"Unless you're in the position to recognise it, to recognise you need change, you're going to fail. And i'm afraid that's what happened to United."
Need I say more?
Need I say more?
Too good to go down
- Thread starter P-Nut
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Against Derby in 1976, we had the Leppings Lane and half the Kop end but you're right about the Leeds match. We were jammed in tight and the coppers were none too friendly on the way to the ground or in in. I suppose the Yorkshire plod had a fair few Leeds fans amongst them. Coppell's goal was brilliant though and I had a good view of that. I just saw the net bulge when Greenhoff got the first. I tried to shift round towards the corner flag from where I was behind the goal because the crush was too much.
Looking back on it, you're right in thinking that the Leppings Lane was a death trap. There was nowhere to go. I thought about that when it happened to the Liverpool fans. What a horrible way to die and, as you say, it was preventable but to the police and authorities back then, football fans were little better that dirt.
All together now!
To the tune of Gary Glitter’s Hello! Hello! I’m Back Again
“Whoa-oh, Whoa-oh,
United Aggro, United Aggro,
Whoa-oh, Whoa-oh, Whoa-oh!”
If I die on the Kippax Street, whoa-oh whoa-oh,
If I die on the Kippax Street, whoa-oh, whoa-oh,
If I die on the Kippax Street
There'll be ten blue bastards round my feet
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh, whoa-wo.
Goodbyeeeee
Goodbyeeeee
You'll get a Dr. Marten in your eyeeeee
going to watch this tonight... not that I need to, I remember some of the games far too well. we were awful at times but I just shouted louder from half way down the stretford end and slightly to the right as you looked at the pitch. got told to tone it down once by a policeman who then made the mistake of saying he was a city fan. there was some "rich language" from all around me after that!
Just watched it all the way through. Talk about a parallel universe. Somebody once said 'those who can't remember the past are condemned to repeat it' or something like that. How true. I remember now why I hated Jimmy Hill. The man was an utter shit where United were concerned. If you think Lineker is a sanctimonious git, listen to Hill for a while.
Hill was into the commercialization of football long before the modern era. He always had some crappy gimmick up his sleeve. He was advocating all-seater stadiums in the 70s so that only the 'right sort of people' would come and watch. If memory serves, he did introduce that at Coventry. He also gave them a gimmicky all-brown away kit. They looked like ten turds and a goalie on the pitch.
Hill was into the commercialization of football long before the modern era. He always had some crappy gimmick up his sleeve. He was advocating all-seater stadiums in the 70s so that only the 'right sort of people' would come and watch. If memory serves, he did introduce that at Coventry. He also gave them a gimmicky all-brown away kit. They looked like ten turds and a goalie on the pitch.
Great watch, what a side the Doc had.
Yep - agree with every word of that. I'd never seen the Law clip before - he actually seemed quite angry that someone was suggesting he was responsible for relegating us - very striking.Really good watch and spooky parallels with recent times.
A great Scottish manager, very successful, maybe allows his last team to get too old, doesn't replace players quick enough, almost impossible for immediate successors to succeed.
Second half about Docherty was great... probably the only manager between Busby and SAF who coped with the expectation and pressure. Had to cope with Best decline/disappearances, player power, an aging team and despite relegation, turned it round and other than Stepney, rebuilt the team and that mid/late 70s team remains one of my favourites today.... a great CH, two great wingers, Pancho and his one armed salute and fast attacking football. Good times.
(P.S..... I've never seen that interview with Law in 74 before. Most United fans know that "Law relegated us" is a myth but he looked absolutely desperate to make it clear to the interviewer that it wasn't down to him. Always loved United.)
Same for Spurs Wolves in 81 too. They were lucky that some gates were opened and some had just enough room at the front to climb the fence - broken arms and stuff but could have been a lot worse.
For years, they arsed up how many went into the central pens but the FA were determined to use it. They should have got done too
I went there for the 4-4 draw with Wednesday but, if memory serves, the fences weren't up at that time. Miserable place it was too with crumbling terracing and loose crush barriers. Villa Park was much better but we always seemed to have to play in Sheffield. Bramhall Lane wasn't that bad but not really a great place for a cup semi. If memory serves, the 1979 semi was originally scheduled for Hillsborough too but it was switched to Maine Road. They should have pulled the place down after 1989 and built a new and safer ground there.
Wasnt born during this era but i watched it and enjoyed it.
Whats interesting is so many talk about player power being such a problem these days but it seems player power was a bigger problem 40 odd years ago as well.
Whats interesting is so many talk about player power being such a problem these days but it seems player power was a bigger problem 40 odd years ago as well.
Society nowadays tolerates extra-marital sex more than it did 40 years ago. From my experience, employers still take a very dim view of it if it involves colleagues and/or their other halves. Plus today is a much more litigious era; I doubt if anyone in 1978 would have known what Constructive Dismissal was.
The Doc sent Laurie Brown away on bogus “scouting” trips so that he could spend time with his Mrs. You’d struggle to claim that wasn’t Gross Misconduct.
So no, he wouldn’t have got away with it nowadays. He might possibly have done at the time though, if it hadn’t been for Busby’s involvement.
The Doc sent Laurie Brown away on bogus “scouting” trips so that he could spend time with his Mrs. You’d struggle to claim that wasn’t Gross Misconduct.
So no, he wouldn’t have got away with it nowadays. He might possibly have done at the time though, if it hadn’t been for Busby’s involvement.
Docherty brilliant. That team he built with real wingers. Hill and Coppell going past players at speed with the ball fully under control rather than trying to bulldoze through the opposition (martial/rashford). The fore-fathers of Beckham and Giggs. That's how we should play - wide man pinging the ball in to a centre forward (how wonderful was Stuart Pearson). I remembered so many of the games that season we went down and the following season in Division Two. I wonder whether The Doc would "get away" with having an affair a physio's wife these days. One real oddity: what the hell did we need John Cooper Clarke for? And what rot was he talking about with the signing of McCalliog:transfer deadline day? In 1974? don't they have fact checkers at BT? Shame we didn't hear from the magnificent Martin Buchan and boy did Willy Morgan come across as bitter: all managers after Sir Matt knew nothing it seems!
Hill was indeed an arse and Malcolm Alison was a tool too
Just watched it myself - it was like being transported back in time to 1974. All the memories came flooding back, not just the football but the 3 day week, great music (Sweet, Slade, T-Rex, Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro, Bay City Rollers etc) and the power cuts - especially when the TV cut out just as it got to a good bit during The Tomorrow People! Glad to see the Doc still alive and well and fascinating to hear the background behind his decision making which was pretty decisive especially concerning Law, Best and Morgan. Loved the interviews with the old players (I was hoping Gordon Hill would do his famous Norman Wisdom impersonation) and the thing that stood out immediately was the incredible team spirit and determination to return to the top division following relegation which they did at a canter and then 3rd place followed by 2 consecutive Cup Finals. The decision to sack the Doc must have been a difficult one especially as he had transformed the side but United in those days had a moral code and he had to go. A great shame as he could have gone on to great success instead of us ending up with Mr Mogadon Dave "Interesting" Sexton!
I think the bandwagon jumping/snowflake/millennial generation of fans should watch this as a reminder of what it was to be a United fan in the 70s - the agony and the ecstasy, the ups and downs, the pain and pleasure and the brilliant attacking football which I really miss.
Oh yeah and I remember the Coventry City "Excrement" away kit with the white stripes - it was like they were running around wearing a soiled nappy!
It was all a bit mental in the early 70s. I looked at that footage of what looks like Salford 7 and it was like being transported back. All the buildings in Manchester were covered in a thick black layer of corrosive soot, chimneys belched out toxic smoke and fumes, car strikes, miners' strike, rail strikes, go-slows, and everything in-between.Just watched it myself - it was like being transported back in time to 1974. All the memories came flooding back, not just the football but the 3 day week, great music (Sweet, Slade, T-Rex, Gary Glitter, Suzi Quatro, Bay City Rollers etc) and the power cuts - especially when the TV cut out just as it got to a good bit during The Tomorrow People! Glad to see the Doc still alive and well and fascinating to hear the background behind his decision making which was pretty decisive especially concerning Law, Best and Morgan. Loved the interviews with the old players (I was hoping Gordon Hill would do his famous Norman Wisdom impersonation) and the thing that stood out immediately was the incredible team spirit and determination to return to the top division following relegation which they did at a canter and then 3rd place followed by 2 consecutive Cup Finals. The decision to sack the Doc must have been a difficult one especially as he had transformed the side but United in those days had a moral code and he had to go. A great shame as he could have gone on to great success instead of us ending up with Mr Mogadon Dave "Interesting" Sexton!
I think the bandwagon jumping/snowflake/millennial generation of fans should watch this as a reminder of what it was to be a United fan in the 70s - the agony and the ecstasy, the ups and downs, the pain and pleasure and the brilliant attacking football which I really miss.
Oh yeah and I remember the Coventry City "Excrement" away kit with the white stripes - it was like they were running around wearing a soiled nappy!
My sister loved the 'Tomorrow People' and 'Follyfoot' but the only thing I watched regularly was 'The Sweeney' and an obscure Aussie wartime drama called 'Spyforce' that used to be on late at night. I did find this on the net though. The pilot film for 'The Sweeney.' It's quite gritty for the time.There was also a good Japanese show called 'The Water Margin' on, but that might have been a bit later.
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Very good watch. Some quality footage.