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Note : The news from thirty years ago has an archive below
Click to
see February 1970-71
February
1977
As appeared in
Rothman's Football Yearbook 1977-78 (8th year)
MacDonald and Jane's,
London 1977.
February
England get
a football lesson from the brilliant Dutch... crowd
trouble in London... Derby County fail to get Brian
Clough and Peter Taylor back from Forest... George Best
injured in a car crash... Everton and Aston Villa will
battle for the League Cup at Wembley.
1 Despite the use of hot air balloons at a cost of
£12,000 to try to dry out the pitch at Loftus Road,
conditions are very poor for the League Cup Semi-final
between QPR and Aston Villa which ends in a 0-0 draw...
Ted MacDougall scores the winner for Southampton against
Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup re-play, and now
Southampton will meet Manchester United - a repeat of
last season's Final... Swindon go ahead in the 79th
minute at Goodison, but Everton equalize three minutes
later, and full-back David Jones gets the winner for
them... Colin Meldrum is now in charge of the league's
bottom club, Workinton, following the sacking of Alan
Ashman.
2 Richards' headed goal puts Ipswich out of the Cup at
Wolverhampton, and a single goal also decides the re-play
at Derby, where Leighton James scores against
Colchester... The Newcastle players petition the Board,
asking for Richard Dinnis, former assistant to Gordon
Lee, to be appointed manager. Lord Westwoqd, the
Chairman, says that Dinnis will be given a trial period
to prove himself with former chief scout Len Richley
helping him as temporary general manager.
3 Jimmy Armfield attacks TV's approach to football. He
demands a cut-back, saying: 'Soccer is never off the box
these days. At this time of the season, only the very
successful teams are not affected'... Carlisle pay a club
record £60,000 for Oxford striker Mick Tail.
5 Sunderland fail to score for the 10th consecutive time
in a League match, but still earn a point at Highbury ...
Liverpool go three points ahead at the top of Division 1,
but Manchester City's win at Stoke puts them level with
Ipswich in second place. Both teams have games in hand
over Liverpool... Jock Finnieston is taken off the field
with a fractured cheekbone in Chelsea's 1-0 win at
Carlisle, and will be out of action for some weeks ...
Several England squad members are injured, and Don Revie
re-calls Dave Watson in place of'Phil Thompson.
6 Johan Cruyff is sent off in a Spanish league match -
three days before he is due to play for Holland at
Wembley.
7 Paul Madeley is back in the England squad, due to an
injury to Roy McFarland ... Terry Neill suspends Peter
Storey for refusing to train. Storey is not happy playing
for Arsenal reserves and would like a transfer... Don
Revie is planning to set up a working party to study
football methods of other countries from schoolboy level
upwards. When asked by a Daily Mail reporter when the
high-powered work study group might get under way, Revie
answered: 'After November I could add something to that,
but I won't.'
8 Ralph Callachan is bought by Newcastle for £70,000
from Hearts. The transfer was arranged without the
knowledge of acting manager Richard Dinnis. The club is
also involved in a bitter argument with Blackburn Rovers
over outstanding money due for Glen Keeley. Blackburn
claim that when Roger Jones moved to Newcastle, extra
payments were agreed for each appearance, but he was
prevented from playing to save money. Newcastle say that
Jones was injured, and consequently was given a free
transfer. Lord Westwood, league President, who is also
the chairman of Newcastle, placed a 'transfer ban' on
Blackburn as a normal procedure against a club that
doesn't fulfil a financial commitment by a prior
appointed date... Trevor Francis is selected for his
international debut against Holland at Wembley. Mick
Channon is dropped, and the Manchester City partnership
of Watson and Doyle will be in the middle of the England
defence. Revie says: 'Manchester City have conceded only
16 league goals in 23 league matches - these two must
have had something to do with it. Francis needs to go out
at Wembley and do exactly what he does for Birmingham.
What I want from players is arrogance, confidence, the
cheek to try things on'... Holland will field seven
players from their 1974 World Cup side, including Cruyff,
Neeskens, Rep, and Resenbrink all of whom are currently
playing for clubs outside Holland.
9 England are well beaten by a brilliant Dutch side at
Wembley. Jan Peters scores twice in the first-half for a
2-0 victory in this friendly international - the sixth
English defeat on home soil against Continental
opposition. Brian Greenhoff has
to leave the pitch with an arm injury in the 34th minute
and is replaced by Colin Todd. Stuart Pearson comes On in
the second half for Paul Madeley, who was recalled
unexpectedly at midfield. Don Revie says: 'Holland were
magnificent, the best international performance at
Wembley since the Hungarians in 1953. They taught us a
lesson. They showed us tonight how far we've got to
go'... Spain win 1-0 in Dublin - Eire's first home defeat
since October 1972... Eric Steele, Peterborough's
goalkeeper, signs for Brighton for £19,000 ...
10 The usual inquest condemns England's footballers, who
according to Gordon Jago among others, should work much
harder and for longer hours to catch up with the skilled
Dutch ... Norwich pay £50,000 for Kevin Reeves from
Bournemouth ...
11 There is unrest among the Newcastle players and to
placate them the Board appoints Richard Dinnis as team
manager until the end of the current season ... Rodney
Marsh is dropped at Fulham for the first time since he
returned from the USA ... Stoke sell Mike Pejic to
Everton for £140,000 .. . Mel Holden scores for
Sunderland against Bristol City in the 57th minute of the
League match. This is Sunderland's first goal in eleven
matches, and their first League win under manager Jimmy
Adamson.
12 The gap widens between the top three and the rest of
the field in the Championship race. After Manchester
City's 1-0 win over Arsenal, and Ipswich's victory by a
similar score against Aston Villa, five points separate
third-placed City and fourth-placed Villa. Liverpool
(game at Coventry postponed) are still leading by one
point, but the challengers have games in hand. West Ham
are the only team of those in the bottom half of the
table to win. A Bryan Robson goal gives them victory at
Stoke. Chelsea, Brighton, and Cambridge lead the other
Divisions ... At Chelsea, before the Millwall match, a
policeman is stabbed outside the ground, and 12 mounted
policemen are needed to quell a riot inside the stadium
... There are several arrests at Tottenham, where
Manchester U. win 3-1 in impressive fashion... Top
scorers of the day are Walsall, 6-1 winners over Reading.
Alan Buckley scores his 100th goal for the club.
14 Blackburn are told by the Football League that they
should apologise to Lord Westwood for the attack made on
him in connection with the transfer bar imposed on the
Lancashire club ... John Bond asks for the postponement
of the midweek game at Ipswich because Norwich have 12
injured players. The request is refused by the Football
League.
15 Everton beat Bolton 1-0 with a Bob Latchford goal in
the League Cup semi-final... Trevor Whymark scores a
hat-trick for Ipswich in their 5-0 win over depleted
neighbours Norwich, and Ipswich are back on top of the
table... Arsenal lose 3-0 at Middlesbrough, and manager
Terry Neill says: 'I am absolutely ashamed. This was the
worst Arsenal performance since I took over as manager.
We couldn't have beaten 11 dustbins!'... Chelsea falter
in the second division promotion race, losing at Notts
County ... Referee John Yates sends off three Wrexham
players -amongst them assistant manager Arfpn Griffiths
OBE - at Rotherham.
16 Aston Villa and QPR draw 2-2 at Villa Park in a
thrilling League Cup semi-final replay. Gerry Francis
equalizes for QPR late in the game, after Deehan had
given Villa the lead. Deehan scores again in extra time,
and a Givens penalty is saved by Villa goalkeeper
Burridge. But QPR substitute Peter Eastoe makes it 2-2 in
the 115th minute. QPR win the toss for venue, and the
third match will be staged at Highbury next Tuesday ...
Both League championship challengers, Liverpool and
Manchester City, drop one point in away fixtures. City
are now unbeaten in their last 17 matches ... Fulham sign
Alan Warboys from Bristol Rovers for £30,000 ... Wrexham
ask for a Football League inquiry into the conduct of
referee John Yates in the recent match at Rotherham...
Several Brighton directors form a separate 'leisure'
company which will help to develop facilities for the
football club.
19 Liverpool profit by beating Derby, while close rivals
Ipswich and Manchester City lose 1-0 each at Leicester
and Bristol respectively... lan Callaghan plays his 800th
game for Liverpool... Jimmy Greenhoff gets a hat-trick
for Manchester United against Newcastle - the first by a
United player in the league since November
1974.
20 Brazil open their World Cup bid with a 0-0 draw in
Colombia ... Harry Potts is taking over as manager of
Burnley once again, following Joe Brown's sacking.
21 Derby County, led by vice-chairman George Hardy,
approach former manager Brian Clough and his assistant
Peter Taylor. 'We want them to come back' says Hardy.
Nottingham Forest are notified, but after a long
discussion the decision is deferred.
22 Aston Villa reach the League Cup Final with a
comparatively easy win over QPR. Brian Little scores a
hat-trick for them at Highbury in front of a 40,000
crowd. This is the fourth time that manager Ron Saunders
has taken a team to Wembley for the League Cup Final.. .
Brian Clough lurns down the Derby offer saying: 'I have
always wanted to come back. This is a sad day for me.' It
is assumed that both Clough and Taylor are slaying at
Forest because they intend to honour their contracts.
George Hardy, says that he is very disappointed, but
later offers the job of manager and coach to present
incumbents Colin Murphy and Dario Gradi... Sunderland
beat WBA 6-1 - their third consecutive win. They have now
scored 10 goals in their last two games, after having
previously played ten matches without scoring a single
goal.
23 Gordon Clark, chief scout, who brought two million
pounds worth of players to Highbury, leaves Arsenal
because he claims that his position has become untenable
during the managership of Terry Neill... The Inland
Revenue investigate the substantial pay-outs accrued by
players in connection with their testimonial matches.
Until now Ihese payments have been tax-free, because they
are not written into the players' contracts and are
regarded as 'gifts' given by the supporters. It is
suggested that Paul Reaney, the Leeds' full-back will be
taken to court by the Tax Authorities as a 'test case'
... Sam Longson resigns as Derby Chairman and becomes
President. He claims that the new Chairman George Hardy
and the Board are still determined to bring the
Clough-Taylor partnership back lo the Baseball Ground...
Chesterfield pay £16,000 for Crystal Palace midfielder
Ricky Heppolette.
24 George Best is involved in a 4 a.m. car accident in
Knightsb ridge. He has to spend a few days in hospital,
and will be out of the game for al least six weeks.
Archie Gcmmill fractures his skull in an accidental
collision during training and might have to miss the rest
of the season ... Dave Sexton rests Stan Bowles and Don
Masson against Leicester and Masson asks for a transfer.
But he is told that he has to honour his contract with
QPR.
26 In the FA Cup both Chester and Port Vale lose. Six
First Division teams are definitely in the last eight,
where they are joined by Wolves and the winners of the
replay between Manchester U. and Southampton .. .West Ham
beat Bristol C. and for the first lime this season are
out of the Division One relegation zone.
28 Bob Wall, Arsenal's General Manager, retires after 49
years' service with the club. He accepts a seat on the
Board of Directors.
Archive
See Calendar 1970 and Calendar 1971
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