1971-72 season scrapbook

[angieram]

5 hours ago, Foreveram said:

Anyone going to QUAD tonight 

Yep, me! ?

[angieram]

Just now, angieram said:

Yep, me! ?

And @sage!

[Crewton]

Have Forest been relegated yet? 

[Kathcairns]

5 hours ago, angieram said:

And @sage!

I went, a really enjoyable evening, just dos'nt feel like 50 years ago.

[LeedsCityRam]

8 hours ago, Crewton said:

Have Forest been relegated yet? 

Keep an eye out for the update next Tuesday ?

[LeedsCityRam]

Matchday 41 – Saturday 22nd April 1972 & the clash of the top two – Manchester City v Derby County

Man City’s defeat at Ipswich 4 days earlier meant they now needed a miracle to win the title but they still presented significant nuisance value to a Derby side desperate for the points to stay ahead of Liverpool & Leeds.

Here were Brian Clough’s pre-match thoughts;

https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-21041972-brian-clough-interview-championship-hopes

 

So onto the action at Maine Road;

 

Sadly for the Rams, City signed off their 71/72 season with a convincing 2-0 home win – Rodney Marsh playing a crucial role despite the oft-repeated claim he was a liability to Man City in the run in;

 

 

Programme of the day from Manchester;

 

City’s win in their final fixture meant they regained top spot from Derby but it was a most bittersweet accolade. Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Ipswich meant City now had no chance of winning the title (because of the upcoming Derby v Liverpool fixture) & hence had to watch as others passed them. Derby slipped to 3rd behind Liverpool on goal average whilst Leeds moved to within a point of the Rams with a 0-1 win away at West Brom;

[PistoldPete]

6 minutes ago, LeedsCityRam said:

Matchday 41 – Saturday 22nd April 1972 & the clash of the top two – Manchester City v Derby County

Man City’s defeat at Ipswich 4 days earlier meant they now needed a miracle to win the title but they still presented significant nuisance value to a Derby side desperate for the points to stay ahead of Liverpool & Leeds.

Here were Brian Clough’s pre-match thoughts;

https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-21041972-brian-clough-interview-championship-hopes

 

So onto the action at Maine Road;

 

Sadly for the Rams, City signed off their 71/72 season with a convincing 2-0 home win – Rodney Marsh playing a crucial role despite the oft-repeated claim he was a liability to Man City in the run in;

 

 

Programme of the day from Manchester;

 

City’s win in their final fixture meant they regained top spot from Derby but it was a most bittersweet accolade. Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Ipswich meant City now had no chance of winning the title (because of the upcoming Derby v Liverpool fixture) & hence had to watch as others passed them. Derby slipped to 3rd behind Liverpool on goal average whilst Leeds moved to within a point of the Rams with a 0-1 win away at West Brom;

Blimey I didn’t realise that we dropped below Liverpool. As David Coleman said ….. er…… what happens next?

[angieram]

2 minutes ago, PistoldPete said:

Blimey I didn’t realise that we dropped below Liverpool. As David Coleman said ….. er…… what happens next?

Can you imagine the furore on here after those results? ?

Story of the night last night from Steve Powell, telling how Brian Clough popped into his school, to ask for him to be released as he needed him to play for Derby.

He had one start that season, in the next match, against Liverpool. Age sixteen.

[AndyB]

Enjoyed the Quad last night, some great stories from the players. Also got to meet Graham Richards, wonderful man and exceptional commentator.

[Guest]

Leeds, Derby and Liverpool remained very much in contention for the title but Manchester City had begun to fade after being favourites a few weeks earlier. Persuaded by the insistence of team manager, Malcolm Allison, general manager Joe Mercer had splashed out £200,000 in March on the sometimes brilliant but inconsistent Rodney Marsh from QPR to add extra depth and flair to their talented squad. Allison hoped that Marsh would prove to be the final piece of the City jigsaw needed to bring the title back to Maine Road.

City had been four points clear at the beginning of the month but although they narrowly overcame Chelsea on the day that Marsh made his debut, a single point from the next three games saw them back with the chasing pack.

Disturbingly for the Maine Road faithful, it was rumoured his presence was disrupting the squad. Allison then left him out of the side because Marsh’s fitness was below expectation. In this time he lost 10lb weight before being recalled to the side.

Derby remained unchanged but back in goal for second placed City came Joe Corrigan who had missed seven games through injury. With centre forward Wyn Davies out injured, Mike Summerbee was handed the number nine shirt with Francis Lee switching to the right wing.

Frank Wignall, who had surprisingly been transferred to Mansfield Town earlier in the season, sat just in front of me as a spectator at Maine Road. Someone asked him why he had come. He laughed and said he was there to get behind the team because he wanted a championship medal and of course he received one for he had played the minimum 10 games.

The Rams’ hopes of emerging as the First Division Champions took a major jolt as they were swept away by a rampant City side inspired by Marsh. He scored the first goal and played a major part in the second, no doubt leaving Brian Clough to wonder what might have been for Marsh had arrived in Manchester in the same week as the Rams’ manager had made his abortive attempt to sign Ian Storey-Moore from Forest.

While Derby could claim to have been unlucky in losing Ron Webster to injury after 35 minutes (replaced by Hennessey), their midfield trio of Durban, McGovern and Gemmill were always second best. As a consequence City could have scored more had their finishing been as sharp as their approach play. Colin Bell missed a couple of easy first half chances and it was left to Marsh to open the scoring in the 25th minute. A superb run at the Rams’ defence left Roy McFarland and John Robson in his wake and his low cross shot went beyond Colin Boulton and into the corner of the net.

Derby’s best two chances came soon after the interval. Firstly, Kevin Hector lost control with just Joe Corrigan to beat and then John O’Hare, under pressure from Bell, hit a post after a great pass from Durban. It proved to be a brief resistance and City sealed the contest in the 67th minute when Hennessey flattened Marsh and Francis Lee fired home the resulting penalty kick. It was City’s last game of the season and the two points took them to the top of the table with 57 points.

As the home faction of the 55k plus crowd acknowledged their heroes, a bruised and battered looking Rams’ team were left to concentrate on their two remaining fixtures, The Texaco Cup Final second leg tie against Airdrieoneans and the crucially important final game showdown with fellow title contenders Liverpool. If  Derby were to maintain hopes of  winning the title they must now beat Liverpool to do so.

Clough said that although the home side had been poor in the first half, Derby had been worse. He said, “Rodney Marsh isn’t a bad player” before adding that he thought his side had no chance of winning the title now.

Malcolm Allison offered the opinion that Derby would still come top, adding, “whoever does it, it will be well deserved because it is a very hard League.”

 

 

 

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, angieram said:

Can you imagine the furore on here after those results? ?

Story of the night last night from Steve Powell, telling how Brian Clough popped into his school, to ask for him to be released as he needed him to play for Derby.

He had one start that season, in the next match, against Liverpool. Age sixteen.

Liverpool was his second start Angie. He had made his full League debut at Forest back in November, three days after starting against Stoke in the Texaco Cup.

Edited April 22, 2022 by Brailsford Ram

[Eatonram]

I went to the City away game with my Dad. I asked if I should leave my scarf in the car to which I was told, dont be daft get it round your neck. walking to the ground some Doc Martin wearing City youths took great pleasure in saying "if you were 5 years older kid, we'd kick your head in".......glad I was young that day. We stood on the kippax near the front and I swear it felt like were the only Rams in the ground.

Poor performance that day, we thought we had lost our chance to win the league.

[angieram]

31 minutes ago, Brailsford Ram said:

Liverpool was his second start Angie. He had made his full League debut at Forest back in November, three days after starting against Stoke in the Texaco Cup.

Oh, sorry, just going on what Radio Derby said last night. I might have mis-heard. ? They mentioned the Central League and Texaco Cup appearances, but only sub appearances in the league. 

I wasn't there, so all news to me. Of course I remember Powell very well from the 74/75 season, when I was there! 

[Crewton]

1 minute ago, angieram said:

Oh, sorry, just going on what Radio Derby said last night. I might have mis-heard. ? They mentioned the Central League and Texaco Cup appearances, but only sub appearances in the league. 

I wasn't there, so all news to me. Of course I remember Powell very well from the 74/75 season, when I was there! 

It was his first senior appearance in a competitive game ? 

[SirBrian]

1 hour ago, PistoldPete said:

Blimey I didn’t realise that we dropped below Liverpool. As David Coleman said ….. er…… what happens next?

Remember our last game had to beat Liverpool at the Baseball Ground or kiss any hope of the title goodbye!

[Foreveram]

1 hour ago, AndyB said:

Enjoyed the Quad last night, some great stories from the players. Also got to meet Graham Richards, wonderful man and exceptional commentator.

Yes, enjoyed listening to Graham Richards last night.

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

2 hours ago, AndyB said:

Enjoyed the Quad last night, some great stories from the players. Also got to meet Graham Richards, wonderful man and exceptional commentator.

Was John McGovern there

[Kathcairns]

1 minute ago, Gee SCREAMER !! said:

Was John McGovern there

Yea he was there,archie, roger, colin todd, john ohare steve powell and roy. Ron webster wasnt , onset dementia and kevin wasnt, dosnt like being in the public eye.

[Foreveram]

1 minute ago, Kathcairns said:

Yea he was there,archie, roger, colin todd, john ohare steve powell and roy. Ron webster wasnt , onset dementia and kevin wasnt, dosnt like being in the public eye.

And Curtis Davies 

[Carl Sagan]

Quad sounds a fantastic night. And what an interview with Rams fan Gary Newbon and Cloughie before the Man City game. Great find, @LeedsCityRam.