Category: 1969/70

Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - September

2/3/2020

This season marks the 50th anniversary of Cambridge United’s last season in the Southern League which concluded in being elected into the Football League. Week by week we will look back on events of that memorable season and also 30 years ago, a season which saw the U’s win the first ever play off final at Wembley.

1969/70

Sat. Aug 30th Crawley Town (A) 2-0 Horrey, o.g.
Mon. Sep 1st Hillingdon Borough (A) 0-3
Sat. Sep 6th Burton Albion (H) 2-0 Walker, CassidSat. Sep 13th Romford (A) 3-1 Horrey, Cassidy, Butcher
Mon. Sep 15th Brentwood Town (H) 0-3
Thur. Sep 18th Nuneaton Borough (A) 1-1 Horrey

With six Southern League matches in 19 days and the last three coming in a week it was a busy time for United. Can you imagine today’s teams coping with such a schedule? With a small squad there was very little room for player rotation. Eight players played in all six matches. The match at Hillingdon proved to be a bit of a crossroads for attitudes and commitment. Three goals down at half-time a furious Bill Leivers fumed at his players, telling them they had forgot the pre match instructions and that thumping the ball around aimlessly never works and that too many of them think they know better than the manager.

After the earlier match at Weymouth, Leivers had given the players four games to prove themselves. This being the forth match, Leivers was as good as his word, putting Bill Cassidy, Peter Leggett and John Saunders on the transfer list and giving three others a warning “buck your ideas up or you will be on the list”. Five days later, Saunders and Cassidy were still in the starting line up, but Leggett not. After the match Leivers commented “ Cassidy and Saunders both looked determind”.

There was bad news for goalkeeper Rodney Slack when it was revealed he had broken his leg. With Keith Barker unsettled, Leivers brought in former Arsenal keeper Peter Goy on a months trial. The registration papers being signed in a bus shelter outside Addenbrooks Hospital in the middle of a 150 mile dash from Colchester to Nuneaton

1989/90 On Satuday 9th September 1989 Chesterfield were the visitors to the Abbey. Neither team had so far shown anything like the form they were to later in the season. The only goal of the match came when Chris Leadbitter got his bearings wrong and planted a header into his own net from a Chesterfield corner. The following Saturday the U’s travelled to Exeter again losing, this time by the odd goal in five. After going a goal behind in the 21st minute, United came back with a goal from Phil Chapple and a Alan Kimble penalty to go in 2-1 up at half-time. However second half goals from Dryden and Rowbottom saw the Grecians take all three points. No wins in five matches and United sitting in 21st position it was worrying times for manager Chris Turner.

FOOTBALL IN SEPTEMBER 1989 This weekend was international break for the top teams. England played out a goalless draw in Sweden which may be enough to see them through to the following season’s world cup finals, although in theory they need a point from next month’s visit to Poland. Terry Butcher was England’s hero, continuing to play the captains role after having 10 stitches in a cut head during the interval.

THE WORLD IN SEPTEMBER 1989 Black Box, remember them? Not many people do. Were No1 in the charts with “Ride on Time.” Number 2 was Jason Donovan, what happened to him? With “Everyday.”

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Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - August

1/19/2020

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1969/70
On Saturday 23rd August 1969 Telford United were the visitors to the Abbey for a Southern League Premier Division match. Telford being the new name of Wellington Town in recognition of the new town of
Telford which surrounds Wellington.

Manager Bill Leivers made one change to the starting line up. Bringing Peter Leggett in as left winger. Long hair and shirt out his shorts Leggett was known as the non-league George Best. The move worked as the U’s recorded their first home win with Cassidy and Butcher again on the score sheet in a 3-1 win. The following Wednesday Burton Albion visited the Abbey for the second leg of the League Cup tie for which they already held a 1-0 lead from the first leg. United took an early lead through Butcher and Horrey added a second just before half-time. However Burton described by Leivers as “thud and blunder” pulled a goal back in the second half to take the tie to a replay. Burton won the toss of a coin for the right to stage the replay. No penalty shoot outs in those days.

FOOTBALL IN AUGUST 1969 Everton, Liverpool and Wolves were still sitting level on points and un defeated at the top of Division 1. The top team in East Anglia Ipswich Town were bottom with only one point. Today’s visitors Oldham Athletic were 9th in Division 4 having lost at 1-0 at Workington.

THE WORLD IN AUGUST 1969 The first recorded revolt of American soldiers in Vietnam took place. In the pop charts Zager and Evans were No1 with in the year 2525.

1989/90 The League Cup now sponsored by Littlewoods was still a two legged affair in the early rounds. United took a 3-1 into the away leg at Maidstone United and thanks to a John Taylor goal came away with a 1-0 win. Thus going through to the second round 4-1 on aggregate where they were drawn against Derby County. The following Saturday the U’s travelled to Scarborough for a 4th Division match. A efficient four man passing move was finished with another John Taylor goal in the very first minute. The home side equalised just before half-time through a penalty after a foul by Alan Kimble. The game ended 1-1 and after three matches United were in 18th position with just 2 points and having scored just the one goal in league competition. Manager Chris Turner was bemoaning the “lack of killer instinct in front of goal” in the local media. Lee Philpott was announced as the latest recruit, arriving from Cambridgeshire rivals Peterborough United.

FOOTBALL IN AUGUST 1989 Chelsea and Millwall were equal first and unbeaten in the First Division. Today’s visitors Oldham Athletic were in 17th place in Division 2. Manchester United were make strong efforts to sign young England midfielder Paul Ince from West Ham.

THE WORLD IN AUGUST 1989 Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips are to separate after 16 years of marriage. The launch of the UK’s first satellite broadcasting channel, British Satellite Broadcasting is announced.

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Rise and shine

9/26/2017

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This article appeared in the Cambridge United programme for the match against Forest Green Rovers on 26 September 2017.

Several elements of the photograph on this page allow us to date it to the late 1960s/early1970s. The buzz cut, braces and button-down collar sported by the tall gent on the left, for example, were undoubtedly complemented by a pair of DMs, useful in the event of the aggro that was all too prevalent at the time.

The real giveaway, of course, forms the centrepiece of the tableau and permits us to pinpoint its exact date: 2 May 1970. The magnificent trophy held aloft by Malcolm Lindsay and his U’s teammates is the Southern League championship shield, and they had just won it by beating Margate 2-0 in the final league match of the season.

Play Spot the Player and you’ll pick out Jimmy Thompson, Robin Hardy and Terry Eades. Those of us who were around at the time could pass a happy half-hour playing Spot the Fan among the masses on the Abbey pitch.

It’s a memorable image, which is one reason it was chosen for the front cover of Risen from the Dust, the second volume of Andrew Bennett’s Celery & Coconuts history of Abbey/Cambridge United. It will be published next month; preorder your copy now from the CFU online store or the caravan in the front car park on a match day.

Another reason for the photograph’s choice is that it represents the culmination of two decades of sky-high ambition, dogged determination and sheer, unceasing hard work on the part of supporters, directors, officials and players. The rapidity of the club’s rise from local league part-timers to a position that made it almost impossible for Football League clubs not to elect United to join them was unprecedented. It will never be repeated.

In the early weeks of 1951, the year in which Risen from the Dust opens, the U’s were still called Abbey United and were grubbing around in the semi-pro United Counties League.

A limited liability company looking after the club’s affairs – a declaration of the ambition burning bright at Newmarket Road – had been set up the year before, but the change of name to Cambridge United and acceptance into the Eastern Counties League were still in the future. Even the Southern League, at that time the biggest non-League competition, was a very distant prospect.

The book recounts the story of the nineteen short years it took the U’s to surge upwards through the ECL and the Southern League, win the latter twice and its league cup three times and hammer irresistibly on the door of the Football League’s art deco headquarters in Lytham St Annes.

Over the course of 388 pages, Andrew (belated congratulations on your appointment as club historian, lad) covers all the great moments and talking points in his familiar, eminently readable style. They include the development of the Abbey funded and carried out by supporters, the sight of football legend Wilf Mannion in amber and black, the unforgettable derby tussles of the 60s, the incredibly successful pools operation driven by Dudley Arliss, the constant bitter argument over the issue of City-United amalgamation … it’s all there. And stats fans get page after page of the factual stuff.

It can be yours for the ridiculously low price of £19.99, or £1 less if you’re a CFU member. We look forward to taking your order.
Cheerio
Harry

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Days in the sun

6/1/2017

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This article first appeared in the 24-30 May 2017 issue of the Cambridge Independent.

While some English footballers are currently seeking new employers or poring over contract offers, others are in a more relaxed state of mind. Those Cambridge United players whose futures at Newmarket Road are secure – at least for another season – may well be dreaming of a faraway beach, or perhaps getting down to a little light DIY. They won’t be pulling on the amber and black for a while.

Twice in United’s history, however, the season has extended well beyond the usual mid-May finish and taken the players on punishing overseas tours that must have had them yearning for their deckchairs. On both occasions, those players had already endured long, hard seasons – and been rewarded with unprecedented success.

By the end of May 1970, the U’s had fulfilled more than 80 competitive fixtures, had secured the Southern League title for the second year running and were waiting to hear if the 92 Football League clubs would vote to admit them to the game’s elite. The all-important meeting was a day away when the squad set out for West Germany, to take part in a summer tournament.

The news of United’s election to the League, when it reached North Rhine-Westphalia, inspired the players to win all of their three group matches inside five searingly hot days. Bonner SC, captained by former Uruguay skipper Horacio Troche, were beaten 2-1, then Wesseling District were despatched 3-0 by a U’s side putting on a show: goalkeeper Rodney Slack played up front and winger John McKinven delighted the crowd when he flicked the ball up, caught it on the back of his neck and ran past a defender.

United then beat DJK Gütersloh 4-3 after falling behind three times, before, exhausted by the schedule and the heat, losing 2-1 in the final to Bayer 04 Leverkusen of German football’s second tier. Jubilant crowds awaited them on their return to Cambridge.

Cambridge United first-team squad 1972/73.

Three years later, United had just won promotion to League Division Three, thanks to a breathless 3-2 win over Mansfield at an overflowing Abbey Stadium, when they flew to Cyprus for a tournament organised by ASIL FC. One man who didn’t join them was manager Bill Leivers, who was enjoying a family holiday in the Spanish sun. Under the wing of trainer John Simpson, and in stifling heat, the U’s played three European teams in the space of four days.

First time out they lost 3-0 to Praionia of Romania but made a great start to their second game, against Brno-Moretz: Graham Smith became the only U’s goalkeeper to score a first-team goal when his monster clearance bounced off the rock-hard pitch and past the keeper to give his side the lead. The final score was 3-3.

The following day, the tiring U’s lost 2-1 after taking the lead against Cypriot champions Omonia Nicosia – and the capacity crowd of 10,000 included at least one United supporter. Seventeen-year-old Richard Harradine, who was based in Cyprus with the Royal Navy, walked 18 miles in low-30s heat to wave his scarf – that’s dedication. I bet the players sank a beer or two after the final whistle of an exhausting year.
Cheerio
Harry

Brian Greenhalgh: 1972/73 player of the year.

While the United players were toiling in the Cypriot sun in 1973, the supporters back home were celebrating promotion to Division Three and paying tribute to their player of the year: Brian Greenhalgh.

The 26-year-old striker had finished top of United’s 1972/73 goalscoring charts, notching 18 times in 47 games, but his tally of 19 the previous season had already established him as an Abbey favourite. The fans were certainly glad he had overcome his initial misgivings about dropping from the First Division to the Fourth when Bill Leivers came calling in August 1971.

Greenhalgh made his reputation with Preston North End and Aston Villa, but the goals dried up when he moved to Leicester and then, in 1969, to Huddersfield. Leivers was certain of his potential, but there were some grumbles on the terraces when he failed to score in his first six U’s games.

The moaners were silenced when his first goal came at Bury in September. Greenhalgh then married Annette the following Monday and, five days later, netted four times in a 6-0 drubbing of Darlington.

He drew a blank in his first eight games in 1972/73, but his class was plain to see and the goals soon began to flow again. The winner in a 1-0 win at Workington was a Greenhalgh classic: he allowed a Vic Akers cross to run through his legs at the near post, then flicked it in off a dumbfounded defender.

Eleven more goals followed in 1973/74, but his happy relationship with United fans came to an end in February when Leivers, declaring ‘every player has his price’, sold him to Bournemouth for £40,000.

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Mel Slack, 1944-2016

8/9/2016

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The Cambridge football family lost a well loved member with the death on Saturday, 6 August 2016 of Mel Slack, at the age of 72.

Mel started 124 times and made ten sub appearances for the U’s between 1969 and 1971, starring for Bill Leivers’ side as it gained election to, and established itself in, the Football League. A hard-tackling midfielder, he played for Cambridge City when his United career ended.

Born on 7 March 1944 in Bishop Auckland (County Durham), he was on Burnley’s books as a youth before signing for Sunderland in 1961. He played twice in four years and then joined Southend United, for whom he played 107 league matches.

He arrived in Cambridge in January 1969 after Southend gave United £5,000 plus Mel in return for full back Keith Lindsey. He made his debut on January 15 in a Southern League Cup game against Chelmsford, and competed with Dennis Walker for a midfield place for the rest of the season.

United became Southern League champions for the first time at the end of the season, and Mel also picked up a Southern League Cup winner’s medal, playing in the second leg of the final at Cheltenham as the U’s won 1-0 on aggregate.

Mel Slack: brought up in a hard school of football

He was a regular starter the following season, helping to anchor the midfield as United challenged for the title again. He missed the last away game, a 4-1 loss at Yeovil, with tonsillitis, but got out of his sickbed to play in a 3-0 defeat of Worcester five days later. The following evening he started in front of the Abbey Stadium’s record crowd of 14,000 in a friendly against Chelsea, but like the rest of the first team sat out the second half in anticipation of the title-deciding game against Margate the following afternoon. United won 2-0 and were champions again.

Following the club’s election to Football League Division Four, Mel remained a regular first-team choice, although his 1970/71 season was ended three games early by an ankle injury. United finished 20th in their first League season and, as Leivers revamped his squad, Mel signed for City.

He returned to the Abbey in November 1971 to play in the first leg of the Cambs Professional Cup final. Cautioned for bringing down Peter Phillips, he reacted by throwing a punch when the U’s striker returned the compliment, earning an instant dismissal.

He had explained why he was no stranger to the physical side of the game the previous season. ‘I was brought up in a hard school at Sunderland, where we were always instructed to put our opponents out of the game before starting to play the football. Great play was made of mental attitude as we prepared before each game to do battle, and I have always played hard, whether in training or a match.’

Nonetheless, Mel’s skill on the ball was considerable and, while he was not known for scoring – he netted just three times for United – he will long be remembered for one moment of brilliance. With the score at 1-1 with five minutes to go in the first away game of 1969/70, he dribbled through Gloucester’s attempted offside trap to score an outstanding winner.

He believed his best asset lay in another area, however: ‘I feel I am at my best when the boss says before the game that so and so have a particular danger man and I am given the job of playing him out of the game.’

Remaining in the Cambridge area after his retirement, Mel became widely known as the landlord of the Rose & Crown in Teversham and later lived in Fulbourn. He leaves widow Joan, daughter Keely and two granddaughters.

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Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - September

Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - August

Rise and shine

Days in the sun

Mel Slack, 1944-2016

Happy Harry's blog

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Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - September

Remembering Fifty & Thirty Years Ago This Week - August

Rise and shine

Days in the sun

​Mel Slack, 1944-2016

Happy Harry's blog

Archives

Categories

Mel Slack, 1944-2016