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The West Ham away game was going to be our last game of the season having, I think, been moved from the Easter weekend as Rangers generally did that. Apparently the League made a rule where if you moved any of the Easter games they had to be played within the Easter fortnight. Also West Ham were in the Cup Winners Cup so had to be fit around any potential games that West Ham May have then, which they eventually did have.
With Rangers and West Ham having both been knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round both were then free on the day of the fourth round and Rangers thought that playing West Ham that day could let them do a bit of catch up when the rest of the Division were otherwise engaged or not playing. We then went and lost.
And also lost the chance of winning the league at Upton Park.
[Post edited 22 Apr 2020 20:59]
I don't know the answer to the original West Ham date, as someone above says, an early programme from that season will tell us. I don't think it was Easter though as we played Norwich on the Saturday & Arse Easter Monday. I think the general acceptance of where we lost the title is 1 Norwich 2 Sheff U A 3 this West Ham game A but I'd suggest as a 4 Burnley A in the autumn. They ended up going down & we lost to a goal 2 minutes from the end. Ifs, buts maybes
I've not seen it yet as I've left it to this afternoon as a treat!
The performance at West Ham was terrible, but I would venture that without this match we wouldn't have gone on our near title winning run.
My memory tells me that at one stage the FL were discussing what to do if the two clubs finished level. It was definitely possible that points, goals scored & goals against could be the same. I think Wembley offered to hold a play off match there.
with the lockdown and all that I've been working on a little project to start a youtube channel looking at old games and putting together tributes to players, I had a ton of old videos and dvd's gathering dust so finally going to do something with them, i've not gone live with it yet but having great fun watching all the old footage.
Quite comical seeing the state of the pitches and the passing football us and many other teams were playing back then, the skill level was ridiculous.
Even up to the mid/late 90s the average state of football pitches was fairly poor. Mud heaps in winter that turned into bobbly dust bowls by late spring. Kudos to the teams and players who played such good football on those surfaces, compared to the bowling greens they play on pretty much all year round now.
I don't know the answer to the original West Ham date, as someone above says, an early programme from that season will tell us. I don't think it was Easter though as we played Norwich on the Saturday & Arse Easter Monday. I think the general acceptance of where we lost the title is 1 Norwich 2 Sheff U A 3 this West Ham game A but I'd suggest as a 4 Burnley A in the autumn. They ended up going down & we lost to a goal 2 minutes from the end. Ifs, buts maybes
As a whole our overall away record against the bottom six was very poor. Six games, no wins, three draws, three defeats.
I've looked at the team for the Burnley game and it was one of the games Frank McLintock missed that season. It appears that John Hollins played centre back alongside Webb. I'm wondering why Dave Sexton put a square peg in a round hole for that one rather than select Abbott or Tagg? They'd done pretty well at the start of the season when played together for four games where we hadn't lost any of those.
I don't think Liverpool would have lost at Wolves no matter when it was played, the only thing that gave us hope was they were fighting relegation and until 13 mins from the end well...
What was wrong. Liverpool being excused playing on that Saturday, the UEFA 1st leg game was not till the following Wednesday, that would never happen today, in fact, I don't think it's ever happened.
I think the '70s was a fantastic era in English and Scottish football marred by England not qualifying for the WC in 74 and 78.
I don't think Liverpool would have lost at Wolves no matter when it was played, the only thing that gave us hope was they were fighting relegation and until 13 mins from the end well...
What was wrong. Liverpool being excused playing on that Saturday, the UEFA 1st leg game was not till the following Wednesday, that would never happen today, in fact, I don't think it's ever happened.
I think the '70s was a fantastic era in English and Scottish football marred by England not qualifying for the WC in 74 and 78.
"What was wrong. Liverpool being excused playing on that Saturday, the UEFA 1st leg game was not till the following Wednesday, that would never happen today, in fact, I don't think it's ever happened. "
Spot on. The more you look at it, the more it seems the Football League were bending over backwards to do anything they could to help Liverpool win it and you wonder if their response would have been different if the boot had been on the other foot. How many times before or after were league games played after the Cup Final? Always in those days the last game of the season. Hardly any at all I would think.
And this in an era when the Football League would do nothing to help the national team in cancelling the first division programme before an important international. A couple of years previously a full programme was played the weekend before the Poland game at Wembley for example.
It also flies in the face of what faced them the next season. They had to play their last league game on the Monday before the Cup Final although they had already won the league on the Saturday, then they play the Cup Final on the following Saturday and then the following Wednesday was the European Cup final. Why so different in 1977?
Liverpool didn't play on the same day as we played Leeds because Wales were playing a European Cup quarter final/play off & at least tghree Liverpool players were in the Wales squad. Leeds also tried to have our match postponed, but didn't suceed as they only had two players involved.
It did happen quite often in thos days that matches took place after the "final" day. In 1972 three teams could still win the league after the Cup Final had been played. Leeds played at Wolves & a draw would have meant Leeds had won the double.
They lost & that left Liverpool needing a win at Arsenal on the same night to win the league. This ended 0-0 with Liverpool having a very late winner disallowed! Derby became champions whilst away on an end of seson holiday!
whenever i watch the old 70's games always strikes me how good a player Don Givens must have been, always seems to pop up with vital goals
Givens was a great forward. I went to a fair number of away games that season, but two stand-out: 1. Winning away at Derby 5-1 with a Bowles Hat-trick. 2. 3-0 at Spurs where Gerry was majestic.
I don't know the answer to the original West Ham date, as someone above says, an early programme from that season will tell us. I don't think it was Easter though as we played Norwich on the Saturday & Arse Easter Monday. I think the general acceptance of where we lost the title is 1 Norwich 2 Sheff U A 3 this West Ham game A but I'd suggest as a 4 Burnley A in the autumn. They ended up going down & we lost to a goal 2 minutes from the end. Ifs, buts maybes
I have most of the progs from that season at home. I’ll take a look when I get home if nobody else chips in.
Givens was a great forward. I went to a fair number of away games that season, but two stand-out: 1. Winning away at Derby 5-1 with a Bowles Hat-trick. 2. 3-0 at Spurs where Gerry was majestic.
I attended the spurs game. Talk about the football played that day making an impression on an impressionable teenager.
Also going to school on the Monday and feeling so proud to be a rangers fan. I lived in Pinner and not many rangers fans in my school. I did make friends with a few older Rangers and stood with them on the loft and went away with them a few seasons later, 78/79 I think. Filbert street my first adventure without my Dad. Fair play for him letting me go back then.
When we got to the league cup semi 76/77 the, my Dad took me out of school and drove us up to Villa park. We were in the seats next to the Holte End. The size and the noise. And to think Glasgow Rangers took that end a few weeks before or sometime.
We weren’t a club with the gravitas but I liked that and we have one of the best kits in football. We were Rangers back then as well not QPR.
I attended the spurs game. Talk about the football played that day making an impression on an impressionable teenager.
Also going to school on the Monday and feeling so proud to be a rangers fan. I lived in Pinner and not many rangers fans in my school. I did make friends with a few older Rangers and stood with them on the loft and went away with them a few seasons later, 78/79 I think. Filbert street my first adventure without my Dad. Fair play for him letting me go back then.
When we got to the league cup semi 76/77 the, my Dad took me out of school and drove us up to Villa park. We were in the seats next to the Holte End. The size and the noise. And to think Glasgow Rangers took that end a few weeks before or sometime.
We weren’t a club with the gravitas but I liked that and we have one of the best kits in football. We were Rangers back then as well not QPR.
[Post edited 23 Apr 2020 15:45]
I was also at the SF at Villa Park. I was in one of the three pens where they put the R's fans. Almost 50,000 there that night. Villa absolutely battered us, but Gerry scored late on and then we almost stole it through Thomas. Great memories.
Liverpool didn't play on the same day as we played Leeds because Wales were playing a European Cup quarter final/play off & at least tghree Liverpool players were in the Wales squad. Leeds also tried to have our match postponed, but didn't suceed as they only had two players involved.
It did happen quite often in thos days that matches took place after the "final" day. In 1972 three teams could still win the league after the Cup Final had been played. Leeds played at Wolves & a draw would have meant Leeds had won the double.
They lost & that left Liverpool needing a win at Arsenal on the same night to win the league. This ended 0-0 with Liverpool having a very late winner disallowed! Derby became champions whilst away on an end of seson holiday!
Thanks Terry, I'd forgotten about the European Championships QFs. This sort of proves my point though that the league were bending over backwards to help Liverpool by postponing their game and not Leeds' game against us despite Leeds only having one fewer player participating. They should have postponed both or none.
It was quite staggering that they did this to try and help the Welsh team when the league and their hardline secretary at the time, Alan Hardaker, were notorious for not doing anything to really help the England team and by association their rivals The FA.
I was also at the SF at Villa Park. I was in one of the three pens where they put the R's fans. Almost 50,000 there that night. Villa absolutely battered us, but Gerry scored late on and then we almost stole it through Thomas. Great memories.
I know I've asked this before but just keep forgetting, who missed the pen ?
All I really remember from the away end was how big the holte end was.
That it was a wet night, had been raining or still was.
A Villa supporter was in our ends with his young son, he was friendly and we were talking as the game went on, when we got the pen, he said well you've won it now, I just remember it was not GF or Stan taking it and just said, Oh shite he will miss.....
Delighted I watched it. Great to see so much new footage of Francis. From those clips he stood out as exceptional. In the interviews he's the same ol' Gerry, not shy of telling us his achievements! (Gerry, did you captain England by any chance?)
That Wolves-Liverpool game...
We had moved back to Ireland in June '75. I remember me and my Dad listening to that game on crackly BBC radio. And crying.
I've got as far as Coventry away with the Robin Reliants by the corner flags (how funny is that). Stand out performers Gerry Francis like you say and Dave Thomas. The 5th goal by Francis against Everton is tremendous! Also I noted in the footage from Elland Rd that our current style of play is very reminiscent of this team. Will finish watching tomorrow.
Our goal thrown out by Parkes, counter attacking. It’s not a new thing.
Also pretty sure that’s Bannister celebrating with the other Coventry players for their goal.
If you read Dave Sexton's Tackle Soccer book an awful lot of it is about the counter attacking football he had us playing. Not just the tactical side of it, but the skillset and attitude it required from the players too. Very interesting book.
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