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The night Jack Charlton didn't play at Rugby Park


KillkieBoab

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http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/24-05-1967 Kilmarnock v LUFC.htm

Date: Wednesday, 24th May 1967.

Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Competition: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Semi-Final, Second Leg.

Score: Kilmarnock 0 Leeds United 0.

Scorers: Kilmarnock: Nil. Leeds United: Nil.

Attendance: 28,000.

Teams:

image045.gifimage046.jpg

Kilmarnock: Ferguson; King, McFadzean; Murray, McGrory, Beattie; McLean, McInally, Bertelsen, Queen, McIlroy.

image007.gifimage047.jpg

Leeds United: Sprake; Reaney, Bell; Bremner, Madeley, Hunter; Lorimer, E. Gray, Belfitt, Giles, Cooper.

Referee: Vital Laroux (Belgium).

 

United were still without defensive kingpin Jack Charlton, but Manager Revie deliberately chose a defensive line-up by adopting the same tactics he had used to such good effect in Valencia using Rod Belfitt as a lone striker and packing the midfield with Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray and Terry Cooper.

Kilmarnock played both their speedy wingers, Tommy McLean and Brian McIlroy, but they got little change out of Paul Reaney and Willie Bell who stuck to their task to mark them out of the game. With Paul Madeley and Norman Hunter commanding in central defence and Billy Bremner restricting himself to purely defensive duties Kilmarnock were not able to create many chances. When United did attack Paul Madeley headed against the crossbar and Terry Cooper almost beat the keeper.

United did not hesitate to foul or use gamesmanship to frustrate the Scots and there were times when tempers frayed and Eric Murray, the Kilmarnock half-back was booked for a foul on Terry Cooper. Neither side had conceded more than one goal in their away ties, and, with an eight-man defence, Leeds were intent on more of the same. Whether they would succeed was in doubt as early as the third minute after Gary Sprake had twice foiled Gerry Queen and Brian McIlroy with brave saves that resulted in him being injured. Revie’s defensive tactics enabled the Welsh custodian to demonstrate his undoubted talents. Frank Clough of the Sun commented, “Sprake produced one of the finest, if not the finest performance of his career, making five incredible saves and displaying reckless bravery. In fact, Sprake was truly magnificent, having an answer for everything that escaped the defenders in front of him.”

Despite Peter Lorimer going close with a twenty-five yard shot near the end, the game was played to a goalless conclusion and United were through to the final against Dinamo Zagreb, who had overcome a three goal deficit from the first leg, to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0, after extra-time.

image049.jpg

Match Action:

image002.jpg   image013.jpg

image015.jpg

The Leeds massed defence in operation at Rugby Park

image004.jpg

Gary Sprake saves from Carl Bertelsen

image006.jpg

Players:

Kilmarnock:

image054.jpg

Bobby Ferguson and Andy King

image021.jpg

Frank Beattie

image055.jpg

Jackie McGrory

image056.jpg

Carl Bertelsen

image057.jpg

Tommy McLean

image058.jpg

Gerry Queen

Leeds United defence:

image059.jpg

Gary Sprake

image060.jpg

Paul Reaney

image061.jpg

Willie Bell

image062.jpg

Billy Bremner

image063.jpg

Paul Madeley

image064.jpg

Norman Hunter

R.I.P. big man.

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Great article. Well found KB. One of my earliest Killie memories as a wee boy and what a crowd. Fairly sure that 28,000 is our highest crowd since 1966. Lots of Leeds fans. Remember hoards of them wearing big Leeds top hats, singing as they rolled up McLelland Drive stopping traffic. Warm summer’s evening and I’ll never forget the view from the top of the staircase at the Dundonald Road end, with the immaculate pitch and the packed stadium. 

Gary Sprake wore a bright green goalies jersey highlighting his mop of blond hair. He exploited the four step rule by rolling the ball around the box, picking it up when a Killie player approached. When the Killie player backed off, he repeated this again and again. Leeds came with the intention of playing no football and that is exactly what they did. 
 

Crowd photos look great. Good view of old TV gantry suspended from terracing roof. TV cameras were hoisted up using ropes and pulleys. Think that TV gantry was later removed.

A40FFEDA-324A-4FB4-A063-A247B7EBE2CB.jpeg

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Leeds stayed in the Marine Hotel in Troon and my dad took me down the night before the game for autographs.

As a wean I vividly remember walking among giants of the game as they chatted amicably with us while having a putting competition without a club, using their feet instead.

I remember being devastated at missing out seeing big Jack as it was only a year after THAT world cup final.

I got a photo taken with Billy Bremner who had one hand on my shoulder and his other one held a fag... changed days.

I remember thinking at the time, "I love Leeds", then having to watch as they played out the most blatant defensive, anti football I still haven't seen the equal of.

Hated them ever since.

RIP Jack.

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3 hours ago, KillkieBoab said:

http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/24-05-1967 Kilmarnock v LUFC.htm

Date: Wednesday, 24th May 1967.

Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Competition: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Semi-Final, Second Leg.

Score: Kilmarnock 0 Leeds United 0.

Scorers: Kilmarnock: Nil. Leeds United: Nil.

Attendance: 28,000.

Teams:

 

image045.gifimage046.jpg

 

Kilmarnock: Ferguson; King, McFadzean; Murray, McGrory, Beattie; McLean, McInally, Bertelsen, Queen, McIlroy.

 

image007.gifimage047.jpg

 

Leeds United: Sprake; Reaney, Bell; Bremner, Madeley, Hunter; Lorimer, E. Gray, Belfitt, Giles, Cooper.

 

Referee: Vital Laroux (Belgium).

 

 

 

United were still without defensive kingpin Jack Charlton, but Manager Revie deliberately chose a defensive line-up by adopting the same tactics he had used to such good effect in Valencia using Rod Belfitt as a lone striker and packing the midfield with Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray and Terry Cooper.

 

Kilmarnock played both their speedy wingers, Tommy McLean and Brian McIlroy, but they got little change out of Paul Reaney and Willie Bell who stuck to their task to mark them out of the game. With Paul Madeley and Norman Hunter commanding in central defence and Billy Bremner restricting himself to purely defensive duties Kilmarnock were not able to create many chances. When United did attack Paul Madeley headed against the crossbar and Terry Cooper almost beat the keeper.

 

United did not hesitate to foul or use gamesmanship to frustrate the Scots and there were times when tempers frayed and Eric Murray, the Kilmarnock half-back was booked for a foul on Terry Cooper. Neither side had conceded more than one goal in their away ties, and, with an eight-man defence, Leeds were intent on more of the same. Whether they would succeed was in doubt as early as the third minute after Gary Sprake had twice foiled Gerry Queen and Brian McIlroy with brave saves that resulted in him being injured. Revie’s defensive tactics enabled the Welsh custodian to demonstrate his undoubted talents. Frank Clough of the Sun commented, “Sprake produced one of the finest, if not the finest performance of his career, making five incredible saves and displaying reckless bravery. In fact, Sprake was truly magnificent, having an answer for everything that escaped the defenders in front of him.”

 

Despite Peter Lorimer going close with a twenty-five yard shot near the end, the game was played to a goalless conclusion and United were through to the final against Dinamo Zagreb, who had overcome a three goal deficit from the first leg, to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0, after extra-time.

 

image049.jpg

 

Match Action:

 

image002.jpg   image013.jpg

 

image015.jpg

The Leeds massed defence in operation at Rugby Park

image004.jpg

Gary Sprake saves from Carl Bertelsen

image006.jpg

 

Players:

 

Kilmarnock:

image054.jpg

Bobby Ferguson and Andy King

image021.jpg

Frank Beattie

image055.jpg

Jackie McGrory

image056.jpg

Carl Bertelsen

image057.jpg

Tommy McLean

image058.jpg

Gerry Queen

Leeds United defence:

image059.jpg

Gary Sprake

image060.jpg

Paul Reaney

image061.jpg

Willie Bell

image062.jpg

Billy Bremner

image063.jpg

Paul Madeley

image064.jpg

Norman Hunter

R.I.P. big man.

Great photos.  RIP 

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12 hours ago, GCM said:

They were a bunch of thugs, put the boot in all over the park that night. Still makes me angry. 

A bit like my own recollection.  In addition Bremner would have made Willie Miller look like an amateur when it came to intimidating the referee.  Some of the tackling of the Nomads last season had me thinking, at the time, of the Leeds game. 

The Leeds game as I recall had the biggest attendance of any game at Rugby Park I've been at outside of a few games against the old Firm.   I don't recall seeing an attendance of 28,000 quoted though my recollections are nearer the 25K and not much more than the game against Real Madrid.  (anyone with the actual stats out there? - memory never been strong point for me)  Rangers games definitely had a number of games where 30,000+ were reported and I think an odd Celtic match post 66 may well have just crept above the Leeds attendance.

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I always remember Bremner jogging at least half the width of the park to take throw-ins.

It was the ultimate "professional" performance. 

We couldn't really complain though. The first leg - I wasn't there, it was on a Friday night due to Leeds’ fixture congestion - must have been much too open. Two down after four minutes, 4-2 at half-time!

At least we made it to a European semi-final, something way beyond our dreams at this time.

 

 

Edited by skygod
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8 hours ago, jbm1965 said:

A bit like my own recollection.  In addition Bremner would have made Willie Miller look like an amateur when it came to intimidating the referee.  Some of the tackling of the Nomads last season had me thinking, at the time, of the Leeds game. 

The Leeds game as I recall had the biggest attendance of any game at Rugby Park I've been at outside of a few games against the old Firm.   I don't recall seeing an attendance of 28,000 quoted though my recollections are nearer the 25K and not much more than the game against Real Madrid.  (anyone with the actual stats out there? - memory never been strong point for me)  Rangers games definitely had a number of games where 30,000+ were reported and I think an odd Celtic match post 66 may well have just crept above the Leeds attendance.

It wasn't just the game at Rugby Park that had a great crowd. It was reported that the game at Elland Road was Leeds's biggest crowd of the season, in a year when they won the league.

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10 hours ago, skygod said:

I always remember Bremner jogging at least half the width of the park to take throw-ins.

It was the ultimate "professional" performance. 

We couldn't really complain though. The first leg - I wasn't there, it was on a Friday night due to Leeds’ fixture congestion - must have been much too open. Two down after four minutes, 4-2 at half-time!

At least we made it to a European semi-final, something way beyond our dreams at this time.

 

 

Am I correct in thinking that someone chartered a train for the away game at Leeds?

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