davieG Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 OS Forty nine years ago this week, on 23 March 1963, a titanic clash of truly epic proportions took place at Filbert Street between the top two teams in the land - Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. There were 41,600 fans in the ground, and many hundreds more were locked outside. Leicester City entered the game on the back of a run of ten successive wins which had catapulted them towards a League and FA Cup double. Two years before, Tottenham had achieved this feat for the first time in the 20th century. Could Leicester City emulate this remarkable achievement? The signs looked good. The City were second in the table and were on a great Cup run which eventually took them to the FA Cup Final. Tottenham were top of the table, two points ahead. The Tottenham side contained the best players in the land. The stars of their double-winning side such as Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay, John White (soon to be tragically killed by lightning) Bobby Smith and Cliff Jones had been strengthened by the goal-scoring phenomenon Jimmy Greaves, whose scoring record almost defied belief. The game lived up to expectations. With fans sitting on the roof of the Popular Side, the game began in bright sunshine with Spurs playing towards the Double Decker. The game made the 1961 FA Cup Final between the two sides seem pale by comparison. A contemporary newspaper report described the encounter as 'lusty red-bloodied English football, with plenty of craft allied to the super efforts of both sides.' Within the first 30 seconds, Spurs won a corner, which was quickly followed by Leicester's Gordon Banks brilliantly saving a vicious, swerving 22 yard shot from Tony Marchi. Greaves nearly scored in the fourth minute, but Leicester responded, with a Howard Riley drive coming close. Then Mike Stringfellow unleashed a glorious volley with the ball thumping against the angle of bar and post. 'Lusty red-bloodied English football' in full flow. This was a humdinger. The pace was terrific, and in the 18th minute Leicester went ahead. A Riley corner reached Gibson who shot low. The ball ran free to Stringfellow who found the net from six yards. Leicester were now on top, looking the more dangerous side, but the match was turned on its head with two Spurs goals within a minute, towards the end of the first half. After 37 minutes, a Greaves shot rebounded to Smith, who unleashed a glorious drive past Banks' left. Then, less than a minute later, Greaves scored his inevitable goal. He sidestepped a defender beautifully on the edge of the box before cracking in an unstoppable drive out of Banks' reach. Mike Stringfellow, whose goal put Leicester in front. It could have been even worse. In a sensational end to the first half, with Spurs rampant on the attack, Greaves whipped in a fine shot that hit the roof of the net. As the ball was about to enter the net, the referee blew for half time and pointed to the tunnel rather than to the centre spot. The 'goal' didn't count. Leicester had been reprieved. In the second half, playing towards the Kop, Leicester went all out for an equaliser. It came within ten minutes of the restart. The second biggest league crowd ever at Filbert Street erupted. Gibson got the ball to Riley, whose head-high ball across the penalty area was met by Keyworth, who, with a twisting header, scored. For one breathless second, the crowd waited as Brown, the Spurs keeper, made his dive, but he was just too late and the ball rolled over the line into the net. The game continued to ebb and flow. Leicester came close with a Richie Norman crashing drive and, a little later, Keyworth forced Brown to make a magnificent save, Riley had a fierce shot beaten round the post and Stringfellow, Cross and Riley also threatened the Spurs goal. Tottenham also had their moments with Greaves and Smith looking particularly dangerous. Ken Keyworth - the scorer of City's second goal on the day. The match ended all-square. It had been a gripping encounter. Hundreds of fans flooded onto the pitch after the final whistle, and the teams came off with players from both sides embracing each other. Although Leicester' s record run of ten successive wins ended 49 years ago this week, they were still second in the league and the fans were not at all disheartened. It had been a great game and those of us privileged to see it will never forget it.
whoareyaaa Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Great read sounded like a very exciting match, You would never have the ref blow this whistle now days when the ball is about to fly in the net.
davieG Posted 21 March 2012 Author Posted 21 March 2012 Great read sounded like a very exciting match, You would never have the ref blow this whistle now days when the ball is about to fly in the net. Or have fans on the roof, well it is a bit higher now Or fans on the pitch at the end Or us involved in a top two clash Or have around 30,000 fans legitimately standing
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 i was there too , i had to sit on top of the toilets in the filbert street end of the popular side
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Was Greavsie really that good lads? He was a lot like Gerd Muller Seemingly out of the game for long periods he would pop up with a couple of well taken goals , very rarely spectacular , but he had the nose for a goal in the Lineker way
Raj Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 He was a lot like Gerd Muller Seemingly out of the game for long periods he would pop up with a couple of well taken goals , very rarely spectacular , but he had the nose for a goal in the Lineker way Yeah my Bro used to say he was very special. Am i right in saying he was injured in the World Cup 66 hence missed out?
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Yeah my Bro used to say he was very special. Am i right in saying he was injured in the World Cup 66 hence missed out? yes it's my understanding that he would have been fit for the final but Ramsey decided to stick with Hurst Peters and Hunt
steveherbe Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I was there for this one! Seem to remember getting to Filbo about 1230 to make sure we got in. Think we sat on the toilet roof at the Filbert Street end, Main stand side. My God, it makes me feel old just thinking about it! Mind you, I was only 11 at the time - I'm 41 now!!
NeilyBoy Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I was there for this one! Seem to remember getting to Filbo about 1230 to make sure we got in. Think we sat on the toilet roof at the Filbert Street end, Main stand side. My God, it makes me feel old just thinking about it! Mind you, I was only 11 at the time - I'm 41 now!! I've never seen someone age only 30 years in a 49 year stretch before. What's your secret?
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I was there for this one! Seem to remember getting to Filbo about 1230 to make sure we got in. Think we sat on the toilet roof at the Filbert Street end, Main stand side. My God, it makes me feel old just thinking about it! Mind you, I was only 11 at the time - I'm 41 now!! stop lying about your your age even oil of olay couldn't effect those results !
davieG Posted 21 March 2012 Author Posted 21 March 2012 yes it's my understanding that he would have been fit for the final but Ramsey decided to stick with Hurst Peters and Hunt I'm certain that was the case. Ramsey was also the first manager to do away with traditional wingers the type that I'm sure Alan Young meant when he said no one plays with real wingers as in a 325 formation these days Greavsie was excellent and the first player I saw score direct from a corner. Him and Denis Law were like little rodents speeding around the penalty area seemingly unnoticed.
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I'm certain that was the case. Ramsey was also the first manager to do away with traditional wingers the type that I'm sure Alan Young meant when he said no one plays with real wingers as in a 325 formation these days Greavsie was excellent and the first player I saw score direct from a corner. Him and Denis Law were like little rodents speeding around the penalty area seemingly unnoticed. Did you see Law do the spectacular over head kick at Filbo ? I missed it but I remember my bro came home and told me about it and he went on about it for months and he kept asking me to throw a ball over his shoulder to try to re create it on Fosse Park i think he managed it at about 500 attempts
Corky Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Or fans on the pitch at the end Or us involved in a top two clash The last game at Filbert St in 2002. October 2000 against Man Utd. See, not that long ago
ChrisJager Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I was there, too. The Greaves goal was one of the best I've ever seen. As far as I remember, he received the ball with his back to goal and Frank McLintock right on top of him and turned in no time firing it straight past Banks. And I'm pretty certain it was Cliff Jones who scored the goal that didn't count. He was very fast and ran through the defence giving Banks no chance at all. We were so lucky. I remember the Spurs players looking rather annoyed, but no big argument with the ref. That's another thing that would be different now.
steveherbe Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 I've never seen someone age only 30 years in a 49 year stretch before. What's your secret? Lying like a twat mate, that's the secret!!
Trav Le Bleu Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 yes it's my understanding that he would have been fit for the final but Ramsey decided to stick with Hurst Peters and Hunt Pffft, what did he know. Ramsey out! For once I envy DavieG and Zingari... the old farts.
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Pffft, what did he know. Ramsey out! For once I envy DavieG and Zingari... the old farts. cheeky young fecker
davieG Posted 21 March 2012 Author Posted 21 March 2012 Pffft, what did he know. Ramsey out! For once I envy DavieG and Zingari... the old farts. My farts are as fresh and as sweet as a spring meadow!
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 My farts are as fresh and as sweet as a spring meadow! If this spring meadow has a herd of dairy cattle grazing on it, mine smell like that too
Webbo Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 i was there too , i had to sit on top of the toilets in the filbert street end of the popular side Dodgy curry?
Zingari Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Dodgy curry? i'd never even heard of a curry in 63 let alone eaten one . a tin of heinz spaghetti was the nearest i had come to foreign food back then although if i remember correctly , on top of that toilet block wall was a row of spikes , so maybe i did go home with a sore arse
The Doctor Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 Unlikely in the early 60s how so? Reading things like the OP makes me envy the older generations more and more.
acooling08 Posted 21 March 2012 Posted 21 March 2012 how so? Reading things like the OP makes me envy the older generations more and more. See what Zingari just posted above. Mass asian immigration was only just starting at the time.
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