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April 1974

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

The Queen Anne Press, London 1974

April 1974

1 The Daily Express writes: 'Exeter C. have refused to play at Scunthorpe tomorrow, and risk expulsion from the Football League. The League ordered them to fulfil the fixture even though nine of their professionals are unfit and have medical certificates to prove it.' . . . Brighton are also at loggerheads with authority. Both of their goalkeepers are out for the season, but the league will not sanction the registration of another player. . . Bell is out of the England party after the club doctor diagnoses shingles, and Alan Ball is called in. . . Denis Law turns down a move to Motherwell, and hopes to fight his way back into the Manchester C.
team.

2 Sir Alf Rarnsey selects six uncapped players for England v Portugal in Lisbon. Brooking, Bowles, Watson, Parkes, Dobson, and Pejic are definite starters . . . Sir Alf bitterly criticises the system which forces him to make nine changes in his squad. 'There is only one thing to do - punish the clubs concerned. If a player does not report for an international match or a training session, he should not be permitted to play for his club on the following Saturday.' . . . Dave Webb says in a newspaper interview that he wishes to leave Chelsea, and is subsequently dropped by manager Sexton for Wednesday's league match at Tottenham.

3 Following Ramsey's outburst, the Leeds players-Madeley and Hunter-assert that they were 'genuinely' injured. Madeley says: 'Sir Alf once told me that unless 1 was 100 per cent fit I should drop out of the England squad. Who would be foolish enough to pass up a chance of earning 100 pounds ?' Len Shipman says that the FA cannot compel clubs to release players for friendly international matches. . . After all the heated arguments, the game itself- a tepid affair in front of a small crowd - ends in a goalless draw. . . At Birmingham, Liverpool beat Leicester 3-1 and are back at Wembley for their fourth Final since the war.

6 A day of hat-tricks in the Football League - Kenny Burns, Barry Butlin, Dennis Booth, and the young Grimsby forward Lumby, all score three times. . . It is rumoured that Tottenham will make Bill Nicholson their general manager and appoint a younger man to run the team.

8 Frank O'Farrell is the new national team manager of Iran. . . Alan Hardaker attacks the appeal system: 'Disciplinary hearings are not a court of law. People are not under oath and there are plenty of cases where things are said that are not true.' Mervyn Day, the 18-year-old West Ham 'keeper, is included in the England U-23 touring squad. . . A replica of the FIF A World Cup trophy is officially unveiled at a press conference in London by Sir Stanley Rous. The original- valued at 17,000 pounds - is deposited in a Frankfurt bank vault.

9 Q.P.R.'s assistant manager, Jackie Mansell, leaves the club after a mere three weeks, because of a 'personality clash'. Previously this season, Bobby Campbell and Steve Burtenshaw also left the club to take appointments elsewhere . . . The Cup finalists, Liverpool and Newcastle, have decided to ask the FA to allow extra time in the final, and if the game is still at a deadlock after 120 minutes' football, the re-play should be at Sheffield and not at Wembley as planned.

10 Three Atletico Madrid players are sent off by referee Dogan Barbacan of Turkey at Parkhead in the European Cup semi-final first leg. Four others, and two Celtic players, are cautioned in a scandalous match. The Spanish club is managed by Juan Carlos Lorenw, who was in charge of Argentina during the 1966 World Cup, when his players were described as 'animals' by Sir AIf Ramsey.

12 Ron Saunders is sacked by Manchester C. - Tony Book is the new manager. City draw with Liverpooll-l, only hours after the official announcement. . . Swindon are relegated into the Third Division following today's matches. . The Good Friday attendances are high - over 120,000 people see the four First Division games.

13 Easter Saturday - the neck-and-neck struggle continues for a promotion place from Division 2. and against relegation from Division 1 . . . Manchester U. continue in winning form by beating Newcastle 1--0. After this match Joe Harvey strongly criticises his players, saying that they are concentrating too much on the Cup final, and now the club is in a precarious position near the foot of the table.

15 Gillingham beat Bradford 2--0, and the club scoring record for a season has been bettered. . . Manchester U. continue their fight against relegation with a 3-0 victory over Everton.

16 'Celtic have asked their supporters to stay away from the European Cup semi-final second-Ieg, because they feel the situation is too dangerous, too explosive', reports the Evening Standard.

17 Atletico Madrid are warned about their future conduct by UEFA and six of their players are banned from the return leg v Celtic. . . W. Germany beat Hungary 5-0 in a friendly, Belgium and Poland draw 1-1, and Brazil defeat Rumania 2-0.

18 Sir AIf Ramsey names a 20-player squad for the seven international matches to be played between May 11 and June 3. Surprise omissions- Nish, Storey, and Phil Parkes of Q.P .R., who is wanted for his club's overseas tour.

19 Bob Wilson, the Arsenal goalkeeper, announces his retirement. He'll finish playing at the end of the season, and will work for the BBC on a part-time basis. . .
Referee John McCree is attacked at the end of a Southern League match by the fans at Dartford. He is taken to hospital with severe injuries. . . After a 12-year absence, Bristol R. are back in Division 2. . . The FA of Wales advertises in the national press for a full-time team manager.

20 In the last Amateur Cup final - the 71st - Bishop's Stortford beat Ilford 4-1 at Wembley . . . All footballers will be classified as 'players' in future. . . Brian Yeo scores twice for Gillingham and is the first player to get 30 league goals this season. . . Several promotion and relegation issues have been decided, but the championship and relegation places in Division 1 are still in the balance . . . 'The Charity Shield match will be played at Wembley next season, and the FA are looking for a sponsor,' says Ted Croker, secretary.

22 Newcastle are banned from staging FA Cup ties next season at St James' Park. If they are drawn at home, the match will be played on their opponents' ground.This is the punishment meted out for last month's pitch invasion, but the club is allowed to keep their share of the gate from the two replays with Nottingham F . . .
Lord Westwood, Newcastle chairman, has welcomed the verdict. The local MP Mr Geoffrey Rhodes called it 'a brutal, idiotic decision. I believe the FA Cup Committee has taken leave of their senses and should be removed from office at the earliest opportunity,' he says. . . The BBC refuses to consider sharing the World Cup matches with ITV - several games will be shown simultaneously on both channels.

23 The FA grants the requests of both Liverpool and Newcastle - extra time will be played in the Cup final in case of stalemate after 90 minutes. . . Charlton sack manager Theo Foley after a four-year stay with the club. . . The league clubs, once again, reject the TV companies' offer, and unless a further meeting is held before the end of the month, there won't be any televised league football next season.

24 Denis Howell, the Minister for Sport, says that he is willing to act as a mediator between the Football League and the TV companies to achieve a compromise in the present dispute. Eldon Griffiths, the former occupant of Mr Howell's job, writes to the BBC complaining about the saturation coverage of the World Cup. . .
Leeds are the champions! They clinch it without kicking a ball as Arsenal beat Liverpool l-0 at Anfield with a Ray Kennedy goal. . . Tottenham are through to the UEF A Cup final, but Celtic lose 2-0 at Madrid.

25 The Football League fines Exeter 5000 pounds for failing to play Scunthorpe on April 2, when they had nine players ill with 'flu. Exeter also have to pay over one thousand pounds compensation to Scunthorpe and the two points are awarded to the Lincolnshire club. . . Norwich are fined 1000 pounds for making an illegal approach to Phil Boyer - a player they later signed from Bournemouth.

26 Ian Mellor joins Brighton for a club record transfer fee of 40,000 pounds . . . Lou Macari and Mick Doyle are fined by the FA for refusing to leave the pitch when they were sent off in the Manchester local derby.

27 After 36 years in Division 1, Manchester U. are relegated. Denis Law, their former player, scores the only goal of the local derby for City, and five minutes from the end the crowd invades the pitch. Referee David Smith takes the players off the field and abandons the game. . . Birmingham escape through a 2-1 home win over Norwich, but Southampton are down despite a 3-0 win at Goodison . . .
Champions Leeds celebrate in style, beating Q.P.R. 1-0 in London. . . It is alleged in a Sunday Times article that Portuguese referee Lobo was offered a bribe (which he refused) to favour Juventus at Derby in last season's European Cup semi-final. UEFA admit that the approach, which was made by a man not officially connected with the Italian club, has been reported to them and there will be a full investigation. . . Celtic are Scottish Champions for the ninth suCCessive season. . . Australia beat Uruguay 2-0 in a warm-up match - one Australian player is taken to hospital allegedly suffering from a karate blow.

28 Denis Howell calls for an emergency meeting for all parties concerned to discuss the riot at Manchester . . . Ian Callaghan of Liverpool is the 'Footballer of the Year'.

30 New offer brings hope that league soccer will be televised next season. . . Bob Wilson plays his last game for Arsenal- a 1-1 draw v Q.P.R. at Highbury. Alan Ball breaks his leg in this match and is out of the England squad. . . Palace are relegated for the second successive year . . . Graeme Souness is a surprise choice for Scotland's World Cup 40 . . .