Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

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Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Tue Nov 24, 2015 1:37 am

Will admit and say disappointed there isn't more activity on these pages (don't use TWTD much) so until the next league fixture, was reading through a sports publication today about "Greatest" moments in 'Football' and some of the games picked are indeed worthwhile.

In short, the dates range from 1872 to 1991 (date of publish 1992) and there's 37 games presented, and the idea is to show each one as written, but this is a daunting endeavor and will most likely have had enough by say game 4 or 5.

Introduction

Though the English Football League was founded in 1888, international football had kicked off some 16 years earlier, establishing a representative level of football at which many of the game's greatest moments would take place. The FA Cup, too, was to offer many memorable matches - not only the finals but the early rounds which in 1933 pitted Walsall of the Third Division North against mighty Arsenal - a cue for a memorable moment if ever there was one.
As football's tactics developed through the decades, so room for the individual to express himself necessarily decreased. But teams like the Austrian "Wunderteam" of the 1930s showed without doubt that tactical awareness and flair could walk hand in hand.
Every so often, too, a player would manage to make his mark at the highest level with a feat of individual brilliance. Ted Drake's seven-goal display in 1935 is not the League all-timer scoring record - that is held by Joe Payne - but to have achieved this distinction in the First Division gives it added lustre
.


#1 International - 30 November 1872

Scotland 0
England 0


The year 1872 was a momentous one for association football. It saw the first FA Cup Final contested, the introduction of corner kicks from the intersection of touch and the goal-line, and the first official international match when Scotland and England fought out a goalless draw at the West of Scotland Cricket Club at Partick on 30 November.

Charles Alcock, elected secretary of the Football Association at 28, devised the idea of international competition, inaugurating the annual Scotland-England fixture that survives to this day. Games between 'England' and 'London Scottish' had already taken place, but these remained strictly unofficial and London-based. The first game was played before an unquantified "immense concourse of spectators who kept the utmost order" - since estimated at around 4,000.

Alcock himself had been elected to captain the team, but had to yield to Ottaway, one of three Oxford University representatives in the side, when he was injured the week before. In an echo of international manager's complaints ever since, a further four England players only started because the first choice selections had been unavailable.

The Scots had been unable to select two players, Lord Kinnaird and the Royal Engineer's Renny-Tailyour, who had found success in England. Yet they were far from overawed : the full-backs, Granville club colleagues Thomson and Ker, were 'magnificent (in) defensive play and tactics', reported a correspondent, repelling a strong England attack led by close-dribbling Oxford University centre-forward Kirke-Smith and setting up several chances for their own forwards.

It was said that England had a weight advantage of some two stones per player - but again they could not make it pay against a Scottish team selected from just three clubs, Granville, Queens Park and the two Smith brothers from South Norwood. Robert Smith had been instrumental in the formation of Queens Park FC before moving south, and it was he who had captained the 'London Scottish' teams in the unofficial pipe-openers.

A goalless draw it may have ended, but the correspondent of 'Bell's Life in London' reported a 'splendid display of football in the really scientific sense of the word, and a most determined effort on the part of the representatives of the two nationalities to overcome one another'. One of the most bitterly-disputed fixtures in the history of football was well and truly born.

Scotland : Gardner, Thomson, Ker, Weir, Taylor, Leckie, McKinnon, Rhind, Wotherspoon, Smith (J), Smith (R)

England : Barker, Greenhalgh, Welch, Chappell, Ottaway, Brockbank, Chenery, Clegg, Kirke-Smith, Morice, Maynard
Last edited by arana peligrosa on Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Handful of select games 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Tue Nov 24, 2015 3:45 pm

#2 FA Cup Final - 20 April 1901

Tottenham Hotspur 2

Brown (2)

Sheffield Utd 2

Priest, Clawley (og)


It's always assumed that the life-span of a non-league club in the FA Cup is a short as the average mayfly. Gateshead and Yeovil proved the exceptions in the 1948 and 1949 respectively by winning through to the fifth round, and this feat has yet to be equalled the best part of a century later. Yet when Spurs won the Cup in 1901 after a replay they became the only Southern League club to win the FA Cup (and the first non-league outfit since 1888), beating three First Division teams on route.

At the time the Northern teams were clear kings of the Football League. Prospering on a diet of recruits from the populous industrial centres, plus Scots who made the trip across the border, teams like Preston and Sunderland were in the ascendant. And though Spurs were ostensibly a Southern League team, they included five Scots, two Welsh, one Irish, and three Englishmen all from north of the Trent. Manager John Cameron, himself a Scot, had assembled them all within the last four seasons, the longest-serving being Welsh international and captain Jack Jones at left-half. Free-scoring centre-forward Alex 'Sandy' Brown was the last piece in the jigsaw : signed from Portsmouth at the beginning of the season, he had scored in every round of the Cup so far.

The presence of a London team helped draw 114,815 spectators to the Crystal Palace - the first time in football history a six-figure crowd had been recorded, and still (after the 1913 and 1923 Finals) the third highest English gate ever. The players' gate was blocked by crowds, and a gentleman at the official entrance had to be persuaded to let Spurs enter. The Daily Graphic thought 'the nearest comparison to the numbers and appearance of the crowd would be the multitude that streams southward on Derby day'. As for the betting, Sheffield were clear ante-post favourites, boasting household names like captain Ernest 'Nudger' Needham, Tom Morren - one of only two men to win FA and Amateur Cup winners medals - and goalkeeper William 'Fatty' Foulke, the largest man ever to play first-class football at a weight of approximately 21 stone (294 lb)

Once on the field, Sheffield played it rough, hoping to harry the non-Leaguers from their pattern of play, and indeed the Yorkshiremen openeed the scoring after ten minutes through Priest. This failed to dishearten the underdogs or their supporters : in four out of five ties to date Spurs had conceded the first goal, on each occasion early in the game. Sandy Brown equalised after 25 minutes with a header from Kirwan's free-kick : amazingly, it was his 13th goal in that season's competition. He then rounded off a move in which each forward played a part to put Spurs ahead six minutes after the interval, his shot cannoning in off the bar.

There it would have ended had not a controversial decision from referee Kingscott from Derby allowed United back into the match. Tottenham keeper Clawley plucked the ball out of a penalty area scramble but, on clearing the ball, he found that the referee had ruled he'd crossed the goal-line while in possession to score an own goal. In the very first 'trial by television' the Cup Final making it's debut on film, this view was found to be erroneous by at least a foot, and in the subsequent furore the suitability of Kingscott to handle the replay was called into question. The FA would have none of it however, and he conducted the replay at Bolton when Cameron, Smith and Brown (his 15th FA Cup goal that term) all scored without reply to write Spurs' name in the history books. Interestingly, the crowd of 20,740 established another record as the smallest at a Cup Final this century.

Tottenham became a League club when they joined the Second Division in 1908, their first season saw them finish second and obtain promotion. Sandy Brown had long since moved on to Middlesbrough, having played for Spurs for a mere 12 months. His Cup feat of scoring in every round of the competition resulted in a record total of 15 goals : the latter has yet to be suprassed.

Spurs : Clawley, Erentz, Tait, Jones, Hughes, Morris, Smith, Cameron, Brown, Copeland, Kinwan

Sheffield Utd : Foulke, Thicket, Boyle, Needham, Morren, Johnson, Bennett, Field, Hedley, Priest, Lipsham



Image

Above : Southern League Tottenham and First Division Sheffield United kick off the 1901 FA Cup Final before Britain's first six-figure crowd at the Crystal Palace. Though the match finished a 2 - 2 draw, underdogs Spurs took the replay 3 - 0 , and with it a place in soccer history.

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Re: Handful of select games 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:02 pm

#3 FA Cup Final - 28 April 1923


Bolton Wanderers 2

Jack, Smith

West Ham Utd 0


Despite it's unchallenged reputation as English soccer's most coveted trophy, the FA Cup only found a permanent home when Wembley Stadium, built in preparation for the British Empire Exhibition, opened it's gates for the 1922 - 23 Final between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham. Public curiosity about the new stadium and the participation of a London club combined to attract an official attendance of 126,047 : contemporary reports suggest almost double the figure. Only the intervention of mounted policeman PC George Scorey forestalled a pitch invasion and ensured that the match would forever be known as the 'White Horse Final'.

The match itself provided many stories, most amusing being the tale that a spectator provided the vital pass for Bolton's Ted Vizard to cross the ball for J R Smith's second-half scoring volley. By this time, David Jack had become the first player to score at Wembley with his goal in a first half that, allowing for interruptions to clear the crowd from the pitch, lasted for over an hour.

Bolton, whose first honour this was, returned to win twice more in the decade, in 1926 against Manchester City (1 - 0), and three years later against Portsmouth (2 - 0). Pym, Seddon, Nuttall and Butler, all England internationals, played in all thre games along with Howarth.

As for the man on the White Horse, PC Scorey was rewarded with complimentary tickets to subsequent Finals, but never took these up : he was less than impressed with what he had seen. But Finals, all-ticket affairs from 1924 onwards, have continued at Wembley until the present day, save for the interruption of World War II.

Bolton : Pym, Howarth, Finney, Nuttall, Seddon, Jennings, Butler, Jack, Smith (J), Smith (J R), Vizard.

West Ham : Huffon, Henderson, Young, Bishop, Kay, Tresadern, Richards, Brown, Watson (V), Moore, Ruffell
.


Image

Above : PC George Scorey on his white horse plus colleagues with less distinctive mounts attempt to clear the pitch. Such scenes were remembered long after the result, 2 - 0 to Bolton, had been consigned to the history books. Subsequent Wembley finals have, understandably, been all-ticket affairs.

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Re: Handful of select games 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:43 pm

#4 Home Championship - 31 March 1928


England 1

(Kelly)

Scotland 5

(Jackson (3), James (2))


Internationals, especially with England, have long been a cornerstone of the Scottish game - and ever since the FA suggested in 1872 that "a team should represent England in order to further the interests of the Association in Scotland" , they've been keen to take the all-knowing English down a peg or two. In 1928, they ventured southwards to Wembley and gave the Sassenachs a footballing lesson that will never be forgotten.

The resulting 5 - 1 scoreline ensured the "Wembley Wizards" immortality in the annals of Scottish football. Right-winger Alex Jackson and inside-left Alex James split the spoils, the latter declaring "We could have had ten !". At five foot seven, Huddersfield's Jackson was the tallest by far of a diminutive Scots forward line - and capitalised with a hat-trick of headers, embarrassing four club-mates in England colours. The legendary Wembley turf was in perfect condition, having lain unused for over a year, and heavy rain meant conditions favoured the nimble Scots with their close-passing, dribbling game. All five forwards had the game of their lives.

Fortune favoured Scotland the brave, since England left-winger Smith hit the post in only the second minute with Harkness beaten. Thereafter England managed only five further shots on goal, including the direct free-kick with which Kelly obtained a consolation. Two goals to nil up at half-time, Scotland turned in a tremendous display with James, then of Preston, prominent. Soccer writer Ivan Sharpe summed it up in his match report : "England were not merely beaten, they were bewildered - run to a standstill, made to appear utterly inferior by as team whose play was as cultured and beautiful as I ever expect to see".

England : Hufton, Goodall, Jones, Edwards, Wilson, Healless, Hulme, Kelly, Dean, Bradford, Smith

Scotland : Harkness, Nelson, Law, Gibson, Bradshaw, McMullan, Jackson, Dunn, Gallacher, James, Morton

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Fri Nov 27, 2015 12:18 am

#5 International - 7 Dec 1932


England 4

Hampson (2), Houghton, Crooks

Austria 3

Zischek (2), Sindelar


Austria's famed "Wunderteam" ventured to Stamford Bridge, having achieved a 4 - 2 victory over the Italians in Turin only a matter of months earlier.

Semi-finalists in the first World Cup of 1930, they built their game on short passing and great ball control - almost a throwback to the classic Scottish game. Ironic, then, they should have beaten Scotland 5 - 0 in May 1931 as they began their World Cup warm-up, remaining unbeaten for ten matches thereafter. On the other hand, no European visitors had managed even a draw on English soil, and with the teams having drawn 0 - 0 in Vienna a couple of years earlier England were probably favourites to win this keenly-awaited international.

Austrian manager Hugo Meisl was assisted by English coach Jimmy Hogan, a globetrotting prophet of attacking football without honour in his own country.

England had no manger, but had brought back Villa's Billy Walker to lead the team on the field after a five-year absence. Centre-forward Hampson opened the scoring, then added a second, but Vogel missed a golden opportunity to reduce the arrears just before half-time.

When Austria did manage to pull back a goal through right-winger Zischek at the end of a defence-splitting move they gained a new confidence. Even a freak deflection of a Houghton free-kick past Hiden couldn't deflate them. Sindelar's goal was countered by England's right-winger Crooks, only for Zischek to notch his second and Austria's third to set up a frantic finish which epitomised the match's end-to-end flavour. England "scored" again just after the final whistle, but a 5 - 3 scoreline would have been unjust to an Austrian team that had given the English a real run for their money.

England : Hibbs, Goodall, Blenkinsop, Strange, Hart, Keen, Crooks, Jack, Hampson, Walker, Houghton

Austria : Hiden, Rainer, Sesta, Gall, Smistik, Nausch, Zischek, Gschweidl, Sindelar, Schall, Vogel

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:51 pm

#6 FA Cup Third Round - 14 Jan 1933


WALSALL 2

Alsop, Sheppard (pen)

ARSENAL 0


The history of the FA Cup giant-killing is a long and illustrious one - yet though nearly 60 years have elapsed since Walsall from the Third Division North humbled mighty Arsenal, the January 1933 fixture remains the competition's biggest-ever upset. Such was the shock when the then League leaders received their come-uppance that for the first time ever a football score was repeated by the BBC radio announcer for fear anyone thought he had transposed the scores.

Hero of the hour was Gilbert Alsop, who put the home team in the lead after an hour in which they had been far from overawed. The absence of the injured Hapgood and Hulme, together with influenza victims Coleman, John, and Lambert, had stripped the Gunners of their veneer of experience : of those player's replacements, three - Black, Walsh, and Warnes - were first-team debutants, while Sidey had only appearance to his credit. The legendary Herbert Chapman was not renowned for misjudgements, but this was clearly not one of his better days.

It was one of the Arsenal rookies, left-back Tommy Black, whose illicit challenge on the troublesome Alsop gifted Walsall a second, courtesy of penalty taker Sheppard. The hapless defender was a Plymouth player before a week was out. Similar fates awaited Walsh (Brentford) and Warnes (Norwich), while even their more illustrious team-mates could not reduce the two-goal deficit in the 25 minutes that remained.

Despite the upset, Arsenal retained their League position and took their second Championship of the decade with no Cup to distract them, while Walsall departed in the next round to Manchester City. Nevertheless, the local heroes who were chaired from the pitch more than deserved their moment of glory. And when Walsall moved from Fellows Park, scene of one of the greatest Cup upsets, they named a stand in their new Bescott Stadium after Gilbert Alsop, who at 81, was there to open it in 1990 in the same no-nonsense style in which he and his team-mates had disposed of mighty Arsenal.

WALSALL : Cunningham, Bird, Bennett, Reed, Leslie, Salt, Coward, Ball, Alsop, Sheppard, Lee

ARSENAL : Moss, Male, Black, Hill, Roberts, Sidey, Warnes, Jack, James, Walsh, Bastin

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sun Nov 29, 2015 2:24 pm

#7 International - 14 Nov 1934


ENGLAND 3

Brook (2), Drake

ITALY 2

Meazza (2)


Reported in the press as "The Battle of Highbury" due to the Italian's physical play, this game had a longer-lasting significance : England had defeated the current World Champions just months after they had won their crown.

England had not entered the World Cup, so had something to prove : the opposition responded in a less than amicable fashion after their Argentine-born centre-half Monti broke a bone in his foot in a second-minute clash with Drake. Down to ten men in the pre-substitute era, Italy seemed keen to settle the score in physical terms, with the result that Eddie Hapgood - one of seven Arsenal men in the team due to injuries, and captaining his country for the first time - had his nose broken.

England persevered, however, and were awarded a first-half penalty. But the normally reliable Brook found his left-foot effort matched by Ceresoli's acrobatic leap to keep the game scoreless. The roles were reversed shortly afterwards when the Manchester City left-winger rose to head home, the cracked in a free-kick after Ceresoli rashly motioned his defensive wall to stand aside.

Centre-forward Ted Drake had made it three before half-time, but it was a different Italian team that took the field at the restart. Their outstanding forward, Guiseppe 'Peppino' Meazza of Inter Milan, had played a key role in the World Cup win (and was to captain the side to a second win four years later). At Highbury, he notched two memorable goals, setting up a nail-biting finish and showing what a contest this game could have been had Italy concentrated on playing football from the outset.

ENGLAND : Moss, Male, Hapgood, Britton, Barker, Copping, Matthews, Bowden, Drake, Bastin, Brook

ITALY : Ceresoli, Monzeglio, Allemandi, Ferraris, Monti, Bertolini, Guaita, Serantoni, Meazza, Ferrari, Orsi

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Fri Dec 04, 2015 3:05 am

#8 League Division 1 - 14 Dec 1935


ASTON VILLA 1

Palethorpe

ARSENAL 7

Drake (7)


Individual and collective goalscoring feats reached their zenith in the inter-war years. George Camsell of Middlesbrough rewrote the record books in 1926 - 27, notching 59 of the 122 goals that secured the Second Division title for his team. Everton's 102-goal total in 1927 -28 was the first time since 1893 that the 100-goal barrier had been broken in the top flight and was assisted by a League record 60-goal total from Bill 'Dixie' Dean. Yet the outstanding performance of the era - and a First Division record that still stands today - was set by Arsenal's Ted Drake.

The Gunners had won the Championship twice in the decade, winning twice more in 1933 - 34 and 1934 - 35 under the late Herbert Chapman's permanent successor George Allison. Drake, signed from Southampton the previous year, wrote himself into the history books on 14 December 1935 as they exhibited the class of true champions. Aston Villa were the opposition, and all eyes at Villa Park were on new signing Alex Massie.

Drake's first impact on the game was unimpressive, tripping as he strove to keep the ball in play and grazing himself on the cinder track surrounding the pitch. The crowd was amused....but Drake had the last laugh, completing a hat-trick in just 19 minutes. Drake opened his account on the quarter-hour thanks to a Beasley through ball, while the same player's shot rebounded after 34 minutes to offer the striker his third. The second had provided the best of the day : picking up a long pass from inside-left Cliff 'Boy' Bastin, the surprisingly slight Drake (5ft 10 in, 11st 10lb) took the direct route to goal, leaving Griffiths and Cummings trailing in his wake before beating Morton from the edge of the Villa area.

Amazingly, Drake surpassed his first-half feat in the second period, three of his four goals coming in a mere 12 minutes. The first and most notable was reward for chasing a ball that seemed certain to go out of play, then squeezing the subsequent shot between keeper and near post. A Bowden cross, then a rebound off a defender gave him his second hat-trick of the game before his Villa opposite number Palethorpe belatedly got in on the act. Drake notched his and Arsenal's seventh in the final seconds from another perceptive Bastin pass, wrapping up one of the best individual performances in League history.

Ted Drake's haul helped him to a club record for goals scored in a season, a stunning 42 goals in 41 appearances. On the day, almost everything had gone right for the man whose seven goals were scored from only eight shots on goal : the odd one out hit the woodwork (!)

ASTON VILLA : Morton, Blair, Cummings, Massie, Griffiths, Wood, Williams, Astley, Palethorpe, Dix, Houghton

ARSENAL : Wilson, Male, Hapgood, Crayston, Roberts, Copping, Rogers, Bowden, Drake, Bastin, Beasley

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sat Dec 05, 2015 3:20 am

#9 FA Cup Third Round - 10 Jan 1948


ASTON VILLA 4

Edwards (2), Smith, Dorsett (pen)

MANCHESTER UNITED 6

Morris (2), Pearson (2), Rowley, Delaney


This game took place at the height of soccer’s post-war golden age, when fans flocked back to the terraces in their thousands. Almost 1,050,000 of them witnessed the third-round FA Cup ties of early 1948 and saw some surprising results. Arsenal, Burnley, Huddersfield, Sheffield Utd and Sunderland were among the famous teams that fell by the wayside to lesser opposition at what was, for them, the first hurdle. But the all-First Division clash between Aston Villa and Manchester United was the pick of the bunch - and acclaimed universally as one of the all-time FA Cup highlights.

Manchester United manager Matt Busby had inherited players like Irish international Johnny Carey, Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson from the pre-war team. To these stalwarts he added players like right-winger Jimmy Delaney to produce a side of perfect balance. The inspirational Carey was the main spring : he played in every outfield position bar outside-right for United, captained the Rest of Europe against Great Britain in 1947, was British player of the year in 1949 and turned successfully to management after his playing days were over.

United were used to playing away : their ground at Old Trafford was still being restored to playable conditions after wartime bomb damage, and they were reduced to borrowings the grounds of their north-west neighbours. United proved welcome cuckoos in the nest, pulling in 81,962 to Maine Road for the visit of League leaders Arsenal in the same month as this tie. And the 58,683 who witnessed this thriller would certainly come back for more.

Villa were without experienced keeper Joe Rutherford, who had a broken arm, and seasoned Scots international full-back and captain George Cummings. But it was United’s keeper Jack Crompton who was first in action after just 13 and a half seconds, picking a George Edwards shot out of his net after a four-man move straight from the kick-off (!). Two headers from Jack Rowley and Johnny Morris levelled, then reversed fortunes, while a touch of luck enabled Stan Pearson to add United’s third on the half-hour after a Rowley free-kick ricocheted his way. As if all that wasn’t enough, the final minutes of the first half saw Morris head a fourth from Charlie Mitten, wing provider of United’s opener, then fellow wide man Jimmy Delaney was set up by scorers Morris and Pearson to walk the ball into the Villa net. Five goals in 45 minutes after being one down …,. This was world-beating form indeed (!)

Controversy greeted the opening minutes of the second half when Villa winger Edwards’ corner crossed the goal-line in the opinion of the referee - though not of United keeper Crompton. (Some reports insist United skipper Carey got a final touch). Conditions were poor, the ball waterlogged - and when thunderbolt dead-ball expert Dickie Dorsett shaped up to take a Villa free-kick, the whole wall ducked (!). The ball rebounded to Smith who reduced the deficit to two from point-blank range.

The odds shortened when a long-running battle between United’s Chilton and Villa’s Ford ended with the latter spreadeagled in the area. “I brought him down because he was being a bit naughty”, Chilton admitted afterwards - no consolation to keeper Crompton, who was beaten by Dorsett’s successful spot-kick. 5-4 … Ford used his hand to convert a Smith cross, but was spotted even in the poor conditions. Had the ‘goal’ stood, Villa would have engineered the greatest comeback of all time, but with two minutes to go Pearson’s shot from a Charlie Mitten corner settled the issue.

Manager Matt Busby described Pearson’s final strike as “one of the most valuable goals he has ever scored for the club” - and so it proved. The following round saw United beat Liverpool 3 - 0 at another adopted home, Goodison Park, bringing in a record 74,721 crowd and they then progressed all the way to Wembley. Six of the team that played there to take the Cup in another classic against Blackpool were to add Championship medals in 1952 - 53 - a tribute to the youth as well as maturity of this United side, the first of Matt Busby’s three great teams.

ASTON VILLA : Jones, Potts, Parkes, Dorsett, Moss, Lowe, Edwards, Martin, Ford, Brown, Smith

MANCHESTER UNITED : Crompton, Carey, Aston, Anderson, Chilton, Cockburn, Delaney, Morris, Rowley, Pearson, Mitten

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sat Dec 05, 2015 10:20 pm

#10 International - 16 May 1948


ITALY 0

ENGLAND 4


Finney (2), Mortensen, Lawton


As English League football enjoyed its postwar ‘Golden Age’, the national team were limbering up for their first World Cup. A 10 - 0 victory in Portugal in May 1947 had made the world sit up and take notice of their aspirations, Stan Mortensen and Tom Lawton notching four goals apiece. England had two world-class wide men in Preston’s Tom Finney and the legendary Stanley Matthews of Stoke (later Blackpool), but both were right-wingers. The solution decided upon was to switch Finney to the left.

The same forward line took on the Italians in Turin exactly one year later, scoring four without reply. This, if anything, was an even more impressive victory over a national side based on the great Torino team that ran away with four Italian championships before being cruelly destroyed in a plane crash the following year. Seven played, while left-back Maroso, an automatic choice, was omitted through injury.

An early goal from Mortensen, set up by club colleague Matthews, stunned the home crowd into silence : they, like keeper Bacigalupo, had assumed he would cross to the waiting Lawton when instead he shot into the near top corner with amazing power. Manchester City’s Frank Swift was then called upon to perform minor miracles at the other end before the Blackpool double act worked their magic once more down the right flank. This time, Mortensen did cross for Lawton to finish.

Gabbeto was unfortunate not to pull one back after the interval, Frank Swift denying him on what was surely the keeper’s greatest performance in 19 internationals. Another Italian with little to cheer was left-back Eliani, being constantly tormented by Stan Matthews, who with Mannion twice set up flowing moves for Finney to put the result beyond doubt.

As the World Cup just two years later was to prove, England’s performance in this case was exceptional, and the Italians were in no way four goals inferior ; but it was fitting that in an atmosphere of post-wartime revival the national team’s fortunes should mirror those of the domestic game.

ITALY : Bacigalupo, Ballarin, Eliani, Annovazzi, Parola, Grezar, Menti, Loik, Gabetto, Mazzola, Carapallese

ENGLAND : Swift, Scott, Howe, Wright, Franklin, Cockburn, Matthews, Mortensen, Lawton, Mannion, Finney

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Mon Dec 07, 2015 1:47 am

#11 World Cup - 29 June 1950


USA 1

Gaetjens

ENGLAND 0


The year 1950 marked a turning point in British football as for the first time the World Cup was to be contested with all British national teams among the entrants. Qualification was via the Home International Championship, the first and second-placed teams being eligible for the finals in Brazil. England won and duly took up their allotted place, but Scotland declined the invitation despite attaining the runner’s-up slot.

As it transpired, England’s unfortunate experience probably confirmed the Scot’s decision. Yet they travelled in expectation of at least a medal, being ante-post favourites alongside Brazil thanks to their record of 22 wins and two draws in 28 post-war internationals. Furthermore they now had a full-time manager in Walter Winterbottom.

Playing their first match at the brand new Rio Stadium and beating Chile by the expected 2 - 0 margin, they travelled to Belo Horizonte for what seemed the formality of dispatching the United States. Their downfall was schemed by a guileful Scot, right-half Eddie McIlvenny, who’d graced the Football League with Third Division Wrexham. He’d plotted and planned with fellow Scot Bill Jeffrey, America’s team manager, and their sterling efforts, combined with an uneven pitch, led to one of the most momentous World Cup upsets of all time - not to mention the greatest humiliation ever suffered by the English national team.

England could hardly blame the absence of Stanley Matthews for not making the game safe : with proven regulars like Mortensen, Finney and Mannion in the forward line abetted by Roy Bentley, there was goalscoring power a-plenty. Yet all seemed goal-shy, passing instead of shooting on sight to test US keeper Borghi. And when they did shoot the woodwork twice kept them out, while an effort from left-winger Mullen, which appeared to cross the goal-line before being scrambled to safety, was disallowed.

As it transpired, England didn’t even turn around at half-time on level terms. Centre-forward Gaetjens’ header, the American’s one real chance, was to be the only goal.

When England lost to Spain by a similar score, albeit after having another legitimate goal disallowed for offside, it was plain their interest in the World Cup was over. And embarrassingly a ‘second rank’ Football Association XI touring America had earlier beaten the US on home turf.


USA : Borghi, Keough, Maca, McIlvenny, Colombo, Bahr, Wallace, Pariani, Gaetjens, Souza (J), Souza (E)

ENGLAND : Williams, Ramsey, Aston, Wright, Hughes, Dickinson, Finney, Mortensen, Bentley, Mannion, Mullen



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Above : The US squad that flew to Brazil for the 1950 World Cup

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Tue Dec 08, 2015 10:10 pm

#12 FA Cup Final - 2 May 1953


BLACKPOOL 4

Mortensen (3), Perry

BOLTON WANDERERS 3

Lofthouse, Moir, Bell


Before the abolition of the maximum wage saw the glamour clubs monopolising talent, Blackpool - a small seaside town in Lancashire - were a real force in the game. They reached three FA Cup Finals in five years, losing to Manchester United and Newcastle in 1948 and 1951. But it was for the 1953 game, which will forever e dubbed the ‘Matthews Final’, and they will go down in football history.

Previous Cup Final defeats had given the team valuable experience. But no player on the pitch could boast more experience than right-winger Stanley Matthews, then a 38-year old veteran. He also shared the tangerine shirt with several useful players like centre-forward Stan Mortensen. Bolton had Nat Lofthouse, the ‘Lion of Vienna’, whose opening goal secured him the rare distinction of having scored in every round. Despite a Mortensen equaliser, goals by Moir and Bell had given Bolton a seemingly unassailable 3 - 1 lead before half-time before fate - and Matthews - took a hand.

Bolton’s left-back Banks was suffering from cramp, while their left half-back Bell sustained an injury and played out time virtually as a makeshift winger. A far from makeshift Matthews took advantage by crossing for Mortensen to add Blackpool’s third direct from a free-kick to draw the scores level with time running out. Then Matthews then came into his own, defying expectations that the lush Wembley turf would take it’s toll on his stamina by setting up Bill Perry’s winner.

Matthews subsequently returned to his home town club of Stoke City - his only other League club - and took them back into the First Division at the age of 53, earning himself a knighthood in the process. Yet he was never able to surpass the ‘Matthews Final’, a game that typified the thrills and spills of the world’s greatest knockout competition.


BLACKPOOL : Farm, Shimwell, Garrett, Fenton, Johnston, Robinson, Matthews, Taylor, Mortensen, Mudie, Perry

BOLTON : Hanson, Ball, Banks, Wheeler, Barrass, Bell, Holden, Moir, Lofthouse, Hassall, Langton


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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Dec 09, 2015 10:32 pm

#13 International - 25 November 1953


ENGLAND 3

Sewell, Mortensen, Ramsey (pen)

HUNGARY 6

Hindguti (3), Puskas (2), Bozsik


Hungary’s 6 - 3 drubbing of England at Wembley in November 1953 was a watershed in the domestic game. Unlike the ‘fluke’ reverse against the US, the implications could not be easily brushed aside : English football was no longer a leader in the world game. The match - the first England had ever lost at Wembley to continental opposition - was played in the full glare of the media spotlight - and, though officially classed as a friendly, no-one who saw the likes of Billy Wright and Stanley Matthews humbled by the Hungarians would ever forget it.

Coached by Gyula Mandi, the Magnificent Magyars’ postwar spell of exile behind the iron curtain had ended the previous year when they participated in the Olympic competition in Helsinki - and won it in convincing fashion. Built around the midfield general and team captain Ferenc Puskas (‘The Galloping Major’ to the British press) and his educated left foot, they ticked over like a well-oiled machine. And the lesson he gave English football resulted in the summary ending of six international careers.

Centre-forward Nandor Hidegkuti’s deep-lying tactics confused the English defence. Drifting in unmarked behind the inside-forward spearheads, he hit a hat-trick, including a first minute 20-yarder past the astonished Gil Merrick, while right-half Bozsik contributed a piledriver from outside the area. Puskas maintained a goal-a-game record over his international career, scoring 85 times in 84 appearances. One of his two goals on this occasion, a gem which sent the usually stalwart Wolves defender Billy Wright sprawling, was memorably described by The Time’s Geoffrey Green : “Wright was like a fire engine arriving to late for the wrong blaze”. Describing Hungary as ‘a side of progressive, dangerous artists who seem able to adjust themselves at will to any demand’, Green also pointed out that ‘English football can be proud of it’s past, but it must awake to a new future.’

Another man on whom it made a deep and lasting impression was right-back Alf Ramsey, whose penalty restored a small part of England’s pride. “I have had one ambition hanging over me for years”, confessed the future England team manager some ten years later, “to replace the image of that great Hungarian side with the image of an even greater England team”. He may have won the World Cup - but Ramsey’s heroes never eclipsed the Hungarians’ style.


ENGLAND : Merrick, Ramsey, Eckersley, Wright, Johnston, Dickinson, Matthews, Taylor, Mortensen, Sewell, Robb

HUNGARY : Grosics, Buzansky, Lantos, Bozsik, Lorant, Zakarias, Budai, Kocsis, Hidegkuti, Puskas, Czibor



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Above : England captain Billy Wright (centre) looks on open-mouthed as Hungary's Hidegkuti and Puskas celebrate.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:41 pm

#14 World Cup Semi-Final
- 30 June 1954


HUNGARY 4

Kocsis (2), Czibor, Hidegkuti

URUGUAY 2

Hohberg (2)


The Hungarian football team of the 1950s will forever be remembered as one of the greatest national sides ever seen. Their record stands the closest scrutiny : between a 7 - 2 defeat by Sweden in 1943 and a 4 - 2 loss against Czechoslovakia in 1956 they were unbeaten on their own soil, while a four-year period in the 1950s saw them complete a 29-game sequence of home and away games without defeat. That run was destined to end in a World Cup Final, in 1954 against West Germany, but en route they played their part in a classic against Uruguay. Television chose this game for its first visit to the competition, and viewers were not disappointed.

Hungary’s 4 - 2 quarter-final against Brazil, dubbed ‘The Battle of Berne’, had been notable for its off-the-ball incidents, but Bozsik’s sending off hadn’t debarred him from participating. Puskas, their influential captain and goalscorer, was still missing, but Uruguay too were without a trio of key men in Miguez, Abbadie and their captain Varela.

The match was played in a downpour, but Hungary appeared to have few problems with the weather, Czibor’s volley from a Kocsis header opened the scoring after 13 minutes, while another header, this time by Hidegkuti, put the Magyars two up just a minute into the second period. But Uruguay had to uphold a proud record of never having been defeated in a World Cup fixture, and with 15 minutes remaining they found their second wind as Hungary played for time. Twice centre-forward Schiaffino fed inside-left Hohberg, the second time with just four minutes remaining to force an extra period.

An injury to Schiaffino in the first half of extra-time reduced the Uruguayans to ten fit men and tipped the odds in Hungary’s favour, but they could not initially make numerical superiority count. When the South Americans’ midfield dynamo, Andrade, finally succumbed to cramp, however, eleven finally established superiority over nine. The golden head of Sandor Kocsis nodded Hungary back into the lead, then repeated the feat with four minutes remaining to kill off any lingering Uruguayan hopes of retaining their proud World Cup record.

The ebb and flow of the game had made for a riveting spectacle, and it was followed by another in a closely fought Final. Yet it was the game in which South American and European styles had been pitted against each other that will be remembered as the outstanding game of the tournament and one of the greatest World Cup clashes ever.

HUNGARY : Grosics, Buzansky, Lantos, Bozsik, Lorant, Zakarias, Budai, Kocsis, Palotas, Hidegkuti, Czibor

URUGUAY : Maspoli, Santamaria, Martinez, Andrade, Carballo, Cruz, Souto, Ambrois, Schiaffino, Hohberg, Borges

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sat Dec 12, 2015 3:37 pm

#15 Friendly - 13 Dec 1954


WOLVES 3

Swinbourne (2), Hancocks (pen)

HONVED 2

Kocsis, Machos


The 1950s was the decade in which English football, so often self-centred and inward looking, was exposed to world scrutiny. And while Wolves, with their three League wins in 1954, 1958 and 1959, were undoubtedly a great team, it would later become evident that their defeat of Hungary’s crack Honved side by 3 - 2 in December 1954 was not enough to make them kings of the world.

After all, the Hungarian national team had taught England a double lesson at Wembley in November 1953 and on home soil six months later. Newspaper headlines of ‘World Champions’ were clearly an attempt to level those scores.

Nevertheless, Wolves, rebuilt by Stan Cullis from the ‘Team of the Forties’ and captained inspirationally by England’s Billy Wright, were indeed a class side. Hancocks was a swift wingman, Bert Williams a reliable keeper , while wing-half Ron Flowers stoked the engine room. Their game was the long ball to the wing, then a cross for Roy Swinbourne to connect with head, foot or chest.

The Hungarian Army club Honved operated under a system where they could ‘draft’ the country’s best players. Among these they numbered Sandor Kocsis , top scorer in the recent World Cup, : Josef Bozsik, the powerhouse of the team driving them forward from the right-wing position, and inspirational captain of club and country ; Ferenc Puskas.

The majority of Honved’s side had played against Scotland in Glasgow not seven days previously. Despite playing ‘out of season’, they turned round against Wolves two goals up. Kocsis who possessed enviable ability in the air for his height justified his ‘Golden Head’ nickname by twisting to convert a Puskas free-kick, then youthful striker Machos scored an outstanding individual second to stun the crowd.

The second half saw the pendulum swing in Wolves favour. Hancocks teased away at the Honved left flank, eventually winning a penalty which he himself converted. Then a cross from the other flank found the head of brave, bustling Roy Swinburne - 2 - 2 (!). It was from the left flank too that the winner was fashioned through full-back Shorthouse and winger Smith, Swinbourne once more scoring to end a memorable night.

Though the Wolves long ball game took them to three championships, Barcelona’s 5 - 2 win at Molyneux in the European Cup of 1959 - 60 suggested that it was no match for continental guile. The Honved victory, despite being depicted as revenge in the press, was ultimately a false dawn.

WOLVES : Williams, Stuart, Shorthouse, Slater, Wright, Flowers, Hancocks, Broadbent, Swinbourne, Wilshaw, Smith

HONVED : Farago, Rakoczi, Kovacs, Bozsik, Lorant, Banyai, Budai, Kocsis, Puskas, Czibor

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:18 pm

#16 League Division 1 - 1 Feb 1958


ARSENAL 4

Bloomfield (2), Herd, Tapscott

MANCHESTER UTD 5

Taylor (2), Edwards, Charlton, Viollet


Title winners in the two previous seasons, the Busby Babes were in their prime - a purple patch that was to end forever in the snowy wastes of Munich just five days later. This was their last match in England, and of the greatest ever to be witnessed by the inhabitants of marble-halled Highbury.

United might have been forgiven for considering the final 45 minutes something of a formality, given their half-time lead of 3 - 0. After early end-to-end play, Duncan Edwards’ volley from the edge of the area all but burst the net : “All I remember is that everyone instinctively ducked”, recalled a young spectator behind the goal. Seconds later, Arsenal came within inches of an equaliser at the other end when a Groves header was saved miraculously by Gregg. The ball stayed out - and when Charlton fired home for United in typical fashion from Scanlon’s cross the save seemed to have turned the match. Tommy Taylor scored their third just before the break, seemingly to clinch the match.

But United had reckoned without a three-minute spell in which David Herd and Jimmy Bloomfield, first with foot and then with head, brought the scores level. Left-winger Gordon Nutt supplied the centres that cracked the United rearguard, Groves heading down his cross for Bloomfield’s first.

A five-minute burst of sustained home pressure then threatened to turn the match on its head until United disdainfully moved up a gear to settle things. Charlton and Scanlon’s move fed inside-left Dennis Viollet with a headed goal, while Tommy Taylor’s strike from an oblique angle seven minutes later comprehensively beat Welsh international Jack Kelsey. Both Kelsey and Ulsterman Gregg were international keepers, but they were powerless on the day to stem this tide of attacking football. Arsenal inside forward Tapscott notched the Gunners’ fourth in the 77th minute, setting up a furious finale, but Gregg and the United defence held on.

United, of course, were to take the best part of a decade to rediscover such fluency. David Herd, who notched Arsenals’ first, joined Manchester United three years later for 35,000 pounds to become a cornerstone of Busby’s third great team. Arsenal, whose defensive shortcomings had been ruthlessly exposed, parted company three months later with manager Jack Crayston, who had served the club for 24 years as player, coach and manager. Their final twelfth position was obtained with their lowest points total since 1930. The job of rebuilding his 1948 Cup-winning side had led Busby to evolve the squad system, looking not only to create an 11-man team but also to provide a stream of ready-made replacements by developing a flourishing youth policy. This was now clearly bearing fruit.

ARSENAL : Kelsey, Charlton (S), Evans, Ward, Fotheringham, Bowen, Groves, Tapscott, Herd, Bloomfield, Nutt

MAN UTD : Gregg, Foulkes, Byrne, Colman, Jones, Edwards, Morgans, Charlton (Robert), Taylor, Viollet, Scanlon



Image

Above : United centre-forward Tommy Taylor (centre background, white shirt) beats Kelsey to score Manchester United's third just befpre half-time. As Arsenal had yet to score, the spectators were unprepared for a six-goal second-half show. Taylor, along with four of his team-mates that day, was to perish in the air crash at Munich only five days later.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:36 pm

#17 World Cup Final - 29 June 1958


BRAZIL 5

Vava (2), Pele (2), Zagalo

SWEDEN 2

Liedholm, Simonsson


Despite the unprecedented appearance of all four British ‘home countries’, Brazil were the clear favourites to win the 1958 World Cup, bidding to become the first team in history to win in a different continent from their own. They brought to Sweden the exciting Pele, a gifted 17-year-old carrying an injury that caused him to miss the first two games, and Garrincha, a tricky winger known as Little Bird. For Pele this was the perfect moment to display his now legendary genius. Brazil played a 4-4-2 line-up, a system admirably suited to Didi, the inside-forward who ensured the four-man attack saw plenty of the ball, and added his shooting power from set pieces to the formidable armoury.

Brazil’s talents came together for the first time in a 5 - 2 semi-final victory over France, while the host country beat Germany by 3 - 1 in Gothenburg to reach the Final. Swedish fans aside, however, there was little doubt as to the likely outcome of that game - or so it appeared until a shock fourth-minute goal from Nils Liedholm, one of five Swedes who had been playing in Italy. It was the first time in the whole tournament that Brazil had been a goal behind, and the home crowd hoped against hope that their heads would drop.

It didn’t happen. Instead, the South Americans put on a dazzling display that would have beaten any team. Tactically astute midfielder Zagalo dropped to midfield to combat the Swedish threat - a move later claimed as pioneering in the 1960s, while Djalmar Santos, playing his first game of the finals in defence, gave the bustling Hamrin-Skoglund strike combination little chance to shine.

Brazilian centre-forward Vava equalised from Garricha’s inch-perfect cross five minutes later, then two worked the same trick on the half-hour. The goal that killed the game as a competition - though emphatically not as a spectacle - was Brazil’s third, volleyed by Pele after a chest trap and defender beating overhead flick that left the crowd breathless. Zagalo hit the fourth after his corner wasn’t efficiently cleared, and while Gren and Simonsson combined ten minutes from time to give the latter a goal, the last word belonged fittingly to Pele. His back-heel to the tireless Zagalo - nicknamed Little Ant for his phenomenal and very un-Brazilian work-rate - gave him the chance to prove his legendary heading ability from the subsequent cross.

Brazil emphasised the friendly nature of the finals by carrying a Swedish flag on their lap of honour. Despite unhelpful wet conditions they had mastered both the elements and their opponents to return to South America already installed as red-hot favourites to retain their crown in Chile four years later, which, of course, they did.

BRAZIL : Gilmar, Santos (D), Santos (N), Zito, Bellini, Orlando, Garrincha, Didi, Vava, Pele, Zagalo

SWEDEN : Svensson, Bergmark, Axborn, Boerjesson, Gustavsson, Parling, Hamrin, Gren, Simonsson, Liedholm, Skoglund

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Tue Dec 15, 2015 4:09 pm

#18 European Cup Final - 18 May 1960


REAL MADRID 7

Puskas (4, 1 pen), di Stefano (3)

EINTRACHT 3

Stein (2), Kress


The European Cup Final of 1960, which pitted four times consecutive winners Real Madrid against Eintracht Frankfurt in Glasgow will always be remembered for its spectacular 7 - 3 scoreline. If this was a David and Goliath clash, the all-conquering Spaniards clearly hadn’t read the script, and were acclaimed by the partisan Scots as eleven of their own following a performance that was clearly in a different class.

One of the reasons for the Scots’ support was Eintracht’s 12 - 4 aggregate dismissal of Glasgow Rangers in the semi-final, which wouldn’t help their cause in the city. The secret of Real’s success was not just their star-studded attack but a solid defence built down the middle around their Argentinian international keeper Dominguez and their dominating central defender Santamaria.

Four of the goals came from the irrepressible Puskas and three from di Stefano - showing contempt for Father Time at 34 - in a two-man show that had the Hampden crowd roaring. The Germans had the impudence to take the lead when veteran 35-year-old winger Kress escaped Santamaria’s clutches to sweep in a Stein cross from the left after 20 minutes. It was the third such break down the flank : if this caused Real some food for thought, it took only six minutes for them to digest it.

The best form of defence, of course, is attack - and when Brazilian wingman Canario, a reserve for most of the season, made the most of first-team freedom down the right flank, di Stefano did the rest. Three minutes later, the same combination struck again, this time after the wingers’ typically South American swerving strike proved impossible for Loy to hold. Two minutes from half-time, Puskas made it three with deceptive ease from the narrowest of angles. The crowd rose as one to acclaim a half of masterful football from Europe’s greatest.
The Spaniards hit three more in quick succession after the interval, the first a Puskas penalty after the speedy Gento had tormented right-back Lutz into an indiscretion. On 70 minutes, Puskas gave the millions watching on television a lesson in ball control, leaning back languidly to retrieve a pass going behind him before killing the ball stone dead and lofting it into the top of the net like a practice free-kick from the edge of the area. Stein pulled it back to 2 - 6 and added a consolation third from a stray Vidal back-pass after di Stefano, running straight at the heart of the Eintracht defence, found it parting in front of him as he exchanged passes with his team-mates. Needless to say, the finish to complete his hat-trick was typically lethal.

It was quite a swan song for the Spaniards, whose grip on the trophy was to be loosened the following season in the first round by the current Spanish champions Barcelona. For now, it was enough to hear di Stefano admit “It was one of our best games ever”. A crowd of 127,621 plus the watching millions worldwide, whatever their nationality, would agree.

REAL MADRID : Dominguez, Marquitos, Pachin, Vidal, Santamaria, Zarraga, Canario, Del Sol, di Stefano, Puskas, Gento

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT : Loy, Lutz, Hofer, Weibacher, Eigenbrodt, Stinka, Kress, Lindner, Stein, Pfaff, Meier


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Above : Real Madrid's Argentine-born centre forward Alfredo di Stefano (right) notches the first of his three and his team's seven goals against Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park in 1960.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Dec 16, 2015 11:32 pm

League Division 1 - 3 Dec 1960


TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 4

Jones (2), Norman, MacKay

BURNLEY 4

Connelly (2), Robson, Pointer


Acclaimed as ‘the finest club side I’ve ever seen in the Football League’ by Wolves boss Stan Cullis, the Spurs team of 1960 - 61 became the first this century to achieve the League and FA Cup Double. They took an incredible 31 points out of the possible first 32 : 15 wins and a draw in the days of two points for a win. All this backed up Spurs manager Bill Nicholson’s judgement that “I felt I had a side well prepared to do something. You cannot put it into words, it’s a feeling I get. And I had this strong feeling around this time.”

The match with Burnley at White Hart Lane came after Sheffield Wednesday had ended the winning run that proved the springboard to a record-equalling 66-point total at the season’s end. Yet it was a significant game in matching reigning champions with champions-elect on a typically English wet and windy December afternoon, and 58,737 had turned out to watch it. It seemed a foregone conclusion that the pretenders would prevail when defender Maurice Norman notched his third goal of the season, followed by two typical breakaway efforts by quicksilver Welsh winger Cliff Jones. Midfield inspiration Dave MacKay wrapped things up after 40 minutes, or so it seemed - and even when Burnley flanker John Connelly, later of Manchester United, pulled one back from a McIlroy / Pilkington move seven minutes before the interval it seemed impossible that the title holders could retrieve anything from a game in which they had found themselves utterly and hopelessly outclassed.

Connelly struck again in the 78th minute when he forsook the wing to split the bemused Spurs defence to shoot past Bill Brown. By then, Burnley had amazingly hauled themselves back into the match with goals from Jimmy Robson and Ray Pointer. It had been a staggering turn-around none of the crowd would easily forget - but one that would have counted for nothing had Spurs’ Scottish international John White, later so tragically killed in a freak accident, not spurned an open goal in the final minutes.

“We scored eight goals and still only drew” was Bill Nicholson’s after-match comment on a game that had seen his first-choice defence pierced four times for the first time in a League game that season. It would happen again the once - at Turf Moor in the return match which was lost 2 - 4 in April. The teams met again a season later in the Cup final of May 1962, with nine survivors apiece from this 1960 meeting ; on that occasion Spurs won 3 - 1.

SPURS : Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, MacKay, Jones, White, Smith, Allen, Dyson

BURNLEY : Blacklaw, Angus, Elder, Joyce, Cummings, Miller, Connelly, McIlroy, Pointer, Robson, Pilkington


Image

Above : The Spurs team that won the first Double of the twentieth century pose proudly with their trophies. Back row, left to right : Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, MacKay. Front row, left to right : Jones, White, Smith, Allen, Dyson.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Fri Dec 18, 2015 2:55 pm

Home Championship - 15 April 1961


ENGLAND 9

Greaves (3), Smith (2), Haynes (2), Robson, Douglas

SCOTLAND 3

MacKay, Wilson, Quinn


The year before a World Cup always brings out the worst in the critics of our national sides, with even the slightest slip suggesting that chances will be slim or nil. Thus it was that Walter Winterbottom, England’s much-maligned manager, walked away from Wembley with a spring in his step. Not only was this a record win over their greatest rivals but an omen of glory to come.

His hopes, sadly, were not borne out by the following year’s results - but the fact remains that the 1960 - 61 season was an exceptionally fruitful one for England, with seven wins and a draw in nine games. And this display was clearly the jewel in the crown.

With a midfield playmaker, Haynes, in his prime, a striking partnership of Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith (within a year to be reforged at club level with Spurs) and willing wingers in Douglas and Robert Charlton, England had it all - at least in attacking terms. By contrast, Scotland were in one of their perennial periods of transition : injuries meant they used 22 players - two whole teams - for their three Home International matches. Most crucially, Celtic’s Frank Haffey had been recalled after a disastrous international debut in the corresponding fixture of 1959 - 60 where only England’s inept finishing left Scotland thankful for a 1 - 1 draw.

He was third-choice keeper his time before injuries caused his recall, but the defeat cannot be ascribed to him alone. In curiously incautious tactics, Scotland wing-halves MacKay and McCann both neglected their defensive duties for forward explorations - and error that, combined with the square back line, rendered the Scottish defence all to vulnerable to Greaves’s quicksilver darts and Haynes’s telling through balls.

Future England manager Bobby Robson and Greaves (twice) had established England’s half-time lead, only to see it cut back to 3 - 2 after a piledriver from the marauding MacKay and a close-range header from Wilson. A disputed fourth from Douglas after Greaves had allegedly taken an opportunist free-kick several yards from the site of the offence caused Scots heads to drop, and it was plain sailing from then on for the home team. Haynes and Robson pulled the strings as Smith (2), Greaves (his hat-trick) and Haynes himself with a brace completed the rout, while the only Scottish response came from Quinn. The Fulham maestro was chaired from the field while Haffey looked for a hole to swallow him up.

“We couldn’t help but play well”, admitted the England manager afterwards, amid much celebration. “They left us so many gaps. The Continentals leave gaps too. Let’s hope we find them in the World Cup.”

Unfortunately for Winterbottom and England, such form could not be sustained on the World Cup trail, and they lost at the quarter-final stage. Scotland, not surprisingly perhaps, failed to qualify.

ENGLAND : Springett, Armfield, McNeil, Robson, Swan, Flowers, Douglas, Greaves, Smith, Haynes, Charlton

SCOTLAND : Haffey, Shearer, Caldow, MacKay, McNeill, McCann, McLeod, Law, St John, Quinn, Wilson



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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:34 am

Cup Winners’ Cup Final
- 15 May 1963



TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 5

Greaves (2), Dyson (2), White

ATLETICO MADRID 1

Collar (pen)


Few teams can hope to combine a European title with domestic honours : the pressures of both seem mutually exclusive. Yet Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham side of the early 1960s seemed as well equipped to achieve this as any : had they not after all become the first team this century to win the League and Cup Double in 1961? They were one of the first teams to use a squad system to ensure success and since their Double season they had strengthened their squad.

Yet they came into the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup in Rotterdam with failing League form and an injury to midfield dynamo Dave MacKay. The dogged Scot had been rapidly assuming the mantle of Double captain Danny Blanchflower, and even Spurs players confessed his absence would be crucial. As it transpired, they couldn’t have been more wrong.

What Rotterdam’s Feyenoord Stadium saw was Danny Blanchflower’s swansong. Injected with painkillers for a knee injury, he changed the course of the game before kick-off when he took over from a despondent Bill Nicholson. “Nick’s confidence seemed to have gone” Jimmy Greaves revealed later, “because we’ lost our best player.” Spurs’ captain painted a different picture. “He said that if their centre-half was big and ugly then ours, Maurice Norman, was even bigger and uglier. That if they had a fast winger called Jones then ours was so fast he could catch pigeons.”

It was the Spurs Jones who crossed for Greaves’s 16th minute opener. The score at half-time was 2 - 0, White having added a second, but Spurs’ nerves began to jangle when left-back Henry handled to save a certain goal and Collar converted the penalty. The game turned on a fluke goal when Dyson’s cross (or was it a cunning long-range shot as the winger claimed ?) dropped over the advancing keeper Madinabeytia who lost it in the Rotterdam night. This both established a cushion for Spurs and set Dyson up for more stirring deeds : he first centred for Greaves’s second and Spurs’ fourth, then finished a jinking 30-yard run with a 25-yard shot that almost burst the Atletico net. “You’d better retire now,” joked centre-forward Bobby Smith as they collected their medals. “You’ll never play better”

It was Dyson’s game, all right - but the influence of Blanchflower, both off and on the field, that made things happen. It remains a mystery to this day why such a charismatic individual with tactical skill to match never made a successful manager, ; after an ill-fated spell managing Chelsea he resumed his work as a football writer.

SPURS : Brown, Baker, Henry, Blanchflower, Norman, Marchi, Jones C, White, Smith, Greaves, Dyson

ATLETICO MADRID : Madinabeytia, Rivilla, Rodriguez, Ramiro, Griffa, Glaria, Jones, Adelardo, Chuzo, Mendoza, Collar


Image

Above : The triumphant Spurs squad pose with the European Cup Winners Cup in the summer of 1963.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sun Dec 20, 2015 4:16 am

World Cup - 23 July 1966


PORTUGAL 5

Eusebio (4, 2 pens), Augusto

NORTH KOREA 3

Seung Zin, Dong Woon, Sung Kook



The 1966 World Cup is always remembered in England for the hosts’ victory - but there was plenty of good football played elsewhere, and not always by the teams that had been tipped to deliver it. The North Koreans emerged as the surprise packet of a tournament where they found themselves in a highly testing group. Their 3 - 0 defeat against Russia was expected, but a 1 - 1 draw with Chile was considered creditable. Their first real shock, however, was a 1 - 0 victory over fancied Italy - a result which set them up for a quarter-final place few outside their divided country would have given them any chance of reaching. In contrast, Portugal could boast a pair of world-class performers in Mozambican-born forward Eusebio and captain Mario Coluna ; and having beaten favourites Brazil, they had shown their willingness to add steel to their silky skills.

With an average height of just 5 ft 5 in, North Korea sensibly played the ball to feet, allowing workrate to combine with their underrated individual skills for the best results. Within half and hour, the ‘Diddymen’, as the Merseyside wits had dubbed them, were three up courtesy of Seung Zin ( a shock first-minute strike), Dong Woon and Sung Kook. The Liverpudlians at Goodison Park cheered their every move, and it seemed Portugal were in for a roasting.

They had reckoned without Eusebio, however, who with Coluna and tricky winger Simoes led by example. He fashioned a skilful goal, then followed up with a penalty as Korea lost control in the area. Coming in just one goal down, Portugal were clearly in a position to regain the initiative. Eusebio equalised early on, returned the ball to the centre circle as he had every goal, then began taking the Koreans on single-handed. A typical jinking run past four defenders ended with another reckless tackle and another converted spot-kick. Torres headed a centre down for Augusto to add a fifth, but by then the fight had gone out of the Korean game and Portugal were clearly back in the driving seat where experts had assumed they’d be all along.

Portugal’s exit to England at the semi-final stage was no disgrace - but sadly for the game in Korea their withdrawal from the following competition in a political protest against Israel, a country they refused to recognise, deprived the world of more magic from the ‘Diddymen’

PORTUGAL : Pereira, Morais, Baptista, Lucas, Hilario, Graca, Coluna, Augusto, Eusebio, Torres, Simoes

NORTH KOREA : Li Chan Myung, Lim Zoong Sun, Shin Yung Kyoo, Ha Jung Won, Oh Yoon Kyung, Pak Seung Zin, Im Seung Hwi, Han Bong Zin, Pak Doo Ik, Li Dong Woon, Yang Sung Kook

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Mon Dec 21, 2015 2:04 am

World Cup Final - 30 July 1966


ENGLAND 4

Hurst (3), Peters

W GERMANY 2

Haller, Weber


‘There are people on the pitch. They think it’s all over…. It is now’. From a quarter-century’s perspective, the TV commentary as Geoff Hurst banged in England’s fourth and final goal to seal their World Cup win still sets the pulse of any Englishman racing. For the rest of the world, the 1966 Final was a match that really came alive in extra time after the home team, seemingly cruising to victory, were stopped in their tracks by a last-gasp equaliser.

England’s stately passage to the Final had been a lot less eventful than the circumstances surrounding the Jules Rimes Trophy itself, which was stolen….. Then found by a dog. (!) Home advantage had previously only paid off twice in World Cup history, in Uruguay in 1930 and in Italy in 1934, but England’s name seemed already to be written on the cup as they shrugged off an opening goalless bore-draw with Uruguay to head an undistinguished group including France and Mexico. The sternest test was a bruising quarter-final clash with Argentina that prompted the infamous ‘animals’ outburst from the normally unflappable manager Ramsey, then a thrilling semi-final that belonged to Manchester United men Bobby Charlton (who got both goals) and Nobby Stiles, who tenaciously marked danger man Eusebio , destroyer of the North Koreans in the previous round (see previous page) out of the game.

Germany began the finals by hitting Switzerland for five without reply, then drew with Argentina and scraped past Spain to reach the knockout stage. Their matches with Uruguay (4 - 0) and Russia (2 - 1) were notable as much for the sendings-off - two Uruguayans and one Russian - as for their football.

England’s hero of the day was Geoff Hurst, who had Wembley singing again after his 19th minute header from Bobby Moore’s free kick. Hurst was playing in place of the world-class Jimmy Greaves who, after injury, had fallen from favour with manager Ramsey. Also, with the 4-4-2 formation Ramsey’s preferred two front runners - Hurst and Roger Hunt - had to work harder than Greaves’s natural goal-poaching game would have permitted.

The Germans had sensationally taken the lead after 13 minutes when Everton full-back Wilson’s clearance fell to Helmut Haller. The two well-matched teams remained deadlocked at a goal apiece until the third West Ham player, Martin Peters, ghosted in with characteristic anticipation to pick up and score from a blocked Hurst shot in the German area. It was a move they’d doubtless repeated many times in club colours … but never to such important effect. It was this uncanny knack of appearing at the right place at the right time that led Ramsey tagging Peters ‘Ten years ahead of his time.’

Any English dreams of coasting the last 12 minutes were to be cruelly dashed. As the seconds ticked away and Germany pressed for an equaliser, Leeds’ centre-half Jack Charlton went up with Held. The crowd held their breath as the referee blew, then debated which way to give the 50-50 challenge. West Germany got the nod, giant left-winger Emmerich drove for goal and defender Wolfgang Weber, up for the set piece, picked up the rebound to score with grateful thanks, forcing extra time..

Alf Ramsey’s immortal words as his team lay drained on the Wembley turf have entered football folklore. “You’ve beaten them once”, he gritted through clenched teeth. “Now go out and do it again”. With substitutes still unheard of, the emphasis would be on fitness as 22 weary players hauled themselves to their feet - and Blackpool’s Alan Ball, the midfield dynamo who never stopped running, epitomised his country’s never-say-die spirit. A typical burst by Alan Ball down the right releases Hurst, whose shot cannoned down from the underside of the bar past a startled Tilkowski to put England in front.

Arguments still rage as to whether the ball crossed the line in its entirety. Roger Hunt, the England forward following up, could have settled matters by making sure but turned away, arm raised in triumph. What was certain was that once referee Dienst had consulted his Russian linesman and upheld the goal, the psychological blow to Germany of falling behind was doubled by the controversial nature of the goal. Though spectacular, Hurst’s third was not strictly necessary - yet it gave him the distinction of scoring the only hat-trick ever in a World Cup Final.

At the final whistle England, in their unfamiliar change strip of red, were Champions and hard-man Nobby Stiles danced around the pitch in triumph. The 4-4-2 ‘Wingless Wonders’ formation with four in midfield, which Ramsey (later knighted for his exploits) had evolved to put to best use the talents at his disposal, was adopted as standard practice : unfortunately, the results were not always as pleasing as conventional wing-play.

Germany were to have their revenge in Mexico four years later in another closely-fought duel, but had to wait until 1974 to collect the ultimate prize for the second time, two decades after their first World Cup. The nearest England came to repeating their Final appearance was in Italy in 1990 when penalties in the semi-final saw Germany - who else - go through at their expense to meet and beat Argentina.

ENGLAND : Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, Charlton (J), Moore, Ball, Hurst, Hunt, Charlton (Robert), Peters

W GERMANY : Tilkowski, Hottges, Schulz, Weber, Schnellinger, Haller, Beckenbauer, Overath, Seeler, Held, Emmerich


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Above : Bobby Moore collects the Jules Rimet trophy from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous and Prince Philip in attendance.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Tue Dec 22, 2015 4:00 pm

League Cup Final - 4 March 1967


QUEENS PARK RANGERS 3

Morgan, Marsh, Lazarus

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2

Clark (2)


The League Cup had been football’s ugly duckling, conceived by League secretary Alan Hardaker yet regarded by many of the top clubs as an unwanted addition to their already packed fixture calendar. Furthermore, it combined the same possibility of an embarrassing upset offered by the FA Cup with none of the compensatory glamour. It wasn’t until first a Wembley appearance and then a European place were attached to its attainment that the League Cup finally came of age - and the success of tiny Queens Park Rangers in 1967 certainly captured the public’s imagination as few others.

The first Third Division side ever to contest a Wembley final, they’d beaten Leicester from the upper echelons, though Birmingham - vanquished home and away in a two leg semi-final - had been a Second Division outfit. The nucleus of the successful side had been provided in earlier years by Roy Bentley, Rodney Marsh, Bobby Keetch and Jim Langley. All released by Fulham, they brought on a crop of young players to provide the perfect blend of youth and experience that was to bring them promotion to the Second and ultimately First Division. In March 1967, however, the team was strictly Third Division.

Langley and Marsh were both on duty against mighty West Brom, as was a part-time professional, inside-forward Keith Anderson. All were blended by manager Alec Stock, who had captained Yeovil to an FA Cup upset win over Sunderland in 1948 and in 1975 brought another unfancied side, Fulham, to Wembley. But when former Ranger Clive Clark latched on to a Doug Fraser through ball after seven minutes to strike a right-footer past Peter Springett it seemed Stock’s cup luck had run out. Class would tell, insisted the critics, and when Clark repeated the move from Tony Brown’s through pass half an hour later the result seemed in little doubt.
Half-time, however, gave Stock a chance to test his famed powers of motivation to the full. ‘He told us we would win’, recalls Rodney Marsh. ‘He told me, “Rodney, none of them can lace your boots. Go out and show them what good football, real football is all about. Go out and show the world you’re the greatest”’.

With Stock’s words of wisdom still ringing in their ears, Marsh and his team-mates returned to the Wembley maelstrom and proceeded to do their manager proud. Marsh, the League’s leading scorer with 36 goals, had already been stung by Albion manager Jimmy Hagan’s curt dismissal “anyone can get goals in those (lower division) circumstances”. With half an hour gone, he proved he could get a goal in any circumstance. Roger Morgan had already hauled them back into the game with a header from a Les Allen free-kick when Marsh took possession of the ball in the centre circle. His mazy run beat three Albion defenders and opened up the Throstle’s defence : with only Sheppard to beat, he kept his nerve to send a low right-foot shot in off the left-hand post.

The scores were level, but Rangers were clearly now in the ascendancy. Yet when their winning goal came, the circumstances were controversial ; it was scored by veteran winger Mark Lazarus after the rampaging Rangers centre-half Ron Hunt had collided with the WBA keeper in pursuit of a 50-50 ball. From 0 - 2 to 3 - 2 in the space of 45 minutes was quite an achievement - and it was to be matched by the Third Division championship, which Rangers secured in style to put two cups in their trophy cupboard.

The Rangers side included two men - Les Allen and Frank Sibley - who would later manage the club, while Rodney Marsh went on to Manchester City and England fame. The League Cup was now also established as a top-grade competition, though Queens Park Rangers as a Third Division side were deemed ineligible for a European place. Few subsequent finals, however, could hope to match the stirring events of 4 March 1967.

QPR : Springett, Hazell, Langley, Sibley, Hunt, Keen, Lazarus, Sanderson, Allen, Marsh, Morgan R

WBA : Sheppard, Cram, Williams, Collard, Clarke, Fraser, Brown, Astle, Kaye, Hope, Clark


Image

Above : Queens Park Rangers parade the League Cup around Wembley after a stunning second-half display. Aptly enough, the scorer of Rangers' third goal to cap a memorable fightback was Lazarus.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Wed Dec 23, 2015 2:25 pm

European Cup Final - 25 May 1967


CELTIC 2

Gemmell, Chalmers

INTER MILAN 1

Mazzola (pen)


Scotland’s international football fortunes have never been notable. So it was of more than usual significance when Jock Stein’s Celtic team put the country on the map just one year after the Auld Enemy’s World Cup win by becoming the first British club to take the ultimate European prize.

Two spells with the club as a player had imbued the manager with the Parkhead spirit, and he transferred this to a team blessed a solid backbone : a dominating centre-half in future manager Billy McNeill, an experienced custodian in Bobby Simpson and a fearless centre-forward in Bobby Lennox. Added to this were the midfield guile of Auld and Murdoch and a volatile yet potentially match-winning winger in flame-headed Jimmy Johnstone. They came to Lisbon having swept all before them in Scotland, but faced a stern test against Inter Milan, who were winners in 1964 and 1965.

Celtic’s spirits were high and were raised higher by a day that dawned overcast, ensuring the heat would not be as intense as they’d feared - and then at the sight of a teamsheet excluding the name of the injured playmaker Luis Suarez. An early setback came with a sixth-minute penalty, conceded by normally dependable right-back Jim Craig and converted by Mazzola. But both Celtic full-backs were known for their overlapping play, and suddenly the Italians were faced with two extra wingers : “A team with eight forwards” is how one Swiss observer described them. Celtic kept their nerve and it was no surprise when Tommy Gemmell’s majestic run and net-bursting shot from distance brought them back into contention, setting up a stunning climax.

The pressure was now on Inter, whose vocal manager Helenio Herrerra had seemingly been stunned into silence by this 63rd-minute equaliser. Only keeper Sarti stood between Inter and defeat : one save from a rasping Murdoch 25-yard drive was little short of miraculous. But when, with just six minutes left the same forward latched on to a through ball from Gemmell to set up Steve Chalmers for the winner, the stadium erupted in green and white.

There was a fascinating postscript to the game when Real Madrid asked the new European champions to play in a benefit for the great Alfredo di Stefano just two weeks later. A single Bobby Lennox goal settled a thrilling game in which Celtic matched the European masters in every way possible - the ideal end to an amazing season.

Though they failed to retain the trophy, Celtic returned to the European Cup Final in 1970, this time falling to Feyenoord in a dour extra-time match. Stein went to manage Scotland later in that decade after a brief and none too happy spell at Leeds, but died in harness. Yet memories of the ‘Lisbon Lions’, the first British team to take the ultimate prize, will never tarnish.

CELTIC : Simpson, Craig, Gemmell, Murdoch, McNeill, Clark, Johnstone, Wallace, Chalmers, Auld, Lennox

INTER MILAN : Sarti, Burgnich, Facchetti, Bedin, Guarneri, Picchi, Domenghini, Cappellini, Mazzola, BiciclI, Corso


Image

Above : Celtic's European Cup-winning team pose before the game. Back row from left : Craig, Gemmell, Simpson, McNeill, Murdoch and Clark. Front row : Chalmers, Wallace, Johnstone, Lennox and Auld

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Thu Dec 24, 2015 1:20 am

European Cup Final - 29 May 1968


MANCHESTER UNITED 4

Charlton (2), Kidd, Best

BENFICA 1

Graca


The decimation of Manchester United’s Busby Babes in the plane crash at Munich in 1958 left a terrible scar on the face of British football. And since they were flying the English flag in Europe, the club’s subsequent exploits were always followed with hope and affection by the country’s public.

A third attempt on the trophy in 1965 ended in Belgrade, of all places, where they lost the game to Partizan and George Best to a cartilage injury. A championship win in 1966 - 67 - their fifth under Matt Busby - set them up for another shot at the ‘pot’. “We’ve lived with it for so long”, said Bobby Charlton. “This time we must do it”. And since their attacking potential had seen them overcome a mammoth 45 goals conceded to take the title, the omens were more than favourable.

Having scraped through against European veterans Real Madrid by pulling off a 3 - 3 away draw, United were perhaps fortunate that the final’s location, London’s Wembley Stadium, had already been decided. This was somewhat nullified, however, by the absence of sharpshooter Denis Law through injury, his replacement being untried teenager Brain Kidd.

Despite having home advantage, a pressurised United could do no better than a rare Bobby Charlton header at the start of the second period. Graca levelled the scores with just nine minutes left, then his striking partner Eusebio - Mozambique’s Black Pearl - broke clear only to be foiled by Alex Stepney in breathtaking form.

Extra time loomed, and it was clear it would take an exceptional talent to separate these two evenly matched sides. The required flash of brilliance came from George Best, who moved to a Stepney goal kick a yard quicker than his marked Cruz. He intercepted the ball and beat a second defender to go one-on-one with Henrique. Drawing the keeper, he placed the ball into what was now an empty net. Brain Kidd, his young legs standing the test of the strength-sapping Wembley turf more than most, added a third before Bobby Charlton, that hardy Munich survivor, added a fitting fourth.

Charlton could not bring himself to join the club’s victory banquet, attended by the parents of the players who had lost their lives ten years earlier. His performance, and those of his team-mates, had not only secured the highest prize in European club football but closed a chapter.

Matt Busby’s knighthood later in the year underlined his achievement of building three great teams in three different decades.

MAN UTD : Stepney, Brennan, Foulkes, Stiles, Dunne, Crerand, Charlton, Sadler, Kidd, Best, Aston

BENFICA : Henrique, Adolfo, Humberto, Jacinto, Cruz, Graca, Coluna, Augusto, Torres, Eusebio, Simoes


Image

Above : Manager Butt Busby accepts the congratulations of United players Foulkes (left) and Crerand after a game that won him a knighthood and crowned two decades of achievement at Old Trafford.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Thu Dec 24, 2015 8:15 pm

FA Cup Fifth Round - 13 Feb 1971


COLCHESTER 3

Crawford (2), Simmons

LEEDS 2

Hunter, Giles


Giantkilling acts in the FA Cup are hardly unknown - but such was the gulf between Leeds and Colchester in February 1971, all they had in common was the game of football and the suffix United. Over the past six seasons, Leeds under Don Revie had put the Fairs Cup and League Cup into their trophy cabinet, reached the FA Cup Final once, finished League champions once and runners-up three times. Consistency was their watchword even though, by their own admission, they were not always the prettiest team to watch - and they came south with a three point cushion at the top of the League.

In the wilds of Essex, Colchester were one of football’s outposts. Six of their team gathered by manager D1ck Graham were over thirty and had seen better days : centre-forward Ray Crawford had been brought back from non-league obscurity and, at 34, was clearly in the twilight of his career. As the teams faced up to each other on 13 February 1971, it seemed unlikely that he would provide ex-England skipper Jack Charlton with too many headaches.

Yet it was Crawford who drew first blood in front of a 16,000 crowd - over three times the usual attendance - when his well-placed header from a Brian Lewis free-kick beat Welsh international keeper Gary Sprake after 18 minutes. Sprake, whose form was frequently erratic, had been favourite to reach the free-kick before Crawford. The collision between Crawford and full-back Paul Reaney that saw the bewhiskered centre-forward notch his second with a painfully slow that went in off the post could not perhaps have been foreseen, but the keeper was certainly caught in no-man’s-land by another Brian Lewis through ball that was met not by Crawford this time but Dave Simmons with the second half just ten minutes old. The Leeds fans made their displeasure known, and that probably didn’t help.

Only now, at 3 - 0 down, did Leeds pull themselves together - astounding in a team of several potential captains to compensate for the loss through injury of fiery Scot Billy Bremner (replaced by utility man Mick Bates.) Just one minutes after Simmons’ strike Norman Hunter, the man deputed to mark Colchester’s inside-right, popped up in the home penalty box to notch a goal of his own. On 75 minutes, Johnny Giles pulled a second back, leaving Colchester to sweat for the final quarter-hour with 11 men behind the ball. Three minutes remained when England international Mick Jones managed a header from Peter Lorimer’s cross that took a wicked deflection from centre-half Garvey. Fortunately for the home team, Graham Smith managed to smother the ball before the dreaded Allan ‘Sniffer’ Clarke - later revealed to be running a 105-degree temperature - could claim the rebound.

Colchester’s Cup dream lasted a mere 21 days : fate cruelly handed them an away draw at Everton, who beat them 5 - 0. Leeds let their championship lead slip and were overtaken by Arsenal, while Colchester narrowly failed to clinch promotion, finishing in sixth position. This had been a true one-off victory, and one which amusingly had D1ck Graham fulfilling a pre-match pledge to climb the walls of Colchester Castle in the unlikely event of a home win. His ageing team could not scale the Fourth Division summit, and Graham departed the following year, but they’d proved they still had in them to find 90 minutes of glory.

COLCHESTER : Smith, Hall, Cram, Gilchrist, Garvey, Kurila, Lewis, Simmons, Mahon, Crawford, Gibbs

LEEDS UTD : Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bates, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, Madeley


Image

Above : With Leeds' erratic custodian Sprake beaten to the punch, Ray Crawford directs his header past full-backs Paul Reaney and Terry Cooper on the Leeds goal line for Colchester's first.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Sun Dec 27, 2015 2:46 am

League Division 1 - 3 May 1971


TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0

ARSENAL 1

Kennedy


With Arsenal ever-present in the First Division since World War I, the north London derby between the Gunners and local rivals Spurs has invariably taken place at the highest level. All have been hard-fought affairs with pride at stake - yet none have borne a larger prize than the match that closed the 1970 - 71 season. Arsenal needed a goalless draw or a win to take the title ahead of nearest challengers Leeds, whose season was already complete. While Spurs were lying a mere sixth, they could not and would not be expected to roll over for their deadliest enemies - and besides, an Arsenal win would put them on course for the coveted Double, a distinction last achieved a decade earlier by Tottenham themselves.

Action in front a capacity crowd of 51,992 was predictably fast and furious : Arsenal manager Bertie Mee had impressed on his team the importance of keeping a clean sheet, and Bob Wilson, who won two Scottish international caps as a result of his performances in this season, proved equal to anything on target. Even he, however, as relieved to see Gilzean miss a wicked cross-shot, while Jennings at the other end had to pull out his own international class to deny Charlie George in the opening minutes.

In a game of few opportunities and much midfield mauling, chances proved few and far between … until the 87th minute, when Jennings punched clear from Radford only to watch his strike partner Ray Kennedy connect with Armstrong’s quickly conceived return. Three minutes later, Kennedy and colleagues were hoisted shoulder-high.

The League Championship achieved, Arsenal headed for their Wembley date with Liverpool in high spirits, achieving a 2 - 1 extra-time victory with Storey replacing Kelly in the starting line-up. Pat Jennings crossed north London to join Arsenal in 1977, while goalscorer Kennedy went on to win another four championships in the red of Liverpool. He was still remembered with affection at Arsenal, however, and when stricken by Parkinson’s Disease was accorded a testimonial by the club.

SPURS : Jennings, Kinnear, Knowles, Mullery, Collins, Beal, Gilzean (Pearce), Perryman, Chivers, Peters, Neighbour

ARSENAL : Wilson, Rice, McNab, Kelly, McLintock, Simpson, Armstrong, Graham, Radford, Kennedy, George

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by arana peligrosa » Mon Dec 28, 2015 4:06 am

European Championship Final
- 20 June 1976



CZECHOSLOVAKIA 2

Svehlik, Dobias

WEST GERMANY 2

Muller, Holzenbein



Played over two years in alternating cycle with the World Cup, the European Championships ranks second only to that competition in the world soccer hierarchy. Despite the many matches that preceded the final stages, it was decreed that the 1976 Final should be decided on penalties, making this the first major international competition to be won in this way. It was also, coincidentally, Czechoslovakia’s first ever success at international level, having twice finished runners-up in the World Cup.

The tournament in 1976 was keenly contested : Czechoslovakia had beaten World Cup finalists Holland in the semis to meet the reigning World Champions, 4 - 2 over the host country, in the Final in Belgrade.

The half-time score of two (Svehlik, Dobias) to one (Muller) reflected an exciting 45 minutes of action, but it was when Holzenbein equalised after the restart to set up extra time that history beckoned. Five kicks were awarded to each side : only one was missed, the unfortunate Uli Hoeness being the culprit with Germany’s second. This left Czech forward Panenka with the task of scoring to secure the Championship - an onerous task against a goalkeeper of Sepp Maier’s calibre. Yet he made it seem ridiculously easy with a casual chip, astounding the 45,000 crowd and securing his country’s victory.

Strangely Czechoslovakia, who had edged out England for the leadership of Group 1 and a quarter-final place, failed to maintain sufficient form over the next two years to appear in Argentina. Nevertheless they had profited from the first penalty shoot-out at international level and written their name on the honours board for the first (and so far only) time.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA : Viktor, Dobias (Vesely), Pivarnik, Ondrus, Capkovic, Gogh, Moder, Panenka, Svehlik (Jurkemik), Masny, Nehoda

WEST GERMANY : Maier, Vogts, Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck, Dietz, Bonhof, Wimmer (Flohe), Muller (D), Beer (Bongartz), Hoeness, Holzenbein


Image

Above : The official Championship programme issued by the Yugoslav Football Association.

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Re: Greatest Moments In "Football" 1872 - 1992

Post by goldandblack » Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:34 pm

saint jude wrote:#15 Friendly - 13 Dec 1954


WOLVES 3

Swinbourne (2), Hancocks (pen)

HONVED 2

Kocsis, Machos


The 1950s was the decade in which English football, so often self-centred and inward looking, was exposed to world scrutiny. And while Wolves, with their three League wins in 1954, 1958 and 1959, were undoubtedly a great team, it would later become evident that their defeat of Hungary’s crack Honved side by 3 - 2 in December 1954 was not enough to make them kings of the world.

After all, the Hungarian national team had taught England a double lesson at Wembley in November 1953 and on home soil six months later. Newspaper headlines of ‘World Champions’ were clearly an attempt to level those scores.

Nevertheless, Wolves, rebuilt by Stan Cullis from the ‘Team of the Forties’ and captained inspirationally by England’s Billy Wright, were indeed a class side. Hancocks was a swift wingman, Bert Williams a reliable keeper , while wing-half Ron Flowers stoked the engine room. Their game was the long ball to the wing, then a cross for Roy Swinbourne to connect with head, foot or chest.

The Hungarian Army club Honved operated under a system where they could ‘draft’ the country’s best players. Among these they numbered Sandor Kocsis , top scorer in the recent World Cup, : Josef Bozsik, the powerhouse of the team driving them forward from the right-wing position, and inspirational captain of club and country ; Ferenc Puskas.

The majority of Honved’s side had played against Scotland in Glasgow not seven days previously. Despite playing ‘out of season’, they turned round against Wolves two goals up. Kocsis who possessed enviable ability in the air for his height justified his ‘Golden Head’ nickname by twisting to convert a Puskas free-kick, then youthful striker Machos scored an outstanding individual second to stun the crowd.

The second half saw the pendulum swing in Wolves favour. Hancocks teased away at the Honved left flank, eventually winning a penalty which he himself converted. Then a cross from the other flank found the head of brave, bustling Roy Swinburne - 2 - 2 (!). It was from the left flank too that the winner was fashioned through full-back Shorthouse and winger Smith, Swinbourne once more scoring to end a memorable night.

Though the Wolves long ball game took them to three championships, Barcelona’s 5 - 2 win at Molyneux in the European Cup of 1959 - 60 suggested that it was no match for continental guile. The Honved victory, despite being depicted as revenge in the press, was ultimately a false dawn.

WOLVES : Williams, Stuart, Shorthouse, Slater, Wright, Flowers, Hancocks, Broadbent, Swinbourne, Wilshaw, Smith

HONVED : Farago, Rakoczi, Kovacs, Bozsik, Lorant, Banyai, Budai, Kocsis, Puskas, Czibor
Roy Swinbourne dies: Wolves pay tribute to a true great

The striker, whose goals led the club to their first title back in the 1953-54 season and provided the catalyst for the famous victory over Honved in 1954, died at a nursing home in Kidderminster yesterday at the age of 86 following a long battle with vascular dementia.
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/loca ... rue-great/
In his career, he made 230 appearances for the club, scoring 114 goals between 1945 and 1957.

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