Willie Carlin

[Silent Blade]

Later that season we lost, I think 2-0 at the Lane to West Ham in a vital relegation game for us. My main memory of the game was the frail, tiny but hard of nails Carlin breaking Frank Lampard seniors leg.
Always the sportsman Carlin helped the St. John's guys carry him off.

2-1, Reece scored for us.

Post in thread '1967-68 (55 years ago) match reports and photos'

Apr 28, 2023

27/4/1968

Blades 1 (Reece) West Ham 2 (Hurst 2)











Harry Redknapp got the year wrong in his own autobiography!


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

1968-04-27

From the programme

• Silent Blade

• 

 

[RAP51]

2-1, Reece scored for us.

Post in thread '1967-68 (55 years ago) match reports and photos'

Apr 28, 2023

27/4/1968

Blades 1 (Reece) West Ham 2 (Hurst 2)











Harry Redknapp got the year wrong in his own autobiography!


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

1968-04-27

From the programme

• Silent Blade

• 

Thanks for putting me right. I'm on holiday at the moment so have can't look things up. 58 years is a long time ago. I just remember we didn't play that well that day

 

[Jon B]

Later that season we lost, I think 2-0 at the Lane to West Ham in a vital relegation game for us. My main memory of the game was the frail, tiny but hard of nails Carlin breaking Frank Lampard seniors leg.
Always the sportsman Carlin helped the St. John's guys carry him off.

I remember Carlin's "tackle" on Lampard Snr that day. Harry Redknapp wrote in his autobiography that it was the worst foul he'd seen. Redknapp married shortly afterwards and there are photos of his best man, Lampard, with his leg in plaster.

When Lampard was carried off Brian Dear came on as substitute and was obviously incensed, as he raced around trying to kick any United player he could.

I suspect Willie felt he had to be hard to survive in that era. He himself had suffered a leg break whilst with Carlisle United.

There is a happier memory of Willie from that vital game we lost to West Ham in April 1968.

We went behind to a first half goal from Geoff Hurst but we actually managed an equaliser. Carlin broke clear on the right and closed in on goal, I was desperately willing him to shoot but instead he crossed the ball hard and low across to where Gil Reece flew in horizontal to bullet a header into the net.

Sadly, the last word went to Hurst who lobbed the ball over Hodgy for the winner. In my mind's eye I can still see Bernard Shaw desperately racing back to try to hook the ball out before it crossed the line.