Brian Hill (2 Viewers)

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
We used to collect autographs wait at the Main Stand and pick off the players as they walked up King Richard Street, strangely Brian Hill would never sign he would break into a jog to get by but yes he was a very good player all the same
 

covroy

Member
Passed away aged 75 years. Hill Curtis Farmer, what a fantastic mid-field. One of the all time greats from the Jimmy Hill era. Not many now will remember him, but I do. A brilliant player who should have played for England.
under rated player who was as steady as a rock and boy did he have a shot on him
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
RIP Mr Hill, a fabulous wing half, & had he been with a more glamorous club he would have played for England.
Wesson Sillett Kearns Hill Curtis Farmer Humphries Barr Bly Whitehouse Rees - Top Team thank you JH
Five of that team went on to play in top division incredible really can add Dietmar Bruck to those too. If we could add Willie Humphries and Ronnie Rees to our present squad we would fly to the top slot.
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
Used to be numbers 6 and 4 Number 6 was normally the defensive one who partnered the centre half and number 4 the attacker and ball winner who would link up with the number 10, the inside left. Centre midfield didn't really exist because teams played with two out and out wingers
 

phildownunder

Well-Known Member
Another link gone from my teenage years following the sky blues.
Brian Hill was to some extent an unsung hero of the JH era. While the likes of Hudson, Humphries and Rees were tearing up the opposition Brian Hill along with George Curtis was taking care of the less glamorous work at the back. He went about his work with the minimum of fuss and it was easy to overlook his contribution, but he was as steady as a rock. Few forwards got the better of him and his contribution was an important part of city`s success.
I believe he started out as an inside forward and I remember being told by my dad that he wasn`t very good in that role. Somewhere along the line he switched to a defensive role (whether JH was behind this or not I don`t know) and that was the making of him. He was one of those who made the transition to Div 1 but injuries held him back and he played fewer games than he could have because of this.
 

Bob Latchford

Well-Known Member
Before my time but , R.I.P sir !
 

georgehudson

Well-Known Member
I'd also add, a great thanks to DHR (Derrick Robbins) for his belief, & financial trust, as owner of CCFC,
& faith in JH to bring & retain players like Brian Hill @ our club,
& I emphasise OUR CLUB,
PUSB
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
Is a wing half centre midfield? Or a winger?
Nick - these scans of programmes from 1966 will show you how the numbers 1-11 were theoretically lined up for decades. I was quite young in 1966 - and still am :) - but at the time I think I imagined that teams pretty much set out in the formation you see here. But Rupert (in post #12) is obviously even more ancient and remembers it better.

Rupert, would I be right in saying that we're almost talking about a 3-2-5 formation, with the centre half (5) marking their centre forward (9), and the two full backs (2 & 3) on the wingers (7 & 11). There was no concept of "midfield" as such, but the two inside forwards (8 & 10) would often play very slightly behind the centre forward, with the other team's half backs (4 & 6) marking them? Interesting that in these 2 games Brian Hill actually played at both 4 and 6, so swopped sides.

I just went and found these programmes in the loft, and I hope they give those of you who weren't there a glimpse of what it was like. Although it's a cliche, they brought it all back as if it was yesterday instead of 50 years. I can still feel the handle of the wooden rattle in my hand, and how hard you had to swing it to get the right sound for "Glad All Over". At that age, and in those exciting times you had to get there the best part of 2 hours before kick off and stand on your wooden box against the wall at the front of the Spion Kop, so you'd be able to see. It never felt boring - each minute inside Highfield Road in that era was pure magic, even when you were waiting for the game.

Brian, thanks for the brilliant times. That team was the best thing ever, and you were in it.
 

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Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
I remember watching him play in many games. Us older ones can recall some great names from the past. Brian Hill was one of them. RIP Brian. :(
 

covroy

Member
Nick - these scans of programmes from 1966 will show you how the numbers 1-11 were theoretically lined up for decades. I was quite young in 1966 - and still am :) - but at the time I think I imagined that teams pretty much set out in the formation you see here. But Rupert (in post #12) is obviously even more ancient and remembers it better.

Rupert, would I be right in saying that we're almost talking about a 3-2-5 formation, with the centre half (5) marking their centre forward (9), and the two full backs (2 & 3) on the wingers (7 & 11). There was no concept of "midfield" as such, but the two inside forwards (8 & 10) would often play very slightly behind the centre forward, with the other team's half backs (4 & 6) marking them? Interesting that in these 2 games Brian Hill actually played at both 4 and 6, so swopped sides.

I just went and found these programmes in the loft, and I hope they give those of you who weren't there a glimpse of what it was like. Although it's a cliche, they brought it all back as if it was yesterday instead of 50 years. I can still feel the handle of the wooden rattle in my hand, and how hard you had to swing it to get the right sound for "Glad All Over". At that age, and in those exciting times you had to get there the best part of 2 hours before kick off and stand on your wooden box against the wall at the front of the Spion Kop, so you'd be able to see. It never felt boring - each minute inside Highfield Road in that era was pure magic, even when you were waiting for the game.

Brian, thanks for the brilliant times. That team was the best thing ever, and you were in it.
 

covroy

Member
Nick - these scans of programmes from 1966 will show you how the numbers 1-11 were theoretically lined up for decades. I was quite young in 1966 - and still am :) - but at the time I think I imagined that teams pretty much set out in the formation you see here. But Rupert (in post #12) is obviously even more ancient and remembers it better.

Rupert, would I be right in saying that we're almost talking about a 3-2-5 formation, with the centre half (5) marking their centre forward (9), and the two full backs (2 & 3) on the wingers (7 & 11). There was no concept of "midfield" as such, but the two inside forwards (8 & 10) would often play very slightly behind the centre forward, with the other team's half backs (4 & 6) marking them? Interesting that in these 2 games Brian Hill actually played at both 4 and 6, so swopped sides.

I just went and found these programmes in the loft, and I hope they give those of you who weren't there a glimpse of what it was like. Although it's a cliche, they brought it all back as if it was yesterday instead of 50 years. I can still feel the handle of the wooden rattle in my hand, and how hard you had to swing it to get the right sound for "Glad All Over". At that age, and in those exciting times you had to get there the best part of 2 hours before kick off and stand on your wooden box against the wall at the front of the Spion Kop, so you'd be able to see. It never felt boring - each minute inside Highfield Road in that era was pure magic, even when you were waiting for the game.

Brian, thanks for the brilliant times. That team was the best thing ever, and you were in it.
thanks for the old programme insets i was at the games but don't really remember them.....so young and just messed about with mates at half time etc
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
Brian Hill was a bit unlucky with injuries each time he seemed to get established he got hurt so we had players like Jimmy Whitehouse, John Smith, Ian Gibson and Brian Lewis coming in along with first team regular Ronnie Farmer Hill struggled to become what we would call a regular and remember no substitutes until about 1967 I think. Jimmy Hill loved his wingers and always played two, Ronnie Rees was there almost from the start of the JH era and we had Willie Humphries, Dave Clements, John Key so it only left the two midfield slots.
 

Nick

Administrator
Nick - these scans of programmes from 1966 will show you how the numbers 1-11 were theoretically lined up for decades. I was quite young in 1966 - and still am :) - but at the time I think I imagined that teams pretty much set out in the formation you see here. But Rupert (in post #12) is obviously even more ancient and remembers it better.

Rupert, would I be right in saying that we're almost talking about a 3-2-5 formation, with the centre half (5) marking their centre forward (9), and the two full backs (2 & 3) on the wingers (7 & 11). There was no concept of "midfield" as such, but the two inside forwards (8 & 10) would often play very slightly behind the centre forward, with the other team's half backs (4 & 6) marking them? Interesting that in these 2 games Brian Hill actually played at both 4 and 6, so swopped sides.

I just went and found these programmes in the loft, and I hope they give those of you who weren't there a glimpse of what it was like. Although it's a cliche, they brought it all back as if it was yesterday instead of 50 years. I can still feel the handle of the wooden rattle in my hand, and how hard you had to swing it to get the right sound for "Glad All Over". At that age, and in those exciting times you had to get there the best part of 2 hours before kick off and stand on your wooden box against the wall at the front of the Spion Kop, so you'd be able to see. It never felt boring - each minute inside Highfield Road in that era was pure magic, even when you were waiting for the game.

Brian, thanks for the brilliant times. That team was the best thing ever, and you were in it.

No wonder football was entertaining when it was all about attackers!

Did every team play the same formation?
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
No wonder football was entertaining when it was all about attackers!
Did every team play the same formation?

I’m no expert, but I think the formations (at least in this country) were pretty much adhered to by everyone until the 1960’s. Players didn’t have squad numbers – you wore the shirt number for the position you were playing on the field that day. No. 7 was on the right wing, he was marked by the opposition’s No. 3 (left back), and that was that!

As JH alluded to in his programme notes, less adventurous formations like 4-3-3 seemed to come in around the time of the 1966 World Cup (Alf Ramsey among the first, if not the first to play like that I think).
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
I’m no expert, but I think the formations (at least in this country) were pretty much adhered to by everyone until the 1960’s. Players didn’t have squad numbers – you wore the shirt number for the position you were playing on the field that day. No. 7 was on the right wing, he was marked by the opposition’s No. 3 (left back), and that was that!

As JH alluded to in his programme notes, less adventurous formations like 4-3-3 seemed to come in around the time of the 1966 World Cup (Alf Ramsey among the first, if not the first to play like that I think).
And to think we played pretty much 4-2-4
for the first 10 games last season.
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Always on the team sheet and hardly ever made a mistake. Rock solid, reliable player. As was most of our team in those days.
 

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