Fifty Years Ago Today- Something Amazing Happened! (2 Viewers)

Irish Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
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Fifty years ago today "The Midlands match of the century" as Jimmy Hill called it , took place at Highfield Road. What a day and what a game! The official attendance was 51400 but no one knows how many were really there as some of the gates, closed half a hour before kick of, were broken down and thousands more got in for free! Fans were everywhere. on the roof of the West End terrace, on top of the tea bars, up the floodlight pylons and sitting all around the perimeter of the pitch. There must have been thousands of Wolves fans there but in those days there was no segregation. City fans and Wolves fans all watching the game together.
My dad got me up early that morning as he had to work a morning overtime shift at the GEC in Stoke and I wanted to get a free rosette which the Telegraph was giving away with the paper that day. I went with him on the No 11 bus from Binley Village and while he carried on to work, I got off at the newsagents at the Craven Arms on Binley Road to get the paper. The rosette was a garish affair, basically a sky blue piece of card! I thought it was great however.
As soon as my dad got in from work, off we went again on the bus, getting off at Gosford Green, across the park and into the West End on the Thackall Street side. We only just made it before they shut the gates.
Both teams were already promoted but the title was still up for grabs. City came back from a goal down at half time to win with 3 second half goals. After the first two, there were huge pitch invasions. The referee issued a warning that if there were any more, he would abandon the game. Legend has it that when City scored their third no one ran onto the pitch. However this is not quite true as from our vantage point on the West Terrace we could see one lad who did run onto the field. However, he quickly retreated when no one followed.
This is a day I will never forget. it was part of an era when it felt that our club was on the verge of greatness and that there really wasn't anything that we could not have achieved. If JH had stayed, who knows what we would have gone on to win. I think that instead of one FA Cup in 87 we would be looking back on a catalogue of triumphs.
 

JAM See

Well-Known Member
My dad was landlord of the Sydenham Palace at the time. He locked up at ten to three and jumped the fence. Wonderful day as he remembered it.
 

aloisiwouldhavescored

Well-Known Member
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Wonderful memories for me and especially sad when you see where we are today. PUSB.

Fifty years ago today "The Midlands match of the century" as Jimmy Hill called it , took place at Highfield Road. What a day and what a game! The official attendance was 51400 but no one knows how many were really there as some of the gates, closed half a hour before kick of, were broken down and thousands more got in for free! Fans were everywhere. on the roof of the West End terrace, on top of the tea bars, up the floodlight pylons and sitting all around the perimeter of the pitch. There must have been thousands of Wolves fans there but in those days there was no segregation. City fans and Wolves fans all watching the game together.
My dad got me up early that morning as he had to work a morning overtime shift at the GEC in Stoke and I wanted to get a free rosette which the Telegraph was giving away with the paper that day. I went with him on the No 11 bus from Binley Village and while he carried on to work, I got off at the newsagents at the Craven Arms on Binley Road to get the paper. The rosette was a garish affair, basically a sky blue piece of card! I thought it was great however.
As soon as my dad got in from work, off we went again on the bus, getting off at Gosford Green, across the park and into the West End on the Thackall Street side. We only just made it before they shut the gates.
Both teams were already promoted but the title was still up for grabs. City came back from a goal down at half time to win with 3 second half goals. After the first two, there were huge pitch invasions. The referee issued a warning that if there were any more, he would abandon the game. Legend has it that when City scored their third no one ran onto the pitch. However this is not quite true as from our vantage point on the West Terrace we could see one lad who did run onto the field. However, he quickly retreated when no one followed.
This is a day I will never forget. it was part of an era when it felt that our club was on the verge of greatness and that there really wasn't anything that we could not have achieved. If JH had stayed, who knows what we would have gone on to win. I think that instead of one FA Cup in 87 we would be looking back on a catalogue of triumphs.
1967-wolves-crowd-w400.jpg
JS32584146-Medium.jpg


Fifty years ago today "The Midlands match of the century" as Jimmy Hill called it , took place at Highfield Road. What a day and what a game! The official attendance was 51400 but no one knows how many were really there as some of the gates, closed half a hour before kick of, were broken down and thousands more got in for free! Fans were everywhere. on the roof of the West End terrace, on top of the tea bars, up the floodlight pylons and sitting all around the perimeter of the pitch. There must have been thousands of Wolves fans there but in those days there was no segregation. City fans and Wolves fans all watching the game together.
My dad got me up early that morning as he had to work a morning overtime shift at the GEC in Stoke and I wanted to get a free rosette which the Telegraph was giving away with the paper that day. I went with him on the No 11 bus from Binley Village and while he carried on to work, I got off at the newsagents at the Craven Arms on Binley Road to get the paper. The rosette was a garish affair, basically a sky blue piece of card! I thought it was great however.
As soon as my dad got in from work, off we went again on the bus, getting off at Gosford Green, across the park and into the West End on the Thackall Street side. We only just made it before they shut the gates.
Both teams were already promoted but the title was still up for grabs. City came back from a goal down at half time to win with 3 second half goals. After the first two, there were huge pitch invasions. The referee issued a warning that if there were any more, he would abandon the game. Legend has it that when City scored their third no one ran onto the pitch. However this is not quite true as from our vantage point on the West Terrace we could see one lad who did run onto the field. However, he quickly retreated when no one followed.
This is a day I will never forget. it was part of an era when it felt that our club was on the verge of greatness and that there really wasn't anything that we could not have achieved. If JH had stayed, who knows what we would have gone on to win. I think that instead of one FA Cup in 87 we would be looking back on a catalogue of triumphs.
 

Voice_of_Reason

Well-Known Member
1967-wolves-crowd-w400.jpg
JS32584146-Medium.jpg


Fifty years ago today "The Midlands match of the century" as Jimmy Hill called it , took place at Highfield Road. What a day and what a game! The official attendance was 51400 but no one knows how many were really there as some of the gates, closed half a hour before kick of, were broken down and thousands more got in for free! Fans were everywhere. on the roof of the West End terrace, on top of the tea bars, up the floodlight pylons and sitting all around the perimeter of the pitch. There must have been thousands of Wolves fans there but in those days there was no segregation. City fans and Wolves fans all watching the game together.
My dad got me up early that morning as he had to work a morning overtime shift at the GEC in Stoke and I wanted to get a free rosette which the Telegraph was giving away with the paper that day. I went with him on the No 11 bus from Binley Village and while he carried on to work, I got off at the newsagents at the Craven Arms on Binley Road to get the paper. The rosette was a garish affair, basically a sky blue piece of card! I thought it was great however.
As soon as my dad got in from work, off we went again on the bus, getting off at Gosford Green, across the park and into the West End on the Thackall Street side. We only just made it before they shut the gates.
Both teams were already promoted but the title was still up for grabs. City came back from a goal down at half time to win with 3 second half goals. After the first two, there were huge pitch invasions. The referee issued a warning that if there were any more, he would abandon the game. Legend has it that when City scored their third no one ran onto the pitch. However this is not quite true as from our vantage point on the West Terrace we could see one lad who did run onto the field. However, he quickly retreated when no one followed.
This is a day I will never forget. it was part of an era when it felt that our club was on the verge of greatness and that there really wasn't anything that we could not have achieved. If JH had stayed, who knows what we would have gone on to win. I think that instead of one FA Cup in 87 we would be looking back on a catalogue of triumphs.
I was there! Fantastic!
 

Houchens Head

Fairly well known member from Malvern
I remember that day so well! I was in the old Spion Kop end and as it gradually filled up to crushing point, I was picked up by some big blokes and carried down to the white wall then down to the touchline to sit on the grass! I was 14 at the time. I'm probably somewhere in the picture above, but can't make myself out. My best day ever at a City game!
 

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
I was at that game with my Dad. The crowds were actually very scary. From a safety standpoint it was a disaster waiting to happen, but thankfully did not.
Everyone was filled with euphoria at the win but I never considered us to be 'on the verge of greatness'. We were just glad to be moving to the top division, but I don't think anyone was under the illusion that it would not be very tough up there. We just wanted to see the top teams visiting us every couple of weeks, and that's what we were looking forward to, not more trophies.
 

Irish Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I was at that game with my Dad. The crowds were actually very scary. From a safety standpoint it was a disaster waiting to happen, but thankfully did not.
Everyone was filled with euphoria at the win but I never considered us to be 'on the verge of greatness'. We were just glad to be moving to the top division, but I don't think anyone was under the illusion that it would not be very tough up there. We just wanted to see the top teams visiting us every couple of weeks, and that's what we were looking forward to, not more trophies.
With JH anything was possible. It was also a time when any team in the top flight could win the league, Ipswich and Derby for example.
 

olderskyblue

Well-Known Member
Was there with a few school mates. In the ground at least 90 minutes early, against the wall in the west end. Eventually got moved by coppers onto the grass, and watched the game from there.
 

olderskyblue

Well-Known Member
It was the covered end and as a lad it had a reputation probably in my head but it scared me that's why I went in the kip till much later

It wasn't called the "kip" then.... ;)

I remember going up a couple of years after that match, and it being the west end... A skinhead from Cally was always there fighting the oppo fans...
 

COVKIDSNEVERQUIT

Well-Known Member
1967-wolves-crowd-w400.jpg
JS32584146-Medium.jpg


Fifty years ago today "The Midlands match of the century" as Jimmy Hill called it , took place at Highfield Road. What a day and what a game! The official attendance was 51400 but no one knows how many were really there as some of the gates, closed half a hour before kick of, were broken down and thousands more got in for free! Fans were everywhere. on the roof of the West End terrace, on top of the tea bars, up the floodlight pylons and sitting all around the perimeter of the pitch. There must have been thousands of Wolves fans there but in those days there was no segregation. City fans and Wolves fans all watching the game together.
My dad got me up early that morning as he had to work a morning overtime shift at the GEC in Stoke and I wanted to get a free rosette which the Telegraph was giving away with the paper that day. I went with him on the No 11 bus from Binley Village and while he carried on to work, I got off at the newsagents at the Craven Arms on Binley Road to get the paper. The rosette was a garish affair, basically a sky blue piece of card! I thought it was great however.
As soon as my dad got in from work, off we went again on the bus, getting off at Gosford Green, across the park and into the West End on the Thackall Street side. We only just made it before they shut the gates.
Both teams were already promoted but the title was still up for grabs. City came back from a goal down at half time to win with 3 second half goals. After the first two, there were huge pitch invasions. The referee issued a warning that if there were any more, he would abandon the game. Legend has it that when City scored their third no one ran onto the pitch. However this is not quite true as from our vantage point on the West Terrace we could see one lad who did run onto the field. However, he quickly retreated when no one followed.
This is a day I will never forget. it was part of an era when it felt that our club was on the verge of greatness and that there really wasn't anything that we could not have achieved. If JH had stayed, who knows what we would have gone on to win. I think that instead of one FA Cup in 87 we would be looking back on a catalogue of triumphs.
I was lucky enough to be there as a 15 year old lad and at the 87 cup final .
The way things are going that's all that will be left , MEMORIES .
 

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