Glory at Newcastle 1968 and 2021

[john@staustell]

One of my earliest City memories is watching on the Big Match - or whatever it's title was that season - City winning the league at Newcastle. Legend had it 25,000 City fans made their way - no mean feat in those days and it was a bit cramped, by the look of it (capacities, what's that?)

Wiki (and John68) says:

[color=#FF4000]Title decider at Newcastle
Going into the final match, City were level on points with neighbours Manchester United, with City holding the advantage in goal average – the first decider if teams finished level on points – but needing to win to be sure of staying above their cross-city rivals. Liverpool were three points behind, but had a game in hand, so could still win the title if both City and United faltered.[27] City faced tenth-placed Newcastle United at St James' Park; United were at home to bottom-half Sunderland. Bookmakers made United slight favourites for the title.[28]

Mike Summerbee opened the scoring on 13 minutes, but Newcastle soon equalised.[29] Neil Young made it 2–1, but again Newcastle equalised. A second strike by Young was disallowed for offside, and at half-time the score was 2–2. Straight after half-time Young scored again, and Francis Lee scored a fourth on 63 minutes.[30] A late Newcastle goal set up a nervy finish, but City held on to win 4–3 and secure the title.[30] The win was compounded by a 2–1 victory by Sunderland over Manchester United, giving City the title. Liverpool won one of their remaining games but lost the other, missing their chance to leapfrog United into second by one point.[/color]

I was sort of hoping we could repeat that. The twats on the west side losing last night has sort of ruined that, but even so it's nice to get it in the bag. League table and results:


Date Opponents H / A Venue Result
F–A Scorers Attendance
19 August 1967 Liverpool H Maine Road 0–0 49,531
23 August 1967 Southampton A The Dell 2–3 Bell, Coleman 23,675
26 August 1967 Stoke City A Victoria Ground 0–3 22,426
30 August 1967 Southampton H Maine Road 4–2 Bell (2), Young (2) 22,002
2 September 1967 Nottingham Forest H Maine Road 2–0 Coleman, Summerbee 29,547
6 September 1967 Newcastle United H Maine Road 2–0 Hince, Young 29,978
9 September 1967 Coventry City A Highfield Road 3–0 Bell, Hince, Summerbee 34,578
16 September 1967 Sheffield United H Maine Road 5–2 Bowles (2), Bell, Summerbee, Young 31,922
23 September 1967 Arsenal A Highbury 0–1 41,567
30 September 1967 Manchester United H Maine Road 1–2 Bell 62,942
7 October 1967 Sunderland A Roker Park 0–1 27,885
14 October 1967 Wolverhampton Wanderers H Maine Road 2–0 Doyle, Young 36,476
21 October 1967 Fulham A Craven Cottage 4–2 Summerbee (2), Lee, Young 22,108
28 October 1967 Leeds United H Maine Road 1–0 Bell 39,713
4 November 1967 Everton A Goodison Park 1–1 Connor 47,144
11 November 1967 Leicester City H Maine Road 6–0 Lee (2), Young (2), Doyle, Oakes 29,039
18 November 1967 West Ham United A Upton Park 3–2 Lee (2), Summerbee 25,495
25 November 1967 Burnley H Maine Road 4–2 Coleman (2), Summerbee, Young 37,098
2 December 1967 Sheffield Wednesday A Hillsborough 1–1 Oakes 38,207
9 December 1967 Tottenham Hotspur H Maine Road 4–1 Bell, Coleman, Summerbee, Young 35,792
16 December 1967 Liverpool A Anfield 1–1 Lee 53,268
23 December 1967 Stoke City H Maine Road 4–2 Lee (2), Coleman, Young 40,121
18 December 1967 West Bromwich Albion A The Hawthorns 2–3 Lee, Summerbee 44,897
30 December 1967 West Bromwich Albion H Maine Road 0–2 45,754
6 January 1968 Nottingham Forest A City Ground 3–0 Coleman, Summerbee, Young 39,581
20 January 1968 Sheffield United A Bramall Lane 3–0 Bell, Doyle, Lee 32,142
3 February 1968 Arsenal H Maine Road 1–1 Lee 42,392
24 February 1968 Sunderland H Maine Road 1–0 Lee 28,642
2 March 1968 Burnley A Turf Moor 1–0 Lee 23,486
9 March 1968 Coventry City H Maine Road 3–1 Bell, Summerbee, Young 33,310
16 March 1968 Fulham H Maine Road 5–1 Young (2), Bell, Lee, Summerbee 30,773
23 March 1968 Leeds United A Elland Road 0–2 51,818
27 March 1968 Manchester United A Old Trafford 3–1 Bell, Heslop, Lee 63,004
6 April 1968 Leicester City A Filbert Street 0–1 24,925
12 April 1968 Chelsea H Maine Road 1–0 Doyle 47,132
13 April 1968 West Ham United H Maine Road 3–0 Young (2), Doyle 38,755
16 April 1968 Chelsea A Stamford Bridge 0–1 36,466
20 April 1968 Wolverhampton Wanderers A Molineux 0–0 39,632
25 April 1968 Sheffield Wednesday H Maine Road 1–0 Own goal 32,999
29 April 1968 Everton H Maine Road 2–0 Book, Coleman 37,786
4 May 1968 Tottenham Hotspur A White Hart Lane 3–1 Bell (2), Summerbee 51,242
11 May 1968 Newcastle United A St James' Park 4–3 Young (2), Lee, Summerbee 46,492


Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Manchester City (C) 42 26 6 10 86 43 2.000 58 1968–69 European Cup
2 Manchester United 42 24 8 10 89 55 1.618 56
3 Liverpool 42 22 11 9 71 40 1.775 55 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
4 Leeds United 42 22 9 11 71 41 1.732 53
5 Everton 42 23 6 13 67 40 1.675 52
6 Chelsea 42 18 12 12 62 68 0.912 48 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
7 Tottenham Hotspur 42 19 9 14 70 59 1.186 47
8 West Bromwich Albion 42 17 12 13 75 62 1.210 46 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup
9 Arsenal 42 17 10 15 60 56 1.071 44
10 Newcastle United 42 13 15 14 54 67 0.806 41 1968–69 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
11 Nottingham Forest 42 14 11 17 52 64 0.813 39
12 West Ham United 42 14 10 18 73 69 1.058 38
13 Leicester City 42 13 12 17 64 69 0.928 38
14 Burnley 42 14 10 18 64 71 0.901 38
15 Sunderland 42 13 11 18 51 61 0.836 37
16 Southampton 42 13 11 18 66 83 0.795 37
17 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 14 8 20 66 75 0.880 36
18 Stoke City 42 14 7 21 50 73 0.685 35
19 Sheffield Wednesday 42 11 12 19 51 63 0.810 34
20 Coventry City 42 9 15 18 51 71 0.718 33
21 Sheffield United (R) 42 11 10 21 49 70 0.700 32 Relegation to 1968–69 Second Division
22 Fulham (R) 42 10 7 25 56 98 0.571 27

[blues-clues]

Nice post thanks for that!
Interesting fixture list in 68! We played West Brom home and away in consecutive games and Southampton and Chelsea twice in three games.
We have almost the same record this year from 35 games as we did as Champions from 42.

[john68]

Thanks for the mention John.
,
The hard media truth is that there is only a very short vid of the NCastle v City game. It shows the goals and a but of the pitch invasion...and that's all.
MOTD and the Beeb only showed 1 match per week and had a choice of whereto take their cameras.
They supposed that the rags would beat Sunderland and City might struggle v the Magpies.. MOTD showed all the highlights of the rags defeat but there is only a small amount of footage of City's win.

Please note that in those days, there was no radio coverage, except the odd latest score announcement, so we fans in the ground had no idea what was going on at the swamp. A rumour spread that the rags were losing and someone triedt o start a "Champion" chant. He was quickly shut up by those around himfor fear he might annoy the football gods, and everybody doubted the rumour.

We had to win to be sure. City scored, only minutes later they equalised, We were in paradise one moment, in hell the next.
We scored again, we were up on cloud nine, minutes later they equalised again. That burst that cloud.

We went 4-2 up, we started to believe but being typical blues, we lacked the confidence to celebrate too early.
Then they made it 4-3...I was likea lot of City fans, over the wall and I was stood right next to Ken Mulhearn's left goal post.
I think that last 10mins lasted forever. Every time Newcastle tried to attack Mulhearn was screamingat his defence, he was a nervous wreck.

The final whistle wqaslike a volcano erupting.very reminiscent of the Agueroooooofinal whistle.

Ironically, it was the rags v Sunderland just as in 2012.

That was the 1st time I saw city win the league. and for years I had a lump of Newcastle mud and grass.

This year, we all saw it coming, so the hyper excitment of the moment is missing, Instead I have this deep warm glowing feeling and a really stupid perma grin.

Now I desperately want towin the CL. I hate the bent corrupt competition, I hate the bent corrupt G14 clubs who coerced UeFA to instigate it. I hate the bent corrupt UeFA who have done everything to ensure we copuld never win it.
I have said before, I want to win it, for the City players to all shit in it and give it back to UeFA with the tagline.....Your comp is shite, we won it despite all your efforts to stop us. "Shove yer oversize tin pot up yer bent corrupt arses."

[Harry Dowd scored]

Nice post thanks for that!
Interesting fixture list in 68! We played West Brom home and away in consecutive games and Southampton and Chelsea twice in three games.
We have almost the same record this year from 35 games as we did as Champions from 42.

In the 60’s it was not unusual at pastimes such as Christmas and Easter to play the same team within a couple of days, the West Brom games were at Christmas.
During our 1966 promotion year we played Bury at Easter winning 1-0 at Maine road on Good Friday but losing at Gigg lane on the Monday, I think we lost 2-1, seems strange now doesn’t it, but not then, indeed fans used to look forward to the holiday games for this reason.

[john@staustell]

Nice post thanks for that!
Interesting fixture list in 68! We played West Brom home and away in consecutive games and Southampton and Chelsea twice in three games.
We have almost the same record this year from 35 games as we did as Champions from 42.

In the 60’s it was not unusual at pastimes such as Christmas and Easter to play the same team within a couple of days, the West Brom games were at Christmas.
During our 1966 promotion year we played Bury at Easter winning 1-0 at Maine road on Good Friday but losing at Gigg lane on the Monday, I think we lost 2-1, seems strange now doesn’t it, but not then, indeed fans used to look forward to the holiday games for this reason.

Before our time mate the fixtures were on Christmas Day and Boxing Day too. Good excuse to fuck off out of the house for a couple or 3 hours and get yer flat cap out.

[john@staustell]

Could it finish 3-4 again?

[john68]

Could it finish 3-4 again?

The thing that would have made it complete tonight, especiallyin the light of Carson's debut would have been seeing Buzzer stepping down from the stands and giving us 10mins on the wing.

Torres would have loved his crosses.

[dave watson's perm]

Goal Average - makes me feel old remembering that

[john68]

Goal Average - makes me feel old remembering that

Trying to work out what 39 divided by 26 was, in your head after a few post match pints was a twat too.
Then you had to work out something like 24 divided by 17 to see if you'd moved up a place in the league.

[john@staustell]

Could it finish 3-4 again?

The thing that would have made it complete tonight, especiallyin the light of Carson's debut would have been seeing Buzzer stepping down from the stands and giving us 10mins on the wing.

Torres would have loved his crosses.

If I recall correctly John many of his later games at City were less than distinguished, although he sure did put it about a bit just to cheer up the crowd! Too many Friday Nights with George Best maybe?

[john68]

Could it finish 3-4 again?

The thing that would have made it complete tonight, especiallyin the light of Carson's debut would have been seeing Buzzer stepping down from the stands and giving us 10mins on the wing.

Torres would have loved his crosses.

If I recall correctly John many of his later games at City were less than distinguished, although he sure did put it about a bit just to cheer up the crowd! Too many Friday Nights with George Best maybe?

As you mention Friday nights John......
Some years ago I took a very high profile ex rag home to his house.
About 4.30am and he only managed to stay upright by walking sideways holding onto a wall.
That evening, I checked the reports later, the rags had won and he was the MOM.
It wasn't a City player.

One that was a City player, around 1969/70, I worked at the old Smithfield Market, before it moved from the City Centre. One of our title and other Cup winning team members wandered (staggered) into the market around 5.30am. A City fan grabbed him and locked him in a cupboard so he wouldn't be seen by too many.
He was chucked in a taxi and sent home to his digs about 5mins from Maine Road.
I was at the game that afternoon and he was superb. Ran his arse off and gave his all.

There were a few incidents at that time and Allison was alerted more than once or twice by the owner of the Old Cabaret Club to come and drag em out.

[john@staustell]

Those the days. They just couldn't stick the pace now

[Bear60]

Great post I was eight years old then. My dad told me a story that they announced Our result at the Swamp Newcastle 3 and all the rag fans cheered they didnt hear City 4

[john68]

Great post I was eight years old then. My dad told me a story that they announced Our result at the Swamp Newcastle 3 and all the rag fans cheered they didnt hear City 4

The rags playing Sunderland.
Thinking they were champions
City winning the league.....and we didn't even need Aguero in 1968.