Odds & sods

[Oldsmobile-88]

12th January 1980. Sheffield United’s first ever visit to SJP for a Division 3 fixture was memorable for one of the quickest OG’s ever.

 

[haka]

I remember that game well. It was a season which felt like the "big time", playing both Sheffield clubs, who had name players we'd actually seen on telly (much rarer in those days).

There was a major steel strike in the headlines, and the Cowshed were taunting Utd fans about it (which is also a sign of the times, as many of their fans would have been steel workers!). Then everyone laughed when Matthews got sent off.

That photo gives an indication of how big a game it was, note the police presence in the packed away end, and the coppers all watching the game, couldn't get away with that now!

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

I remember that game well. It was a season which felt like the "big time", playing both Sheffield clubs, who had name players we'd actually seen on telly (much rarer in those days).

There was a major steel strike in the headlines, and the Cowshed were taunting Utd fans about it (which is also a sign of the times, as many of their fans would have been steel workers!). Then everyone laughed when Matthews got sent off.

That photo gives an indication of how big a game it was, note the police presence in the packed away end, and the coppers all watching the game, couldn't get away with that now!

They certainly had some great players for a Division 3 team, most these days would have moved on after relegation the previous season in the same scenario.

I especially remember Argentine player Alex Sabella. It was pretty exotic to see such a talented player not from these isles at SJP.

Sabella was the Argentina manager who lead them to the World Cup Final in Brazil(2014)

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Not Grecians related,apologies.

I was reminded of goal average being used instead of goal difference when I saw this Division 1 table from this week in 1971.
Goal average- dividing goals scored by goals conceded was used in the Football League until the 1979/80 season.

The table shown for Division 1 in this week in 1971 was incredibly tight at the end.
Arsenal went to Spurs on the last game of the season on a Monday evening after the last Saturday of the scheduled season.A 0-0 draw would give them the title on the most slender of margins, a hundredth of a goal !
A 1-1 would have given both teams the exact same goal average(2.400) No idea how the FL management committee would have sorted out the title if that had happened.

As it was Arsenal beat Spurs 1-0 infront of over 60,000 at WHL with a estimated 20,000 locked out.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

 

[Greyhound]

View attachment 8298

Many soon to become victims of a big clear-out.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Many soon to become victims of a big clear-out.

Dick(Dixie) McNeil was a mistake in that clearout.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Easter 1950.
Most teams played 3 games in 4 days.

I can remember a similar scenario in the late 1970s.

 

[iscalad]

Easter 1950.
Most teams played 3 games in 4 days.

I can remember a similar scenario in the late 1970s.

View attachment 8318

Good crowds that we can only dream about today.

 

[Rosencrantz]

Good crowds that we can only dream about today.

Interesting that we had a bigger crowd at home to Bristol Rovers on Good Friday than they did in the reverse fixture on Easter Monday.

I guess the attendances were still enjoying the post war uplift. 71,008 at Goodison on Good Friday way ahead of anywhere else but dropped to 46,828 the very next day. I guess the reason though will be who they are playing and not the team either. Stanley Matthews would have been due to play for Blackpool on Good Friday. Another big name player drawing massive crowds can be seen at Notts Co. I am sure 46,906 mainly turned up to see Tommy Lawton rather than Torquay . Star pulling power is not a modern phenomenon.