20 DECEMBER 1952

[peniblade]

Seventy years ago this Saturday SUFC played Swansea Town and won 7-1 with goals from Furniss penalty, Brook, Hawksworth 2, Ringstead 2 & Hagan.

United were top of the League prior to the game with 32 points from 22 matches. The match was famous in United's history for the fact that Hagan was sent off for the only time in his career for an unknown reason although he had a previous history against the Swansea wing half called Lucas. Apparently all through the game Lucas had been trying to kick lumps out of Hagan. The club backed Hagan and at a subsequent personal hearing he was cautioned by the FA but not suspended.

As I have said on previous posts "Happy Days" and lets hope this season is as successful as that of 70 years ago.

 

[Silent Blade]

Seventy years ago this Saturday SUFC played Swansea Town and won 7-1 with goals from Furniss penalty, Brook, Hawksworth 2, Ringstead 2 & Hagan.

United were top of the League prior to the game with 32 points from 22 matches. The match was famous in United's history for the fact that Hagan was sent off for the only time in his career for an unknown reason although he had a previous history against the Swansea wing half called Lucas. Apparently all through the game Lucas had been trying to kick lumps out of Hagan. The club backed Hagan and at a subsequent personal hearing he was cautioned by the FA but not suspended.

As I have said on previous posts "Happy Days" and lets hope this season is as successful as that of 70 years ago.View attachment 149778

A friend of mine who is a Wendy fan was at the match and he remembers furious spectators throwing fruit at the ref for the sending off

 

[Newbury Blade]

Seventy years ago this Saturday SUFC played Swansea Town and won 7-1 with goals from Furniss penalty, Brook, Hawksworth 2, Ringstead 2 & Hagan.

United were top of the League prior to the game with 32 points from 22 matches. The match was famous in United's history for the fact that Hagan was sent off for the only time in his career for an unknown reason although he had a previous history against the Swansea wing half called Lucas. Apparently all through the game Lucas had been trying to kick lumps out of Hagan. The club backed Hagan and at a subsequent personal hearing he was cautioned by the FA but not suspended.

As I have said on previous posts "Happy Days" and lets hope this season is as successful as that of 70 years ago.View attachment 149778

Why was kickoff 2.15? Was this a Christmas thing, a winter thing or the norm in the 50s? I started going in 1966 and Saturday games were always 3.00 kickoffs.

 

[Silent Blade]

Why was kickoff 2.15? Was this a Christmas thing, a winter thing or the norm in the 50s? I started going in 1966 and Saturday games were always 3.00 kickoffs.

We didn't have floodlights until 1954

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Seventy years ago this Saturday SUFC played Swansea Town and won 7-1 with goals from Furniss penalty, Brook, Hawksworth 2, Ringstead 2 & Hagan.

United were top of the League prior to the game with 32 points from 22 matches. The match was famous in United's history for the fact that Hagan was sent off for the only time in his career for an unknown reason although he had a previous history against the Swansea wing half called Lucas. Apparently all through the game Lucas had been trying to kick lumps out of Hagan. The club backed Hagan and at a subsequent personal hearing he was cautioned by the FA but not suspended.

As I have said on previous posts "Happy Days" and lets hope this season is as successful as that of 70 years ago.View attachment 149778

Thanks for that. The attendance was 19,842; the only one lower than that in 1952-53 was Brentford on a Monday in September, presumably with a kick-off around 6.00 (17,397). The attendances on the Saturday before Xmas were always very low. Presumably men working 5 days and Saturday mornings had no other time to shop (no Sunday openings or internet in those days). Or were they ‘persuaded’ by their better halves to help with the Xmas shopping as a condition for having their Xmas dinner cooked while they were at the match on Xmas Day morning?

 

[Big Hitter]

Yes -I was there. Lucas was a nasty piece of work and I think in the end Jimmy's patience just ran out and he gave him a kick.
I remember Dad said the ref had to be smuggled out of the ground afterwards as there was a furious crowd waiting for him on John St.

 

[VM198]

Seventy years ago this Saturday SUFC played Swansea Town and won 7-1 with goals from Furniss penalty, Brook, Hawksworth 2, Ringstead 2 & Hagan.

United were top of the League prior to the game with 32 points from 22 matches. The match was famous in United's history for the fact that Hagan was sent off for the only time in his career for an unknown reason although he had a previous history against the Swansea wing half called Lucas. Apparently all through the game Lucas had been trying to kick lumps out of Hagan. The club backed Hagan and at a subsequent personal hearing he was cautioned by the FA but not suspended.

As I have said on previous posts "Happy Days" and lets hope this season is as successful as that of 70 years ago.View attachment 149778

Though not at the match I well remember a much animated Grandfather and uncle returning home after this match.
Two points I'd like to ask on the event, and I know we have discussed this previously but please bear with me.
First point, wasn't Jimmy allowed back on to finish the game?
Second point, did the Swansea player break a leg or badly injure one.
There is no reference to the event in the Christmas Day programme and cannot lay my hand on the New Years Days programme, or I may not even have one.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Though not at the match I well remember a much animated Grandfather and uncle returning home after this match.
Two points I'd like to ask on the event, and I know we have discussed this previously but please bear with me.
First point, wasn't Jimmy allowed back on to finish the game?
Second point, did the Swansea player break a leg or badly injure one.
There is no reference to the event in the Christmas Day programme and cannot lay my hand on the New Years Days programme, or I may not even have one.

Best I can do is that he was not given a suspension, just a warning.

 

[broomhillblade]

I was there. I remember it more for Hagan's sending off rather than the 7-1 scoreline.
I don't think a Swansea player broke a leg. That was another team in another game, but it happened when the player tacked Hagan.

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

I was there. I remember it more for Hagan's sending off rather than the 7-1 scoreline.
I don't think a Swansea player broke a leg. That was another team in another game, but it happened when the player tacked Hagan.

I have always believed that Hagan broke Alf Ramsey’s leg at the Lane. I have a clear memory of the incident, but have never confirmed it, so I am beginning to think it is false memory syndrome. Would like confirmation one way or the other.

 

[peniblade]

Though not at the match I well remember a much animated Grandfather and uncle returning home after this match.
Two points I'd like to ask on the event, and I know we have discussed this previously but please bear with me.
First point, wasn't Jimmy allowed back on to finish the game?
Second point, did the Swansea player break a leg or badly injure one.
There is no reference to the event in the Christmas Day programme and cannot lay my hand on the New Years Days programme, or I may not even have one.

According to elder members of the family Hagan was not allowed back on to finish the game. The Swansea player Lucas did not break his leg and it would appear it was a fake injury as he completed the game.

Apparently in the game of the 29 January 1949 against Huddersfield Town at Bramall Lane, which finished 0-0, a Huddersfield player called Conway Smith broke his leg in a tackle with Jimmy Hagan which was completely accidental. Huddersfield completed the match with 9 men.

 

[peniblade]

According to elder members of the family Hagan was not allowed back on to finish the game. The Swansea player Lucas did not break his leg and it would appear it was a fake injury as he completed the game.

Apparently in the game of the 29 January 1949 against Huddersfield Town at Bramall Lane, which finished 0-0, a Huddersfield player called Conway Smith broke his leg in a tackle with Jimmy Hagan which was completely accidental. Huddersfield completed the match with 9 men.

Having just spoken to Dennis Clarebrough, United's past historian, he confirmed that it was Conway Smith who had his leg broken in January 1949 in a complete accident with Jimmy Hagan. Smith was the son of Billy Smith a prolific & famous footballer for Huddersfield Town between 1913 - 1934 and he was famous for scoring the winning goal in the 1922 Cup Final against Preston North End at Stamford Bridge. Apparently Conway Smith recovered from his injury & subsequently played for QPR & Halifax Town.

Although Dennis Clarebrough has not been well & has just come out of hospital he is alert as ever & he remembered the above mentioned incident very clearly.