under rated player who was as steady as a rock and boy did he have a shot on himPassed 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.
if only we could wind the clock backRIP 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.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
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 amIs a wing half centre midfield? Or a winger?
I remember him vaguely, but I always thought he was a centre half so that shows how much I saw of him.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.
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 etcNick - 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.
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?
And to think we played pretty much 4-2-4I’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).
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