February 1971

As appeared in Rothman's Football Yearbook 1971-72 (2nd year)

The Queene Anne Press, London 1971

1 Last-minute goal by Peter Storey gave Arsenal Fourth Round replay win over Portsmouth. . . meanwhile in Malta, England's 2,000,000 football squad, mostly with luggage lost, trained in the dark at the Gezira Stadium, Malta, in preparation for the game next day. . . Colchester manager Dick Graham announced that if Colchester U. beat Leeds U. in the F.A., the players and their wives would have a summer fortnight's holiday. . . hope you all enjoyed it! . . .

2 Italian Footballers Association complained that when Graziano Landoni refused to say goodbye to his trainer at the Palermo Club, he was fined a million lira, about 670 pounds. . . so don't forget boys, always kiss your trainer goodnight . . . Chelsea lost to Santos before 33,000 crowd in National Stadium in Jamaica by a goal scored four minutes from time. . . which caused a crowd riot, dispelled by club-equipped police . . .

3 Before record crowd of 30,000 England won their first ever match in Malta by Martin Peters' goal. . . Bobby Moore was left out by Alf Ramsey, so Alan Mullery captained England for first time. . . first caps for Martin Chivers, Roy McFarland and Joe Royle . . . also in European Nations Cup Northern Ireland won 3-0 in Cyprus and Scotland lost by the same score in Belgium. . . John Sjoberg of Leicester C. and Stockport Co.'s teenager John Griffiths successfully appealed against bookings. . . Fred Jardine left Luton T. for Torquay U. on a free transfer. . .

4 . . . Geoff Sidebottom, Brighton goalkeeper, and formerly with Wolverhampton W. and Aston Villa, retired from football on medical grounds. . . as their first team goalkeeper was injured, Brighton borrowed Ian Seymour from Fulham to play against Barnsley . . . in similar situation Mansfield T. got loan for a month of Rodney Grant, from Wolverhampton W. . . . Mike England reported back for training after six weeks lay-off . . . Bobby Moore, still under a cloud, named as sub for West Ham U. against Derby Co. tomorrow. . .

5 Lancashire clubs, in secret meeting, urged the authorities to form nine regional divisions of twelve clubs each. . . suggestion not received elsewhere with great deal offavour. . . Kansas City Spurs disbanded after losing million dollars (416,000 pounds) in three seasons of American League football. . .

6 . . . Graham Moore broke leg in Charlton Ath. match at Blackburn . . . Tony Want Tottenham H. reserve skipper, sent off against Swansea C. reserves. . . four players, two, on each side, sent off in Amateur Cup tie between Tooting and Walthamstow . . . Q.P.R. announced that Gordon Jago had officially been appointed manager . . . John Toshack scored his nineteenth goal of season in second minute at Leeds . . . who thus lost at home in successive games. . . gap between them and Arsenal narrowed to three points. . . 30, 744 crowd at Leicester C. for the goal less top of table draw with Hull C. . . . largest gate of season at Bradford C., 10,008 saw Bannister's goal beat Aston Villa. . . and 15,430 saw Notts. Co. draw with one of their challengers at Bournemouth . . .

7 In Holland, Ajax, eventual European Cup Winners, beat the optimistically named GoAhead51 in Dutch championship game. . . Lev Yashin world-famous Russian goalkeeper, appointed manager of Moscow Dynamo. . . During goalless draw at Halifax, interval stunt saw spectator Peter Barnard score from penalty spot against Halifax T. reserve goalkeeper. . . frustrated crowd demanded that he be signed on

8 George Best completely cleared of all blame for the tackle which broke Glyn Pardoe's leg. . . F.A. Commission heard witnesses, saw film and even watched the situation being demonstrated with toy footballers, ball, referee on green cloth marked with lines. . . Greenhoff's goal at Old Trafford, ended the three-match Cup marathon between Stoke C. and Huddersfield T. . . . Barry Endean signed for Charlton Ath. from Watford . . .

9 Stoke C. gave George Eastham permission to play in South Africa, on condition he returned if they qualified for the F .A. Cup Final at Wembley . . . they were beaten in a semi-final replay. . . Dave Clements, Coventry C.'s Northern Ireland international forward rejected a move to Hull C. . . .

10 . . . Reading, badly needing cash, put all their players up for sale. . . the quarter final Cup Winners Cup game in Poland, between Gornik Zabre and Manchester C., drew 160,000 ticket applications in first post after draw had been made. . . East Germany drew 1-1 with Uruguay in Montevideo. . . Denis Howell MP., former Minister of Sport, won all-party backing with the Bill he presented to the House. . . it means that ticket touts face big fines if caught in the act at big sporting events. . .

11 Flashback to Feb 6. . . Scarfe, one of the two Walthamstow players sent off during the stormy Amateur Cup game, was dismissed by his club. . . Newport Co. won again, for the second time, against Barrow, who were only one place above them. . .

13 F.A. Cup Fifth Round, with the season's biggest shock as Ray Crawford leads Colchester U. to 3-2 win over Leeds U. . . . Arsenal's match at Manchester C. rained off . . . Oxford U. forced a draw at Leicester C. . . . Brentford with average home gate of 6,000, took more than 4,000 spectators to Hull C., but lost. . . generous quote by Don Revie after the Colchester shock. . . 'There's no excuse. Colchester didn't play above themselves-they are a very difficult side to beat here. They played very well and that's the story of the match'. . . to be answered equally generously by Colchester's Dick Graham. . . 'I cannot help but admire a side that played the way Leeds did when they were three down. They turned on the best show of controlled football I've seen' . . . David Johnson, playing in his first cup-tie, headed the winner for Everton against Derby Co. . . . he also scored in his league debut at Burnley . . . . . . In F .A. Cup draw the big two of Liverpool and London kept apart. . . Everton and Liverpool drawn at home. . . Arsenal, if they beat Manchester C. (which they did) and Tottenham H. away. . . Rangers and Celtic also kept apart in Scottish Cup. . . demands by Leicester C. and Oxford U. that the referee for replay be changed rejected by F.A. who ruled that Mr. Ivan Smith would handle the second game, as he did the first. . .

16 Arsenal, with two goals by Charlie George, beat Manchester C. at Maine Road. . . Oxford U. and Leicester C. drew after extra time. . . England and France drew an amateur international match at Dulwich . . .

17 . . . Goal by Smith won the Cup replay for Stoke C. at Ipswich T. . , . fog caused the match between Hull C. and Blackburn R. to be abandoned at half time. . .

18 Mike Bailey of Wolverhampton W. named captain of F.A. squad to tour Australia during close season. . . Mike England ruled out of League Cup Final by specialist . . . did not play again during the season. . .

19 After stating that he was not happy with the terms offered by Peterborough U. to whom he had been on loan for a month, Arsenal defender Jack Carmichael changed his mind and signed. . . fee was 5,000 pounds, mere matter of 170,000 pounds less than that for Colin Todd, England Under-23 player and Sunderland captain, who went to Derby Co. . . . this fee was the largest to change hands for a single player in Britain

20 West Ham U. signed Bobby Robson from Newcastle U. for 125,000 pounds after his lone goal had defeated Tottenham H. . . . Alan Gowling, economics graduate from Manchester University, scored four goals for Manchester U. against Southampton . . . known to his team-mates as 'Bamber Gasgoine' . . . Italy lost at home for the first time III an international match in five years. . . After Spain had won 2-1, team manager Ferruccio Valcareggi was pelted with oranges. . . at least they don't do that to Our Man Ramsey . . . Trevor Francis set up record for a sixteen-year-old by scoring four goals for Birmingham C. against Bolton W. . . . three birthdays today, Peter Marinello (Arsenal), 20 . . . Peter Osgood (Chelsea) 24, . . . Jimmy Greaves (West Ham U.) 30. . .

21 . . . Charlie George dropped out of England Under-23's squad with knee injury. . .

22 Eric Burgess, former Plymouth Arg. defender, signed for Colchester U. after two months' trial. . . Jeremy Shepherd, already a cricket international, chosen for England Schoolboys against Northern Ireland at Wembley . . . Malcolm MacDonald chosen to replace injured Brian Kidd in England Under-23's in Scotland. . .

23 Colchester supporters, en route for Everton a week hence, have already filled three Trident jets, two special trains and 21 coaches for trip to Liverpool . . . Victoria Club betting made Everton 11-5 favourites for the Cup, and Colchester U. on 150-1 . . . neither paid a dividend for the punters. . . Paul Davies, brother of Southampton's Ron, scored first goal in Arsenal's 21 F.A. Youth Cup win over Birmingham at Highbury . . .

24 England drew 2-2 with Scotland in Under-23's international at Hampden Park. . . West Ham U ., with Bobby Moore back at the helm, beat Nottingham F. to increase margin to five points from relegation zone. . . Robson scored in his first game after transfer from Newcastle U. . . . Tony Waddington, Stoke C. manager, cleared of charges of bringing football into disrepute by an F.A. Disciplinary Commission . . . alleged to have made remarks to the referee. . .

25 . . . Ipswich team captain Mick Mills took unusual step of issuing statement on behalf of his team that they were one hundred per cent behind manager Bobby Robson after he had suspended Bill Baxter and Tommy Carroll for breaches of club regulations. . .

26 The ubiquitous Peter Lorimer popped up yet again to win a match for Leeds U. at Coventry C. . . . Arthur Rowe, assistant manager at C. Palace watched his last game before retiring to take over as chief host to the newly-opened Hall of Fame

27 Two great, late goals by Martin Chivers won the Football League Cup for Tottenham H. against Aston Villa, . . . near 100,000 crowd paid new record takings of 132,000 pounds . . . Dudley Roberts scored four goals for Mansfield T. against Tranmere R. . . .

27 Wilf McGuinness quit his job as reserve team trainer, 63 days after being sacked as first team manager. . . said, 'For 18 years I have been devoted to United. Now I must find a future away from Old Trafford . . .' wonder boy Trevor Francis, with two match-winning goals at Swindon, brought his total to sixteen goals in 11 games

28 Bill Baxter transferred to Hull C. from Ipswich T. for 13,000 pounds, which ended a months of strife for ex-captain and club.