50 years ago today

[Karaoke Blade]

Most of the clubs in the 1960s copied Alf Ramsey's 4-3-3 formation. We were the same. Back 4 of Len, Eddie, Enoch and Ted, midfield were Hockey, TC and Sammy. front 3 were Woody, Dearden and Reece

I know you're a big fan of Dave Powell, Silent, but him and Trevor Hockey only played 7 games together. A more 'typical' side would have Frank Barlow in midfield with Powell in defence (up to 1970) or Hockey in midfield with John Flynn in defence (1971-72).
But you knew that anyway

 

[Silent Blade]

I know you're a big fan of Dave Powell, Silent, but him and Trevor Hockey only played 7 games together. A more 'typical' side would have Frank Barlow in midfield with Powell in defence (up to 1970) or Hockey in midfield with John Flynn in defence (1971-72).
But you knew that anyway

Was picking my best team for from 1970 to 1975

 

[Karaoke Blade]

Was picking my best team for from 1970 to 1975

And what a team they were!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Interesting how they used to present the teams in the old 2-3-5 formation, even in 1972. Pretty sure we always had the straight back 4 back in those days. (e.g.Badger, Flynn, Colquhoun, Hemsley ).
Can anyone even older than me remember teams actually playing anything like a 2-3-5 back in the day?

Even in the 50s, programmes printed teams in the 2-3-5 formation, but no team played without a centre-half at the back. Convention is often well behind reality. The only team playing 2-3-5 was my Subbutteo team - I was very naive! Though it worked quite well…

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Interesting how they used to present the teams in the old 2-3-5 formation, even in 1972. Pretty sure we always had the straight back 4 back in those days. (e.g.Badger, Flynn, Colquhoun, Hemsley ).
Can anyone even older than me remember teams actually playing anything like a 2-3-5 back in the day?

As I remember it , some teams started playing with a back four in the early 60’s and it very quickly became the preferred approach for many , even more so after the ‘66 World Cup .

Prior to that , whilst the programmes always indicated a 2-3-5 line up as you say , that’s not quite how it worked . To start with , the centre half would almost always operate between the two full backs thus creating a back 3 .
The so called wing halves would would be expected to support both attack and defence depending on the passage of play much in the way that modern wingbacks do , and the inside forwards would come deep when the opposition were on the offensive .

In effect , therefore , the system closely resembled what in modern parlance would be described as 3-4-3 , a system preferred today by some of the World’s most successful teams .

Plus ca change ........ etc .

 

[Karaoke Blade]

Even in the 50s, programmes printed teams in the 2-3-5 formation, but no team played without a centre-half at the back. Convention is often well behind reality. The only team playing 2-3-5 was my Subbutteo team - I was very naive! Though it worked quite well…

Been thinking about this HBT. (Too much time on my hands now I'm retired).
Would the formation be more of a 3 at the back? 2 full backs marking the opposition wingers and not venturing over the half way line, big centre half marking opposition centre forward and only ever venturing forward for corners.
Then you would have the two 'wing halfs' (nos. 4 and 6) defending against the opposing 'inside forwards' (nos. 8 and 10) who would be the creative ball players (think Jimmy Hagan). Wingers (7 & 11)would get the ball on the halfway line, get to the byline and cross it into the box for the big no.9.
Probably a bit simplistic but I'm far too young to remember!
Edit: wrote this before ISJS contribution above which makes much more sense. (I never saw Joe Shaw, BTW!)

 

[Bert]

Bert seems to recall the Currie was nicked for drink driving after that incident.

Bert was also at the Tottenham game.

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Tottenham still didn't have any adverizing in the programme or round the pitch in those days.

 

[Big Hitter]

I know you're a big fan of Dave Powell, Silent, but him and Trevor Hockey only played 7 games together. A more 'typical' side would have Frank Barlow in midfield with Powell in defence (up to 1970) or Hockey in midfield with John Flynn in defence (1971-72).
But you knew that anyway

In my view Dave Powell was one of the best wing halves around before suffering an injury which effectively terminated his career. He was tenacious in the tackle and very fast up and down the pitch. He was a sad loss to us and football in general.

 

[Bell4]

Over the weekend my dad had found out that TC was involved in a car crash on the Saturday night and of course like most Blades fans we wondered if those who were in the crash were all ok. We were wondering whether TC would still continue playing for the rest of the season.

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Sandra Walton (passenger in carb that Currie crashed ) became the wife of my best mate who was the best man at my wedding . Sandra married my mate on the same Sat Utd beat West Ham 3-2 , the quality goal by a quality player game

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

Been thinking about this HBT. (Too much time on my hands now I'm retired).
Would the formation be more of a 3 at the back? 2 full backs marking the opposition wingers and not venturing over the half way line, big centre half marking opposition centre forward and only ever venturing forward for corners.
Then you would have the two 'wing halfs' (nos. 4 and 6) defending against the opposing 'inside forwards' (nos. 8 and 10) who would be the creative ball players (think Jimmy Hagan). Wingers (7 & 11)would get the ball on the halfway line, get to the byline and cross it into the box for the big no.9.
Probably a bit simplistic but I'm far too young to remember!
Edit: wrote this before ISJS contribution above which makes much more sense. (I never saw Joe Shaw, BTW!)

I think you also have it quite well covered there. Centre-halves generally did not go up for corners before Jack Charlton (others please correct me if that is wrong), and Don Revie started the deep-lying centre-forward.
I think most teams had a more defensive and a more attacking wing-half (Richardson v Summers), and similarly a more creative and a more goal-scoring inside forward (Kettleborough v Russell). Almost a 4-2-4 at times.
My Subutteo team had the full-backs very narrow. I never minded my opponent going down the wings

 

[Silent Blade]

(others please correct me if that is wrong), and Don Revie started the deep-lying centre-forward.

Nandor Hidegkuti

 

[Silent Blade]

29/3/1972

Chelsea 2 (Webb 2) Blades 0

Steve Cammack's debut

I didnt go to the match as we were already safe from the drop and it was too much trouble for me and my dad travelling to London on a Wednesday night. It was the 3rd time during the season (or 4th if you include the postponed Coventry match) that I had missed a match, the other two being at Everton and at Arsenal as I was on a family holiday at Ayr in August. I dont remember how I got to know the score, maybe my dad told me the score before I went to bed or I got it from the papers in the next morning.

 

[pommpey]

Interesting how they used to present the teams in the old 2-3-5 formation, even in 1972. Pretty sure we always had the straight back 4 back in those days. (e.g.Badger, Flynn, Colquhoun, Hemsley ).
Can anyone even older than me remember teams actually playing anything like a 2-3-5 back in the day?

The way I recalled it we used to play

---------------------------Hope--------------------------

Hemsley-----------------------------------------Badger

------------Flynn------Colquhoun---Hockey-----------

----------------Salmons---------Currie------------------

Woodward--------------Dearden--------------Scullion

pommpey

 

[Blade1959]

I remember it being more like
Hope
Badger Colquhoun Flynn Hemsley
Currie Hockey
Woodward Salmons
Dearden Scullion

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

The way I recalled it we used to play

---------------------------Hope--------------------------

Hemsley-----------------------------------------Badger

------------Flynn------Colquhoun---Hockey-----------

----------------Salmons---------Currie------------------

Woodward--------------Dearden--------------Scullion

pommpey

Sorry Pommps , but you’re way off with that .

To start with , you’ve got Badger , Hemsley and Salmons all on the wrong side of the pitch and throughout that era we played with a flat back four with Hockey in front in the holding midfield role .

His modern equivalent is your hero Oli N , although there are some minor differences in their style of play particularly in the tackling department ...........

 

[reedy63]

The Best Blades Line I have ever seen1970-72. in my opinion.

 

[Silent Blade]

1/4/1972

Blades 1 (Ford) Newcastle 0

My dad also took Jan Ellis (who at that time often babysat me and my sister when my parents were having a night out) and her friend to the match with us.

The match was rather uneventful and then in the last 5 minutes, sub David Ford ran onto a long bouncing ball and then swung his left foot to hook the ball over Newcastle keeper, Iam McFaul, maybe the keeper could have tried backpedaling to the goal line to avoid the ball going into the net rather than trying a desperate dive. In the photo below it does seem that Ford had hit a rising drive to the back of the net but in reality it was a cunning hook shot.


Very near the end, Stewart Barrowclough was clear on the left and had a good opportunity to cross the ball to the unmarked Malcolm MacDonald in the penalty box but he fluffed the ball out of play. Many in the BLUT noticed MacDonald (his hands on his hips) giving an angry stare at Barrowclough and we were laughing at MacDonald.

After the match, my dad, myself, Jan and her friend walked from Bramall Lane towards John Street so that we could meet John Tudor outside the players entrance. We noticed a running battle between different set of fans near the Cricketers pub, it was the first time I saw heads being kicked and we carried on walking to the players entrance. The running battle near the Cricketers seemed to have died down about 5 minutes later so my dad then decided to bring over his car from Alderson Road to John Street near the players entrance (no parking restrictions at the time) while Jan and her friend would mind me outside the players entrance door. Just after my dad had left John Street then there were a group of fans running from Shoreham Street towards the Cricketers, one of them nicked Jan's friend's red and white woolly scarf. She was shocked and we didnt know what to do, then soon after a tall late teenager (maybe early 20s) pushed me against the wall and nicked my red and white woolly scarf. I was shocked and shaken, and so was Jan who comforted me. When my dad arrived in John Street with his car, Jan then told him what had happened. My dad was furious and then stormed into a minibus that was parked near the Cricketers told a group of fans what had happened, to my surprise two or three in the minibus took a scarf off an innocent fan (who was protesting that it wasnt him that nicked my scarf) and when the scarf was given to me, I knew it wasnt my scarf but I was at loss for words but went along with it and despite that I had calmed down I did feel sorry for the fan. We headed back to the players entrance to meet John Tudor. My dad then told him what had happened.

Looking back, I hope that the two cowardly scarf nickers would look back and then feel ashamed for nicking scarves off a young girl and a 10 year old boy. They were probably Newcastle fans. As for the innocent fan, if he is reading this post, I am sorry!








Scorers, scorers, line ups and league tables are in the below link

1972-04-01

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the match programme

 

[reedy63]

Great Stuff, Thanks Silent Blade.

 

[Silent Blade]

4/4/1972

Blades 1 (Salmons) Man U 1 (Sadler)

Attendance 45,045 (highest attendance for me out of the matches I was at Bramall Lane)

Last week Mrs Silent and I had a catch up with a friend (who played in the same football and cricket team as me for years) and his wife at Conisborough and later on we had a meal at Pastures Lodge in Mexborough. After our meal, we spotted Geoff Salmons who knows my friend as he often goes to this pub. He was happy to pose for a photo with me and my friend.



Back to the match, just before half time Salmons sped on the left with the ball and it seemed that the might be going out of play but he managed cross the ball but somehow it ended up in the net and keeper John Connaughton (who joined us the following season) misjudged the cross as it went over his outstretched hands. Throughout the game, Salmons' speed and skill troubled Man U's defence.



I dont remember David Sadler's equaliser but I remember Connaughton's brilliant save near the end of the match.




Scores, scorers, line ups and league table are in below link. Man City who were favourites to win the league, just before they signed Rodney Marsh, lose another match!

1972-04-04

From the match programme

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

4/4/1972

Blades 1 (Salmons) Man U 1 (Sadler)

Attendance 45,045 (highest attendance for me out of the matches I was at Bramall Lane)

Last week Mrs Silent and I had a catch up with a friend (who played in the same football and cricket team as me for years) and his wife at Conisborough and later on we had a meal at Pastures Lodge in Mexborough. After our meal, we spotted Geoff Salmons who knows my friend as he often goes to this pub. He was happy to pose for a photo with me and my friend.

View attachment 133459

Back to the match, just before half time Salmons sped on the left with the ball and it seemed that the might be going out of play but he managed cross the ball but somehow it ended up in the net and keeper John Connaughton (who joined us the following season) misjudged the cross as it went over his outstretched hands. Throughout the game, Salmons' speed and skill troubled Man U's defence.

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I dont remember David Sadler's equaliser but I remember Connaughton's brilliant save near the end of the match.

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Scores, scorers, line ups and league table are in below link. Man City who were favourites to win the league, just before they signed Rodney Marsh, lose another match!

1972-04-04

From the match programme

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By the time we signed Connaughton, I had forgotten his save at the end, but was terrified by the memory of his blunder…

 

[Silent Blade]

8/4/1972

Blades 0 Derby 4 (Gemmill, Durban, Hector, O'Hare)

Two days after beating Leeds 2-0 on April Fools Day, surprisingly Derby were defeated by a goal from Tommy Cassidy of Newcastle at the Baseball ground (I still remember the photo of Cassidy's shot going past Roy McFarland who had bandage on his head- probably he suffered a head cut during the match), and then they dropped a point at WBA two days later. Leeds and Liverpool won their matches during the week so the league table before we played Derby looked like this.



I thought Derby had scuppered their chances of winning the title. During the warm up the sight of McFarland still having bandage on his head made me think that we had a good chance of winning the match. How wrong was I ?

I still remember John Hope's poor goal kick early in the match that led to Archie Gemmill scoring Derby's 1st, soon after that Hope was again at fault for the 2nd goal when he misjudged Alan Hinton's corner allowing Alan Durban to head home. Derby were dominant throughout the game and it was no surprise that Derby scored two more in the 2nd half. I was so sad for John Hope who I had got to know by meeting him after some matches since his debut at Oxford in March 1971. Kicking was never his strong point and he preferred to take long throws to our players in the opponents' half.














Scores, scorers, line-ups and league tables are in the below link. Leeds, Liverpool and Man City won their games too

1972-04-08

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

From the match programme

 

[bertieblade]

In my view Dave Powell was one of the best wing halves around before suffering an injury which effectively terminated his career. He was tenacious in the tackle and very fast up and down the pitch. He was a sad loss to us and football in general.

I would go so far as to liken him to JOC, unfortunately similar circumstances re injury as well.

 

[Silent Blade]

11/4/1972

When my dad returned home from work in the evening he had bought a plastic football for me. I was pleased and I wanted to out to play but my parents told me to wait until after tea which I found strange because it wasnt really typical of them. After tea, I was ready to go out with the new football but, again, my parents told me to wait despite my protests. Some minutes later I spotted my dad walking to answer the door as if he was expecting a friend. After some seconds I decided to see who had arrived but before I got to the lounge door, in came Tony Currie and John Hope! I looked up in shock and wondered if I was in a dream or something like that! To my dad's delight he pointed at me saying "Told you that you would be getting a surprise!"

The scars on TC's face from the car accident on 25th March were still visible but apart from that he seemed normal. I had not seen him since the car crash. I noticed some passer-bys through the lounge window walking slowly past the house trying to get a glimpse of TC and JH sitting on the sofa having coffee and biscuits provided by my mum. My dad and JH were more chatty than either me or TC and my dad asked me "Will Tony return to action at Ipswich this Saturday?". I said loudly "Of course he has to play!". All laughed!

A memorable evening it was!

 

[HodgysBrokenThumb]

There’s a very unkind joke about John Hope and the ball which a Wednesdayite told me after the 5-0 disaster at West Ham. I will refrain from telling it out of respect for your great description of a memorable day for you, and I wouldn’t want to become an agent of S6 anyway…

 

[Silent Blade]

15/4/1972

Ipswich 0 Blades 0

It was revealed in the previous night's Star that John Hope and Alan Woodward were dropped from the team to play at Ipswich and that Tom McAlister would be making his league debut. I wasnt surprised that John Harris had decided to give McAlister a chance but was surprised at the dropping of Woody as he had always been one of our key players. It was good to see TC back in the team.

My mum, my 6 year old sister travelled to Ipswich with me and my dad in Bransons coach organised by the SUSC Dronfield branch. It was a hot and sunny day. Us four sat on the side stand at Portman Road.

It was the first time I noticed Tom McAlister's little hop in his run when taking dead balls and he would always do this every time I saw him play.

The biggest incident that I clearly remember from the match was when the ref awarded a penalty to us after Bill Dearden was brought down .We wondered, with Woody not in the team, who would be taking our spot kick. My mate Mark got my attention and was saying "We want Woodward back, we want Woodward back". Up stepped Billy Dearden who hit a firm shot but Ipswich's keeper, Laurie Sivell, dived well to his right to save the penalty!

It didnt stop there, the ref had another decision to make immediately after, he sent off Ipswich's left back Colin Harper (photo below was at the same match) and what was more, Colin angrily took off his shirt and threw it at the ref. Ipswich fans threw seat cushions that landed on the pitch. I asked my dad the reason why Harper got sent off. He told me that Harper pushed the ref to the floor! I didnt see the push but I found this strange when he would have been jubilant at the penalty save!



After the game the coach took us supporters to a place (think it was Newmarket) where the supporters could have a drink at a pub that had a nice garden.









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

1972-04-15

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

When I got home I found out in the Green Un that John Hope got carried off with a bad injury in a reserves match. He didnt play throughout the 1972-73 season because of the injury. Here is what the Morning Telegraph reported about our keeper shortage problems a few days later!

 

[Silent Blade]

18/4/1972

Coventry 3 (Graham, Carr, Cattlin) Blades 2 (Currie 2)

It seems unfair that we were winning 2-0 in the scheduled date of 4th March with less than half of hour left to play, then the ref decided to abandon the match because of the poor weather and then we had to play the fixture again with the score being 0-0.

My dad and I travelled to the game with Melvyn and Mark, we arrived at the ground early so we decided to see the SUFC coach arriving outside the players entrance at the ground. It was good to see Woody back after having been dropped from the previous game although he was named as sub. Saw TC who was probably waiting to give complimentary tickets to his friends or family. I thought I would go over him to say "hello". I got his attention and said "hello" to him, he smiled and said "hello" back but we didnt really know what else to say! I am sure he remembered going to my house a week earlier!

I only remember Coventry's 2nd goal scored by Willie Carr which was a powerful drive also the goal scored by TC which would have clinched him the "hat trick" that was controversially disallowed near the end. The players protested hard at the linesman and ref, Coventry quickly broke away during the melee and nearly scored their 4th! To this day, I still do not know why the goal was disallowed!




Scores, scorers, line ups and league tables are in below link. Man City lost at Ipswich which meant that their chances of winning the league had virtually gone as they had only one league match left to play! Some Man City fans said the signing of Rodney Marsh in March 1972 had cost them the title. Neil Young said "Rodney cost us the league, there's no doubt about it,' City's left winger said. 'Whereas before we all knew where we were on the pitch and what we were doing, when Rodney came he unsettled the team. Somebody would give him the ball and I'd make a run ready to collect it in the box and it would never arrive. I'd turn around and he would be juggling it like a bloody seal.'

1972-04-18

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

 

[Silent Blade]

Sorry it was Machin , not Cattlin that scored Coventry's 3rd!

 

[Silent Blade]

22/4/1972

Blades 1 (Colquhoun) Palace 0

The last home game of the season.

The night before I was eager to find out the line ups in the Star paper. I noticed that John "Yogi" Hughes (who destroyed us in December) wasnt in Palace's line up. I told my dad "this is great news", he responded with "any player who is injured shouldnt be seen as great news".

I still can picture Eddie Colquhoun's late winner at the Kop End but the match was rather uneventful.











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

1972-04-22

www.englishfootballleaguetables.co.uk

A bad day for Derby as Man City go top after beating them 2-0 but it was Man City's last game of the season, Leeds and Liverpool win their games and increasing their chances of being league champions



From the match programme





Wonder if the newly weds still go to the Lane 50 years later?


The below ad got my dad in forming Dronfield 5 a side squads for u12s and u14s in the next few weeks. Anyone know the current location of where the British Rail Sports ground at Retford used to be?

 

[Silent Blade]

11/9/1971

Blades 2 (Dearden, Scullion) Spurs 2 (Peters, Gilzean)



Before the game I got to see John Harris receive his Manager of the month award on the pitch and there were loud cheers from the crowd. YTV cameras were there to film the match for highlights in the next day.

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It was a bright and sunny afternoon. We were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty box after the eagle eyed linesman ruled that Jennings still had the ball in his hand outside the box when he tried to throw the ball to a teammate.

TC chipped the free kick into the box and out of our players, only Flynn tried to get to the chip but he was nowhere near it .Joe Kinnear, Mike England and Jennings went after the ball but it caused confusion for Spurs and for most in the ground. Kinnear headed the ball, England and Jennings tried to claim it, England got the second header to it but was off balance as he clashed with Jennings. From my seat in the BLUT I watched the ball go high and then it dropped towards the net, Kinnear recovered and tried to boot the ball off the line but looking at the video, Dearden came from nowhere to dash towards the ball and knock it into the net. I think most in the BLUT didnt have a clue who scored the goal. Our reaction to the goal was about a second or two after we saw the spectators in the Kop go into raptures. Later in the evening when I got the Green Un, the first thing was to find out who had scored our first goal but in his match report, even Peter Howard didnt say that Dearden got the final touch before England's header had crossed the line! In the next day some papers said it was an own goal by England and some said Dearden scored it.

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Scullion's shot hits the post. I have circled where my dad and I were sat in the BLUT

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Deep into injury time in the 1st half Spurs equalised which was a "ghost header" by Martin Peters which was a typical of him like he did for West Ham, Spurs, Norwich and England (he did one for us when we beat Swindon 3-0). The ref then blew for half time before we were able to restart from the centre spot.

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Early in the 2nd half we went 2-1 up after Scullion headed in a cross by Salmons. We all thought he would go on to score many goals for us!

I clearly remember TC chatting with Dearden (see photo below) during a lull in play (an injured player was having treatment by the trainer at the time)

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In the dying minutes of the match, Spurs equalised again after a long throw by Martin Chivers was headed on by England and the wily old fox Alan Gilzean finished the set piece with a typical back header.

It was disappointing that Spurs had denied us a win by scoring right at the end of each half but we were still top of the league! See below link for scores, scorers, line ups and league tables.

1971-09-11

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First time for 50 years I see the extended highlights!

 

[Alan Birchenall's hair]

Be nice to know if Pamela Booth and David Chinn are still out there somewhere? And if he still has that tie.....