3rd September 1966 and all
that
Tony
Lehain wrote to me a while ago saying, "some weeks ago I was asked by an elderly
friend to get down a trunk from her loft so that she could check what was in it. When all
the contents had been removed I noticed that a newspaper lined the bottom of the trunk; a
Sunday Express dated September 4th 1966." Remember that England had just
won the World Cup. The Union Jack was chic. London ‘swung’; Harold Wilson was
Prime Minister and the Beatles headed both the singles (Yellow Submarine / Eleanor
Rigby) and album (Revolver) charts.
Tony’s clipping featured ‘My Father As
I Knew Him’ by Sarah Churchill (Winston had died a year earlier), ‘New TUC Pay
Revolt Flares’, ‘Dearer Beer’ (Wilson was facing a mounting economic
crisis), ‘Chinese Talk Of War’ (following their Cultural Revolution) and
‘Mickey Rooney To Marry Again’. But it was the sports pages, which particularly
caught Tony’s eye, especially, ‘Five Booked At Burnley: Referee threatens to
abandon match.’
Burnley had started the season in storming form.
Having beaten Sheffield United (4-0) in the opening game, with Gordon Harris scoring a hat
trick, they then brushed both Fulham (3-0) and West Bromwich (2-1) aside, achieving second
position before the home fixture with Leeds on the 3rd September. Ambitious
Leeds had made a slower start, having lost both of their previous away games. They were
placed in mid table just behind the 65/66 League champions, Liverpool. A crowd of 30,737
turned up at the Turf on a wet Saturday to witness yet another ugly battle between these
fierce rivals.
Play had been interrupted in both 65/66 games as
player violence had threatened to get out of hand. Worse still, Elder’s bizarre own
goal at the Turf not only gifted Leeds the points, it also conceded them the runner-up
slot. There were clearly scores to settle and Hunter, Bremner, Madeley, O’Neil and
Todd took up cudgels. All five were cautioned. However, it wasn’t just player
aggression that was the cause of trouble this time. Fighting had broken out between the
supporters and five were ejected from the ground. Four others were treated for minor
injuries as missiles rained down from the terraces. Leeds goalkeeper Gary Sprake also
complained that the Burnley fans were throwing bottles and washers at him. This prompted
referee Ken Stokes to announce that if any further objects were thrown he would abandon
the game. Bob Lord was sympathetic to Stokes’ plight. He said, "The referee did
well under trying circumstances. If I had been in charge I would have called the game off
at 4-20."
Harry Potts blamed Leeds and their supporters.
He said, "Why must it always happen when we play Leeds? They seem to come determined
to play us in this way." Don Revie refused to be drawn on the subject of violence. He
said, with obvious relief, "This is the best point we have taken since I took over as
manager." For the record, Gordon Harris equalised Eddie Gray’s first half
opener. Irvine and Lochhead were then Burnley’s main strike force, with Harris,
Morgan and Coates supplying their ammunition.
This draw wasn’t enough to take Burnley to
the top. Sheffield Wednesday retained their lead on goal average after Graham Pugh had
equalised Derek Dougan’s first half goal for Leicester. However, the top had become
very crowded after this Saturday’s results. Spurs’ Jimmy Greaves (2) and Cliff
Jones had put paid to Arsenal (3-1) in front of 56,271. George ‘Stroller’
Graham, Peter Osgood and Bobby Tambling had demolished newly-promoted Southampton at a
sunny Dell, watched by almost 30,000 and, helped by John Connelly and a fanatical 44,000
crowd, champions-in-waiting Man U had overcome Newcastle 3-2, with all five goals scored
in the second half. This meant that five clubs had achieved eight points. Burnley did
briefly attain pole position three days later when they secured a 1-1 draw at Everton and
a good run in Europe awaited them. However, this remains their high water mark.
Burnley wasn’t the only scene of crowd
troubles on this stormy Saturday. Play was suspended at West Ham after a bottle had been
thrown by Liverpool supporters at Hammers’ keeper and county cricketer Jim Standen.
Even Barrow and Southport made headlines as violence flared in the 5,541 Holker Street
crowd. This reporting of crowd disorder represented a change of journalist policy. After
the 1966 World Cup, popular press reporters were encouraged to focus on the crowd almost
as much as the game. The demonisation of football crowds was about to be accelerated.
Other items of interest included Peter
Knowles’ goal for promotion bound Wolves. Peter was the younger brother of Spurs full
back Cyril ‘nice one’ Knowles. Despite having a reputation as something of a
‘brat’ showman, there was no disputing Peter’s precocious talent. Just as
he was about to make his mark as one of the country’s finest strikers, he suddenly
jacked it in to become a full time Jehovah’s Witness. Peter’s explanation was
that he knew one day his temper would get the better of him and that he feared putting a
fellow professional out of the game, causing untold hardship and suffering. God sure moves
in mysterious ways. Coincidentally, another of the day’s scorers, Bobby Tambling,
shared Peter’s cultish faith.
On this same day, newly relegated Blackburn were
crushed by a first half three-goal salvo at Huddersfield. John Toshack also scored in
Cardiff’s 4-2 win over Carlisle and Bradford Park Avenue overcame local rivals City
at Valley Parade, in front of almost 10,000 supporters, thanks to two goals from little
Bobby Ham. Four years later, he would help Preston escape from the Third Division at the
first attempt. In 1966 Preston were still a solid Second Division side as indicated by
their 4-2 home victory over attractive Third Division champions Hull City, who included
‘hotshots’ Ken Wagstaffe and Chris Chilton. Preston could still attract 15,000
supporters to Deepdale, many of whom must have hoped for better things after North
End’s impressive showing in the 64 FA Cup Final. However, by this time Preston were
experiencing great difficulty in retaining their most talented younger players like Howard
Kendall and Peter Thompson. Even their signings of Willie Irvine in 68 and Archie Gemmill
a little later couldn’t arrest their slide into the Third. Of course, Irvine was not
quite as deadly after breaking a leg in January 1967.
As for Blackpool, they were beginning their
decline. Their 4-0 defeat at Sunderland (Neil Martin scored a hat trick) kept them at the
bottom of the First Division, where they would remain all season. England international
and wingback prototype Jimmy Armfield stuck with them, though. Such loyalty was becoming
increasingly rare. Once George Eastham had won his High Court case and the maximum wage
was abolished, players enjoyed greater contractual freedom. The immediate post war giants,
including Blackpool, Bolton, Preston and Burnley, were now forced into conceding ground to
the richer big city clubs. Bolton had already dipped into the Second Division and despite
making a good start to the 66/67 season, they, like Preston, faded and were forced to
endure Third Division football before making a brief return to the First Division in the
late seventies.
Sides on the up included QPR and the side they
defeated on this September Saturday, Swindon Town. QPR would complete their season by
winning promotion to the Second Division and by beating West Brom in the first League Cup
Final to be played at Wembley. What’s more, they were two down at half-time. Their
powerful and direct right winger Mark Lazarus scored in both the Swindon victory and at
Wembley. Pepped by Rodney Marsh’s flair, QPR made it to the First Division one year
after their Wembley triumph. Despite their instant relegation, they were soon to become a
major force in the top flight. As for Swindon, their day at Wembley would come two and a
half years later. They, like QPR, had players of high skill such as Don Rogers and our
very own Peter Noble. The gap between the divisions was not as great in those days. After
all, in the early sixties Johnny Byrne was selected as England’s centre forward
whilst still playing for Fourth Division Crystal Palace.
A player on the up on 3rd September
1966 was Bruce Rioch, who helped Luton to a Division Four victory over Newport. Meanwhile
a rapidly fading John Charles was assisting Southern League Hereford to a 1-1 home draw
with Yeovil. Juventus must have seemed a galaxy away to the ‘gentle’ but now
impoverished giant.
Helped by the World Cup success, gates soared
during this season, briefly reversing the decline that had set in after the immediate post
war boom. For a short while football again cut a significant profile in the burgeoning
leisure market, until hooliganism and negative tactics tainted the attraction. Upwardly
mobile Coventry City pulled in over 36,000 at Highfield Road for their Second Division
derby with leaders Birmingham. Guided by the astute Jimmy Hill (it’s not an
oxymoron), Coventry were en route to the First Division, where they have remained ever
since. Arch predator Bobby Gould scored their goal in a 1-1 draw. Even struggling Torquay
managed to attract 5,413 for their inessential home fixture with Mansfield. However, not
all of the big clubs caught the gravy train. Aston Villa managed a comparatively meagre
15,000 for their home game with 65/66 Second Division champions Manchester City. Although
these two clubs were heading in opposite directions, Villa triumphed 3-0 with colossus
Tony Hateley (father of Mark) netting his usual goal. Hateley was a turkey in reverse. He
was as brilliant in the air as he was useless on the ground. Rumour had it that he tried
to head one-twos. He still scored over 200 League goals at all levels, though. One abiding
memory of Tony is of him diving across the shins of a startled Colin Waldron (then with
Chelsea), to head a spectacular goal for Liverpool.
Following their promotion from the Fourth
Division, Millwall managed yet another win at fortress Den, probably the most intimidating
ground in Britain. This time their victims were that ‘Grand Old Duke of York’
outfit, Northampton Town. The Cobblers progressed from almost the bottom to the top and
back again in less than ten years, an unwelcome feat, which Swansea managed to copy in the
late seventies and early eighties. As for Millwall, they would not make it into the top
flight until twenty-two years later, when their strike force included Teddy Sheringham and
Tony Cascarino. Despite their home banker form, in January 1967 the Lions’ two and a
half year undefeated home record came to an end; finally shattered by Plymouth’s
youthful team. Incensed by this effrontery, the Millwall fans ensured that the
Pilgrim’s coach windows suffered a similar shattering experience.
The Second Division East Anglian derby between
Norwich and Ipswich attracted almost 20,000 to Carrow Road, where the Blues came out on
top thanks to goals from veteran Ray Crawford and the striker who’d previously been
signed to replace him, Gerry Baker. Gerry Baker once scored ten goals in St Mirren’s
15-0 defeat of Glasgow University in the Scottish Cup but found goal scoring south of the
border more troublesome. Baker’s brother Joe was also on target on this day, having
scored Forest’s winning goal against West Brom. Joe Baker was first capped for
England whilst playing for Hibernian, having been brought up north of the border. He, like
John Charles, moved to Italy for a short spell, but unlike Charles could not hack it and
quickly returned to British football after Arsenal stumped up the £70,000 fee. Joe Baker
might be remembered for his stunning headed goal in the very first MOTD at a balmy Anfield
in August 1964. He was also on target for England in Madrid when Ramsey unveiled his
wingless wonderplan.
Meanwhile back in the basement, Aldershot beat
Brentford 3-1 at the Recreation Ground on this same Saturday in front of 5,583. Among
Aldershot’s scorers was Jack Howarth, who established an (undeserved?) reputation,
whilst at Rochdale, for swilling pints on Friday nights. Whatever the truth of this,
Rochdale never recovered from big Jack’s departure in 1972/73. Jack notched 183
league goals in his career, all but 12 of them for the Shots. Rochdale were relegated to
the Fourth in the season following Jack’s move and have remained there to this day.
As Tony said in his letter; ‘memories, memories!’
Tim Quelch (with thanks
to Tony Lehain)
September 2000
