Having not produced a winner of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in five years, as the 1970s arrived it would not be stretching a point to say the time was ripe for an English club to once again lift the trophy.
Indeed, since the success of West Ham United in 1965 only Liverpool (beaten finalists the following year) had gone beyond the quarter-finals – renowned 60s cup combatants Everton, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion all failing to make significant progress on mounting a challenge that promised much more than was delivered.
Given the way of such things it was ironic that like buses, two should come along at once so to speak when a new decade dawned, Manchester City and Chelsea registering successive triumphs as England threatened a dominance to match the concurrent four and counting in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
But as fate would have it dawn would be the finest hour for English entries, the light never shining so brightly again. After the recurring glory of 1970 and 1971, the rest of the 70s brought close calls and controversy, on field humbling’s and off field hooliganism.
While the UEFA Cup (reconstituted from the Fairs Cup) and then latterly the European Cup often found their way to a residence hereabouts, the times had moved from Lennon to Live Aid before the Cup Winners’ Cup was once more spotted in England.
After the cup made the relatively short journey from Maine Road to Stamford Bridge before the 1970s was not quite sixteen months old, it disappeared back across the channel not to be seen again through a period when seven different clubs set out to claim the prize – some more in hope than expectation given their turn-up-for-the book FA Cup success of the previous season.
But in one way or another they all came back empty handed – and even then at the start of the 80s when there came the overdue presence of an English club once again the final, it brought the unwanted spectre of defeat on penalties, Arsenal becoming the first club from England to miss out on a trophy in such fashion.
SAMTIMONIOUS.com hereby trawls through a period that began with the cup being lifted, was sometimes looming thereafter, but never located again – such is the story of English clubs and the European Cup Winners’ Cup 1970-1979:
1969-1970: English representatives – MANCHESTER CITY:
On winning the league title in 1968 Malcolm Allison, the publicity shy coach of Manchester City, remarked ‘We’ll terrify the cowards of Europe.’ After their subsequent European Cup campaign began and ended with an embarrassing first round exit at the hands of Turkish champions Fenerbache, Allison, widely regarded as the most innovative football thinker of his day, was more reticent when they set out on the Cup Winners’ Cup trail, City being the last FA Cup winners of the 1960s.
It may have had something to do with City making an uncertain start to the 1969-70 season, Allison and manager Joe Mercer seeing their charges continue in the same erratic manner through a 3-3 first leg draw in Spain against Atletico Bilbao. This topsy-turvy mid-September encounter saw Neil Young, Tommy Booth and an own goal appear on the score sheet, while on the team sheet the visitors included future England internationals Stan Bowles and Tony Towers among their substitutes.
The Maine Road return was far more straight forward as Alan Oakes, Colin Bell and Ian Bowyer saw the hosts to a comfortable win, City about to embark on a rich vein of form that carried them through nine matches unbeaten, entering the second round first-leg against Belgian side Lierse on the back of inflicting a 4-0 defeat on their Manchester neighbours.
On Belgian soil England internationals Bell and Francis Lee (2) ensured the merry-making continued, both then netted a brace in a 5-0 second leg triumph where the scoring was completed by club and country colleague Mike Summerbee.
While their league form faltered through the winter months, during which time City, the holders were knocked out of the FA Cup at a revenge-intent Old Trafford, early March brought a return to Cup Winners’ Cup action with a goalless draw in Portugal against Academia Coimbra. Three days later skipper Tony Book lifted a third major trophy in 22 months when West Brom were defeated 2-1 at Wembley in the League Cup Final, City, in a claustrophobic season close to home, having overcome United in a two-leg semi-final.
In the Maine Road second leg against their Portuguese visitors, Towers netted his first goal for the club in sending City into the last four and although league points were proving hard to come by (save for a derby win in front of the Stretford End), they would not be denied progress on the European front, despite suffering a first leg semi-final reversal in West Germany against Schalke 04.
That 1-0 defeat was quickly rendered academic as a display containing the dynamic football of which they were often capable resulted in a 5-1 second leg triumph – Bell, Lee, Young (2) and central defender Booth all on target in the emphatic victory that secured a place in their first European final.
Under normal circumstances an English club contesting a European final, City heading to Austria where they would meet seasoned European campaigners Gornik Zabrze of Poland on Wednesday 29 April, would have dominated the back pages with either BBC or ITV clearing their schedule for the evening in order to show the match.
But that night had also been set aside for the hugely anticipated Chelsea v Leeds United FA Cup Final replay – so of the three domestic teams in action, City somewhat ironically as they were playing in Vienna, were reduced to the role of third man, overlooked to a large extent due to events in their home city.
On an otherwise dismal night, the wet weather more Wythenshawe than Wien, City overcame the absence of an injured Summerbee and early loss of Doyle, substituted by Ian Bowyer after taking a knock, to lead at half-time by virtue of a goal by Young and penalty from Lee.
Having countered an unrelenting downpour and useful opposition (the names Gorgon and Lubanski would not be lost on followers of the England team in the near future), there were only twenty minutes left when Gornik pulled one back through skipper Oslizo.
But City held firm to secure their fourth trophy in less than two years, the cup duly paraded in front of travelling support who accounted for more than half of the meagre 7,968 gathered inside the Praterstadion – being rain soaked and having something to celebrate nothing new to this generation of City followers.
Meanwhile, back on the home front, victory for Chelsea in the FA Cup Final replay meant the King’s Road as well as Maine Road would have the Cup Winners’ Cup in their sights next time around.
1970-71: MANCHESTER CITY (holders), CHELSEA;
Such was the positive manner in which both sides approached the game, it could be argued that at this juncture Manchester City were the Chelsea of the north or SW6 was Maine Road South. Either way England could not have been represented by two more stylish teams for the first full Cup Winners’ Cup of the 70s.
Manchester City began 1970-71 with their customary inconsistency, only one defeat in their first eight league outings offset with a quick ousting from the Anglo-Italian Cup, defence of the League Cup lasting no longer than a second round visit to second division Carlisle United. This intermittent misfiring also brought a close call in Europe where Linfield of Northern Ireland were overcome only on away goals, Bell scoring the only goal of the Maine Road contest, City indebted to Lee for his strike in the 2-1 second-leg defeat.
After their FA Cup winning exploits of the previous season, if anything Chelsea had added consistency to their make-up, only losing three league games prior to Christmas at which point they stood third. By a strange twist of fate, given where it would finish, their Cup Winners’ Cup excursion began in Greece. In a feisty first-leg away to Aris Salonika, they missed a first half penalty and had centre-back John Dempsey sent off after which they played an hour with ten men, still managing to return home with the tie level after Ian Hutchinson netted a late equaliser.
The Stamford Bridge return was all in the line of duty, H in this case accounting for the scorers, John Hollins (2), Hutchinson (2) and Marvin Hinton on target in a comfortable 5-1 win.
Round two brought straightforward progress for both, City beating Honved home and away, Chelsea doing likewise against CSKA Sofia, who were seen off by one goal in each tie, Tommy Baldwin scoring in Bulgaria, David Webb at the Bridge. Francis Lee scored in each victory over Honved, his goal in Budapest complimented by another at Maine Road where Bell also netted.
Before resumption of Cup Winners’ Cup action in March, City had the distinction of ending Chelsea hopes of retaining the FA Cup when they recorded an impressive fourth round win at Stamford Bridge (City then eliminated by double-chasing Arsenal), but on returning to Europe the onward path for the English pair suddenly became strewn with obstacles.
The third round draw had brought City a prompt reunion with Gornik Zabrze, who put the holders on the brink of elimination by winning 2-0 on home turf – Chelsea meanwhile, went down by the same score on their visit to Club Brugge of Belguim.
But two weeks later, Wednesday 24 March 1971, brought a night Stamford Bridge would never forget, Peter Houseman and Peter Osgood doing the honours in forcing extra-time – King of The Shed ‘Ossie‘ netting with just seven minutes left to ensure extra-time – he and Baldwin scoring in the second period to clinch a memorable 4-0 triumph.
They arrived back in the dressing room to discover they were the only English club definitely through to the last four, City scoring in 90 minutes through Ian Mellor and Doyle but with no goals in extra time, a replay on neutral territory was now required.
Reconvening in Copenhagen on the final day in March, (the winners by now aware they would be facing Chelsea next), City made light work of creating an all-England contest, Lee, Booth and Young the scorers in a businesslike 3-1 win.
On Wednesday 14 April – just two days after both clubs had played Easter Monday first division fixtures – a closely contested Stamford Bridge first-leg was decided just after half-time by a goal from young Chelsea winger Derek Smethurst. It was honours even when the sides met again in a Division One Maine Road contest three days later, manager Dave Sexton taking his side back to Moss Side on 28 April for Cup Winners’ Cup issues to be decided.
On an evening of high tension, the outcome was decided in curious circumstances. Nineteen year-old City goalkeeper Ron Healey is under no pressure when a 42nd minute Keith Weller free-kick comes his way, only for the future Republic of Ireland international to fumble the centre into his own net – the bemused reaction of his team-mates matched by that of commentator Gerald Sinstadt.
With the luxury of two goal cushion, the visitors advanced safely through the second half and while for City their reign as Cup Winners’ Cup holders is at an end, the road, as fate would have it, was taking Chelsea back to a Greece – where they would meet Real Madrid at the Karaiskakis Stadium, Athens on Wednesday 19 May.
Ahead through an Osgood goal eleven minutes into the second half, the trophy looks destined for a quick return to England as Chelsea appear to have the contest sewn up, only for the Spanish giants to force extra-time with a last-gasp leveler.
With no further scoring UEFA convene a replay at the same venue two days later when Chelsea again score first as Dempsey crashes home a volley on the half-hour – their control of the game increasing when Osgood doubles the lead six minutes before half-time. Late on Madrid reduce the deficit, but the safe-handling and composure of goalkeeper Peter Bonetti ensures Chelsea will not be thwarted again, his exemplary display a far cry from a nervy World Cup quarter-final showing of the previous year.
With Arsenal winning the league and FA Cup double and Spurs lifting the League Cup, Chelsea took another trophy back to the capital – London hoarding, in a manner of speaking.
1971-72: CHELSEA (Holders), LIVERPOOL;
After two successful campaigns there was nothing to suggest English clubs would not distinguish themselves again when the Cup Winners’ Cup again came to pass – once more having two runners in the field, holders Chelsea joined by a Liverpool side being rebuilt for the ’70s by Bill Shankly.
In the competition due to losing the ’71 FA Cup Final to double winners Arsenal (who were contesting the European Cup), Liverpool, like Chelsea were expected to mount a serious challenge. Yet both were out of contention by Bonfire Night – eliminated by defeats that in one way or another had wider implications.
In round one Liverpool made heavy weather of Swiss part-timers Servette, thankful for a late goal from full-back Chris Lawler in the first up away-leg, a 2-1 defeat turned around at Anfield by efforts from Emlyn Hughes and Steve Heighway.
Chelsea on the other hand made hay against Luxemburg minnows Jeunesse Hautcharage, declaring on eight in the first innings – Osgood (3), Houseman (2), Hollins, Baldwin, Webb – before hitting thirteen in the SW6 return, the goals shared between Osgood (5), Baldwin (3), Hudson, Houseman, Webb, Hollins and skipper Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris.
The second round brought the slightly harder task of dispensing with Swedish side Atvidaberg, but over two legs looked the sort of fixture Chelsea could win their sleep. Being held to a goalless draw in Sweden was nothing to have sleepless nights over and on taking an early second half lead through Hudson back at the Bridge, progress to round three began to take shape.
The opportunity to press home their superiority went begging when Hollins missed from the penalty spot, Chelsea then thrown into panic when the Swedes mustered an equaliser – and despite all their late pressure the holders were unable to retrieve the situation, slipping out of the competition on away goals.
Later in the season they would reach the League Cup Final (losing to Stoke City), the shock Cup Winner’s Cup exit diminishing the late-60s/early-70s swagger of a gifted side, hastening a fall from grace and departure of several star names.
While Chelsea were being skittled by Swedish minnows, Liverpool were coming off second best against an emerging powerhouse of European football, Bayern Munich.
Held to a Anfield first-leg goalless draw, in the second encounter Shankly saw his side beaten convincingly by a team containing six players who were about to become highly decorated for both club and country – two of whom, Uli Hoeness and the incomparable Gerd Muller (2) netted in a 3-1 win, the visitors consolation scored by Alun Evans.
Going on to reach the semi-final, Bayern would supply over half the team when West Germany scored a 3-1 Wembley victory over England five months later in the course of advancing to win the 1972 European Championships – the likes of Maier, Beckenbauer, Breitner, Schwarzenbeck, Hoeness and Muller becoming World Cup winners in 1974, Bayern having just begun a three year domination of the European Cup.
Their 1971-72 Cup Winners’ Cup gallop was halted at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Rangers – a 3-1 aggregate success reflecting well on the Ibrox side.
1972-73: LEEDS UNITED:
Following the below par showing of Chelsea and Liverpool the previous season, no team was better equipped to restore recent English dominance than Leeds United.
During the past eight years they had been the most consistent team in England, in the past five seasons alone manager Don Revie had overseen several near misses along with five major trophies, the latest of which, an FA Cup triumph of May 1972, giving them a first crack at the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Progress through the first two rounds was steady rather than spectacular. Young Scottish striker Joe Jordan netted in the 1-1 away-leg against Turkish side Mke Ankaragucu, an effort from centre-forward Mick Jones deciding the Elland Road return. Next came a goalless draw against Carl Zeiss Zena, the East Germans knocked out by virtue of goals from Jones and defender Trevor Cherry at Elland Road.
When March 1973 brought resumption of the competition, Leeds were in the far from unusual position of battling for honours on three fronts. In Europe a 5-0 first-leg thrashing of visiting Rapid Bucharest, (Allan Clarke, Johnny Giles, Peter Lorimer (2) and Jordan), heralded the start of a fortnight when they would maintain pursuit of the league title and win through to the FA Cup semi-finals – a last four Cup Winners’ Cup place ensured with goals from Jones, Jordan and Mick Bates in a 3-1 second-leg win in Romania.
Beginning April by defeating Wolves in an FA Cup semi-final to clinch an immediate return to Wembley, four days later a small step towards reaching a final in Europe was made when Clarke gave them a slender first-leg lead against Hadjuk Split, although the England striker would miss the second-leg in Bulgaria through suspension after being sent off for retaliation.
Despite his absence, Leeds produced a display of exemplary application behind the Iron Curtain, reaching the final on the back of a hard fought goalless draw.
While their title challenge was derailed by three consecutive defeats, by one means or another participation next season in the Cup Winners’ Cup looked assured – victory in the final against AC Milan in all probability completing a trophy double after the formality of retaining the FA Cup against no-hopers Sunderland at Wembley.
But in the biggest FA Cup Final upset of the post-war era, the second division Wearsiders booked their own place in Europe with an extraordinary 1-0 win – Leeds now needing victory over the Rossoneri to avoid finishing the season empty handed.
Their build-up to the final was hampered by intense press speculation that long-serving boss Revie was about to leave for Everton, the manager reportedly telling senior players he was intent on taking the job. There were also on-field issues to contend with as a quartet of experienced performers were unavailable for selection, Clarke and captain Billy Bremner out through suspension, Giles and Scottish winger Eddie Gray absent due to injury.
On a rainswept night in the Greek city of Salonika things took another turn for the worst when Milan grabbed a fifth minute lead through Luciano Chiarugi – an advantage they spent the next eighty five defending as Leeds dominated possession, let a number of good chances go begging and had two strong penalty claims waved aside.
The tetchy atmosphere in which the game was played boiled over ninety seconds from time when England man Norman Hunter and Milan midfielder Ricardo Sogliano were sent off following a confrontation, the match ending in frustration for Leeds, who added another entry to their runners-up listings.
In the event Revie remained at Elland Road for another season (Leeds winning the league title before he left to manage England), but controversy from their May 1973 Greek tragedy would linger. Host country referee Christos Michas was later charged and banned for life from refereeing by UEFA after being found guilty of match fixing.
Somewhat surprisingly, given Leeds were on the receiving end of several contentious decisions, the Cup Winners’ Cup Final did not form part of the investigation – his performance therefore rendered dire rather than dishonest.
1973-74: SUNDERLAND:
In the wake of their remarkable FA Cup triumph of the previous May for Sunderland the good times continued to roll into the new season. Still only in post less than ten months, ‘messiah’ boss Bob Stokoe saw his side go unbeaten through the first five second division fixtures of 1973-74 and twelve months on from drawing at Huddersfield found themselves in Hungary on competitive European duty.
On September 19 1973 Vasas of Budapest were beaten by goals from Billy Hughes and Dennis Tueart, the future England international then netting from the penalty spot at Roker Park to complete a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory.
Round two brought a sterner test in the form of Sporting Lisbon. Sunderland made light of the challenge through most of the home leg as efforts from skipper Bobby Kerr and fellow midfielder Mick Horswill put them in charge, only for their grip on the tie to be loosened when Sporting pulled one back late on.
It was to prove a crucial intervention as two weeks later on Wednesday 7 November the Portuguese hosts struck twice without reply to book their place in round three. Sunderland recovered from the disappointment of European elimination by inflicting heavy defeats on Swindon Town and Bolton Wanderers in their next two league games, but a dismal run through the winter months cost them dear in the promotion stakes – a period which also brought third round relinquishment of the FA Cup to second division rivals Carlisle United, a season of overwhelming glory followed by one of underachievement.
Their Cup Winners’ Cup conquerors Sporting Lisbon battled on to the semi-final stage where they were beaten by eventual winners FC Magdeburg – who in taking the trophy from holders AC Milan in the final became the first (and only) East German club to win a European competition.
1974-75: LIVERPOOL:
Making their second appearance in four seasons – having won the UEFA Cup and contested the European Cup in between – at Anfield the long tenure of manager Bill Shankly had just come to an end, his unexpected resignation in July 1974 coming only two months after he steered Liverpool to the second FA Cup triumph of his fifteen year reign.
Now in the charge of his long-time assistant Bob Paisley, they looked a good bet to go even further than the beaten-finalist place they achieved under Shankly in 1966. The first round slaughter of Norwegian canon fodder Stromgodset affirmed they meant business – Phil Boersma (2), Phil Thompson (2), Peter Cormack, Emlyn Hughes, Tommy Smith, Ian Callaghan, Alec Lindsay and Steve Heighway all finding the net during an 11-0 Anfield rout.
In contrast the second leg in Norway on October 1st produced little to write home about save for the Ray Kennedy goal that secured a 1-0 win – and the first appearance for six weeks of England international Kevin Keegan, who had been suspended after being sent off along with Leeds skipper Billy Bremner following an altercation in the Charity Shield fixture back in August.
Top of Division One entering the second round first-leg fixture against Ferencvaros, a Keegan goal was cancelled out by a last minute reply from the Hungarians which tipped the balance of the tie in their favour. In Budapest two weeks later chances were at a premium for both sides, a situation that best suited the home side who accommodated the stalemate to go through, Liverpool having just mounted their last unsuccessful Europe campaign for four years – a period incorporating another UEFA Cup success and consecutive triumphs in the European Cup.
Back in 1974-75 Ferencvaros to their credit went all the way to the final, but like Liverpool in the league title race had to settle for being runners-up, finding themselves no match for Dynamo Kyiv to whom they lost 3-0 in Basel.
1975-76: WEST HAM UNITED:
Ten years on from lifting their last piece of silverware, ironically enough the Cup Winners’ Cup, (which in 1965 had been clinched with a Wembley victory over Munich 1860), West Ham were back in the competition following their defeat of second division Fulham in the ’75 FA Cup Final.
As they embarked on a quest to win it for a second time, The Hammers were enjoying their best start to a league campaign for years, unbeaten and holding down second place in the table on being held to a 2-2 draw in Finland against Reipas Lahti where goals from Trevor Brooking and skipper Billy Bonds saw the visitors break even – Keith Robson, Pat Holland and Billy Jennings then making the scoresheet in a straightforward second-leg victory.
They were still flying high when faced with Ararat Yerevan of the Soviet Union where an effort from Alan Taylor, goalscoring hero in the latter stages of their triumphant FA Cup run of the previous season, earned a 1-1 draw – the same player scoring again, along with Robson and Paddon as West Ham scored a 3-1 win to emerge from round two with a 4-2 aggregate victory.
When the quarter finals came around in the spring of 1976 their form had dropped off to such an extent The Hammers were no longer in the top half of the table and following a 1-0 victory over title-chasing QPR on January 24 they would not win any of their remaining sixteen league games. The FA Cup was also no longer of interest following a third round exit at the hands of Liverpool.
But manager John Lyall had no difficulty rousing his men when it came to Europe and even when a brace from Jennings could not prevent a 4-2 first-leg defeat away at Den Haag, they rallied in superb fashion to beat the Dutch side 3-1 on home turf, progress on away goals clinched by goals from Taylor, Bonds and Frank Lampard.
But if that game proved exciting, the Boleyn faithful had an even more exhilarating night to come – the semi-final second-leg encounter against Eintracht Frankfurt widely regarded as the greatest ever staged in E13.
Put ahead in the away tie with an excellent strike from Paddon, the visitors were pegged back by accomplished opposition who establish a 2-1 lead for the trip to East London.
But at Upton Park they are met by a battery of noise while also being confronted by sparkling passages of play from the home side. Frankfurt manage to hold out for an hour at which point Brooking levels with a rare header (his next headed goal the FA Cup Final winner of 1980) to put West Ham ahead on aggregate. The situation is improved further when Robson smashes in a second and then apparently put beyond doubt with a classy finish from Brooking.
As this enthralling contest draws to a close, the West Germans pull one back to make for a nervy last five minutes – but West Ham are roared raucously to the final whistle and their second appearance in the Cup Winners’ Cup Final.
To emulate what was achieved eleven years before they must overcome Anderlecht, the Belgians enjoying home advantage of sorts with the final taking place in the Heysel Stadium of Brussels.
Initially the portents look good when Pat Holland gives them a 28th minute lead, but they are up against a tasty outfit containing four Dutch internationals one of whom, winger Rob Rensenbrink, levels shortly before half-time.
Four minutes after the break the supremely gifted Belgian international Francois Van der Elst (who in the years ahead would join West Ham), gives Anderlecht the lead, The Hammers showing admirable resolve in coming back to level through Robson. Their spirit is tested again when Rensenbrink puts his side back in front with a 73rd minute penalty, then broken altogether when Van der Elst conjures memories of George Best in his prime with a superb individual goal at the last knockings.
West Ham would not have to wait so long again to compete in the Cup Winners’ Cup, although there would be vagaries aplenty down Boleyn way during the next few seasons.
They would qualify once more in 1980 on winning the FA Cup – doing so as a second division club after being relegated in 1978.
1976-77: SOUTHAMPTON:
While not registering quite as high on the Richter scale of FA Cup Final shocks as Sunderland defeating Leeds three years earlier, the 1976 defeat of overwhelming favourites Manchester United by unfancied Southampton showed the cup still had capacity to produce the inexplicable – and while at it gave England Division Two representation in the Cup Winners’ Cup for the second time in four seasons.
Not that winning the FA Cup energised their league form at the start of the 1976-77 campaign, their third in reduced circumstances since being relegated in 1974. Indeed, an impressive 4-0 home win in Europe over Olympique Marseilles, secured with goals from Malcolm Waldron and England internationals past and present Peter Osgood and Mike Channon (2) was their first victory in any competition that season. Saints were still without a league success when they lost the second-leg 2-1 on September 29, full-back David Peach on target when they visited the south of France.
Yet by the time Southampton easily accounted for Carrick Rangers of Northern Ireland in round two they had carried out domestic demolition jobs on high-flying Wolves (6-2), Luton (4-1) and a Fulham side (4-1) containing George Best, Rodney Marsh and Bobby Moore. The upturn in their league form was reflected in a 5-2 first-leg away win where Channon (2), former Scottish international Jim McCalliog and FA Cup Final winning goal scorer Bobby Stokes were on target.
The job was then completed in comfortable style, Austin Hayes (2), a Steve Williams penalty and another from Stokes easing Saints to a 9-3 aggregate triumph by virtue of this 4-1 win.
The quarter-final brought them the tough proposition of facing cup holders Anderlecht, whose pedigree was underlined when Dutch internationals Rensenbrink and Peter Ressel scored the goals in a 2-0 first-leg victory – only for the Belgian side to be given a chasing at The Dell where Peach (penalty) and Ted MacDougall put the tie back in the balance. The outcome was finally decided with a late strike from Van der Elst – Anderlecht subsequently advancing to the final although retaining the trophy proved beyond them, falling at the final hurdle against Hamburg.
Southampton finished a fitful season on the home front by finishing ninth, Manchester United taking a degree of FA Cup revenge by knocking them out in round five en route to winning the competition themselves. Such were the defensive frailties of Lawrie McMenemy’s team only three sides, two of them relegated, leaked more goals.
The problem was addressed to such a degree the number conceded virtually halved the following season – with Saints promoted as a result.
1977-1978: MANCHESTER UNITED:
On beating Liverpool to win the 1977 FA Cup Final, Manchester United ended a nine year trophy hiatus dating back to the European Cup triumph of 1968. Returning to Europe for the first time since the year of the moon landing and Woodstock, the exciting young team assembled by manager Tommy Docherty in the wake of being relegated in 1974 (United spending one season in Division Two) looked equipped with the capability to prosper at home and abroad.
But two months after their first FA Cup success in fourteen years, ever-quotable Scot Docherty departed Old Trafford, being sacked when his extramarital affair with Mary Brown, wife of the club physiotherapist, became public knowledge. Replaced as manager by Dave Sexton, who left QPR to take the post, United made a solid start to 1977-78 by going through the first four league games unbeaten, anticipation of their return to Europe then dampened by defeat against neighbours City.
The ignominy of losing a derby was quickly forgotten on travelling to France in order to face St Etienne, United caused great embarrassment by a section of their support who fought and rampaged before, during and after the tie. When it was all over bar the louting a football match had ended 1-1, England international winger Gordon Hill on target for a visiting club shamed by an element of their following.
Having often caused mayhem through the decade in and around grounds across the country (in fairness by the late-70s they were by no means the only club with a hooligan problem), UEFA – with St Etienne declaring their intention to sue Manchester United for compensation in regard to stadium damage – took immediate action by removing the Old Trafford side from the competition.
Adamant they had been found guilty over incidents of which the club had no control (those supporters who travelled on excursions that received official sanction were praised for their behaviour), United quickly lodged an appeal, club president Sir Matt Busby leading a delegation who travelled to UEFA headquarters in Switzerland to state their case.
They clearly put forward a persuasive overview as the governing body subsequently backtracked and reinstated United, who received a fine and instruction for the return to be played 200 miles from Old Trafford.
In their search for a venue, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Glentoran in Northern Ireland and Wembley were all given consideration, but in the end an invitation to play at Home Park, the base of third division Plymouth Argyle was accepted. The fixture was made all-ticket with none to be sold in Manchester, the game beamed back to Old Trafford and shown on a giant screen which attracted a gate of over 38,000 – six thousand more than actually attended the tie.
The United players took advantage of the reprieve, goals from Steve Coppell and Stuart Pearson earning a 2-0 victory and place in the second round – although arguably the most significant statistic, given the disturbances surrounding the first-leg, was no arrests were made.
But any notion destiny played a part in United remaining in the competition was put to the test when they were thrashed 4-0 by Porto in the first-leg of their second round tie and dispelled altogether after the return – yet not before the Portuguese side had been given a fright, United running out 5-2 winners with efforts from Coppell (2), full-back Jimmy Nicholl and two own goals, all of which was commendable but not enough to avoid a 6-5 aggregate defeat.
The two Porto fixtures came to represent a microcosm of the 1977-78 campaign, during which United scored plenty, conceded more than was good for them, surrendering the FA Cup in round four and bumping along to finish tenth.
Sadly, the unruly section of their large following showed more consistency, crowd trouble often occurring when Manchester United played away.
1978-79: IPSWICH TOWN:
The winners of the 1978-79 competition would have a link to England – but only in the sense of knocking out ’78 FA Cup winners Ipswich Town.
An indifferent start to the new season was reflected in the way Ipswich laboured through the first two rounds. Second-leg goals from John Wark and Paul Mariner did the trick against AZ 67 Alkmaar after a goalless draw in Holland, while in round two manager Bobby Robson was made to sweat, an extra-time goal from Scottish international full-back George Burley earning a 1-1 against SSW Innsbruck, the Austrian side having been beaten by a Wark goal at Portman Road two weeks earlier.
Despite being plagued by inconsistency in the months that followed, by the time Barcelona arrived in Suffolk for the quarter final first-leg on Wednesday 7 March, Ipswich were unbeaten in their last six outings – that sequence extended to seven when a brace from Eric Gates earned a 2-1 win.
They suffered defeat for the first time in five weeks when Liverpool ended their hopes of retaining the FA Cup three days later, dreams of cup success in another sphere dashed on losing at the Camp Nou on March 21, a 1-0 victory sending the home side through on away goals.
Their ultimate destination was Basel where Barcelona would become the last victorious Cup Winners’ Cup team of the decade, beating Fortuna Dusseldorf in the final by the odd goal in seven.
In their next fixture after losing in Spain, Ipswich suffered another defeat to Liverpool, but it would prove their last reversal of the term. Embarking on an eleven match unbeaten run they climbed to sixth and secured UEFA Cup qualification for the following season – a positive, attack-minded team showing the reliability that further down the road would land a European trophy, fate having in store another meeting with AZ 67 Alkmaar.
But that is another story for another time.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.
