I
It might have all been so different.
When ex-Stretford End hero Denis Law backheeled a goal for City against United in the Manchester-derby taking place on the final Saturday of the 1973-74 season, in altered circumstances he could have been propelling his former club toward relegation.
As it was Old Trafford fell momentarily silent, but then became roused in providing vociferous backing as the home side sought to protect a first half lead established by first half goals from Lou Macari and Sammy McIlroy.
United moved cautiously through the final quarter-hour in securing the 2-1 victory that ultimately kept them up, two points against their near neighbours consigning Birmingham City to relegation along with Southampton and Norwich City.
Two days later United completed their fixtures with a Monday night 1-0 defeat at Stoke City, the loss academic as Tommy Docherty’s side survived with just a point to spare. The last game reversal at the Victoria Ground was symptomatic of another hugely disappointing campaign when a group of experienced players had routinely underperformed – not one of whom had reached a double figure goal tally.
On almost a weekly basis they had been described as ‘too good to go down‘ only to challenge the notion with one disjointed display after another, relegation staved off by virtue of an improved run of results through April while those around them at the bottom faltered. Such was their on-paper pedigree when Law left the Old Trafford pitch on Saturday 27 April, he was in close proximity to three red-shirted players, (Martin Buchan, Jim Holton, Willie Morgan), with whom he would be shortly travelling to West Germany as members of the 1974 Scotland World Cup squad.
While beating City was always welcome – and in this instance vital – a hair’s breadth dalliance with Division Two was not only another season of huge underachievement, but evidence of just how far their fortunes had declined. Having been given notice that he would continue in post, manager Docherty decided time had come to finally banish the ghosts of Law, Best and Charlton – formulating a plan to rejuvenate rather than ransack his current squad.
II
During the next couple of weeks, the perception of a new era dawning at Old Trafford was built upon newspaper speculation linking Manchester United with a move for West Ham midfielder Trevor Brooking, his England international team-mate, Southampton striker Mick Channon, also mentioned as a likely target.
But such rumours were wiped off the back pages by stories with actual gravitas such as Don Revie resigning as manager of league champions Leeds to take charge of the England team, Bill Shankly heading into retirement on deciding to resign as Livepool boss – and then most surprisingly of all, Brian Clough, an outspoken critic of the way Leeds had operated under Revie, heading to Elland Road in order to replace him.
There was also extraordinary action on the pitch, Holland illuminating the 1974 World Cup with a series of captivating performances, their ‘Total Football’ philosophy carrying them through to the final whereupon they went down to the hosts who played in a polished, but more pragmatic manner.
For their part Scotland exited the competition at the group stage. Recording creditable draws against Brazil and Yugoslavia, a low key 2-0 defeat of Zaire in their opening match came with the consequence of the Scots being eliminated due to their main rivals scoring more against the African team – Willie Ormond’s side the only unbeaten team at the tournament when it reached its conclusion.
Their return from West Germany put fire under the domestic transfer market where Docherty, having seen his (younger) countrymen acquit themselves well at the World Cup, quickly tabled a bid for Rangers defender Sandy Jardine. The offer was rejected by the Ibrox board, overtures then made about Celtic pair Kenny Dalglish and Jimmy Johnstone meeting a similar response.
In languishing near the foot of the table in 1973-74 United had not embarrassed themselves in defence with over half of their rivals conceding more, the Achilles heel a goal-shy attack that required serious improvement.
To this end Docherty, after being quoted astronomical prices for Channon and Birmingham City forward Trevor Francis, invested in Stuart Pearson, paying £200,000 to second division Hull City for his services.
On landing a centre-forward Docherty stepped up his search for a top class midfielder, word reaching Old Trafford Scottish international David Hay was close to leaving Celtic in a transfer taking him to Chelsea. Alerted the deal was about to go through, United bettered the fee being offered by the Stamford Bridge outfit – the player opting for a move to Manchester, Hay having previously played for Docherty when he was manager of the Scottish national team.
With UK house prices soaring one tabloid could not resist the early August back page headline ‘Gazumped‘ in describing United’s £250,000 intervention for a midfield man Chelsea had been on the verge of signing – Hay and Pearson both in the starting XI for the opening day visit of newly-promoted Middlesbrough.
III
On a day when Division One newcomers Carlisle United grabbed the headlines with a 2-0 victory at Chelsea, for Manchester United it was a case of new season, old failings – and while the visitors rarely threatened neither did United, who created few chances despite long spells of possession.
After 90 barren minutes against ‘Boro, only 80 seconds were required to break the deadlock against visiting Leicester four days later, Pearson opening his account with an early goal, central defender Holton also on target in a 2-1 win – United emerging from the first week of the season unbeaten when Lou Macari netted a late leveler at Leeds where new boss Clough had made an inauspicious start, he and Docherty both looking up a table topped by Carlisle who had won their first three matches.
The first of three consecutive 1-1 draws, Sammy McIlroy struck for the visitors on the midweek visit to Leicester, the month ending with a point from an Old Trafford meeting with Wolves in which Gerry Daly opened the scoring before the Molineux side hit back in the second half.
Seven days later a first trip of the season to London brought a first away win, young central defender Brian Greenhoff scoring the only goal at QPR, United maintaining their unbeaten start to the season when Derby County arrived on Saturday 14 September. On a day when rock supergroup Crosby Stills Nash and Young (on occasion dubbed the ‘American Beatles‘) wowed Wembley Stadium, Docherty had a ‘fab four‘ of his own, Pearson, McIlroy, Daly and Macari bringing rapture to the Stretford End with goals in a 4-2 win.
The euphoria, however, was short-lived as United suffered a first reversal of the season in losing by the only goal at Carlisle who momentarily halted their slide down the table, Docherty’s men then experiencing a Wednesday night wobble at Upton Park in losing 3-0 to West Ham. But September was to close on a positive note, Hay scoring for the first time in United colours as Arsenal went down at Old Trafford, two points from the 3-1 win lifting the home side into sixth, four points behind Ipswich who were head of a congested leading group with 16.
IV
Successive wins over Coventry, Luton, Leeds and Newcastle through October marked United out as serious contenders and when Muhammed Ali regained the World Heavyweight Title by stopping George Foreman in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle‘, the sports pages were quick to draw the analogy of the league championship returning to Old Trafford for the first time since 1967 – claims that looked somewhat fanciful as the month ended with a 3-2 reversal at Bramall Lane where they let slip a 2-0 half-time advantage against in-form Sheffield United.
November home wins over Chelsea (3-0) and Manchester City (2-0) – Pearson scoring in both games – supplemented by points taken from draws on the road at Spurs and Burnley made for another profitable few weeks. Capitilising on the inconsistency of their fellow challengers, serving to make it the most convoluted title race of the decade, United began December in top spot although they were not immune to setbacks themselves, going down by the odd goal in three to Everton at Goodison Park.
Indeed, in their next three fixtures they mirrored England batsmen currently having a torrid time ‘down under‘, in an Ashes series being dominated by Australian pacemen Thomson and Lillee – United registering ducks in home defeats against Stoke and Liverpool with a draw at Middlesbrough sandwiched between.
The Boxing Day visit to Derby brought a return to winning ways where goals from Morgan and Mcllroy ensured a 2-1-win, United breaking through the thirty-point barrier in their final game of the year, Hay scoring the only goal in the Old Trafford victory over Ipswich.
V
Having left Elland Road in September after just 44 days in charge, the January 6th appointment of Brian Clough as manager of second division Nottingham Forest was swept from the back pages 24 hours later by United being dumped out of the FA Cup in a third round replay at Division Three outfit Walsall – and while Scottish pop band Pilot topped the UK charts with the aptly named ‘January‘ it was a month Manchester United were happy to see the back of.
League matches against Stoke and Everton yielded no goals and just one point (secured on a quagmire Victoria Ground pitch, Everton winning 1-0 at Old Trafford seven days earlier), while a run to the League Cup semi-finals failed to achieve an anticipated trip to Wembley, second division Norwich prevailing with 1-0 win at Carrow Road after securing a 2-2 first-leg draw.
In a bid to revive the potency of a misfiring front-line Docherty made another bid for Johnstone, but it was still not enough to prize the wing-wizard away from Celtic Park.
Then as newspaper speculation mounted in regard to United making a move for West Brom wide-man Willie Johnston, the Old Trafford boss made a surprise £60,000 swoop for Tranmere Rovers youngster Steve Coppell – who on February 11 1975 was not the only incoming right-winger, the Tories naming Margaret Thatcher as their new leader on the same day.
As Thatcher took the reins from Edward Heath, a spokesman for the Shadow Cabinet commented: ‘The Conservative Party would never ever, force a leader into resigning.’
With no wins in January the start of a new month brought relief in the form of a win over Burnley in which Daly scored the only goal and while they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at struggling Chelsea a week later, the visit to Stamford Bridge saw Pearson end his six-week goal drought – scoring again in the ensuing 2-0 home success against Spurs.
VI
After what proved their heaviest defeat of the season, a 3-0 derby drubbing at Maine Road, Docherty handed Coppell his first team debut on the March 1st visit to Molineux. The 19-year-old immediately impressed with some direct runs at the home defence – one of which resulted in the pull-back from which Macari scored the only goal.
Back on top of the table United suddenly found a consistency their rivals, for the moment, found hard to match, the win at Wolves the first of five straight victories as Arsenal, West Ham, QPR and Carlisle were all accounted for.
This excellent run of results prompted a photograph of Scottish United players, Macari, Buchan, Morgan, Holton and Hay posing in the tartan garb currently being worn by chart-topping Edinburgh popsters the Bay City Rollers.
But their smiles were extinguished by a 2-0 defeat at Anfield on March 29, the lead cut further when United drew 2-2 at Portman Road, Ipswich one of five clubs still in with shout of winning the title with less than a month of the season left.
There were only five minutes to go at Coventry on April 12 when Coppell broke the deadlock with his first United goal, release of a new film by the Monty Python comedy troupe being renamed ‘Manchester United and the Holy Grail‘ by an inventive headline writer as the 1974-75 season reached its penultimate Saturday. At 3pm on April 19 only two points separated Derby (51) from United (50), Liverpool (49), Everton (49) and Ipswich (48) – the afternoon proving pivotal in deciding the destination of the title.
At half-time only United were trailing, relegation candidates Luton coming from behind to lead after Pearson had put the hosts ahead. Liverpool, Derby and Ipswich were all on level terms in their respective fixtures, while Everton found themselves two goals to the good against visiting Sheffield United.
Yet the erratic nature of the campaign manifested in curious happenings around the country as Ipswich lost at Leeds, Everton were overhauled – with Bob Paisley’s hopes of winning the league in his first season in charge of Liverpool all but dashed in their defeat at Middlesbrough.
Derby meanwhile picked up a point at Leicester, but a late Pearson equaliser against Luton tipped the odds in favour of United who, like Ipswich, had two games to play – victory in their midweek game in hand at Newcastle followed by an Old Trafford win over Sheffield United enough to give them an unassailable points total, even if Bobby Robson’s side also triumphed in both of the matches they still had left.
With over 50,000 crammed into St. James’ Park and an estimated 15,000 locked out when the turnstiles closed, Daly substantiated twenty-five minutes of incessant United pressure with the opening goal, breathing space established by Pearson who fired home a second on the hour. John Tudor made for a jittery last ten minutes in reducing the arrears with a close-range header, but United advanced to the final whistle without further alarm – whereupon thousands of visiting supporters swarmed onto the pitch to celebrate, Ipswich now out of the hunt after being held to a draw at Manchester City.
Holding a one point advantage over Derby going into the final game of the season, United needed to match at Old Trafford what happened at the Baseball Ground where relegated Carlisle were the visitors – the tension along with the temperature on a warm afternoon rising significantly when Tony Currie put Sheffield United ahead with a curling shot bearing all his usual aplomb.
Thrown a lifeline Derby made concerted efforts to pierce a resilient Carlisle rearguard, United also toiling in vain until the 72nd minute when Pearson slammed home his 17th goal of the season. Yet there was no end to the anxiety as both Macari and Hay struck the woodwork, United remaining vulnerable to a winning goal for Derby that would snatch the title from under their noses.
At the end of a week when the film version of ‘Tommy‘ the rock opera by The Who premiered, (Elton John currently racing up the charts with his version of ‘Pinball Wizard‘ from the soundtrack), United boss Docherty found himself being acclaimed as a football wizard – the last 30 seconds at Old Trafford played out against a backdrop of delirium as news filtered through Derby had been held to a draw.
Despite having to settle for a point themselves, a total of 54 meant they finished top by a margin of one – so eight years on from their last title triumph and 12 months after almost being relegated Manchester United were again champions of England.
VII
As celebrations continued all around Old Trafford and on supporters coaches heading back to places such as Shrewsbury and Swanage, in receiving congratulation from a gathering of football writers in his office, Docherty was quick to point out the time elapsing since 1967 was too long for a club of such stature to go without winning the championship.
‘The longer it goes without winning the title the harder it gets,’ remarked Docherty receiving a glass of champagne, ‘look at Portsmouth, what is it now, 26 years since they last won the league – imagine something like that happening here.’
AUTHORS NOTE:
In writing an alternative history such as this, the intention is always to maintain a degree of plausibility, although when looking back on English football in the 70s facts often seem far more implausible than any quantum leap created by your genial host.
Indeed, at the start of that decade had any similarly-minded football fantasist with too much time on their hands penned a series of articles appertaining to England twice failing to qualify for the World Cup, Nottingham Forest ending the 70s as European champions or more pertinently in this case Manchester United being relegated, chances are they would have been laughed out of the room – sent on their way with fruit cake connotations in spouting such nonsense.
There were times during the writing of this make believe mid-70s episode when the notion of Manchester United spending 1974-75 in Division Two seemed more unfeasible than them challenging for the league title. The reality of a team containing so many fine players and in the charge of an experienced manager actually being relegated, harder to grasp than the imagined scenarios of my (overactive) imagination.
Beyond dispute is that Derby County won the most meandering title race of the decade, their second championship in four seasons achieved with the lowest points total (53 – two for a win) in twenty years.
Under manager Dave Mackay they held their nerve better than Liverpool, Ipswich, Everton, Stoke, Sheffield United and Burnley who all frittered points away at the most inopportune moments (four dropped to relegated Carlisle irking Evertonians to this day).
Responding to the sometimes pointed question of ‘what is the point of these articles?’ the answer of course is there is not one, they are just flights of fancy, intended merely as twenty minutes of the lightest entertainment.
In the cold light of day, granted an inappropriate phrase given the current heatwave, there is perhaps not much to be gained from contemplating say Scotland going further at the 1974 World Cup or QPR winning the title in 1975-76, which is not the same as saying that with a different twist of fate here and there, they could have happened.
In a parallel universe that is.
‘TOMMY’S HOLIDAY CAMP‘ is a chapter from ‘THAT’S FOOTBALL BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT‘ a Kindle book containing 12 other such flights of fancy based on English football in the 60s and 70s:
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NEIL SAMBROOK is also the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller available in paperback and as Amazon Kindle book: