Jock's Kids and the Nine-Goal Deficit

[kushiro]

This morning's papers reported that Northampton Town will launch a formal complaint after Scunthorpe United fielded a team including seven teenagers against Bristol Rovers, who needed a seven goal victory to get automatic promotion from League 2. The match finished with exactly that result, 7-0 to Rovers - meaning they went up on goals scored from Northampton. 

 

It's a situation that gives us a chance to remember a moment of Leicester City history - and a match played under circumstances not so far removed from those in place in Bristol on Saturday.

 

On May 8th 1979, Sheffield United needed to win 9-0 at home to Leicester City to stay in Division Two. An impossible task, surely - but United may have allowed themselves a flicker of optimism when they saw the Leicester team sheet - for it included seven teenagers. Jock Wallace fielded what was then, and still remains, the youngest side ever to take the field in a senior City fixture.

 

Sheffield United had been the first visitors to Filbert Street back at the start of that season. I can still remember the excitement of that game, with United having just signed Argentinian Alex Sabella. It might seem run of the mill now, but back then it added a massive glamour to the fixture. Spurs had just 'scooped the world', as the headlines put it, by signing Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa, two members of the Argentine World Cup winning squad. Sheffield United also wanted an Argie - they tried to sign 17 year old Diego Maradona, but when he proved too pricey, they settled for Sabella. 

 

United won 1-0 at Filbert Street that day, but Sabella's presence couldn't prevent the club sliding down the table. Come May they were heading for Division Three for the first time in their history - unless they could get that improbable nine goal victory against Leicester, which would take them above Charlton and out of the bottom three.

 

Mark Wallington in goal that day was 26, but the average age of the outfield players was under 20. Including 16 year old sub Dave Buchanan, the line up had seven players in their teens. This was the side:

 

Mark Wallington	26
Everton Carr	18
Tommy Williams	21
Larry May	20
John O'Neill	21
Andy Peake	17
Mark Goodwin	19
Mick Duffy	17
Alan Lee	18
Gary Lineker	18
Martin Henderson	23

Substitute:

Dave Buchanan

16

 

But that's where the similarities to Scunthorpe end. It may have been our youngest ever team, but Jock Wallace would never have let them on the park if he'd had doubts about either their attitude or their ability. Charlton fans could relax. The game finished 2-2, with City's goals from Andy Peake and Mick Duffy. Sheffield United were down. 

 

The maturity of the City performance stood in contrast to the behaviour of the United fans, who invaded the pitch before the end of the game, with City striker Alan Lee getting a kick in the back from one thug. When play resumed, a clash between Everton Carr and United's Mick Speight led to the Leicester man being sent off, very harshly according to match reports.

 

City themselves had been in relegation trouble until only a couple of weeks before - then Gary Lineker scored his first ever goal in a 1-0 win at Notts County.

 

You can see Gary in this photo of the City youth squad from that season - along with the other six teenagers who played in that game in Sheffield:

 

 

 

Edited 10 May 2022 by kushiro

[He aint bald]

I was surley there but if not, was in earshot of the mighty roar. I only remember one pitch invasion under Jock Wallace and that was the season after...... we won the league.....

 

Despite some snotty remarks in one of the kit threads, that is a proper Leicester kit. No generic we look like a knock off Chelsea or Everton there.

 

Mind you, a bit suspect that photo, did you cut and paste it in a scrapbook? 

 

EDIT. tricky cutting aroung those heads, how did you not crease or bend the necks?

another edit.  it was away....... wasnt there for that one nor in ear shot

Edited 10 May 2022 by He aint bald

[Webbo]

I remember the team being called Jocks Babes at the time. Which was strange because I was even younger.

[Foxesmints]

I pretty much went to all games in this period, but for the life of me can't remember Alan Lee.

[TrentFox]

I bloody loved that team. What a superb set of names/memories. Great days. 

[TrentFox]

28 minutes ago, Foxesmints said:

I pretty much went to all games in this period, but for the life of me can't remember Alan Lee.

Me too. Blonde striker? Played wide I think. Wasn’t he the one that got beaten up by a Sheff fan that game??? 🤔

[kushiro]

8 hours ago, He aint bald said:

I was surley there but if not, was in earshot of the mighty roar. I only remember one pitch invasion under Jock Wallace and that was the season after...... we won the league.....

 

Despite some snotty remarks in one of the kit threads, that is a proper Leicester kit. No generic we look like a knock off Chelsea or Everton there.

 

Mind you, a bit suspect that photo, did you cut and paste it in a scrapbook? 

 

EDIT. tricky cutting aroung those heads, how did you not crease or bend the necks?

 

I'm not that clever! That's just the way it appeared in the programme:

 

[worth_the_wait]

13 hours ago, kushiro said:

On May 8th 1979, Sheffield United needed to win 9-0 at home to Leicester City to stay in Division Two. An impossible task, surely - but United may have allowed themselves a flicker of optimism when they saw the Leicester team sheet - for it included seven teenagers. Jock Wallace fielded what was then, and still remains, the youngest side ever to take the field in a senior City fixture.

It's funny how the memory plays tricks on you as the years go by.   

 

I would have sworn that Sheff Utd "only" had to beat us by 7 goals to go above Charlton Athletic.   But I checked, and you are right.   It was 9.   Charlton's goal difference was 8 better, and they had scored 10 goals more.

 

There was another potential part to the equation that I had totally forgotten ... and that was Sheff Utd actually had a 2nd route to staying up.

If they had beaten us by 1 goal, they would've stayed up if Oldham Athletic then lost their 2 remaining games in hand (home to Millwall and Burnley) which were to be played some days later.    

 

There was a good chance that Oldham would get at least a point from those 2 games, so I don't think Sheff Utd were holding out too much hope of success from that avenue.   But it was an option.   and as I say, one that I had completely forgotten about.

 

As it happens, it was a draw and so Sheff Utd were down.   So the Oldham fixtures never became relevant.

[kushiro]

7 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

It's funny how the memory plays tricks on you as the years go by.   

 

I would have sworn that Sheff Utd "only" had to beat us by 7 goals to go above Charlton Athletic.   But I checked, and you are right.   It was 9.   Charlton's goal difference was 8 better, and they had scored 10 goals more.

 

There was another potential part to the equation that I had totally forgotten ... and that was Sheff Utd actually had a 2nd route to staying up.

If they had beaten us by 1 goal, they would've stayed up if Oldham Athletic then lost their 2 remaining games in hand (home to Millwall and Burnley) which were to be played some days later.    

 

There was a good chance that Oldham would get at least a point from those 2 games, so I don't think Sheff Utd were holding out too much hope of success from that avenue.   But it was an option.   and as I say, one that I had completely forgotten about.

 

As it happens, it was a draw and so Sheff Utd were down.   So the Oldham fixtures never became relevant.

 

You're doing well to remember that much forty years on.

 

Yeah - thanks for pointing out that Oldham situation. There was another unlikely possibility - that even had United beaten us 9-0 they could have gone down - if Millwall, who had loads of games in hand for some reason, had won most of those to move clear of the drop zone.  But they couldn't manage it. 

[worth_the_wait]

20 minutes ago, kushiro said:

 

You're doing well to remember that much forty years on.

 

Yeah - thanks for pointing out that Oldham situation. There was another unlikely possibility - that even had United beaten us 9-0 they could have gone down - if Millwall, who had loads of games in hand for some reason, had won most of those to move clear of the drop zone.  But they couldn't manage it. 

Oh yes, that's right, Millwall were still in the equation.  Albeit, an unlikely set of results would've been needed.

 

Millwall had 4 additional games in hand over sheff utd.   If sheff utd had won 9-0, millwall could've overtaken them with 4 wins and a draw, from their last 5 games.  Interestingly  the first of their extra games in hand was against Oldham ... who were also in the mix.

 

Not sure why Millwall had 5 games left after the last Saturday.  But might've been extra postponements they suffered as the Old Den pitch was terrible and prone to waterlogging.

 

Remember it all like it was yesterday.  I couldn't make sheff utd away, as it was a school night.   But i had a couple of mates who went up.  They said it was a bit hairy  and the locals were not happy bunnies.   Extra tensions as there were sheff wed fans in the Leicester end taunting United fans.  The City coaches got bricked after the match.  The good old days!

Edited 10 May 2022 by worth_the_wait

[1972 Fox]

7 hours ago, Foxesmints said:

I pretty much went to all games in this period, but for the life of me can't remember Alan Lee.

 

6 hours ago, TrentFox said:

Me too. Blonde striker? Played wide I think. Wasn’t he the one that got beaten up by a Sheff fan that game??? 🤔

Ginger winger IIRC. Never quite made the grade and soon disappeared.

[kushiro]

13 hours ago, worth_the_wait said:

Remember it all like it was yesterday.  I couldn't make sheff utd away, as it was a school night.   But i had a couple of mates who went up.  They said it was a bit hairy  and the locals were not happy bunnies.   Extra tensions as there were sheff wed fans in the Leicester end taunting United fans.  The City coaches got bricked after the match.  The good old days!

Interesting you mention Wednesday - 1978/79 was a real Sheffield sandwich for Leicester - with those games against United at the start and finish of the season, and in the middle three layers of Wednesday at Filbert Street - that wonderful FA Cup replay marathon with Third Division Wednesday eventually falling to Arsenal. 

 

I used to have a paper round at that time and couldn't see Saturday games. Midweek games were different - and those three replays were the highlight of my season.

 

And here's another picture of the Leicester youth team of that season - from the programme for the Sheffield United game way back in August after they'd won a pre-season tournament. It might be the first ever photo of Lineker in the City programme: