Matchday Memories: On This Day 1973 – Foxes Flummoxed Away As Les’ Debut Goal Sees Sky Blues 2nd

On this day (29th September) in 1973  The Sky Blues under Gordon Milne had gone off like a train in Division One with two 1-0 home wins within three days at the start of the season against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool and only being beaten twice in their first nine games!

Sky Blue Manager Gordon

Today, as they approached kick-off in their tenth league game of the season against East Midland rivals Leicester City, they remained (as they had done all season) in the top six of Division One but were still looking for their first away win in the League at Filbert Street. This was a tall order since, in an even better start, the Foxes had yet to taste league defeat.

Alan Green

However, by the end of the match the Boys in Blue had lost for the first time this season, City were back to second place (their highest ever) and they had got their first win of the season on the road! The Foxes dropped to sixth. There was a Filbert Street crowd of 29,317 to see the enthralling contest.

Nippy Alan Green replaced the injured Colin Stein (now both CCFPA members) in the City forward line. The Sky Blues won the game with a goal in each half.  On the quarter of the hour mark City’s winger Brian Alderson profited from a slip by Alan Birchenall to fire home a fierce cross shot past future Sky Blue Peter Shilton.

Brian Alderson in the Sky Blue

A goal to the good at half-time, the Sky Blues doubled their advantage and took the game after seventy minutes with a deflected shot (off the unfortunate Birchenall). The scorer was Welsh youngster Les Cartwright who made a scoring League debut from off the bench (the first so to do since 1965)! Sky Blues’ star Tommy Hutchison was fresh from winning the first of his Scottish international caps.

Les Cartwright in the Sky Blue

City’s team that day lined up (CCFPA members underlined):-

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Jim Holmes, Dennis Mortimer, John Craven*, Alan Dugdale, Wilf Smith, Brian Alderson*, ‘Ernie’ Hunt* (sub. Les Cartwright), Alan Green and Tommy Hutchison

Sadly three members of this team asterisked (*) have since passed away.

The Foxes’ team comprised:-

Peter Shilton, Steve Whitworth, Denis Rofe, Malcolm Partridge, Malcolm Munro, Graham Cross, Keith Weller, Jon Sammels, Frank Worthington, Alan Birchenall and Len Glover     Referee: Harry New.

Peter Shilton

England international ‘keeper Peter Shilton later joined the Sky Blues to assist the goalkeeping department  though he never played for the first team, but his son Sam Shilton, an outfielder, was with the Sky Blues from 1995-99 and got a handful of first team outings.

The Foxes got their revenge in the return in late December taking the points with a 2-1 victory at Highfield Road with Les Cartwright again on the mark for Sky Blues after just ten minutes. However, Len Glover and Frank Worthington scored to give the Foxes their win.

CCFC 1973-74

The Sky Blues also could not sustain such a wonderful start to the season and slipped to sixteenth in Division One by season’s end. Leicester City finished in a comfortable ninth spot in the Division. On the brighter side, the Sky Blues also had a great run to the Quarter Finals of the League Cup eventually going out to Manchester City by 2-4 at Maine Road. The late Brian Alderson got both Sky Blues goals.

Leeds United took the title by five points from runners up Liverpool. At the other end of the table the three relegated clubs (in descending order) were Southampton, Manchester City and, bottom of the pile, Norwich City.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for the images.