Leicester's One & Only Anglo-Italian Cup Appearance

[davieG]

https://www.lcfc.com/news/2193237/leicesters-one--only-anglo-italian-cup-appearance

 

In 1972, Jimmy Bloomfield’s Leicester City took part in a European competition which, in many ways, was very innovative and experimental, writes Club Historian John Hutchinson...

This was the Anglo-Italian Cup. The initial version of the competition only ran for four years, but its participants included some of the biggest names in Italian football, such as Napoli, Juventus, Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina, Inter Milan, Sampdoria, and Cagliari.

Participating English clubs included Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Stoke City, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town, Swindon Town and Leicester City. 

Leicester entered the competition in the close-season of 1972. One of the reasons for this was that City's chairman Len Shipman, who was also president of the Football League, was on the organising committee of the Anglo-Italian Cup.

The driving force behind the competition was Gigi Peronace, who had negotiated the very high profile transfers of the top English stars John Charles, Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves to Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The competition format saw six Italian clubs and six English sides arranged into three groups, each containing two clubs from each country. The teams from each country which accumulated the most points met in the final. 

Jimmy Bloomfield
Jimmy Bloomfield was Leicester's manager for their inaugural appearances in the experimental competition.

Two points were awarded for a win and one for a draw. However, in an attempt to encourage open and attacking football, the competition rules contained some interesting innovations. A point was awarded for each goal scored. Offside was restricted to the penalty areas. Also, in an attempt to encourage tactical innovation and at a time when only one substitute was the norm, five substitutes were allowed on the bench, any two of whom could be used.

Another innovation was to allocate pre-designated squad numbers to the players, abandoning the usual system of players wearing position-related numbers on shirts (1-11).

Bloomfield’s Leicester, who had just finished a respectable 12th in the old First Division, registered 15 players for the 1972 Anglo Italian Cup. They were Shilton, Whitworth, Nish, Cross, Sjoberg, Manley, Weller, Sammels, Birchenall, Tomlin, Glover, Fern, Partridge, Wallington and Farrington.

The star team in City’s group was undoubtedly the Sardinian side, Cagliari. They had recently emerged as an explosive force in Italian football, with a side studded with Italian internationals. These included Luigi Riva (who was considered to be one of the greatest strikers of his generation), winger Angelo Domenghini and goalkeeper Enrico Albertosi. All three had played in the 1970 World Cup Final against Brazil.

Cagliari won the Italian Championship in 1970 and had come desperately close to repeating this feat in a three-way fight with Juventus and Torino in the season which had just finished. 

Also in City’s group were Atalanta. Like Leicester, they had been relegated from the top division in 1968/69 but they had bounced back two years later. Also like Leicester, they had strengthened their side with established first division players.

In City's case, these had included Weller, Sammels and Birchenall. Atalanta’s equivalent signings were midfielders Gianfranco Leoncini and Giovanni Sacco from Juventus and Ottavio Bianchi from Napoli. The other English team in Leicester's group was Sunderland, who famously won the FA Cup the following season. 

Keith Weller
Keith Weller was among several players to impress for City against Italian opposition.

On 1 June, Leicester lost their first group game 1-0 to Cagliari in the luxurious Santa Elia Stadium. The inspired goalkeeping of Albertosi kept Leicester at bay after a Jon Sammels own-goal had given the Italians the lead.

This set the scene for Leicester’s final three games in the competition. 

On 4 June, in a thrilling goal feast in Atalanta, they were defeated 5-3. Keith Weller had given Leicester a half-time lead. The hero of the night, though, was Atalanta centre forward Luciano Magistrelli, who scored four goals in the second half.

He equalised on the hour. Jon Sammels put Leicester ahead a minute later. Three minutes after that, Magistrelli scored again. Then Bianchi put the Italians ahead for the first time, but Sammels netted his second to make the score 3-3. Magistrelli then struck another two in the closing minutes.  

On 7 June, Leicester beat Cagliari at Filbert Street. The Italian giants did not play their World Cup stars. The Foxes were two up after 12 minutes. In the third minute, Len Glover finished off a good run with a perfectly judged cross which Weller headed in like a bullet.

David Nish got the second. He hit a low shot from 35 yards out which deceived the Cagliari’s reserve goalkeeper. Leicester badly needed to increase their goal tally to qualify for the final, but it wasn’t to be. Cagliari scored in the 58th minute, Leicester lost their earlier sparkle, and the final score of 2-1 meant that City would need to win their last group game by a big margin.

Luigi Riva
The Foxes faced players like Luigi Riva, one of the most admired stars in the game at the time.

They nearly pulled it off. On 10 June, Leicester hit Atalanta 6-0 at Filbert Street. Keith Weller scored twice, adding to goals from Len Glover, David Nish, Jon Sammels and John Farrington. The game had been in some doubt following torrential rain which left parts of the freshly reseeded Filbert Street pitch waterlogged. The ball threw up clouds of spray when it hit the ground.

In the end, it was all to no avail. Despite accumulating eight points in this match, word reached the ground that Blackpool had qualified for the final against Roma because they had scored 10 goals against Italian First Division side Lanerossi Vicenza.

Blackpool went on to lose the final 3-1 in Rome in front of a crowd of 40,000. Leicester’s only foray into the short lived Anglo-Italian Cup was over. 

Nevertheless, it had provided the Filbert Street crowds with a glimpse of some top Italian competition and the chance to witness an experimental off-side rule which was never adopted.

[davieG]

Just now, davieG said:

Offside was restricted to the penalty areas.

We should try this now or at least level with the area rather than the half way line.

[Rain King]

Well we played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 90s. Just didn't face any Italian opposition.

Seem to remember Bobby Davison and Phil Gee scoring.

[TamworthFoxes]

26 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Well we played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 90s. Just didn't face any Italian opposition.

Seem to remember Bobby Davison and Phil Gee scoring.

Glad it wasn't just me who can remember us in the Anglo Italian Cup in the 90's.  West brom won our group if I remember right.

Certainly not correct to say 1972 was our one and only anglo Italian Cup appearance.

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Rain King said:

Well we played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 90s. Just didn't face any Italian opposition.

Seem to remember Bobby Davison and Phil Gee scoring.

Correct, I was mascot vs West Brom. It was the absolute pits of a game and I had the trauma of seeing Ian Ormondroyd's todger when I went in to the changing rooms to get some autographs. The Carling stand was being built and there was a thunderstorm all day so the attendance was about 3k.

 

 

[Ric Flair]

3 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Correct, I was mascot vs West Brom. It was the absolute pits of a game and I had the trauma of seeing Ian Ormondroyd's todger when I went in to the changing rooms to get some autographs. The Carling stand was being built and there was a thunderstorm all day so the attendance was about 3k.

 

 

Also I caused a bit of a stir as about 5 mins before leading the lads out I badly needed a chod and shot off for one. My dad had to run in and make me clear up quickly as they were waiting for me. Gavin Ward loved it.

[tylesta]

1 hour ago, Rain King said:

Well we played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 90s. Just didn't face any Italian opposition.

Seem to remember Bobby Davison and Phil Gee scoring.

92.93 watched the review yeasterday lost to Newcastle but no highlighys

[tylesta]

12 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Correct, I was mascot vs West Brom. It was the absolute pits of a game and I had the trauma of seeing Ian Ormondroyd's todger when I went in to the changing rooms to get some autographs. The Carling stand was being built and there was a thunderstorm all day so the attendance was about 3k.

 

 

Carling stand was being built towards end of that season wrong season haha

Edited 22 July 2021 by tylesta

[mozartfox]

I still feel angry that we were never invited to enter the Watney Cup.   More prestige than the Audi Cup.

[Rain King]

13 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Also I caused a bit of a stir as about 5 mins before leading the lads out I badly needed a chod and shot off for one. My dad had to run in and make me clear up quickly as they were waiting for me. Gavin Ward loved it.

Haha I was mascot against Southend in November 1993 whilst the Carling Stand still wasn't fully open and they were getting changed in a small wooden shack like building.

 

My abiding memory of is going into the changing room to be greeted by the sight of Steve Agnew's todger.

[Ric Flair]

28 minutes ago, Rain King said:

Haha I was mascot against Southend in November 1993 whilst the Carling Stand still wasn't fully open and they were getting changed in a small wooden shack like building.

 

My abiding memory of is going into the changing room to be greeted by the sight of Steve Agnew's todger.

Yes mate!!! I've vague memories of some ramshackle hut.

[The People's Hero]

I bet Ormondroyd had a much bigger todger than Agnew, but I wouldn't say that to Agnew's face (it would be a weird thing to say to him anyway) but he is a short angry man.

 

I bet Agnew knew how to use his todger better as well. Ormondroyd would have been all limbs.

[Saxondale]

2 hours ago, Rain King said:

Well we played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in the early 90s. Just didn't face any Italian opposition.

Seem to remember Bobby Davison and Phil Gee scoring.

Was that not called the Inter Toto Cup? Or was that something else?

[Rain King]

7 minutes ago, Saxondale said:

Was that not called the Inter Toto Cup? Or was that something else?

Something else.

 

https://www.foxestalk.co.uk/history/browse/?season=1993

Edited 22 July 2021 by Rain King

[Spudulike]

I went to that 6-0 vs Atalanta. The Kop lads moved down to the Filbert Street end for the second half. I remember loving it as a kid watching the city fans behind that goal singing and bouncing rather than away fans as normal. I remember the torrential rain as well. 

 

Very different times. 

[smudger63]

4 hours ago, mozartfox said:

I still feel angry that we were never invited to enter the Watney Cup.   More prestige than the Audi Cup.

I`m pretty sure that the Watney Cup was a pre season competition for 2 teams from each of the 4 Divisions that had scored the most goals in their respective league the season before.

So i presume we never scored enough goals to be invited into it.

I have vague recollections of seeing some of the games on tv, (yes i`m that old), i seem to remember some good competetive games too, considering it was a pre season tournamnent.

[Plastik Man]

5 hours ago, tylesta said:

92.93 watched the review yeasterday lost to Newcastle but no highlighys

Pretty sure I went to the Newcastle match, I was at uni in Leeds, midweek game, travelled up with a mate.

 

Stood on the terrace behind the goal, Leazes end? That tells you how long ago it was! We lost, vague memory it might have been 4-0!

[TrickyTrev Benjamin]

We definitely played Peterborough in the Anglo Italian cup and we lost 4-3. The game was at London road. 

[when_you're_smiling]

Apparently we were in it three times according to Wikipedia - “ In 1992–93, they defeated Grimsby Town but lost to Newcastle United; in 1993–94, they were defeated by Peterborough United and lost to West Bromwich Albion.”

 

I looked It up as I have a vague memory of drawing 0-0 against Notts County in the competition one year but must be wrong.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester_City_F.C._in_European_football

 

Link also includes the Anglo Scottish Cup record.

 

 

 

 

[EastAnglianFox]

5 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Correct, I was mascot vs West Brom. It was the absolute pits of a game and I had the trauma of seeing Ian Ormondroyd's todger when I went in to the changing rooms to get some autographs. The Carling stand was being built and there was a thunderstorm all day so the attendance was about 3k.

 

 

 

I'm not kidding Ric, Id fvcking bankrupt myself just to fund a publisher for you so we can get your autobiography/memoirs on to the shelves asap. 

 

Seriously It's borderline selfish now that you're keeping shit like this locked away 

 

 

[HybridFox]

Anglo-Italian Cup participants, you'll never sing that! 

[st albans fox]

14 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Also I caused a bit of a stir as about 5 mins before leading the lads out I badly needed a chod and shot off for one. My dad had to run in and make me clear up quickly as they were waiting for me. Gavin Ward loved it.

It’s comforting to know that ric was ric when he was tiny ………..funnily enough, if I’d had a pre game sh1t when I was mascot I may have avoided the severe stomach pains I had to endure through the match! 

[The boy Linacre]

16 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Correct, I was mascot vs West Brom. It was the absolute pits of a game and I had the trauma of seeing Ian Ormondroyd's todger when I went in to the changing rooms to get some autographs. The Carling stand was being built and there was a thunderstorm all day so the attendance was about 3k.

 

 

Did that put you off ever getting autographs again?