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Hi. I am from and based in Liverpool. My son supports QPR so I have being taking him since 2013. Although I support LFC/AFC Liverpool, regular attendance at QPR games has drawn me in and I have become a bit of a QPR fan over the last 7 years. I am also a writer for football magazines - WSC, STAND, Football Pink. My thread is for this reason: There's plenty been written about the 75-6 season from a playing point of view but I would like to write a long-form magazine article from a fans culture perspective; what the season was like, how it felt, what else was going on at the time. I interviewed a QPR mate in Liverpool (in exile from Brixton) recently and he was talking about what was happening on the Kings Road, teddy boys, emergence of punk etc. The whole excitement of the time. He also talked about West London housing estates as hot beds of QPR fandom as well as how proud he was when he went into school the day after Liverpool beat Wolves to consign the Rs to 2nd place. Devastated but proud. It was great stuff. I am posting because I wanted to see if there was anyone on here that remembers the time well (either as a child, schoolboy, young adult or whatever) and that would like to tell their story. If that interests anyone, you can contact me via twitter @NowhereFan1 and we can work out a way to do it - e.g. over email, skype or something that works for you. I could even meet up after the lockdown is lifted! I have spoken to LFC fans about it and they talk about a big party on the M6 (which was at a standstill) after they won it. I was born LFC but the more I get dragged into the QPR drama, and the more I learn about that season, something inside me feels a tinge of regret that it turned out the way it did .... thanks for reading
That season happened long before I got into football (I would have been about 8 at the time) but a mate of my Dad’s who’s a staunch Man Utd fan lived in Shepherds Bush back then and went to most of the home games. He’s a football fan first and foremost and said he simply loved the football we played that season, he told me it was probably the best he’s ever seen and that’s quite an acolade from a Man U fan considering their overall success.
As you know it went right down to the last game and what still irks a lot of people is that the Football League allowed Liverpool to play their last game of the season 10 days after the season had ended.
No idea why they were given 10 days extra, were they participating in any other competition and even if they were, you fulfil your fixtures same as everyone esle. Part of being successful is dealing with fixture congestion.
Utterly ludicrous decision and would never be allowed today nor should it have it been allowed then. Sure, Liverpool may have won the game anyway but we’ll never know and the FL’s decision pretty much handed Liverpool the title on a plate.
Yes you're very welcome Scouse and those a few years older on here will give better account than i. However unofficial rules are unofficial rules for first time poster....state your favourite cheese.
Yes you're very welcome Scouse and those a few years older on here will give better account than i. However unofficial rules are unofficial rules for first time poster....state your favourite cheese.
<looking foward to read the output btw>
Oh feck. I just had a vegan cheese pizza .... Scouse_R!
That season happened long before I got into football (I would have been about 8 at the time) but a mate of my Dad’s who’s a staunch Man Utd fan lived in Shepherds Bush back then and went to most of the home games. He’s a football fan first and foremost and said he simply loved the football we played that season, he told me it was probably the best he’s ever seen and that’s quite an acolade from a Man U fan considering their overall success.
As you know it went right down to the last game and what still irks a lot of people is that the Football League allowed Liverpool to play their last game of the season 10 days after the season had ended.
No idea why they were given 10 days extra, were they participating in any other competition and even if they were, you fulfil your fixtures same as everyone esle. Part of being successful is dealing with fixture congestion.
Utterly ludicrous decision and would never be allowed today nor should it have it been allowed then. Sure, Liverpool may have won the game anyway but we’ll never know and the FL’s decision pretty much handed Liverpool the title on a plate.
[Post edited 27 Apr 2020 21:46]
I agree with you mate. Liverpool were in the UEFA cup but should never have been given the extra 10 days because, as you say, fixture congestion is something you just have to deal with. As for the Wolves game, who knows. Liverpool were described as 'leggy' that night. What would have happened if they had not had their rest? Their results going into the Wolves game - with the exception of one comfortable win - had not been convincing for a while. And this was LFC before they became feared. I think Wolves could possibly have got a result in different circumstances and, to be honest, I regret they didn't. I have read as much as I can about Dave Sexton too and i have to say that had little feeling for him as a Man U manager. But now have huge respect for him. Such a shame that Rangers never won that title and I say that as someone that grew up supporting LFC. Thanks for your reply
Long story. He was born in Manchester and could legitimately support City but he can't stand them (parental influence). We moved to Oxford in 2008 so I took him to Oxford City week in week out. They wear the hoops, in case you didn't know. He then saw Rangers on the TV and was taken with them. He was also getting into the glitzy side of footy. He supported LFC because I did. But being in Oxford I knew he would be better supporting a team near where he lived. and, as he had shown interest in Rangers, I decided to take him because I had always liked Rangers myself. I remember Rangers winning 3-1 at Anfield in 1991 to deny Liverpool the chance to win the league so actually there was revenge of sorts there but it never put me off Rangers. As my QPR mate in Liverpool says, a lot of LFC fans took rangers as a second team after that 75-6 season. I was one of those people. Charlie loved loftus road the first time i took him so i actively encouraged his interest and he is now totally devoted to Rangers. He was mascot v Chelsea the year we went down. So there you go, a bit of parental guidance goes a long way
I agree with you mate. Liverpool were in the UEFA cup but should never have been given the extra 10 days because, as you say, fixture congestion is something you just have to deal with. As for the Wolves game, who knows. Liverpool were described as 'leggy' that night. What would have happened if they had not had their rest? Their results going into the Wolves game - with the exception of one comfortable win - had not been convincing for a while. And this was LFC before they became feared. I think Wolves could possibly have got a result in different circumstances and, to be honest, I regret they didn't. I have read as much as I can about Dave Sexton too and i have to say that had little feeling for him as a Man U manager. But now have huge respect for him. Such a shame that Rangers never won that title and I say that as someone that grew up supporting LFC. Thanks for your reply
Yeah, i always thought it was something to do with Europe.
Such a travesty. It was already Liverpool’s 9th title with more to come. It could have been our only title (and chance to play in the top European competition) as they way football is today (though who knows what the future may now bring) I can’t se us ever getting close again.
One title, just one. I'd have been happy with that! Ian St John always said we were the best team to have never won tne title, but its easier being magnanimous when you have won it yourself.
Oh well. Glad your boy is a fan and you’re feeling the draw to the hoops too, even if just as a second team.
Yeah, i always thought it was something to do with Europe.
Such a travesty. It was already Liverpool’s 9th title with more to come. It could have been our only title (and chance to play in the top European competition) as they way football is today (though who knows what the future may now bring) I can’t se us ever getting close again.
One title, just one. I'd have been happy with that! Ian St John always said we were the best team to have never won tne title, but its easier being magnanimous when you have won it yourself.
Oh well. Glad your boy is a fan and you’re feeling the draw to the hoops too, even if just as a second team.
Sometimes I wonder about the second team thing. I go to watch Rangers far, far more than Anfield!!! And I wear a QPR shirt when I go running around Liverpool ..!!!! And its got to that point where i have these feelings when they win, and lose ... you know what i mean!! My article about 75-6 is very pro rangers actually!!!! I am programme editor at AFC Liverpool who play in the non-league. I am putting a version of the article in there which will be read by Lverpool fans so it will be interesting to see how it goes down!!!
I think I watched all the home fixtures, and the London away matches, that season until the middle of March when I moved to Canada.
What sticks in my mind? Having to to read about Liverpool's final result in the Vancouver Sun, while sitting in restaurant crying into a cold cup of coffee. The despair was just as profound, but maybe more short lived, than it would have been in Notting Hill.
The last match I saw was a 4—1 mullering of Coventry. By that time we'd gone over a month and only conceded a single draw. The buzz was getting seriously real but even so few supporters wanted to talk about the prospect of actually winning the league. The previous season we'd been pretty average, and up until Christmas '75, the results weren't a whole lot better. Loads of draws but not enough wins to suggest what was to come.
So far as the team went, It had been clear what Bowles, Francis, and Thomas brought to the table for a some time. However, after watching them regularly since 1969, it seemed to me that the post-Rodney Marsh R's really flowered after three signings: Frank McLintock, Dave Webb and Don Masson. Until they arrived we'd never really had a defensive mid-field. Now we did, and once bedded in it made us a very difficult side to score against.
They were a thrilling side to watch. The best I've had the privilege of watching every week, and I doubt I'll live to see their like again. Attending Loftus Road back then encapsulated the sheer joy and exuberance of football, both as it's played on the pitch and how it's watched in the stand.
I think I watched all the home fixtures, and the London away matches, that season until the middle of March when I moved to Canada.
What sticks in my mind? Having to to read about Liverpool's final result in the Vancouver Sun, while sitting in restaurant crying into a cold cup of coffee. The despair was just as profound, but maybe more short lived, than it would have been in Notting Hill.
The last match I saw was a 4—1 mullering of Coventry. By that time we'd gone over a month and only conceded a single draw. The buzz was getting seriously real but even so few supporters wanted to talk about the prospect of actually winning the league. The previous season we'd been pretty average, and up until Christmas '75, the results weren't a whole lot better. Loads of draws but not enough wins to suggest what was to come.
So far as the team went, It had been clear what Bowles, Francis, and Thomas brought to the table for a some time. However, after watching them regularly since 1969, it seemed to me that the post-Rodney Marsh R's really flowered after three signings: Frank McLintock, Dave Webb and Don Masson. Until they arrived we'd never really had a defensive mid-field. Now we did, and once bedded in it made us a very difficult side to score against.
They were a thrilling side to watch. The best I've had the privilege of watching every week, and I doubt I'll live to see their like again. Attending Loftus Road back then encapsulated the sheer joy and exuberance of football, both as it's played on the pitch and how it's watched in the stand.
[Post edited 27 Apr 2020 21:41]
Fortunately there's loads of footage now on youtube and i have seen lots of that season. I was 5 when the season started and 6 when it concluded so too young to remember it otherwise. McLintock was brilliant. My grandad was an Everton fan so he took me there and I saw Dave Thomas play at Goodison in the late 70s and was a massive fan of him too; loved watching him play. In his autobiog, Stan makes a lot of Sexton's innovative (at the time) use of the Dave Clement and Ian Gillard as full backs which I think is interesting because, if you read a recent book that came out about Paisley the author talks about the Liverpool manager as an innovator in the same way for doing same thing. But, Sexton was first so Paisley must have copied him! And, if he did copy him, he made maximum use of his innovaton in 75-6 season (whn he really began to introduce the changes in personnel in to those positions) which must have been gut wrenching for Sexton
When I was a nipper (late Fifties) my old Mum fecked off and me Dad hooked up with a Woman (Mary) from Liverpool (well Wallasey), he was invited to move in with her so he organised for me and him to travel up there, move in and see how things go, me elder Brother and Sisters stayed in our house in London with an Auntie looking after them, I'd already met her and thought she was an old bag, me and me Brother used to call her vampire Mary, she had a few whiskers on her chin. Anyway off we went, the first day there we was introduced to a pan of Scouse for tea, the pan was enormous but the Scouse was delicious, the second day there the Scouse was lovely, the third day the Scouse was just about phew alright, the fourth night there I couldn't eat any more of the stuff nor could me Dad, we only lasted a week up there, Me Dad got me out of bed one evening and we drove back to London through the night in his Ford Prefect van only stopping to top the fuel up from a jerry can. (No Motorway's in them day's). The house we stayed in was either 34 or 44 Chamberlain Street, Wallasey, I've always had a soft spot for Tranmere Rovers, as I recall most of the kids I spoke to way back then used to support them and I never forgot that. Been up to Prenton Park with Rangers a few times.
The 1975-1976 our first born was born, christened David Thomas, times were a bit tough as was money so my football visits were promptly cut short, losing out on the title was a disaster though.
If you ever bump into Vampire Mary tell her Ted said her red polished door step was the cleanest on the Street.
I wish you luck with your writing
My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic.
I was minus 3 years old in 1976 so I missed out on that; but I did enjoy a close second in the early 90’s. Michael Nyman drew the parallels as well. Watch Final Score here
...it’s painful to watch on so many levels. A wise man once said, if QPR was a chocolate bar back in the 90’s [let alone the 70’s], it would lick itself.
When I was a nipper (late Fifties) my old Mum fecked off and me Dad hooked up with a Woman (Mary) from Liverpool (well Wallasey), he was invited to move in with her so he organised for me and him to travel up there, move in and see how things go, me elder Brother and Sisters stayed in our house in London with an Auntie looking after them, I'd already met her and thought she was an old bag, me and me Brother used to call her vampire Mary, she had a few whiskers on her chin. Anyway off we went, the first day there we was introduced to a pan of Scouse for tea, the pan was enormous but the Scouse was delicious, the second day there the Scouse was lovely, the third day the Scouse was just about phew alright, the fourth night there I couldn't eat any more of the stuff nor could me Dad, we only lasted a week up there, Me Dad got me out of bed one evening and we drove back to London through the night in his Ford Prefect van only stopping to top the fuel up from a jerry can. (No Motorway's in them day's). The house we stayed in was either 34 or 44 Chamberlain Street, Wallasey, I've always had a soft spot for Tranmere Rovers, as I recall most of the kids I spoke to way back then used to support them and I never forgot that. Been up to Prenton Park with Rangers a few times.
The 1975-1976 our first born was born, christened David Thomas, times were a bit tough as was money so my football visits were promptly cut short, losing out on the title was a disaster though.
If you ever bump into Vampire Mary tell her Ted said her red polished door step was the cleanest on the Street.
I was 10 in 1976. Forty plus years later by chance on the internet I happened across an image of the front of the Wolves Liverpool matchday programme. They kind of went for a novelty wild-west theme. It made me nauseous. That’s not a figure of speech. I literally felt sick to the stomach. Never had anything against Liverpool though and cheered them on in the ‘77 European Cup Final. Even though it should have been us who were being crowned champions of Europe that evening. Nurse! I’m feeling unwell again.
I was 18 in 75 and the World seemed a wonderful place. I was at college in High Wycombe and had just seen a really ‘different’ band at the student union called The Sex Pistols and they then appeared to be in the papers all the time. I then found out that my best mate from Kensal Green was in the band, so took an interest. My team had been on a rollercoaster since 67 but Sexton had been getting some real experienced stars into the side to add to the guile of Venables and the innovation of Francis in midfield. Stan was really beginning to convince people he was the new Rodney. First game of the season was a tough start, a lovely sunny afternoon and we played like I hadn’t seen us before, Gerry and Tel were just dominant. A few draws and a few high scoring wins meant we were there or there abouts. But the final third of the season we seemed to be able to grab a win, even if it looked like a draw. If we got a corner, The Loft used to chant ‘Give us a goal Webby’ and he seemed to respond. Coming up to Easter, all of a sudden the impossible looked possible, we had an away trip to Norwich and west London was buzzing, literally everyone was going. Two specials from Wembley were packed, we got to Norwich and it was a sea of blue and white. But disaster struck and I will never forgive Norwich or the ref and never forget the scene at the end with hundreds of Rangers fans sitting on the grass bank behind the stand with their heads in their hands. We still had Arsenal, in a very eventful match and then Leeds at home which we won and then the wait for Liverpool to play at Wolves. Some of the blokes I knew decided they had to go to Molyneux but I like many sat in a pub with mates and a transistor radio. Wolves scored and it was drinks all round but eventually the inevitable happened and the dream was over.
Yeah, i always thought it was something to do with Europe.
Such a travesty. It was already Liverpool’s 9th title with more to come. It could have been our only title (and chance to play in the top European competition) as they way football is today (though who knows what the future may now bring) I can’t se us ever getting close again.
One title, just one. I'd have been happy with that! Ian St John always said we were the best team to have never won tne title, but its easier being magnanimous when you have won it yourself.
Oh well. Glad your boy is a fan and you’re feeling the draw to the hoops too, even if just as a second team.
Liverpool's participation in the UEFA Cup final was only part of it. As terryb pointed out on the 75-76 Rewind thread, the reason Liverpool didn't play on the 24th April when nearly everybody else was playing their final league games was because of the 1976 European Championships quarter final first leg games which were being played on the same day.
Wales were involved playing Yugoslavia and Liverpool had at least a couple of players in the Welsh squad (Toshack and Jones) and their game at Molineux was postponed because of this.
Leeds also had a couple of players in the Welsh squad (Terry Yorath and Carl Harris) and also wanted their game against us postponed but were refused. I think Birmingham (battling relegation) who also played their last game on the 4th May when Liverpool played Wolves, also had Welsh players called up (Malcolm Page and John Roberts I believe). It seems strange that Leeds' request was turned down and Liverpool's and Birmingham's weren't but with Wolves who were in the relegation zone not playing I presume this may have been why Birmingham also didn't play as they wanted them to play the last game at the same time as Wolves.
Their schedule should have been: 19th April Man C (A) 41st league game 24th April Wolves (A) 42nd league game 28th April UEFA Cup Final 1st leg 19th May UEFA Cup Final 2nd leg
Perfectly reasonable schedule.
Rather than the relatively more comfortable: 19th April Man C (A) 41st league game 28th April UEFA Cup Final 1st leg 4th May Wolves (A) 42nd league game 19th May UEFA Cup Final 2nd leg
Playing a league game on the Saturday and a European final was fairly common back then. The following season for example, Liverpool played the FA Cup final on the Saturday and the European Cup final the following Wednesday.
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