60 years ago this month...

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Excellent news - keep up the good work - especially this one my first season

I hope you will have recollections to share. I think that those of us who got hooked remember the unique experience of going to their first games. And, perhaps, some cringeworthy moments when you look back. For rather longer than is good for my self-esteem, I used to look at the front of the programmes when we got home, and assumed that the action photo was (by heaven knows what technological wizardry) from the game I had just seen. My brother (4 years older than me) was merciless when he realised what I believed

 

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1962-63 Pre-season


This was an era when the insularity of English football was decreasing. United had finished their tour of North America on June 9th, and a brief tour of Holland was scheduled for early August. So by late July, the squad would have been back in training, and this is the squad pictured above. The pre-season squad photo is always thought-provoking, and here are my thoughts (please modify or add to them):
1. The relatively small number of regular first-team players had achieved an excellent 5th place the previous season, and no changes had been made to that group. Lack of ambition or fair reward for the players who had done so well following promotion? Stability if you want to be positive, lack of ambition if you want to be negative. I loved that group of players, and I just thought of them as United, and naively assumed they would last for ever.
2. There was a full reserve team (no first-team substitutes then), largely made up of players who provided back-up over many years (Ridge, Thompson), or who never quite made it (Shiels, Orr, Rooney, Hartle, Docherty). Professional football can be a tough business.
3. The group in the photo is large, and this is partly because there are large numbers of youngsters. This was a period where the youth team was successful: they won the Northern Intermediate League Cup in 1962, the League in 1963, and Cup and League in 1964. More importantly in the long run, several of these youngsters went on to have successful careers: Jones, Badger, Bernard Shaw, Woodward, Mallender, the Wagstaffs… Quite a crop of youngsters!
4. These photos always include players who didn’t make it first time round, but many of them have interesting stories. Mike Ash, for example, I was astonished to find out that he ended up playing at River Plate. Wow! Anyway, that photo (kindly supplied by Silent Blade ) has given me food for thought; please add to them.

 

[Bell4]

Good luck with that one .

I’ve recently come to the realisation that one of Silent’s greatest attributes must be that of being able to provide this forum with a wealth of detailed and often fascinating information in respect of all things SUFC , whilst at the same time not coming across as a smart arse - a very fine line to tread .

In this respect , I can only assume that he is conscious of one of Shakespeare’s lesser known soliloquies which opens with the lines ...

“ No man liketh a smart arse , except it be on a fair maiden with the big titties “.


( Or have I just made that up ?)

There are many with nothing to offer but their smart arse egotistical opinions on this forum

 

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August 8, 1962 (Friendly)
Veendam (Holland) 0-2 Utd (Pace 2)
Attendance: 5000

I don’t remember this match happening, as, like many others, I focussed on cricket until the league matches started. But I found looking at this game (thanks to Silent Blade for the report) interesting.

For starters, this is a reminder that English football was becoming less insular. United had completed their tour of Canada and USA on June 9th, and by August 8th we had begun a short tour of Holland. Of course, our players were all British, and even more remarkable in comparison with now, for a pre-season friendly, it was a full 90 minutes for a lineup which was made up of 11 regular players. No new signings, no mass changes at half-time, no surprise that Pace scored the goals and the defence kept a clean sheet. This team had progressed over several years, and rightly or wrongly we were not looking to change anything.
And my Google search came up with details some of you might find interesting. This small town in NE Netherlands was well-suited for high altitude training - 2 metres above sea-level SC Veendam was founded in 1894, and twice made it into the top division in the 1980s, but were relegated immediately both times. The club was dissolved in 2013 with debts of around 1 million euros. When we played them, they were in the second tier. They had floodlights installed in1960, but the anonymous Telegraph reporter uses the poor quality to excuse his not knowing who created our second goal. Many of their players were part-timers, and were given jobs (real or a cover?) in the local potato starch factory. And because of what the area was famous for, they were known by the catchy nickname ‘Peat Colonials’! Try using that in a chant/song.
3 days later, we had a tougher challenge to face in Holland…

 

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August 11, 1962 (Friendly)
Sparta Rotterdam 0-3 Utd (Kettleborough,
Hodgson, Pace)
Attendance: 15000

Just 3 days after the first pre-season friendly, United completed their short tour of Holland with another win, without major complications:

Football seemed simpler 60 years ago. Organising a foreign trip would be more complex, but the football was more straightforward. For a pre-season friendly, pick your best 11 players, play them for the whole match, and then 3 days later, do the same again (except Coldwell was injured with 2 minutes to go, and Matthewson got 2 minutes on the lush grass…) It seems that a good understanding between the first-team players, and the development of a strong team spirit, were the main priorities, and the United team of that era was well-suited to this approach. There was no trying out squad players, different systems, etc. If a team was doing well, it was a case of more of the same, and hope that there were not many injuries. The thinking would be that 7 days later the same players would be ready for Forest.
As with previous game, I have no memory of the Sparta match. A quick Google search revealed some interesting detail. Sparta Rotterdam were founded in 1888, one year before Utd; they too were formed as the footballing arm of a cricket club. Their ground is ‘The Castle’, and their nicknames are ‘The Castle Lords’ and ‘The red-and-white gladiators’; disappointingly, they adopted red-and-white stripes after a visit to Sunderland. The same process occurred with At Bilbao, I think.
They have been league champions 6 times, and the ground capacity is 11,926, apparently reduced from at least 15000, if the reports of our game are to be believed.
The report has an interesting detail on the contribution of their English player, Carl Wilson, implying that his directness was more effective than the other players’ tippy-tappy approach. He appears to have had a very limited career.

 

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Saturday, August 18, 1962
Forest 2-1 United (Pace)
Attendance: 25,527

And so to the excitement of the first day of a new season. Having followed promotion with a 5th position in the top division (and Ipswich, promoted with us, had won the League, so anything was possible), there was a real chance that the new season would provide the opportunity for a serious attempt to win a major trophy (oh, what is to be young and foolish). School football had not started, so it was a day for getting the old rattle out of the cupboard (see avatar), the scarf out of the drawer (no matter what the temperature in August), and off on the train to a place I enjoyed visiting (I occasionally went from school football in the morning to watch Spurs or ManU there - it was possible to do that by train and not miss kick-off.) It has taken a lot to make me dislike Forest, but recent events have finally completed that process.
Having said that, I have to admit that I only have the vaguest of memories about the game, which centred on controversy around refereeing decisions. The take in the following report is that ‘we wuz robbed’:

All 3 goals were dubious, and both the analysis above and the following immediate description of events in the Green’Un (which comes to an end earlier than was usual) confirm that Utd were very unlucky to lose:


So, a disappointing result, but plenty of confidence that Utd had the ability to thrive again in the top Division. A home match against Fulham in midweek would provide further evidence…
Below are several pages from the programme. 3 of the Forest players are familiar names to older Blades: Jim Iley was sold by Utd to Spurs to finance new floodlights at the Lane, but his best years were still to come when, not long after this match, he moved to Newcastle, and then into management. I had totally forgotten that Addison and Hockey had played against us for Forest long before signing for the Blades: Addison did not quite live up to expectations at the Lane, whereas Hockey became a surprise cult figure. It also surprised me that he was a winger rather than a wing-half for much of his career. Addison had a good career after hanging up his boots, whereas Trevor Hockey’s death came as a shock to everyone, as he was in his early 40s. His time at the Lane was short, his impact great.
I also include for interest the details of the full Forest squad: only one player, the ‘giant’ centre-half, was 6-feet tall. Much has changed in 60 years.

 

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And in case you can’t read the other scores, it was Wolves 8-1 Man City!

 

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Wednesday, August 22, 1962
United 2-0 Fulham
(Kettleborough, Hodgson)
Attendance: 19890

With the floodlights still being repaired following the gale the previous spring, anyone wanting to be there for kick-off had to arrive by 6.30 p.m. Football had its regular patterns (Saturdays at 3, midweek at 7.30), but occasionally habits had to be changed, and problems with floodlighting was one of the few reasons. It is not easy to get used to the modern inconvenience of matches being moved for TV.

Those who had time to read the programme before kick-off would have probably been happy to go along with the policy of persisting with the players who had achieved so much in the previous 2 seasons, and with the promise of developing our youngsters, several of whom went on to have good careers. They would have hoped that the promise of European football would have been honoured, and the fact that it wasn’t will have helped the sense that we don’t receive many favours. And they will have liked the appreciation of the supporters who went to matches, but probably doubted that the called-for increase in numbers would happen. (The attendance we recorded on the team page - 19 - was a bit pessimistic, though) And then look at the Fulham lineup, and wonder whether their collection of good experienced players would be hard to beat: Cohen, Langley, Mullery, Dodgin, Lowe, Leggat, Robson, Haynes. Plenty of former, current and future internationals there. At least the keeper, the Gibraltarian Macedo, was sometimes good for a howler.
As it turned out, even though we kicked the ‘wrong way’, we were 2-0 up in no time, with an excellent goal from Kettleborough, and a header from Hodgson (the little man was good at finding space to score headers). And it was all move round to the Lane End, to watch United win with few alarms. The first 2 points were on the board, though champions Ipswich were next to visit the Lane, just 3 days later.

 

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August 25, 1962
United 2-1 Ipswich
(Pace, Simpson)
Attendance: 23704

Having finished 5th the previous season, United got an early opportunity to test themselves against the League Champions, and an improved crowd saw an entertaining and exciting win, United’s second win in 4 days, and one which strengthened the belief that that the previous season had not been a fluke. Video of highlights of the game are available on YouTube, and if I fail to provide the link (early efforts are not promising) it is easy to access via a Google search, and some kind IT-savvy soul will no doubt post the link for me. I have never seen the highlights before; going out on a Saturday evening had begun to have its attractions, and if you weren’t home in time and missed Match of the Day, there was no way of seeing it later. The quality of the film is not great, but it holds much interest:
1. United played like a team, and in the brief highlights just about all the players are shown to make good contributions.
2. Kettleborough was having his best spell at the Lane, driving forward and, along with Hodgson, causing Ipswich problems.
3. The film does not capture clearly the moments of controversy, where Utd win a late penalty, perhaps following a Pace foul, Simpson’s first effort had to be re-taken, and then his second effort was uncharacteristically tame and straight at goalkeeper Bailey.
4. It does capture the answer to one puzzle. There was still time for Simpson to make amends, and score the winner WITH A HEADER. Simpson hardly ever headed the ball, and I could not imagine how he scored with one. It came from an Allchurch corner, which the defenders failed to deal with, the ball bounced up with little pace on it, and he managed to get enough on the ball to place it into a large space which had opened up in the goal. The winner, and a collector’s item!
And so it was deja vu; the previous September, the score had been exactly the same. And there was no resting on laurels; in the next 7 days there were trips to Fulham and Liverpool to deal with.

Edit:

The above link to the video may work!

 

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Monday, August 27, 1962
United Reserves 0-0 Preston Reserves

Some people claim that youngsters in the 1960’s were having a wild time as the ‘Swinging Sixties’ changed society for ever. It was not like that for everyone. Our Bank Holiday Monday treat was a trip to the Lane to see a 0-0 draw v Preston Reserves! As the first-team was not in action, we did not even have the excitement of seeing the scoreboard updated every 15 minutes. What we did not appreciate is that we watched 2 players embarking on wonderful careers - Len Badger and Howard Kendall.

 

[Tickhill Blade]

Monday, August 27, 1962
United Reserves 0-0 Preston Reserves
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Some people claim that youngsters in the 1960’s were having a wild time as the ‘Swinging Sixties’ changed society for ever. It was not like that for everyone. Our Bank Holiday Monday treat was a trip to the Lane to see a 0-0 draw v Preston Reserves! As the first-team was not in action, we did not even have the excitement of seeing the scoreboard updated every 15 minutes. What we did not appreciate is that we watched 2 players embarking on wonderful careers - Len Badger and Howard Kendall.

Was the Arblaster in goal there any relation to our current Arblaster?

 

[Silent Blade]

Was the Arblaster in goal there any relation to our current Arblaster?

Yes, Ollie's grandfather

 

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Wednesday, August 29, 1962
Fulham 2-2 United
(Hodgson, Simpson)
Attendance: 16356

In line with the well-established pattern of playing the same team twice in midweek in the first 2 weeks of the season, United set off to London to play Fulham for the second time in 7 days, with confidence high after 2 home wins. The game had added significance in that it was Joe Shaw’s 500th league appearance for United (and there were more to come), and it was unfortunate that the landmark was not reached in a home match. A midweek away match in London was not easy for Blades fans to attend, and the fact that I do not have a copy of the match programme suggests that even my brother (who had just started work) did not make it to the match.

Below is a further tribute to Joe from the programme for United’s next home game:


Thanks to Silent Blade , I also have the report on the match:

It appears that the match was a good one, with Hodgson and Kettleborough still in good form, and those of us who saw Ronnie Simpson regularly will be able to imagine his 25-yard free-kick which earned a point. Although he had missed a penalty the previous week, his shooting ability was never in doubt.
So, a celebration, a good performance on the road, 3 games unbeaten. And a visit to newly-promoted Liverpool in 3 days. Things were looking good.

 

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Saturday, September 1st, 1962
Liverpool 2-0 United
Attendance: 47742

Not being able to go to as many away matches resulted in some disappointments, and missing this game was one of them. Not a good result, but it does seem to have been a very good game against newly-promoted Liverpool. It was a big crowd- more than twice what United usually had at the Lane. The programme was one I liked, largely for the generous space it gave to the away club, including a good joke about United’s defence tripping off the tongue like Freeman, Hardy and Willis!


The lineup for Liverpool was interesting: in addition to former Blade Kevin Lewis, there were a number of players who were to become household names as Liverpool became increasingly successful: Yeats, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, together with several very well-established senior pros:

And of course the manager was Bill Shankly, on his way to becoming one of the all-time great club managers. But they were not yet the finished article, and United, playing against the Liverpool team and the wall of noise from the Anfield crowd, pushed them hard, and it seems that they could have come away with a point, following a performance which drew generous praise from Bill Shankly.


So, 5 games gone, 2 wins, 2 defeats, 1 draw, and a solid mid-table position which suggested we were at home in the top division. And one striking contrast with the modern game: the same 11 players had played all 5 games. Freeman, Hardy and Willis were not in the same league as us!

 

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Wednesday, September 5, 1962
United 1-1 Blackburn
(Pace)
Attendance: 18,483

Early September, nights drawing in, and repairs to the floodlights continued, so the kick-off for this evening match was at the awkward time of 6.15. Little did we know that, as floodlights improved and televised football became more and more important, inconvenient kick-off times would become increasingly frequent.

The Lines from the Pavilion are especially interesting (and not just for the paragraphs that will interest Isaw Joeshaw ), and the item on personalities is a mix of rather dated comments and interesting observations. Worth a read.
The lineup is again remarkable for one thing: 6th game of the season, and not a single change. Whether or not we had many personalities, we certainly had a team that worked together as a team. Unfortunately, on this occasion the team were not at their best, and had to settle for a disappointing draw.

And I have to confess that, even after reading the programme and the match report, I have no direct memory of the game. At least that makes me feel a little better about not remembering games from a few weeks ago now… Anyway, the next game was only 3 days later, against a resurgent Wolves, and featured that rare thing - an opponent’s goal which is still clear in the memory even 60 years later.

 

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Saturday, 8 September, 1962
United 1-2 Wolves
(Pace)
Attendance: 27419

The hopes of a bigger attendance against second-placed Wolves proved accurate for once, and although United lost this game, the quality of the performance meant that optimism for the season remained intact.

The programme gives an idea of what to expect. United made the first changes of the season, with wingers Allchurch and Simpson out injured, and replaced by the less experienced Docherty and Hartle. Wolves, as the programme explains, had started the season with a very young team, hoping to re-create the post-war years success enjoyed by the club. The early signs were good, as they were scoring for fun and conceding few; they were in 2nd place, with a game in hand of leaders Everton. And the match reports describe an exciting end-to-end game, with United unlucky to lose, having hit the woodwork twice in the opening minutes.

The abiding memory from the match is the Wolves second goal, scored by teenage winger Terry Wharton. Kicking towards the Kop, he cut in from the left, and from a huge distance hit a shot which did something I had never seen before: from behind the goal, it was not only that the ball was travelling at great speed, but it was dipping and swerving in a way that was just not normal with the old leather balls. Hodgy had not a cat-in-hell’s chance of saving it. One of the reports says that Unitedites cheered the goal. ‘Applauded’ was my memory of it, rather than cheered.
One more photo, courtesy of Silent Blade which appears to show Hodgson’s early attempt which hit the post. Docherty and Pace are the United players:

 

[Silent Blade]

Interesting that Bob Evans, who won a 1915 FA Cup medal with us, visited our dressing room when we played at Anfield the previous week

 

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Interesting that Bob Evans, who won a 1915 FA Cup medal with us, visited our dressing room when we played at Anfield the previous week

When I read that item, it was one of those moments when you get a new sense of perspective. He won his Cup medal 57 years before that Liverpool game, and the 1915 Final for me always belonged in an era too long gone for me to even imagine how it felt. I am now writing about games 60 years ago, which feel like the day before yesterday. That is probably because I now have trouble remembering what I was doing the day before yesterday

 

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Monday September 10, 1962
United Reserves 3-1 Blackburn Reserves

The decision whether to watch Coronation Street or United Reserves was a no-brainer, and whist I have no memory of this game, the same would have been the case with an episode of Coronation Street.


The programme may be of interest to some: it never fails to amaze me how many memories are triggered and lines of enquiry started just by looking at a team-sheet from many years ago. Here are 3 thoughts from this programme:
1. The United line-up contains players who brought me the best and worst moments of 1963. The young right-back, Len Badger, was paired with another youngster, Bernard Shaw, and they were given their debuts in a meaningless end-of-season game v Leyton Orient. This was not only a reminder that the famous back 6 of the late 50s and early 60s would one day retire, but the lads played so well that it appeared that the focus on youth, announced in the first home programme of the season, actually gave grounds for optimism - a good crop of youngsters was on its way.
The worst moment involved Des Thompson, through no fault of his own. United were top of the league in autumn 1963, and looking like serious contenders for League Champions, for the first, and alas only time in my life, when Hodgy broke his thumb. Instead of buying a proper replacement, the Board opted for Des Thompson, who was coming to the end of an undistinguished career. It all went downhill from there, and for the first time in my life I realised how important the Board of Directors is.
2. Mick Ash. Many youngsters don’t have the career they would have hoped for, but have interesting careers nonetheless. It appears that Mick Ash ended up on the books of Boca Juniors and River Plate, something that has been discussed on here before. But details have been hard to come by.
3. Dave Whelan. Broke his leg in the 1960 Cup Final (there seemed to be a serious injury every year, part of the ‘Wembley hoodoo’). His career never recovered (he ended his career at Crewe, as Warnock claimed the other night that everyone does). But he went on to greater things, becoming very wealthy and leading Wigan to undreamed of success. It’s a funny old game.
And 5 days later, it was back to watching the first team, and a game I remember well. One of my most enjoyable away-days…

 

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Saturday September 15, 1962
Villa 1-2 United (Hartle 2)
Attendance: 29564

After a 3-match wobble (1 draw, 2 defeats), United were back on form, comfortably beating 3rd-place Aston Villa, although in the end the difference was only 1 goal. The performance merited a much bigger margin. If you want to see some excellent play from Hodgson, Kettleborough, Allchurch, Hartle, then the following highlights from Match of the Day are well worth a watch. And I am pleased to report that the first goal came from a good throw from Hodgy, turning defence into attack.



Rather unexpectedly, this turned out to be one of my favourite away-days. I went with a lad I was at school with, who was related to Richard Wragg, and lived near Joe Shaw (Bishop Court Avenue?). We made it to Villa Park before the United team coach arrived, and to my great pleasure, Joe Shaw greeted us, disappeared for a few minutes, and then came back out with 2 tickets for us, in the stand opposite the tv cameras, about level with where Barry Hartle scored his second goal. The only downside was that being in the stand rather inhibited my use of the rattle, though I swear you can hear it after that 2nd goal was scored.
Hodgson and Kettleborough were outstanding that day, and nobody had a bad game. It was the best I ever saw Barry Hartle play, and the 2nd goal was unique. Pace sneaking up behind the keeper against his former club, diverting the ball to Hartle about 25 yards out, and Hartle with a magnificent first-time chip. And all that in a free seat provided by Joe Shaw. Could life get any better? It was a unique goal, in the same way as Dean Saunders goal v Port Vale from a cheeky throw-in, and Richard Cresswell with a surprise steal of the ball v Plymouth.
It was a pity Joe Shaw scored an own goal at the end; it made our conversation with him afterwards a bit awkward. I remember thinking ‘Whatever you do, don’t mention the own goal’. He had in fact played well, standing up to Derek Dougan who was pretty brutal that day. And it sounds as if Hodgy gave him plenty of stick about the own goal!
Below are extracts from the programme, and reports. Let me know if the video link doesn’t work, and I will try to do it again.

 

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Monday, September 17th, 1962
Blackburn 1-2 United
(Allchurch, Pace)
Attendance: 13836

What was it about Blackburn and playing on Mondays? United Reserves had played Blackburn home and away on Mondays (Sept 3 and 10), and here we were 1 week later playing them away in a first team match. That little sequence makes no sense to me. But no matter, a second away win in 3 days, with strong performances in both games, had our season back on track. I would add 1 preliminary grumble: the Blackburn programme was rubbish, with just 1 page of text (written by Harry Ditton of The News of the World), and a very meagre write-up on the opposition (at least they did not repeat the howler of the previous season, where they put Fred Furniss at left-half for Utd, despite the fact that was a right-back, and had retired about 7 years previously.) I enjoy reading old programmes, but the Blackburn one is devoid of interest.

The newspaper report, provided again by Silent Blade , includes a nice detail on Hodgy inviting a kid from behind the goal to join in the pre-match shoot-in, something he often did in away matches. They always seemed to have fun.

This was part of a good spell for United, and again it seems that almost everyone was on form. This was a time when Barry Hartle looked like a player who could become an established first-team player with great skill, but unfortunately he did not achieve the necessary consistency.
One extra photo I came across:

The caption says that it is Blackburn keeper Fred Else beating Kettleborough to the ball; I am sure he would have been delighted to have had a head of hair like that. My guess would be Bill Hodgson. And, of course, the other player is Pace, scorer of the winning goal, with, remarkably, his first headed goal of the season. Fred Else was a goalkeeper I always rated highly.

 

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Saturday, September 22, 1962
United 3-1 Spurs
(Hodgson, Allchurch, Kettleborough)
Attendance: 38,355

I assume that this must have been a perfect Saturday for Bert : biggest crowd of the season so far, Jimmy Greaves scored a goal, United won 3-1. It was a measure of Spurs’ star quality that the only home game with a larger crowd that season was against Wednesday. The Spurs players were household names, and I could rattle off their back 6 as quickly as United’s: Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, MacKay. They were definitely my favourite ‘other’ team, and I managed to get to see them at Nottingham, Man City, ManU, SWFC, etc. They rarely failed to entertain.
The large crowd was given cause to celebrate before kick-off with a presentation to Joe Shaw in recognition of his 500 games for Utd - a drinks cabinet!

The match programme also focussed on his achievements, and, pleasingly for me, words of praise for the many well-mannered teenagers attending matches at the Lane. There was also a tribute to Ernest Graham, a director who had responsibility for the reserves, and had died recently. I confess I had never heard of him, but his work was clearly behind the scenes. There is also a good read about the last game of the 1938-39 season, a 6-1 win against Spurs, which meant that Utd won promotion instead of Wednesday. That must have been quite a day, but the outbreak of WW2 rather took the shine off that achievement!

The match itself was one of the best performances of that era. United dominated much of the game, with Hodgson and Richardson doing most of the heavy lifting, to allow the other players to show their skills by giving them space and time to use the ball.


As a result of this excellent performance, the third victory in a row, United were now above Wednesday by virtue of a slightly better goal average. By coincidence, Utd Reserves were below Wednesday Reserves by a similar margin:

The team highlighted in each case above gives away where I was the following Saturday!

 

[Summers & Pace]

Saturday, September 22, 1962
United 3-1 Spurs
(Hodgson, Allchurch, Kettleborough)
Attendance: 38,355

I assume that this must have been a perfect Saturday for Bert : biggest crowd of the season so far, Jimmy Greaves scored a goal, United won 3-1. It was a measure of Spurs’ star quality that the only home game with a larger crowd that season was against Wednesday. The Spurs players were household names, and I could rattle off their back 6 as quickly as United’s: Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, MacKay. They were definitely my favourite ‘other’ team, and I managed to get to see them at Nottingham, Man City, ManU, SWFC, etc. They rarely failed to entertain.
The large crowd was given cause to celebrate before kick-off with a presentation to Joe Shaw in recognition of his 500 games for Utd - a drinks cabinet!
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The match programme also focussed on his achievements, and, pleasingly for me, words of praise for the many well-mannered teenagers attending matches at the Lane. There was also a tribute to Ernest Graham, a director who had responsibility for the reserves, and had died recently. I confess I had never heard of him, but his work was clearly behind the scenes. There is also a good read about the last game of the 1938-39 season, a 6-1 win against Spurs, which meant that Utd won promotion instead of Wednesday. That must have been quite a day, but the outbreak of WW2 rather took the shine off that achievement!
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The match itself was one of the best performances of that era. United dominated much of the game, with Hodgson and Richardson doing most of the heavy lifting, to allow the other players to show their skills by giving them space and time to use the ball.
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As a result of this excellent performance, the third victory in a row, United were now above Wednesday by virtue of a slightly better goal average. By coincidence, Utd Reserves were below Wednesday Reserves by a similar margin:
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The team highlighted in each case above gives away where I was the following Saturday!

I keeping meaning to say Hodgey that you are bringing back a lot of really positive memories.
This season was the first that me our kid and my dad had season tickets.
I’m having trouble remembering some of the matches, but can certainly remember the Wolves and Spurs games. I remember the long distance goal scored by Wharton, stood on the BL end it seemed to me that he scored from the halfway line, he obviously didn’t but to a small 10 year old , it seemed to be the case.
We had some great games against Spurs during this period, the above phenomenal win and also a couple of 3-3’s
Keep up the good work much appreciated.

 

[finlaytheblade]

August 25, 1962
United 2-1 Ipswich
(Pace, Simpson)
Attendance: 23704

Having finished 5th the previous season, United got an early opportunity to test themselves against the League Champions, and an improved crowd saw an entertaining and exciting win, United’s second win in 4 days, and one which strengthened the belief that that the previous season had not been a fluke. Video of highlights of the game are available on YouTube, and if I fail to provide the link (early efforts are not promising) it is easy to access via a Google search, and some kind IT-savvy soul will no doubt post the link for me. I have never seen the highlights before; going out on a Saturday evening had begun to have its attractions, and if you weren’t home in time and missed Match of the Day, there was no way of seeing it later. The quality of the film is not great, but it holds much interest:
1. United played like a team, and in the brief highlights just about all the players are shown to make good contributions.
2. Kettleborough was having his best spell at the Lane, driving forward and, along with Hodgson, causing Ipswich problems.
3. The film does not capture clearly the moments of controversy, where Utd win a late penalty, perhaps following a Pace foul, Simpson’s first effort had to be re-taken, and then his second effort was uncharacteristically tame and straight at goalkeeper Bailey.
4. It does capture the answer to one puzzle. There was still time for Simpson to make amends, and score the winner WITH A HEADER. Simpson hardly ever headed the ball, and I could not imagine how he scored with one. It came from an Allchurch corner, which the defenders failed to deal with, the ball bounced up with little pace on it, and he managed to get enough on the ball to place it into a large space which had opened up in the goal. The winner, and a collector’s item!
And so it was deja vu; the previous September, the score had been exactly the same. And there was no resting on laurels; in the next 7 days there were trips to Fulham and Liverpool to deal with.
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Edit:

The above link to the video may work!

Simpson goal was a remarkable effort as you say he wasn't known for his heading ability.
The corner came in the ball bounced up ! as it came up somehow Ron kinder ran onto it and just like an half volley he flicked his head and the ball shot with real power towards the net .
he was way out on edge of box and a header was not really on! how wrong you can be.
The most remarkable headed goal I have seen scored by a player who just didn't head the ball normally

 

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I keeping meaning to say Hodgey that you are bringing back a lot of really positive memories.
This season was the first that me our kid and my dad had season tickets.
I’m having trouble remembering some of the matches, but can certainly remember the Wolves and Spurs games. I remember the long distance goal scored by Wharton, stood on the BL end it seemed to me that he scored from the halfway line, he obviously didn’t but to a small 10 year old , it seemed to be the case.
We had some great games against Spurs during this period, the above phenomenal win and also a couple of 3-3’s
Keep up the good work much appreciated.

That is very kind of you. I get a great deal of pleasure doing it, with occasional challenges, such as the next 2 games coming up - away matches I didn’t go to and don’t even remember happening! Fortunately, Silent Blade is kind enough to send me match reports housed in the Central Library, so I don’t have to just make it up!

 

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Simpson goal was a remarkable effort as you say he wasn't known for his heading ability.
The corner came in the ball bounced up ! as it came up somehow Ron kinder ran onto it and just like an half volley he flicked his head and the ball shot with real power towards the net .
he was way out on edge of box and a header was not really on! how wrong you can be.
The most remarkable headed goal I have seen scored by a player who just didn't head the ball normally

It was indeed remarkable, and the final minutes of that game show why it never pays to leave a game early. You never know what might happen. I think of Simpson as a good penalty taker (he missed), who never headed the ball (as you say, it was a good header into the bargain). I didn’t dare claim it was his only headed goal, but I don’t remember any others.

 

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Wednesday September 26, 1962
League Cup, 2nd Round
Brentford 1-4 United
(Hodgson 2, Pace, G Shaw (pen))
Attendance: 13850

I have no memory of this match, which I believe was our first against Brentford in my lifetime; it was a long time before I actually got to see Brentford.

A few observations:
1. My memory is that the League Cup created little interest in the early years, and the attendance surprises me. We must have been seen as attractive opposition/giant-killing prospects.
2. Although most League Cup matches attracted small crowds, clubs still put out strong teams. United made no changes, so it was another full 90minutes for the regulars.
3. This was clearly yet another good performance, with players like Hodgson in a run of excellent form.
4. It is funny how things happen in clusters. Graham Shaw (pen) was repeated in the next 2 games.
So, there was no let-up for the players; Wednesday evening at Brentford, and it was back to London to play West Ham on Saturday.

 

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Saturday, September 29, 1962
West Ham 1-1 United (G Shaw, pen)
Attendance: 22707

I did not get to this game (school football, presumably), and the fact that I don’t have a copy of the match programme suggests that either my disorganised collection is hiding a secret, or that my brother missed this game as well - a rare event. I have managed to get a picture of the front cover:

Reading the match report now makes me think that this was a game I will have regretted missing - it was one of those games where Hodgy made a series of brilliant saves, and his performance was recognised by the home crowd. That did happen from time to time, but it was much more frequent when in spite of the away keeper’s performance, the home team won. The Anfield Kop was renowned for such a response.

A few thoughts:
1. That is quite a West Ham team! Half-back line: Peters, Brown, Moore. Attacking trio: Woosnam, Byrne, Hurst. More than a quarter of the World Cup Champions of 1966.
2. The reports make clear that we deserved the point, with our unchanged lineup again delivering a strong performance.
3. Hodgy’s performance sounds typical of him at his best - brave, agile, battered.
4. For the second successive match, Graham Shaw went for power in scoring a penalty.
5. Could a referee have a worse name than Mr Spittle?
The only downside to the day was that I went to watch Wednesday beat ManU 1-0. This was far from a great ManU team, and that defeat meant that the 2 Manchester teams were down at the bottom of the league, while the 2 Sheffield teams were very much top half. It was just annoying that Wednesday’s win put them above United. But it set things up nicely for a full-blooded local Derby a week later. Plenty about that next week.

 

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Saturday October 6th, 1962
United 2-2 Wednesday
( G Shaw, pen, Pace)
Attendance: 40813 or 42687

Football is all about opinions; especially a local Derby. Sorting out this particular game, which I have to confess I don’t remember very well 60 years on, makes me realise how difficult it is for professional historians to make sense of source materials and arrive at some sort of balanced truth. A few examples: Denis Clarebrough’s ‘First 100 Years’ gives the crowd as 40183, the following home game programme gave 42687, the highest crowd of the season, and that is the figure we wrote in our match day programme. Hodgy’s autobiography (see below) puts the crowd at over 48000. Does it matter? Probably not, unless we want an argument about which Sheffield club has the biggest support. If that is difficult to sort out, then how about whether the award of the penalty to United was correct? We can’t even agree if Berge should have been given a penalty v QPR 2 days ago, with all the video and photographic evidence, so I will not hazard a guess as to whether Johnson tripped Allchurch. Suffice to say, subsequent reports and match day programmes had different views, and Utd claim that a blatant penalty was not given earlier in the game.
And then there is this goal, Layne’s second:

I was at the other end, on the Kop, it looks like a monumental cockup, so have wiped the incident from my memory, and none of the reports appear to explain it. Perhaps someone on here remembers it, and can enlighten me; I think I can cope with it now…
A good illustration of the problem for historians of how to deal with personal memoirs is Hodgy’s autobiography. His description of the game paints a great picture, contains some factual truth and lots of rhetorical flourishes to create a sense of the atmosphere and meaning of a local Derby. But a lot of the factual detail is just wrong. If the pages below are legible, I recommend taking the time to read them, before looking at my observations on them:

The introduction about the number of local players and the joke by Gerry Summers seem right (the quote from the programme is accurate). The intensity of the match, the fouls, and the aftermatch warmth between the 2 keepers ring true. On the other hand, I can’t make the account of the game correspond to the newspaper reports- United were not 2 goals down, Layne’s first goal was direct from a free-kick, United’s penalty was for a foul on Allchurch (what he describes sounds like the penalty appeal that was turned down), and Pace’s goal sounds more like his winner in the previous year’s derby. John Harris’ half-time team talk does not sound like my idea of how he spoke. Despite all its problems, he does create a powerful sense of how Derby games were: intense, controversial, plenty of fouls, passionate, but without the overlay of overt violence which has since developed.
In order to keep the length of this post in control, I will put all the remaining material in the following post, and invite comments and observations from anyone interested.

 

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(Utd 2-2 Wednesday, continued)
Apologies- the last 2 photos are in the wrong order, and the first pic appears twice!