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January 1974

As appeared in Rothman's Football Yearbook 1974-75 (5th year) :

The Queen Anne Press, London 1974

January 1974

1 The first-ever full New Year's day programme is welcomed by huge attendances.
668,942 fans see the 44 League matches.

3 Sensational news from Chelsea-both Osgood and Hudson are put on the transfer list. They were left out of the team's New Year's day match at Sheffield and were told to train with the reserves. This morning, manager Sexton asks them to join the first team squad in preparation for the Cup tie v Q.P.R. on Saturday. Both players refuse and are irrunediately suspended for one week. In retalation, they ask for a transfer, and after consulting his board of directors, Sexton agrees. . , It is reported from Manchester that George Best has failed to turn up for training. . . The decision of the FA to let the fourth round Cup draw be televised live at 4.50 p.m. on Saturday is attacked by the Press, and many people inside the game. Arthur Page, the Orient chairman says, 'It is ridiculous. It might encourage people to stay away from the matches if the weather is bad. There are too many amateurs running the game today, they do not look far enough.'

5 Scotland have drawn Zaire, Brazil, and either Spain or Yugoslavia in the World Cup Finals. . . The usual shocks in the FA Cup include Boston's draw at Derby, and amateur Hendon's draw at Newcastle . . . The day's biggest attendance is in Glasgow, where Celtic beat Rangers 1-0 and lead the league by seven points. . .
Peter Thompson has joined Bolton from Liverpool for 18,000 pounds.

6 An historic day for British professional football. Four FA Cup ties are played on this Sunday and are welcomed by large attendances. Nearly 40,000 people see the tie at Bolton v Stoke-a staggering 20,000 above the normal gate figures of the Lancashire club. The first-ever Sunday match kicks off at 11 o'clock at Cambridge, where 8479 people-easily the club's best crowd of the season-see the home club draw 2-2 with Oldham . . . Ted Croker, FA secretary, says, 'Football is the national game and we should be concerned to give the public what they want when they want it. A lot of people do want to watch football on Sundays.' But Alan Hardaker is less enthusiastic: 'We must not have our heads too high in the clouds.
Bolton, for example, played the only game in Lancashire and it was a novelty. I would want to see a lot more Sunday football in other parts of the country before I become convinced.'

7 Stewart Jump joins C. Palace from Stoke for a 70,000 pounds fee.

9 The holders, Sunderland, are out of the FA Cup. They are beaten 1-0 by Carlisle at Roker Park. . . Hereford beat West Ham 2-1, but amateurs Hendon lose against Newcastle . . . Bob Stokoe and Bill McGarry complain about the referees in strong terms after the Cup replays. Stokoe says that as Pat Partridge hails from only 30 miles from Sunderland, he should not have been appointed. Wolves' manager, McGarry, says, 'Kirkpatrick caused us to lose the tie against Leeds.
He should have given us two penalties.' . . . Alan Ball is fined 75 pounds by the FA for bringing the game into disrepute by denigrating referees in a newspaper article.

10 Derby bid 300,000 pounds for Peter Osgood. The deal would involve Roger Davies, who would be valued at 125,000 pounds. Chelsea accept the offer, but the England forward would like to consider all enquiries first.

12 Stoke sign Alan Hudson for 240,000 pounds and are back in the race for Peter Osgood.
Osgood plays for Chelsea reserves at Stamford Bridge and is taken off after 18 minutes with a groin injury . . . Leeds and Bristol R. are still unbeaten. . .
Terry Cooper, the ex-international full-back, plays his first full game since breaking a leg, coming through a reserve game without injury . . . Manchester U. suspend George Best for two weeks, and put him on the transfer list. . . At Portsmouth, the floodlights are switched on, powered by mains electricity after the generators fail. As this is against Government regulations, the Chief Constable of the County has reported the club.

14 The Football League notifies clubs that during the emergency they can play their League matches on Sundays, but they must notify the League before the previous Wednesday, and both clubs must agree . . . Blackburn appoint Gordon Lee as manager, and the ex-Port Vale boss is offered a two-year contract. . . Barry Powell of Wolves, who was originally selected for Wales, has been drafted into the England Under-23 squad in place of the injured Len Cantello. Barry is the son of the former Welsh internationallvor Powell, but as he has already played for an England Youth team, he is not eligible for Wales. . . David Peach, 22-year-old Gillingham defender, signs for Southampton for a reported fee of 50,000 pounds.

15 Chelsea agree to play their League game at Stoke on Sunday, January 27-the first Division One match to be staged on a Sunday in England.

16 Sidney Brickman, the wealthy chairman of Southern League club Tonbridge, wants to sign George Best and has offered 100,000 pounds for him. Tommy Docherty has spoken to Brickman, but regards the bid as a publicity stunt. . . Ajax win the new 'Super Cup' by beating AC Milan 6-0 (6-1 on aggregate) in Amsterdam.

17 Chelsea buy back Charlie Cooke from C. Palace for 17,000 pounds.16 months ago Palace had paid around 85,000 for the player. . . After last night's disappointing 0-0 draw against Wales in the Under-23 international, Sir Alf Ramsey says that the players need some incentive on this level, and that is why England have entered the junior version of the European Chan1pionship.

18 The Football League asks the clubs to vote on a new deal offered by the TV companies, which would guarantee 3 1/2 million pounds in the next three seasons. Gerry Loftus, ITV's chief negotiator, emphasises that the companies cannot offer more money:
'Clubs do not appreciate how much is brought into football by advertising-mainly from TV coverage.'

19 A day of drawn games in the First Division-eight matches end as draws . . .
Both Leeds and Bristol R. are still unbeaten-after 26 games each-but York City are beaten for the first time in 21 matches. . . Mike Channon is Division One's current top scorer with 16 league goals. . . Real Madrid manager Miguel Munoz has resigned and it has been suggested that the Spanish club has approached Don Revie.

2O The first ever Sunday Football League matches have attracted large gates. All twelve clubs have recorded above-average figures, and several more Sunday fixtures are planned during the emergency.

21 Melwyn Griffith, the Welsh FIFA referee, who was in charge of the legendary 'Mat thews Cup Final' in 1953, has died at the age of 65.

22 Danny Hegan has been fined two weeks wages by Sunderland, because he went absent last week.

23 Alan Hudson is in dispute with Chelsea over his 5% transfer cut. The club claims that the player asked for a move, but Hudson says that he did not put his request in writing and is therefore entitled to 10,000 pounds. The Football League confirm that the player will not get the money, but he is entitled to contest the case before the Independent Tribunal.

24 Newcastle pay 150,000 pounds for Preston striker Alex Bruce . . . Malcolm Allison wants London clubs to play Saturday and Sunday on a rota basis, and would like Palace and Chelsea to pioneer the idea. . . TV sports executives have delivered a blunt ultimatum to the Football League clubs. Sam Leitch of the BBC says, 'We have tendered our final offer to the clubs. There isn't a single penny left in the kitty.
If the clubs say "no" to the new contract, then there will be no more League matches on the screens of either BBC or ITV'.

25 'If I can't get into a struggling team like Manchester United, it is time to quit,' says George Best, who has retired from football . . . Bob Lord has slammed the TV companies for their high-handed ultimatum. 'If it has come to a showdown, then let's have a showdown. I am not against soccer on TV, but we are giving this facility for far too little money.'

26 Generally a bad day for First Division clubs in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Newcastle draw with Scunthorpe and Liverpool draw with Carlisle at Anfield . . . A John Richards' goal puts Wolves in the League Cup Final-their first appearance at Wembley since 1960 . . . Ernie Hunt has signed for Bristol C. and leads the team to a 1-0 win over Hereford. . . Terry Cooper plays for the Leeds first team for the first time since April 1972.

27 Another massive vote for Sunday football-increased attendances at every ground !
Coventry have their highest Cup gate for 11 years. . . Alan Hudson, playing for his new club Stoke against Chelsea, is brought down in the 81st minute, and Geoff Hurst converts the hotly disputed penalty. It is enough to give victory to Stoke.

29 Steve Burtenshaw, the Q.P.R. coach, has been appointed as the new manager of Sheffield W. . . . League clubs are pushing ahead with plans to play on Sundays, despite the fact that Saturday is no longer an emergency working day.

30 Jimmy Hogan, arguably the outstanding coach of the pre-war era, dies aged 92 . . . Newcastle have reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for the first time for 13 years with a 3-0 win at Scunthorpe . . . Jimmy Allan, the 19-year-old Swindon goalkeeper, is the first league player to refuse to play on Sundays for religious reasons. . . Everton sell Joe Harper to Hibernian for 120,000 pounds - a record sum for a player going from England to Scotland. Stanley Kinder, the Huddersfield chairman has resigned.