BAYERN MUNICH BLUES - I Remember It Well (7 Viewers)

It was 1970 and believe it or not CCFC were actually in a European competition - it was called the EUROPEAN FAIRS CUP at the time (probably equivalent to the current Europa League Cup as of today)

To qualify our beloved club finished 6th (yes 6th from the top) of the then First Division under the management of Noel Cantwell accumulating in that season 10 away wins on the way !!!

Anyway the first round saw us drawn against Trakia Plovdiv (A) where we won comfortably 4-1 (John O'Rourke 3) and also won the home leg 2-1.

The next round draw was just unbelievable as we were drawn against the mighty BAYERN MUNICH - I never thought CCFC and Bayern Munich could crop up in the same sentence !!!

The dream was short lived however with our then brilliant keeper Bill Glazier taken ill just before the game and young Eric McManus deputising and we were slaughtered 6-1.

So realistically we were well out of the tournament but the interest in actually playing THE Bayern Munich at home still caused a stir with 26,033 fans turning out that night of 3rd November 1970.

What happened to me next was just one of many misdemeanour's / clumsiness / faux pas that has accompanied me throughout my life.

It was halftime, we were 1-0 up thanks to Neil Martin (35) and I needed to go to the Gents - that Brew 11 used to go right through me.

On the way out of the Gents in a rush to get back I slipped down the steps went headlong in a heap and broke my frigging ankle !!!
- managed to get back to my seat in absolute agony determined to watch the remainder of the game - we eventually "won" 2-1 John O'Rourke (81)

My brother then carted me off to Cov & Warwickshire Hospital where I was put in plaster for eight weeks.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS

PUSB

cloughie said:

nothing really changes , still one for putting your foot in it, so to speak johnnie boy

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Nice one Cloughy - no lager for you tonight !!!

PUSB

sky_blue_up_north said:

Happy days, think Bayern had Muller, Beckenbaur etc in the side that night as welll....

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CCFC

Glazier
Coop
Smith
Mortimer
Blockley
Hill
Hunt
Carr
Martin
O'Rourke
Clements

Bayern Munich

Maier
Koppenhofer
Beckenbaur
Schwarzenbeck
Pumm
Zobel
Mrosko
Hoeness
Muller
Brenninger

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wingy said:

Great memories JR can't remember going to that game but what colour kit were they playing in ,i know i went to some game that season against someone in a maroon kit ,could have been a scottish team ,makes you wonder what Glazier could have done.hope that old ankle injury don't play you up now you're of a certain age .

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That particular injury followed on from another injury suffered whilst on holiday in LLoret De Mar in June of that year to the same ankle - I'd just about finished physio on that one when I did the Bayern Munich swan(lane) dive.

As mentioned I have a legacy of injuries and mishaps over the years - I will reveal some of them in due course.

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swanageskyblue said:

I was there that night, freezing cold and a bitter-sweet occasion, as we were playing the best club team in Europe but there was nothing but pride at stake after the first-leg thrashing.

I recall all our players well except I have a mental block on Hill - who was he, anyone know?

Neil Martin is an interesting one to recall - he was hopeless when he first joined from Sunderland, missing sitters, could not score for love or money, eventually took some stick from fans, then started scoring for fun and formed a great partnership with John O'Rourke, who is one of my all-time favourite City players. So let's not give up on Cody McDonald yet - he might be the new Neil Martin!

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"Hill" was in fact BRIAN HILL - only played 5 league games that season - renowned for his man marking ability - end of his career by then.

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Yes Snoz, Brian was one of these players with few histrionics - loved playing football and was exceedingly good at it particularly when applying himself as a limpet to opposing forwards.

He played 278 games scoring 8 goals in all four divisions for CCFC and then went on to play for Bristol City and Torquay until he retired.

When Brian finished playing top flight football he ended up working on the track at Jaguar Cars @ Browns Lane for 18 years - working there at the same time I often spoke to Brian about his career - great guy unassuming and happy with his lot.

WELL PLAYED BRIAN

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The Reverend Skyblue said:

Nice thread, i'm an oldie,well 48,and was there that night with my Dad and is one of my earliest memories of watching the skyblues.
To beat a team like Bayern must be one of Cov's greatest performances, but what i remember most is Bayerns goal,who scored it i can't remember, but it was an absolute bullet from 25 yards. It flew into the top right hand corner, and i clearly remember Glazier flying seemingly forever through the air, in an attempt to save it,he seemed to be flying in slow motion, and is one of the best goals i've seen at HR. I'd also add that my Dad behaved himself on this very rare occasion, and did'nt want to fight the nearest opposing fan, which also makes it stick out memory wise
Strange memories but i thought i'd share.
Some posters have said that we will never grace Europe again, but we would have done in 87/88 if English fans had'nt been banned after Heysal, so there is hope but probably won't happen soon,but you never know, i thought i'd never see Stoke/Fulham/Middlesborough in Europe.

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HOENESS scored in 63rd minute

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