As it drew to a close with the annual Home International fixtures, on one hand some sense could be made of the 1973-74 season, but on the other none at all.
Leeds United, the most consistent team in the country since the mid-60s, after a couple of near misses finally won their first league title of the decade – this during a campaign when England, champions of the world in 1966, failed to qualify for the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany. The upshot of these eventualities was Elland Road supremo Don Revie being on the verge of replacing the recently sacked Sir Alf Ramsey as manager of the national team.
In terms of consistency Liverpool, after a seven year barren spell, had rediscovered the trophy winning habit, their FA Cup success at the start of May the third piece of silverware heading Anfield way in just under twelve months.
The upturn in fortunes being enjoyed by The Kop contrasted sharply with the chaos to have taken hold at Old Trafford. Manchester United, having seen ’60s virtuoso George Best walk out on the club for a final time at the turn of the year, spent the ensuing months sleepwalking toward the drop – relegation a racing if not mathematical certainty, sometime before their fate was actually sealed.
If the respective triumphs of Leeds United and Liverpool took the form of familiar feats, then at international level, for England at least, there were no longer the old certainties of yore.
Since the Home Championship of the previous year, World Cup winning manager Ramsey and mainstay captain Bobby Moore had departed the scene, in the space of twelve months England going from decent outside bet for the 1974 World Cup to dutiful warm-up opposition for those who had actually qualified.
In the wake of Ramsey being dismissed, senior FA figures, most notably Sir Harold Thompson, had seemingly taken the decision to sack Sir Alf with little thought given to appointing a successor. The last act Ramsey performed in the role was naming a squad to contest the Home Internationals, a late-May friendly against Argentina and three match early summer tour behind the Iron Curtain, taking in fixtures against East Germany, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia – opposition, who in all four cases, were heading to the World Cup finals.
Wielding the axe not only ended Ramsey’s eleven-year tenure in inglorious fashion it also created an immediate short-term vacancy, one The FA quickly needed to fill as there was a barely a fortnight between his departure and England beginning their Home International programme with a visit to Wales on Saturday 11 May 1974.
In the event they turned to 60-year-old Coventry City boss Joe Mercer. Having enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Manchester City in conjunction with coach Malcolm Alison as the 60s gave way to the 1970s, Mercer, a jocular, genial figure was enlisted to oversee team affairs through the forthcoming six week/seven match itinerary.
His brief reign would encompass hostilities against a fifth World Cup combatant – with Scotland having also qualified, the only home nation to do so.
While for the most part their English counterparts were floundering, the Scots, under the stewardship of Willie Ormond had been making steady progress. In October 1973 it culminated in them securing World Cup qualification for the first time since 1958.
After securing their place in the 1974 finals, manager Ormond, not dissimilar in his principles to Ramsey being an advocate of square peg/square holes when it came to team selection, oversaw two creditable performances against soon-to-be hosts West Germany.
In November 1973 Scotland ended their fixtures for the year when a goal from central defender Jim Holton ensured the spoils were shared in a 1-1 Glasgow draw. Despite going down 2-1 to the same opposition in March 1974, Celtic maestro Kenny Dalglish reducing the arrears late on, the home side contained eight players who would subsequently appear in the 1974 final.
On a cold night in Frankfurt the West Germans were given some uncomfortable moments by a side who might yet do a number, rather than make them up, in the tough confines of World Cup Group Two – a pool that also contained Yugoslavia, Zaire and holders Brazil.
With the England v Scotland fixture scheduled in its now traditional slot of last Saturday of the tournament (the Home Internationals condensed into a week of games since 1969, the hosts of each fixture alternating on a yearly basis), the political turbulence of the early 70s was reflected in Northern Ireland being unable to stage home matches for a third consecutive year – a consequence of The Troubles engulfing the province.
Thus Scotland would play all three of their fixtures at Hampden Park – although if the Irish were looking for sporting omens to sustain them in these difficult days, Ireland had just won their first Five Nations rugby title in 23 years.
Indeed, an opening afternoon success for Northern Ireland in Glasgow hinted a success story with the round ball may also be in the offing, particularly as at the same time England were repeating against the Welsh what their egg-chasing equivalents had managed at Twickenham a few weeks earlier.
1974 was not a vintage year for Welsh sport. The rugby XV experienced the unusual occurrence of drawing two Five Nations fixtures, this before suffering the indignity of losing to bottom of the pile England. The football team meanwhile were on a run of four straight defeats, although improvement in both fields was on the horizon.
For those too young to remember or perhaps not even born when the Home Internationals were an established feature of the football calendar, these fixtures may seem a curious, perhaps quaint way of wrapping up the domestic season. Yet that would be to miss the point of these games constituting the rare prospect of witnessing the national team play in real time on television.
Such was the importance attached to the England v Scotland fixture that, like the FA Cup Final, it was broadcast simultaneously on BBC and ITV – the 70s armchair supporter blessed with a tumult of televised football in May, two live games in the space of three weeks amounting to a glut.
As for those about to take part, the tournament may have come around with its usual regularity but when the sides convened again twelve months later, England, Northern Ireland and Wales would all have different managers, with qualification for the 1976 European Championship Finals at differing levels of feasibility for each of the home nations.
The 1974 Home Internationals therefore were part of the ongoing story, while at the same time a strange, stand alone chapter.
Saturday 11 May 1974:
WALES 0 ENGLAND 2 – (25,734): This undistinguished, yet ultimately comfortable England victory reflected their state of flux, an unfamiliar line-up producing an uneven display.
While Leicester City midfielder Keith Weller was selected for his first cap and second appearances coming the way of full-back Mike Pejic and mercurial QPR forward Stan Bowles, both of whom had debuted in a goalless draw against Portugal five weeks earlier in what proved the last game with Sir Alf in charge. Mercer appeared keen to have Emlyn Hughes involved, the Liverpool skipper and central defender captaining England for the first time, but from a midfield role.
Following a lacklustre opening half hour played against the backdrop of well-worn pitch and swirling wind, the visitors took a 36th minute lead when goalkeeper John Phillips failed to hold a low cross from Weller, Wales punished as Bowles was on hand to prod home the loose ball from three yards.
Eleven minutes into the second half, after nearly scoring twice already since the restart, the visitors extend the lead when Kevin Keegan scores his first England goal, the Liverpool forward seeing his close range effort end up the back of the net despite Tony Villars, a Cardiff City debutant in the Welsh ranks, being in a position to clear.
As the match drifted to a conclusion Wales carved out opportunities for Gil Reece and John Mahoney, but generally the play remained unconvincing. England duly record their first win in four games, but the current standing of both sides is reflected in a modest attendance figure almost 10,000 down from when the sides last met at Ninian Park for a World Cup qualifying fixture in November 1972.
Wales: Phillips (Chelsea); P. Roberts (Portsmouth), Thomas (Derby County), Mahoney (Stoke City), J. Roberts (Birmingham City), Reece (Cardiff City), Villars (Cardiff City), Davies (Portsmouth), Yorath (Leeds United), James (Burnley). Subs: Cartwright (Coventry City – P. Roberts), Smallman (Wrexham – Davies);
England: Shilton (Leicester City); Nish (Derby County), Pejic (Stoke City), Hughes (Liverpool), McFarland (Derby County), Todd (Derby County), Keegan (Liverpool), Bell (Manchester City), Channon (Southampton), Weller (Leicester City), Bowles (QPR).
SCOTLAND 0 NORTHERN IRELAND 1 – (53,775): This rearranged home game revealed Scots boss Ormond was still at the possible/probable stage of his thinking in regard to World Cup selection.
Five certainties to be on the plane, David Harvey, Sandy Jardine, Jim Holton, David Hay and Denis Law started the contest – as they would the World Cup opener against Zaire six weeks later – but Newcastle United midfield man Jimmy Smith, a second half substitute for full-back Willie Donachie, would fail to make the final cut of 22.
The decisive moment in a largely uninspiring contest occurred six minutes before the break and was provided by a different Newcastle player – Smith’s St James’ Park club-mate Tommy Cassidy netting to decide the outcome, scoring on his first international start after previously coming off the bench on three occasions.
While the Scottish press were quick to condemn a slipshod display, Northern Ireland could celebrate successive wins over the Scots, who had now been on the losing end in three of the last four fixtures between the sides.
Scotland: Harvey (Leeds United); Buchan (Manchester United), Donachie (Manchester City), Hay (Celtic), Holton (Manchester United), Jardine (Rangers), Bremner (Leeds United), Hutchinson (Coventry City), Morgan (Manchester United), Law (Manchester City), Dalglish (Celtic). Subs: Smith (Newcastle United – Donachie), Jordan (Leeds United – Law).
Northern Ireland: Jennings (Spurs); Hunter (Ipswich Town), Nelson (Arsenal), O’Kane (Nottingham Forest), Rice (Arsenal), Clements (Everton), Hamilton (Ipswich Town), McGrath (Spurs), McIlroy (Manchester United), Morgan (Aston Villa). Sub: Jackson (Nottingham Forest – Hamilton).
Tuesday 14 May 1974:
SCOTLAND 2 WALES 0 – (41,969): After being unable to end a nineteen year run of failing to beat England three days earlier, Wales, after the Glasgow triumph of Northern Ireland, would have arrived optimistic of recording a first win over Scotland since 1964.
Welsh manager Dave Bowen rang the changes as did opposite number Ormond who picked a revamped attack, Celtic wing ace Jimmy Johnstone along with strikers Donald Ford and Joe Jordan selected to start.
One of those to retain his place opened the scoring on 25 minutes, Dalglish on target to enliven a crowd who so far had seen little to enthuse over – the lead extended and result wrapped up when Jardine converted from the penalty spot 90 seconds shy of half-time.
If the second half passed largely without incident, the same could not be said of a number among the Scotland squad, who in the early hours of the following morning, literally and metaphorically speaking, pushed the boat out in their post-match celebrations.
Granted a few hours to socialise by boss Ormond, Jardine, Johnstone, Hay and Erich Schaedler were heading back to the team hotel in the coastal town of Largs when Johnstone boarded a rowing boat on the quayside. With a gentle push from Jardine it came loose of its mooring and caught on the tide, began drifting out to sea.
With Johnstone and his vessel being carried further from the shoreline the coastguard were called in, averting what started as a prank from becoming altogether more serious. The ‘Largs Affair‘ quickly became headline news with those involved, Ormond and the Scottish FA torpedoed, so to speak, by the press, who were appalled at the irresponsibility of it all.
Ironically, the week before madcap Who drummer Keith Moon alongside another irrepressible socialiser, actor Oliver Reed, participated in an escapade bearing similarities on the south coast of England – this while filming ‘Tommy‘ a cinematic version of the 1969 rock opera by The Who, in which they were both appearing.
Given the busy shipping lanes of the English Channel, the antics of Moon and Reed had far more serious connotations – yet they were written of as eccentric national treasures.
Scotland: Harvey (Leeds United); Buchan (Manchester United), Hay (Celtic), Holton (Manchester United), Jardine (Rangers), Bremner (Leeds United), Hutchinson (Coventry City), Johnstone (Celtic), Ford (Hearts), Jordan (Leeds United), Dalglish (Celtic). Subs: Smith (Newcastle United – Hutchinson), McGrain (Celtic – Buchan).
Wales: Sprake (Birmingham City); Page (Birmingham City), Cartwright (Coventry City), D. Roberts (Oxford United), Thomas (Derby County), Mahoney (Stoke City), J. Roberts (Birmingham City), Reece (Cardiff City), Villars (Cardiff City), Yorath (Leeds United), James (Burnley). Subs: Smallman/Reece.
Wednesday 15 May 1974:
ENGLAND 1 NORTHERN IRELAND 0 – (45,508): It was not just the Scottish camp, however, who fell prey to unwanted, post-midnight maneuverings.
While Mercer made it two wins from two with a laboured victory secured by a 68th minute header from Weller, during and after there were consequences that would effect England in the days, indeed months ahead.
After lining up with the same XI who won in Cardiff, England were forced into a first half change when stalwart centre-half Roy McFarland suffered an achilles injury that would sideline him for six months, the immediate ramification being his unavailability for the forthcoming visit to Hampden.
With Northern Ireland never appearing likely to repeat their 1972 Wembley triumph, (the only Home International England had so far lost during the 1970s), dust was already settling on the fixture when night brought the mystery of Bowles being nowhere to be seen.
Angry at being substituted in the 55th minute, (he and Mercer having differences going back to when Bowles was a young professional at Manchester City), arguably the most gifted English footballer of the era departed the team hotel – without adding to the stern words he and the manager had exchanged on the Wembley touchline.
In going to ground he was immediately out of contention for the Scotland game and despite on the verge of playing the most superb football of his career, it would be over two years before Bowles next appeared at international level – by which time England had failed to qualify for the 1976 European Championship finals.
Over the next 48 hours when asked whereabouts of the errant player Mercer remarked ‘no idea‘ – his team prompting similar description within minutes of the Hampden Park kick-off…………
England: Shilton (Leicester City); Nish (Derby County), Pejic (Stoke City), Hughes (Liverpool), McFarland (Derby County), Todd (Derby County), Keegan (Liverpool), Bell (Manchester City), Channon (Southampton), Weller (Leicester City), Bowles (QPR). Subs: Hunter (Leeds United – McFarland), Worthington (Leicester City – Bowles).
Northern Ireland: Jennings (Spurs); Hunter (Ipswich Town), Nelson (Arsenal), O’Kane (Nottingham Forest), Rice (Arsenal), Clements (Everton), Hamilton (Ipswich Town), McGrath (Spurs), McIlroy (Manchester United), Morgan (Aston Villa). Sub: Jackson/Nelson, O’Neill (Nottingham Forest – Hamilton).
Saturday 18 May 1974:
SCOTLAND 2 ENGLAND 0 – (94,487): Heading north of the border needing just a point to win the Championship, Mercer made changes of a forced and unforced nature as England sought to extend a seven match unbeaten run against the Scots stretching back to 1967 – their last defeat in these parts some ten years before.
In the absence of McFarland, the caretaker England boss opted for Norman Hunter as a partner for Colin Todd in central defence. Understandable on one hand as the experienced Leeds defender had recently been named PFA Player of the Year, but on the other a compromised selection given the last time Hunter had played as a conventional centre-half for England they had come unstuck in a 1972 European Championship Wembley quarter-final against West Germany.
With Bowles in self-imposed exile, centre-forward Worthington started for the first time while Martin Peters, who knew a thing or two about winning in an England shirt, was recalled at the expense of Keegan. It would however, prove a dispiriting 67th and final cap, the season still with a UEFA Cup Final to come for the 1966 World Cup winner and current Spurs captain.
Confronting England were a Scotland side comprising four players each from English title winners Leeds and Scottish champions Celtic, this impressive line-up (one strangely Ormond would never select again), having a clearly defined formation – in contrast to opponents who by and large, with both Hunter and Hughes playing out of position, simply wanted their most experienced players on the field.
On a rain-lashed Glasgow afternoon, the atrocious weather perhaps a factor in attracting the lowest crowd for the fixture in 50 years, (not since the 1920s had the attendance failed to reach six figures). But even then the near 95,000 assembled created a febrile, partizan atmosphere, BBC match commentator David Coleman setting the scene by remarking:
‘This is a test of nerve and character as well as football ability.’
The disjointed make-up of the England team was exposed within five minutes. On losing possession deep in their own half, they are wide open when Lorimer breaks into the penalty area. Shilton saves at the feet of the Leeds man only for the ball to land with Jordan, another of the Scots’ Elland Road contingent.
His ensuing shot is deflected into the net by covering defender Pejic – Jordan subsequently credited with the goal giving Scotland their ideal start.
English uncertainty is exposed again when Hay breaks from midfield before dispatching a rising shot Shilton just manages to stop (‘The shot was good, the save was brilliant‘, observed Coleman). But on the half hour the England goalkeeper is powerless as Scotland extend the lead – the visitors again made to look a sorry lot as Todd steers a low cross from Dalglish into his own net much to the delight of joyous home support.
At the break Mercer withdraws Hunter replacing him with Sunderland central defender Dave Watson, who in his second cap is given the task of combating the physical threat of Jordan whose aerial prowess has so far has given the England defence an uncomfortable time. While Watson enjoys partial success in this area, it still requires a string of fine saves from Shilton to stave off a much heavier defeat.
In regard to the Championship overall, Scotland and England shared the title (goal difference not yet used to determine position, the Scots thus denied the title outright), but moreover it was a major morale boost with the World Cup looming, their first victory over the English in seven years, to use a Largs incident analogy, more plain sailing than they might have imagined.
As for England they recovered to produce creditable displays in each of the four fixtures to come, draws against Argentina (2-2), East Germany (1-1), Yugoslavia (2-2), coupled with a 1-0 win over Czechoslovakia, an altogether excellent response to the Hampden humbling. The new found positivity surrounding the squad led to calls for Mercer to be appointed permanently, yet by the first week of July, Don Revie, the preferred choice of Sir Harold Thompson, had been sworn in – top priority for the new man being qualification for the European Championship finals in two years time.
Scotland: Harvey (Leeds United); McGrain (Celtic), Hay (Celtic), Holton (Manchester United), Jardine (Rangers), Bremner (Leeds United), Blackley (Hibs), Johnstone (Celtic), Jordan (Leeds United), Dalglish (Celtic), Lorimer (Leeds United).
England: Shilton (Leicester City); Nish (Derby County), Pejic (Stoke City), Hughes (Liverpool), Hunter (Leeds United), Todd (Derby County), Peters (Spurs), Bell (Manchester City), Channon (Southampton), Weller (Leicester City), Worthington (Leicester City). Subs: Watson (Sunderland – Hunter), Macdonald (Newcastle United – Worthington).
WALES 1 NORTHERN IRELAND 0 – (9,311):
When the quarter-finals of the 1976 European Championships came to pass (at that time home and away quarter-finals preceded the semi-finals and final played over a week in one country), there was home nation representation. Yet it would not be England and Revie occupying a last eight berth – the long, unexpected road to qualification for Wales, beginning in effect on a generally quiet afternoon in Wrexham.
Registering their first Home International win for four years was relief enough for the Welsh, their barren spell ended by a deciding 26th minute goal from David Smallman.
Playing on his home ground, the local-born twenty one year-old found the net on his first international start (having appeared from the bench twice in the past week), although not appearing for the second half due to being injured was a portent for the career that lay ahead.
Having come to prominence as third division Wrexham advanced to the 1973-74 FA Cup quarter-finals, in March 1975 Everton paid £75,000 for a striker of undoubted potential. But in five injury plagued years at Goodison he made just 23 first team appearances, (the goal on his debut against Sheffield United still recalled with awe in the land of Evertonia). Smallman was sold back to Wrexham in 1980 where his professional career ended due to an accumulation of injuries the following year.
Back at the Racecourse in May 1974 referee Pat Partridge was twelve months away from officiating at the 1975 FA Cup Final, while during the next year Northern Ireland would again stage bona fide home games, Yugoslavia and England both heading to Windsor Park, Belfast before 1974-75 was done.
On ending their six match losing streak with victory over the Irish, Wales appeared to take a backward step when their European Championship qualification campaign opened with a 2-1 defeat in Austria four months later.
But on the back of five straight group wins Wales went on to top the section. Their place as sole British representatives in the quarter-finals was secured with a 1-0 victory over Austria in Wrexham as November 1975 (a year when Wales won the rugby five nations), came to a close – three times the crowd who witnessed the defeat of Northern Ireland fifteen months earlier, packing into the Racecourse to see Arfon Griffiths of the host club score the deciding goal.
Wales: Sprake (Birmingham City); Page (Birmingham City), Cartwright (Coventry City), Phillips (Cardiff City), Thomas (Derby County), Mahoney (Stoke City), J. Roberts (Birmingham City), Reece (Cardiff City), Smallman (Wrexham), Yorath (Leeds United), James (Burnley). Subs: Villars/Smallman.
Northern Ireland: Jennings (Spurs); Hunter (Ipswich Town), Dowd (Glenavon), O’Kane (Nottingham Forest), Rice (Arsenal), Clements (Everton), Hamilton (Ipswich Town), McGrath (Spurs), Cassidy (Newcastle United), McIlroy (Manchester United), O’Neill (Nottingham Forest). Sub: Jackson/Hamilton.
Postscript:
For Scotland the summer of 1974, in fact the next few years beyond, would bring a mix of favour and frustration. They would depart the World Cup at the group stage, exiting on goal difference after not losing a game, giving them the credibility of being the only side to have competed at the tournament who managed the feat.
Their bid to go further than the qualifying stage of the next European Championships eventually ran aground, but light was never too far from the shade.
They took a 5-1 Wembley towsing when the Auld Enemy came onto their radar at the 1975 Home Internationals, but through the period it would be England who were beset by diminishing returns – Scotland the only UK nation present at the 1978 Argentina World Cup, the 1974 Hampden victory over the English, row boats, Bowles, own goals and all, the first of three wins in four when the sides convened for their annual showdown.
Hello – hope you enjoyed another exclusive production from SAMTIMONIOUS.com
In order to create the best experience for when you drop by to read a page or two, those with the power to ordain such things (me, actually), have decided to remove all external advertising from the site – in other words articles will no longer be subject to intrusive pop-up ads. BUT – and ain’t there always one – should you wish to make a donation toward the on-costs of the most entertaining and original blog-site around, please press on the – ‘DONATE’ – button below. It will be greatly appreciated.
Stay safe everyone and thanks for dropping by – best wishes Neil
SAMTIMONIOUS.com – films, football and fabulous music at The Dominion of Opinion
NEIL SAMBROOK is also the author of MONTY’S DOUBLE – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as Amazon Kindle book.