Cup matches and when it revealed the score of our match, my twin uncles (both Wendy fans) pointed to the tv screen and burst out laughing!

 

[Silent Blade]

5/8/1974

Tom McAlister suffers a broken leg for the second time in a pre season reserves friendly at Altrincham.

 

[Silent Blade]

6/8/1974

Texaco Cup group C match

Blades 4 (Dearden, Currie 2, Woodward) Man City 2 (Summerbee, Law)

My Norwich supporting schoolmate, David, came to my house with his parents (they were having a week's holiday at David's grandparents in Armthorpe). David and his dad came to the match with me and my dad. Walking on the way to the ground, Terry Nicholl, also walking to the ground was near us and my dad had a chat with him. We stood in the John Street Terrace East. It was noticeable that progress in building the new stand was still slow and the cricket pavilion was still noticeable.

We noticed Dave Mackay (Derby's manager) in the Director's box. The first half was a thriller with TC in fine form scoring two goals as we raced to a 3-2 lead at half time. The second half was less memorable but Woody scored a lovely cross shot from the right that stunned keeper Joe Corrigan. There was an incident later on that baffled me at first, TC, on the John Street side received a pass , angrily picked the ball up and booted it to the back of the John Street Stand. Many in the crowd were looking at each other wondering what had happened. The ref decided to speak to the police and then word had gone round that there was a phantom whistler in the ground and the police were searching for the culprit as the match continued.

It felt strange that a few days earlier we had lost 4-0 to a small 2nd division side that hardly included a well known player but then we thrashed a big club that included many well known players! I have seen football writers saying that Denis Law never played professional football again after the 1974 World Cup, they were wrong as he did play in the Texaco Cup group games. His last game was against Oldham a few days later.

 

[BudockBlade]

Felt like waiting for the cup final, all day at school could hardly wait to get home

This is right at the top of the memory list, even recall going to the chippy on Howard Street before the game..some of the things you remember!

 

[Silent Blade]

10/8/1974

Texaco Cup group C match

Blades 1 (Woodward) Blackpool 2 (Suddick,?)

My dad and I again were in John Street Terraces East to watch the match. What I remember about the match is Blackpool's keeper, John Burridge, made several saves and it was one of the finest goalkeeping displays I have ever seen. He was eventually beaten by a powerful free kick by Woody that went straight to the roof of the net. Had we won by 3-2 then we would have topped group C (2 points for a win and a bonus point if a team scores at least 3 goals) despite having a goal difference of -2. Burridge's saves stopped us from reaching the knockout stages of the competition. We signed Burridge 10 years later!

 

[Silent Blade]

17/8/1974

Blades 1 (Cammack) QPR 1 (Francis)

I dont remember our goal but remember Gerry Francis' equaliser from a counterattack. It was a hot day and it was to be my last visit to the Lane until 8 weeks later because I was due back to my school near Newbury 2 days later.



The QPR player below is John Beck who later became a well known manager for his long ball tactics.


Terry Nicholl










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

1974-08-17

From the programme

 

[Blade1959]

Same opponents as today on the same date 50 years apart.

 

[Silent Blade]

20/8/1974

John Hassall becomes the new club chairman.

 

[Silent Blade]

21/8/1974

Newcastle 2 (Burns, MacDonald) Blades 2 (Eddy pen, Speight)

I do not remember how I found out the score. I had just started my second year at Mary Hare (near Newbury). My new dormitory was at a different boarding house called "Mansell House" where all the boys from the second form (plus a handful of first form boys) slept in, played indoor games such as snooker (4th formers onwards were allowed to play), table tennis and chess. There was a reading room and a tv room. I had to be in bed between 8.15pm and 8.30pm every night so I couldnt find out how the Blades got on in midweek games until the next day. I may find out the scores from a senior pupil before or during breakfast. In my first year I slept at the Manor House (where all the girls plus most of the first form boys resided in) and on a quite few occasions I would nip into the classroom before breakfast to find out the football scores from the previous night by reading the newspaper that was delivered by the "paper boy". The Manor House had a corridor link to the school but the location of the Mansell House (built in 1963) is well away from the school and it was almost impossible for anyone to leave the house heading for the classroom without being noticed.

We wore the all blue change kit for the first time in that match. My dad wasnt at the match and I dont think he was aware of the new change kit. I am sure I wasnt aware too because the first time I was aware of this was when I received my dad's match report of the Stoke game in October 1974 by post. In his letter he seemed to be surprised that we wore all blue that afternoon.



The below photo colorised by SouthEssexBlade. Not sure if the socks were blue or red that evening









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

1974-08-21

 

[Bell4]

21/8/1974

Newcastle 2 (Burns, MacDonald) Blades 2 (Eddy pen, Speight)

I do not remember how I found out the score. I had just started my second year at Mary Hare (near Newbury). My new dormitory was at a different boarding house called "Mansell House" where all the boys from the second form (plus a handful of first form boys) slept in, played indoor games such as snooker (4th formers onwards were allowed to play), table tennis and chess. There was a reading room and a tv room. I had to be in bed between 8.15pm and 8.30pm every night so I couldnt find out how the Blades got on in midweek games until the next day. I may find out the scores from a senior pupil before or during breakfast. In my first year I slept at the Manor House (where all the girls plus most of the first form boys resided in) and on a quite few occasions I would nip into the classroom before breakfast to find out the football scores from the previous night by reading the newspaper that was delivered by the "paper boy". The Manor House had a corridor link to the school but the location of the Mansell House (built in 1963) is well away from the school and it was almost impossible for anyone to leave the house heading for the classroom without being noticed.

We wore the all blue change kit for the first time in that match. My dad wasnt at the match and I dont think he was aware of the new change kit. I am sure I wasnt aware too because the first time I was aware of this was when I received my dad's match report of the Stoke game in October 1974 by post. In his letter he seemed to be surprised that we wore all blue that afternoon.

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The below photo colorised by SouthEssexBlade. Not sure if the socks were blue or red that evening

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

1974-08-21

Small crowds in comparison

 

[Blacksea]

21/8/1974

Newcastle 2 (Burns, MacDonald) Blades 2 (Eddy pen, Speight)

I do not remember how I found out the score. I had just started my second year at Mary Hare (near Newbury). My new dormitory was at a different boarding house called "Mansell House" where all the boys from the second form (plus a handful of first form boys) slept in, played indoor games such as snooker (4th formers onwards were allowed to play), table tennis and chess. There was a reading room and a tv room. I had to be in bed between 8.15pm and 8.30pm every night so I couldnt find out how the Blades got on in midweek games until the next day. I may find out the scores from a senior pupil before or during breakfast. In my first year I slept at the Manor House (where all the girls plus most of the first form boys resided in) and on a quite few occasions I would nip into the classroom before breakfast to find out the football scores from the previous night by reading the newspaper that was delivered by the "paper boy". The Manor House had a corridor link to the school but the location of the Mansell House (built in 1963) is well away from the school and it was almost impossible for anyone to leave the house heading for the classroom without being noticed.

We wore the all blue change kit for the first time in that match. My dad wasnt at the match and I dont think he was aware of the new change kit. I am sure I wasnt aware too because the first time I was aware of this was when I received my dad's match report of the Stoke game in October 1974 by post. In his letter he seemed to be surprised that we wore all blue that afternoon.

View attachment 190963

The below photo colorised by SouthEssexBlade. Not sure if the socks were blue or red that evening

View attachment 190961

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View attachment 190966
View attachment 190967

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

1974-08-21

Looks like John Tudor in the photo

 

[Silent Blade]

Looks like John Tudor in the photo

Yes, with Glen Keeley (Andy's brother) and Eddie

 

[Silent Blade]

24/8/1974

Derby 2 (Hector, Davies) Blades 0

I wasnt surprised that we had lost at Derby again! My dad was at the game and in his match report to me by post, he was describing Francis Lee missing a sitter in detail (my dad never liked him) and that Lee sank his knees in embarrassment.






Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link. Carlisle at the top of the league!

1974-08-24

 

[Silent Blade]

27/8/1974

Blades 2 (Cammack, Field or Howard og) Newcastle 1 (Keeley)

I remember my dad saying in his match report to me by post saying he thought our second goal was an own goal and it stated in the programme for the next match it was an own goal (see below), the Star and the Morning Telegraph said it was Field's goal. Years later in the history books, Field is listed as the scorer of the second goal. I wasnt at the match as I was at Mary Hare school near Newbury so I dont know if Field's shot was on target before it hit Keeley.









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

1974-08-27

From the programme