The Big Match - City v Liverpool 73/74

[Tinmans Love Child]

https://youtu.be/zNl_lMb2AFc

it's funny what the old algorithms chuck out every now and again!  This was 4 years before I was born this footage but still very familiar sites and sounds from when I first went to AG in the late 80's, I miss seeing the trees in the park behind the open end, and that tiny tunnel where the players run out!  The crowd looks huge!  Enjoy 

[Open End Numb Legs]

It was definitely sardines in the open end, probably the biggest crowd I was ever in at AG, around a thousand more than to see v Leeds in the previous round. 38k I think?

That Liverpool goal was all luck for them, a couple of rebounds that fell at their feet then pundit Malcolm Allison says it was intentional!! Total cr4p.

Should have won it, with Merrick fit that could have been the difference.

Thanks for the link.

[A Horse With No Name]

Was just watching this earlier today, and if you notice when Liverpool score several  people jumping up in celebration in the EE. 

[StGeorge]

Ha, I was there. There were a few Liverpool in EE, some of the more obvious got a right kicking.

[Red Exile]

I was there...with my late brother and dad.

As the players leave the pitch good to hear that fine old chant 'ello, ello, East End aggro...' Not heard that for a bit.

What a cup run that was.

[GrahamC]

9 hours ago, Red Exile said:

I was there...with my late brother and dad.

As the players leave the pitch good to hear that fine old chant 'ello, ello, East End aggro...' Not heard that for a bit.

What a cup run that was.

Me too.

Watched it back & was surprised how close the game was, AD was just starting to build a very decent side.

As for the chanting, definitely some things are best left in the past, funny as it is to hear it again after all these years.

[oldstandrobin]

had a ST in the Dolman in those days

[Robbored]

Reliving that game of almost 50 years ago reminded me of just how much the beautiful game has evolved. These days we rarely, if ever see the goalkeeper drop kicking the ball aimlessly up the pitch. Back then they all did it. 

I would have been at that game but don’t remember much about it - it’s an age thing………..

[eardun]

Thanks for posting. Have a feeling this may have been my first match or one of them although I was very young so my stronger memories are not until the promotion season. 

[Davefevs]

37 minutes ago, Robbored said:

These days we rarely, if ever see the goalkeeper drop kicking the ball aimlessly up the pitch. Back then they all did it.

All still going on in the 80s too. You could tell a keeper from his kick!!!

[Frenchay Red]

10 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

It was definitely sardines in the open end,

I was there with my now dear departed Dad. It was an absolute crush trying to get out. At the end of the game we just got carried along with the crowd funnelling out. Neither of us were very big and at one point my Dad said his feet were off the ground as we slowly moved forward. I managed to glance down and he was right. It seemed funny at the time, but it could have been serious if anyone had fallen.

[Open End Numb Legs]

1 hour ago, Frenchay Red said:

I was there with my now dear departed Dad. It was an absolute crush trying to get out. At the end of the game we just got carried along with the crowd funnelling out. Neither of us were very big and at one point my Dad said his feet were off the ground as we slowly moved forward. I managed to glance down and he was right. It seemed funny at the time, but it could have been serious if anyone had fallen.

Too long ago to remember exactly but I would have been 12 by then so Dad probably had me stood in front of the stanchion, not a great view but safer.

There was no trouble at all where we were, apart from the urine running down the terrace from the Liverpool fan just behind us who was trapped in the crowd and couldn't get to the toilets.

I loved to see the ground full but that day was probably a bit too much.

[beaverface]

My favourite bit is watching the crowd surges in the East End when we have a decent chance. I remember terracing like that where you're literally picked up and carried somewhere else by the sheer volume of people. A little bit scary, but also exciting and exhilarating - I miss those days.

[Bristol Oil Services]

"He's not a very big fella, but he's got a tremendous dig on him" I would think Tony Robinson was there in the crowd that day, certainly. 

[Bristol Oil Services]

I like the Chief Supers, flat peaked copper caps, keeping an eye on things by the entrance to the tunnel. You don't see that in 2023.

[beaverface]

Take a look at 11mins 11secs - appears somebody is walking on the East End roof 

[Nogbad the Bad]

12 minutes ago, beaverface said:

Take a look at 11mins 11secs - appears somebody is walking on the East End roof 

No doubt about it!

 

[MC RISK77]

Thanks for posting- never seen this episode of the big match previously, which leads to my question, itv 4 seem to just repeat the episodes from only about 3 different seasons, but many years of the big match are never shown.

Is their any YouTube channels which show them all?

On a separate note the bbc have never made all of the match of the day archives available- any particular reason for this?

[southside]

51 minutes ago, MC RISK77 said:

Thanks for posting- never seen this episode of the big match previously, which leads to my question, itv 4 seem to just repeat the episodes from only about 3 different seasons, but many years of the big match are never shown.

Is their any YouTube channels which show them all?

On a separate note the bbc have never made all of the match of the day archives available- any particular reason for this?

There's a City v Man City MOTD clip 1966, with Ken Wolstenholme, just a couple of mins, on YouTube

[ashton_fan]

I remember being a bit disappointed at this game, whereas in the previous round against Leeds we gave them lots of problems there was great expectation against Liverpool but they had done their homework on us and we didn't really get a sniff in this one. Nevertheless a great achievement to get to the 6th round.

[beaverface]

This game was before my time, so this is one of the few occasions I've had to see some of the players in action.

I must say, I liked the look of Fear, Tainton and Gow in that match.

[archie andrews]

1 hour ago, MC RISK77 said:

Thanks for posting- never seen this episode of the big match previously, which leads to my question, itv 4 seem to just repeat the episodes from only about 3 different seasons, but many years of the big match are never shown.

Is their any YouTube channels which show them all?

On a separate note the bbc have never made all of the match of the day archives available- any particular reason for this?

The forest city fa cup game 80 81 season was on not long ago... 

[Bristol Oil Services]

2 minutes ago, beaverface said:

This game was before my time, so this is one of the few occasions I've had to see some of the players in action.

I must say, I liked the look of Fear, Tainton and Gow in that match.

Yes, some neat football. But it must've been hard going back then to break teams down on poor pitches when defenders could take lumps out of you. Not long after this we signed Cheese who replaced Keith Fear (I think?) and we probably went a bit more "aerial" ? Like at Arsenal!  Older posters will know more.

Five or six local lads plus Tom and Gerry, our own youngsters.

[ashton_fan]

3 hours ago, MC RISK77 said:

Thanks for posting- never seen this episode of the big match previously, which leads to my question, itv 4 seem to just repeat the episodes from only about 3 different seasons, but many years of the big match are never shown.

Is their any YouTube channels which show them all?

On a separate note the bbc have never made all of the match of the day archives available- any particular reason for this?

There are quite a few old games on YouTube but not all in one place so you have to do a bit of searching. Here's one from the same year as that Liverpool game when we played at Palace in the league:

 

[eardun]

We had some great youngsters then - a bit like now. Collier, Rodgers, Gow, Ritchie all aged 19-22 at the time of the Liverpool match. Even Merrick who was injured v Liverpool - the skipper - was only 22. Of course we managed to keep the bulk of that team together until we were promoted. So, for perfect symmetry, how about being promoted to the Premier League in 2025-26, exactly 50 years since the last time! 

[cider hoss rules]

9 hours ago, Robbored said:

Reliving that game of almost 50 years ago reminded me of just how much the beautiful game has evolved. These days we rarely, if ever see the goalkeeper drop kicking the ball aimlessly up the pitch. Back then they all did it. 

I would have been at that game but don’t remember much about it - it’s an age thing………..

Are you sure, I’ve checked the OS and it isn’t mentioned.

[Victory Park Reds]

I love watching the old games.I was only 3 when this was played but Mecca looks like it was when I first started going a few yrs later.
 

I didn’t realise how well we played that day.So great to see some of the players I watched in div 1.Happy memories.

Loved the lack of health and safety and two blokes sat on the roof behind the Park End at the beginning.Superb.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, ashton_fan said:

There are quite a few old games on YouTube but not all in one place so you have to do a bit of searching. Here's one from the same year as that Liverpool game when we played at Palace in the league:

 

The most blatent penalty ever?

[Midred]

How the game has changed. I gave up counting how many free kicks, yellow cards and penalties there would be if played in modern times!

[22A]

21 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

That Liverpool goal was all luck for them, a couple of rebounds that fell at their feet then pundit Malcolm Allison says it was intentional!! Total cr4p.

Should have won it, with Merrick fit that could have been the difference.

Immediately after they scored, City restarted and were running towards the Liverpool goal when the Ref stopped play.  Some away fans had run on the pitch to celebrate and deliberately or not, prevented a quick eqauliser.

Six months later we went there for a League Cup game and lost 4-0. 20 years later we had revenge though!

[Robbored]

1 hour ago, cider hoss rules said:

Are you sure, I’ve checked the OS and it isn’t mentioned.

There was no OS back then on account of the internet not being created for another decade or so.

[Redtrojan]

The thing I remember about that game ,is at the final whistle the Liverpool fans piled on the pitch and congregated in the centre circle.They proceeded to jump about and sing their songs …………and were left unhindered to do so as I left the ground.

[The Gasbuster]

Great coverage of a fantastic tie.

Got to love Brian Moore and his commentary; why have ITV never got close to finding anybody as good as him ?

[TedsHeadIs Red]

Both an excellent commentator and TV presenter. Not many of those around. 

[Open End Numb Legs]

It used to bother me that London Weekend Television (I think they were called) were biased to their local teams but looking back Brian Moore seemed to balance that out with his commentary.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Always smiling, Brian Moore obviously loved the game and retained the enthusiasm of a schoolboy.

His evident enjoyment was infectious making the Big Match a pleasure to watch.

[Oh Louie louie]

Moore said well commentating on Chelsea beating Walsall 6 0, that Walsall had brought a few hundred and they were incapable of giving anyone in that division a game, I don't think that would have been the case with Bristol city, something like that he said

[archie andrews]

Fairplay to martin tyler he was commentating and producing on the granada region equivalent of the big match even back then.. 

[archie andrews]

27 minutes ago, Oh Louie louie said:

Moore said well commentating on Chelsea beating Walsall 6 0, that Walsall had brought a few hundred and they were incapable of giving anyone in that division a game, I don't think that would have been the case with Bristol city, something like that he said

What season we talking OLl?... 

[Miah Dennehy]

21 hours ago, ashton_fan said:

I remember being a bit disappointed at this game, whereas in the previous round against Leeds we gave them lots of problems there was great expectation against Liverpool but they had done their homework on us and we didn't really get a sniff in this one. Nevertheless a great achievement to get to the 6th round.

With the passage of time , lack of available coverage and the fact that some teams aren't quite as big as they were, some cup shocks get forgotten about a bit. City beating Leeds was absolutely massive at the time.

[Oh Louie louie]

2 minutes ago, archie andrews said:

What season we talking OLl?... 

Must have been the season after boro relegated Chelsea and Walsall beat us in the play offs

[archie andrews]

On youtube theres city v notts county from 1980 and on match of the day how we lost that game against a good side that got promotion that season was typical of that season good going forward but bad luck and injuries equalled relegation again... 

 

 

[Norn Iron]

2 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

It used to bother me that London Weekend Television (I think they were called) were biased to their local teams but looking back Brian Moore seemed to balance that out with his commentary.

I know what you mean but it was supposed to be biased towards local teams. That was regional ITV in our day. Every region could choose to produce or buy in. ITV today is so much different to the 60s, 70s and even 80s version.

Midlands had their own version called Star Soccer (Hugh Johns - he was the 1966 World Cup Final commentator. His description of that final Geoff Hurst goal was good....but no way as memorable as Kenneth Wolstenholme's classic).  The Granada franchise had Kick Off Match (Manchester/Liverpool - Gerald Sinstadt). Anglia and HTV sometimes showed their own version.

I agree totally with your Brian Moore summary. I always thought he was the best and just pipping David Coleman for the title. 

Regarding that 4th goal and alternative commentator versions  this is funny.

 

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, Miah Dennehy said:

With the passage of time , lack of available coverage and the fact that some teams aren't quite as big as they were, some cup shocks get forgotten about a bit. City beating Leeds was absolutely massive at the time.

Ditto Eastville December 1983.

[Miah Dennehy]

37 minutes ago, Bristol Oil Services said:

Ditto Eastville December 1983.

Double ditto Ashton Gate 1984

[Med/MadHatter]

My first ever City game,10 years old my big brother Steve who sadly passed recently bought me a ticket, met him at Castle Park, had my first can of beer, Youngers Tartan, I was just to the left of the East End goal as you look from pitchside, bitter disappointment but the buzz stayed with me and started attending regularly home and away the following season, including train travel, all paid for by my brother, miss him and miss those exciting days

[Bristol Oil Services]

1 hour ago, Miah Dennehy said:

Double ditto Ashton Gate 1984

You lot have forgotten "a bit" about that?

[Miah Dennehy]

On 09/02/2023 at 14:54, Bristol Oil Services said:

You lot have forgotten "a bit" about that?