Blades 0 Derby 4 - April 1972

[Silent Blade]

We missed key players such as TC (recovering from a car crash two weeks earlier) and Hockey (broken leg) and had to play inadequate reserves such as Ian Holmes, Ian MacKenzie and David Ford. Derby showed why they deserved to win the league that season. John Hope and Alan Woodward were dropped from the team for the next game (at Ipswich- Tom McAlister's league debut).

 

[Grecian2000]

Cheers Silent. Nowt like a four nil twatting at home to bring you down from a good win last night.

'kin knockers everywhere you look

 

[Darren]

We missed key players such as TC (recovering from a car crash two weeks earlier) and Hockey (broken leg) and had to play inadequate reserves such as Ian Holmes, Ian MacKenzie and David Ford. Derby showed why they deserved to win the league that season. John Hope and Alan Woodward were dropped from the team for the next game (at Ipswich- Tom McAlister's league debut).

I'm not surprised Hope was dropped!

MacKenzie wasn't a reserve by then, he had been first choice centre back since December.

 

[JohnDenver]

Who the hell is in net for us? He's got the kicking technique of a 5-year-old and the handling ability of Chris Woods.

 

[Darren]

Who the hell is in net for us? He's got the kicking technique of a 5-year-old and the handling ability of Chris Woods.

John "no" Hope. As Silent says, he was dropped after this game and did not play another first team game until Jan 74!

 

[Trigger Blade]

Who the hell is in net for us? He's got the kicking technique of a 5-year-old and the handling ability of Chris Woods.

John Hope, or No-hope as I liked to think of him. For a while, I aspired to the kind of mullet he sported.

Great kit, my favourite ever, and imagine our current lot trying to pass the ball on that kind of surface (which was much, much better than the bog at the Baseball Ground.

 

[Grecian2000]

John "no" Hope. As Silent says, he was dropped after this game and did not play another first team game until Jan 74!

If I remember right he came back for the game at Turf Moor and dropped a major bollock for their goal. We won due to an early Keith Eddy strike (so early we mieed it) and TC scoring the best goal I'd ever seen live at that point.

As an aside, we played the game on a Saturday night (no idea why) and me and a mate managed to go to The Sty on Sat afternoon (no idea who they played, but I think they won), Turf Moor on Sat night and Valley Parade on the Sunday as City played one of the first Sunday games vs Exeter. You had to buy a program to get in as they couldn't charge for Sunday football then.

 

[Darren]

If I remember right he came back for the game at Turf Moor and dropped a major bollock for their goal. We won due to an early Keith Eddy strike (so early we mieed it) and TC scoring the best goal I'd ever seen live at that point.

As an aside, we played the game on a Saturday night (no idea why) and me and a mate managed to go to The Sty on Sat afternoon (no idea who they played, but I think they won), Turf Moor on Sat night and Valley Parade on the Sunday as City played one of the first Sunday games vs Exeter. You had to buy a program to get in as they couldn't charge for Sunday football then.

You're right. It was on 19th Jan 1974. I don't know about the dropping a bollock, but you were there and I was a mere seven years old, so wasn't there

It's weird the game was played Sat night, as it was in the middle of the miners' overtime ban and just before they went on strike, thus precipitating a 3 day week (and general election), so you would have thought they would have played it early afternoon rather than night to save power.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Who the hell is in net for us? He's got the kicking technique of a 5-year-old and the handling ability of Chris Woods.

My dad reckons Hope was crap. Apparently he dropped a clanger in a match against Newcastle and said the floodlights were in his eyes.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Yours for just £12.99

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Photo-Mug-Sheffield-United-Photocall/dp/B005IBYMP0

 

[JohnDenver]

Yours for just £12.99

Ha! Good looking fella too. Like an extra from Porridge.

 

[Pinchy]

I remember it well. I was in Belgium, aged 15, playing on a youth tour against a Bruges XI (lost 2-1 after I opened the scoring) and a feeder team for Anderlecht (lost 3-1 after I scored our equaliser). Our right-back was invited back for trials, but couldn't afford it. I met a girl from Harpenden in Amsterdam on the Dutch leg of the tour, where our only fixture was cancelled owing to a clash of dates. We ended up playing our own U-14s in Holland! I scored in a 4-0 win and bullied a few youngsters in the tackle. The girl from Harpenden thing went nowhere back in the UK. Her only letter to me mentioned that her boyfriend was a 'biker'!

I remember buying an English paper on the Monday to read of our defeat against Derby. Papers were always a day or two late when abroad in those days and there was no World Wide Web, believe it or not! Derby had a great side and won the title that year, I think.

We left from the Midland Station quite late on the preceding Tuesday. We drew 1-1 with Man Ure at the Lane that night. I can't remember if I went to the match or not but I have a clear recollection of knowing the result before departure.

Those were the days.

 

[Darren]

My dad reckons Hope was crap. Apparently he dropped a clanger in a match against Newcastle and said the floodlights were in his eyes.

Was that at the Lane or St James' Park?

 

[Darren]

I remember it well. I was in Belgium, aged 15, playing on a youth tour against a Bruges XI (lost 2-1 after I opened the scoring) and a feeder team for Anderlecht (lost 3-1 after I scored our equaliser). Our right-back was invited back for trials, but couldn't afford it. I met a girl from Harpenden in Amsterdam on the Dutch leg of the tour, where our only fixture was cancelled owing to a clash of dates. We ended up playing our own U-14s in Holland! I scored in a 4-0 win and bullied a few youngsters in the tackle. The girl from Harpenden thing went nowhere back in the UK. Her only letter to me mentioned that her boyfriend was a 'biker'!

I remember buying an English paper on the Monday to read of our defeat against Derby. Papers were always a day or two late when abroad in those days and there was no World Wide Web, believe it or not! Derby had a great side and won the title that year, I think.

We left from the Midland Station quite late on the preceding Tuesday. We drew 1-1 with Man Ure at the Lane that night. I can't remember if I went to the match or not but I have a clear recollection of knowing the result before departure.

Those were the days.

Derby did indeed win the title. They completed their fixtures top, but Leeds and Liverpool still had a game to play and both could overtake them if they won. Both lost and Derby learned they had won the league whilst they were in Majorca!

The Man Utd game was indeed on 4/4/72. Salmons got our goal and it was Ian Holmes debut. It was also our biggest crowd of the 70's I think - 45,000 +

 

[Revolution]

Derby did indeed win the title. They completed their fixtures top, but Leeds and Liverpool still had a game to play and both could overtake them if they won. Both lost and Derby learned they had won the league whilst they were in Majorca!

Liverpool didn't lose their game - they drew 0-0 at Arsenal

 

[Darren]

Derby did indeed win the title. They completed their fixtures top, but Leeds and Liverpool still had a game to play and both could overtake them if they won. Both lost and Derby learned they had won the league whilst they were in Majorca!

Liverpool didn't lose their game - they drew 0-0 at Arsenal

Thanks for that

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Ahhh the 3 sided ground, and the subbuteo television gantry , them were the days.

 

[Grecian2000]

Ahhh the 3 sided ground, and the subbuteo television gantry , them were the days.

Indeed Dubbers. Didn't need idiot fucking ball boys laying on the ball to waste time in those days. Just took an Eddie Colquhoun launch into the Pavillion.

 

[blade too long]

shows weve been capable of inept home displays for ages, its not a new phenomena
That season started full of promise , as we stormed into it, then finished like an underwater firework display

 

[dublin 10 blade]

Now I was only a half-ling at this stage , but did'nt one of our keepers break his leg or somerthing like that . v man city think they won 2-1 many moons ago { ie. } When John St were wooden and you could smoke in the stand fathers capstan full strength jesus they were lung buster's . Anyone help Dazzler ?

 

[metalblade]

If I remember right he came back for the game at Turf Moor and dropped a major bollock for their goal. We won due to an early Keith Eddy strike (so early we mieed it) and TC scoring the best goal I'd ever seen live at that point.

As an aside, we played the game on a Saturday night (no idea why) and me and a mate managed to go to The Sty on Sat afternoon (no idea who they played, but I think they won), Turf Moor on Sat night and Valley Parade on the Sunday as City played one of the first Sunday games vs Exeter. You had to buy a program to get in as they couldn't charge for Sunday football then.

I'm just wondering how you got from a game at the sty over to Burnley in time for a 5pm kick off and why the game was played late on a Saturday (unheard of back then). I remember the game well we took the huge all standing side terrace early on and got surrounded by Burnley fans with fights starting up throughout the game but the Blades were not shifting. I do know it was played under floodlights as we got lost trying to find the coaches after the game and the street lights were all out making the streets pitch black, very scary as you didn't know who was who and stood a good chance of getting your head kicked in. My memory had filed that game away as a normal Tuesday or Weds night match.

 

[JohnDenver]

I'd just like to thank all contributors to this thread for making me feel young. Much obliged.

 

[pommpey]

Hope was indeed shit. That bollock he dropped at home was at the kop end when a long cross was headed downwards and he allowed it through his legs. I remember seeing it all the way across the pitch from behind the blessed white railings on the BLLT.

Useless twat.

MacAllister was good, agile and brave, if bit lightweight. No one was as good as Jim Brown after that for a long time.

pommpey

 

[Silent Blade]

I'm not surprised Hope was dropped!

MacKenzie wasn't a reserve by then, he had been first choice centre back since December.

Dave Powell was the first choice but his knee hadnt mended since the away game at OPR in March 1971 and was still at the club until his move to Cardiff in around Sept 1972. Cannot remember if John Flynn's absence from the team was due to an injury. One of the reasons we couldnt keep up the good formwe had early in the season was that we had a small squad

 

[Silent Blade]

John "no" Hope. As Silent says, he was dropped after this game and did not play another first team game until Jan 74!

He got a knee injury in the following week at the reserves match he was playing in and was out of action for a long time. Cannot remember who was our keeper in reserves matches until we signed John Connaughton from Man U(he played well against us in the 1-1 draw a few days before that 4-0 defeat against Derby) in Oct 1972

 

[Silent Blade]

My dad reckons Hope was crap. Apparently he dropped a clanger in a match against Newcastle and said the floodlights were in his eyes.

No, that was in the 5-0 defeat at West Ham in the League Cup quarters in Nov 71. Hope played for us against Newcastle only twice... 2-1 win in Boxing Day 1971 (we had BST between 1968 and 1972) and won with a David Ford looping goal at BDTBL in April Fools Day 1972

 

[Silent Blade]

Hope was indeed shit.

pommpey

That is totally unfair, during the 1970-71 season we conceded too many soft goals that Hodgy should have saved and he wasnt commanding his area like he used to and other teams were aware of this. When Hope first came to us he often came out of his goal to collect dangerous crosses which caused the Blades fans to gasp as it was a long time since we had a keeper doing this. Hope's best game in his first few months was in the 0-0 home draw against Norwich as he pulled off a string of fine saves as we struggled against a dominant Norwich side (no surprise they finished top in the following season). His throws to well over the halfway line also made the crowd gasp. He made a fine full length dive against Gordon Harris of Sunderland not long after Ted Hemsley gave us the lead in the 1-0 win also a full length diving catch from a header in the 3-0 win against Birmingham. If John Harris had not signed Trevor Hockey and not addressed the goalkeeping problem at a crucial time then it would have been unlikely that we would have got promotion. Hope was picked for the England squad twice (QPR's Phil Parkes was the first choice) while playing for us and he deserved the honour. Hope's first poor game was in the 5-0 defeat at West Ham in Nov 1971 and his next poor game was in the 5-0 home defeat against Arsenal (the game when Alan Ball sat on the ball) at end of Jan 1972. The first goal was similar to the first goal in the Derby game as Hope took a poor kick in which I think Charlie George collected the "gift" and scoring. The third goal by George Graham went through Hope's legs at the Kop end as you described. Sadly Hope had lost confidence after this Arsenal defeat. Harris asked Hodgy if he could return to the 1st team but Hodgy declined cos he had not played many reserves matches around that time so McAlister played in the friendly against Dynamo Kiev but he "didnt look ready for the 1st team" so Hope carried on until that 4-0 defeat against Derby

 

[Pinchy]

No, that was in the 5-0 defeat at West Ham in the League Cup quarters in Nov 71. Hope played for us against Newcastle only twice... 2-1 win in Boxing Day 1971 (we had BST between 1968 and 1972) and won with a David Ford looping goal at BDTBL in April Fools Day 1972

I was at both games. Currie and a rarity from McKenzie won the day at St. James' Park. I had my first pint in a pub that day as a rather precocious 14 year old. Over 50,000 there including about 50 Blades (or so it seemed). We were on the old standing terrace amongst thousands of Geordies. Our goal celebrations were unspoken and undemonstrative but heartfelt.

I think SuperMac played for them that day; maybe scored their goal?

 

[Silent Blade]

I was at both games. Currie and a rarity from McKenzie won the day at St. James' Park. I had my first pint in a pub that day as a rather precocious 14 year old. Over 50,000 there including about 50 Blades (or so it seemed). We were on the old standing terrace amongst thousands of Geordies. Our goal celebrations were unspoken and undemonstrative but heartfelt.

I think SuperMac played for them that day; maybe scored their goal?

It was Scullion who opened the scoring after 21 seconds. TC increased the lead after half time. The late Terry Hibbett pulled one back for Newcastle late in the game. The crowd was over 52K and after the game I got crushed when leaving the ground (I was 9 then) and it was scary enough for me to burst into tears

 

[Pinchy]

It was Scullion who opened the scoring after 21 seconds. TC increased the lead after half time. The late Terry Hibbett pulled one back for Newcastle late in the game. The crowd was over 52K and after the game I got crushed when leaving the ground (I was 9 then) and it was scary enough for me to burst into tears

Thank you, as ever, for filling in the gaps and defects of my memory.

It matters not, though, because I rejoice in the peerless company of the greatest storyteller of all, Charles Dickens:

I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened. I'm going to tell it the way I remember it.

Great Expectations