Matchday Memories: On This Day 1967 – Sheffield Utd. Spoil Sky Blues Top Flight Home Starter

On this day (26th August) in 1967 33,328 Highfield Road faithful pack into the stadium to see the Sky Blues play their initial home game in Division One following last season’s promotion to the top flight (for the first time ever in the club’s history). The shock resignation announcement by their manager, Sky Blue icon, Jimmy Hill at the start of the season added additional flavour to the occasion. A 1-2 defeat at Burnley in the first game of the campaign, followed three days later by a dramatic 3-3 draw at Nottingham Forest (where City lost their rock of a legendary centre-half George Curtis to a broken leg) set the scene. The emergency replacement signing for the ‘Iron Man’, Tony Knapp came from Southampton to debut against Sheffield United on this historic day.

John in the Sky Blue

Diet in the Sky Blue

The Blades’ tactics in the strength sapping heat seemed designed to aim at a draw, which is what they eventually got. A howler from City’s goalkeeper Bill Glazier allowed the Sheffield club a seventh minute lead from Gil Reece but Sky Blues winger John Key headed a great 19th minute equaliser to make it 1-1 at half-time. Bill and Johnny are both CCFPA members now!

The second half play seemed destined for further stalemate until the Blades’ Phil Cliff struck seven minutes into the second half. It took just four minutes to save CCFC’s first top level home game from defeat when the Sky Blues full back (now a CCFPA committee member) Dietmar Bruck managed to deceive the Blades’ goalie Alan Hodgkinson with a low shot following  a free-kick from Ernie Machin. The end result was a 2-2 sharing of points and the Sky Blues would have to wait until their next but one home game the following month for their first win in the top flight, defeating Southampton 2-1 on the 5th September.

The team that JH selected for the Blades game (CCFPA members underlined) was:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Brian Lewis*, Tony Knapp*, David Clements, John Key (sub. Pat Morrissey*), Ernie Machin*, Bobby Gould, John Tudor and Ronnie Rees*.

Sadly, Brian, Pat, Ernie and, most recently, Tony and Ronnie have since passed away as well, as George who left us a few years ago.

The Blades team was:-

Alan Hodginson, Len Badger, Bernard Shaw, David Munks, Reg Matthewson, Barry Wagstaff, Phil Cliff, Tommy Fenoughty, Mick Jones, Alan Birchenall and Gil Reece     Referee:- M.Sinclair

CCFC 1967-68 at the start of the season with the D2 Championship trophy

CCFC’s Manager, Noel Cantwell

Jimmy Hill

Noel Cantwell eventually replaced JH as Sky Blue manager in October allowing him to take up his media career and the Sky Blues survived their inaugural Division One season in twentieth, one place and one point above the relegated clubs, one of whom just happened to be the Sky Blues opponents this day who went down with bottom club Fulham! The Blades had one consolation in their misery, however, they did beat the Sky Blues 2-0 in the return at Bramall Lane just before Christmas!

The Blue (City) side of Manchester took the Division One title from the Red (United) side by two points.

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