74/75 title bid?

[rochdaleblue]

Just looking through the league tables of the 1970s, I didn't realise how close we were to winning the title that season. We finished 3 points off the top. Looking at the stats we won 10 at home but drew 9 games (42 game season).
Does any of our older members remember anything of this season. The table suggests we were close, but where we ever really in contention and what cost us the title in their opinion e.g. Lack of squad depth, injuries etc.

 

[jaycee]

We should have won the league,when you see the games we lost and i think we were a decent keeper away
from a very good side

 

[Dario Terracotta]

Three games cost us v two relegated sides,Carlisle,home and away,Luton away,zero points,a win and a draw would have probably done it on goal average as it was back then!!,but then thats Everton for you,doh!

 

[rochdaleblue]

74/74 was Slightly before my time, I remember the great wins of 77/78 season. 6-0 over Coventry and Chelsea at goodison and 5-1 away wins at qpr and Leicester. So I guess the core of that attacking team was present 2 years earlier, who was in goal for us when we narrowly lost the league. George wood was in goal in 77/78 but I never really had complete confidence in him, I guess we never really replaced Gordon west. As I can't remember any decent keepers in the late 70s till early 80s prior to southall, in goal for us.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

74/74 was Slightly before my time, I remember the great wins of 77/78 season. 6-0 over Coventry and Chelsea at goodison and 5-1 away wins at qpr and Leicester. So I guess the core of that attacking team was present 2 years earlier, who was in goal for us when we narrowly lost the league. George wood was in goal in 77/78 but I never really had complete confidence in him, I guess we never really replaced Gordon west. As I can't remember any decent keepers in the late 70s till early 80s prior to southall, in goal for us.

Georgie was decent,but we missed the boat with Shilton,would have made a hell of a difference at that particular time IMHO.

 

[glorydaze]

I remember hoping we could win it rather than believing we would, seemed to be something missing but can't recall what. Lost stupid home games towards the end, Carlisle, Luton and Sheffield Utd.

 

[rochdaleblue]

Three games cost us v two relegated sides,Carlisle,home and away,Luton away,zero points,a win and a draw would have probably done it on goal average as it was back then!!,but then thats Everton for you,doh!

Wow. Beaten home and away by Carlisle, but just seen we beat the eventual champions (derby) at the baseball ground. Could only happens to everton I guess.

 

[Azzurri]

Think I read somewhere that Carlisle are the only team who've been in the top flight that we've never beaten.

 

[Dario Terracotta]

I recall that season vaguely as I was only very young,we drew far too many games we should have won also,got hammered by the press every time we played down in london,the "Clockwork Orange"they knew us as in relation to our amber away kit and perceived negative style under Bingham,this is bringing back some nightmares for me!!2-0 up at home to both Carlisle and Sheff Utd,those two games alone would have won it for us!!

 

[nigelcoyb]

I went to every home game and a handful of aways and contrary to others I didn't see us as serious challengers and neither did my mates.

It was a bit like Benitez 2nd with Liverpool the numbers and league position suggest contenders and plenty of kopites retrospectively claim it was so. In reality they never had a sniff. That's my recollection of our 74/75 season.

 

[Groucho]

My dad would never sit in seats 74/75 of any stand in Goodison as a result.

Said it was bad luck - the one time I remember we did, it was against
Man Utd and Kanchelskis got injured and we lost 3-2 after playing brilliantly.

Actually, further to this, this song was played over the tannoy, over and over again prior to the same match. Funny what you remember.


Funny the superstitions of football fans. But yeah, I always think it would've been great if only for Bon Latchford winking the league with us. Sadly he won nothing. Still great though.

 

[davidkershaw]

We got stuffed home and away by poxy Carlisle and blew it

 

[joe harper]

I went to every home game and a handful of aways and contrary to others I didn't see us as serious challengers and neither did my mates.

It was a bit like Benitez 2nd with Liverpool the numbers and league position suggest contenders and plenty of kopites retrospectively claim it was so. In reality they never had a sniff. That's my recollection of our 74/75 season.

this is mainly true, 77 78 is the year we fuked up, newcastle leeds and man u we beat in the space of 5 days late on in the season and still chucked it away

 

[paultheblue]

I remember hoping we could win it rather than believing we would, seemed to be something missing but can't recall what. Lost stupid home games towards the end, Carlisle, Luton and Sheffield Utd.

We were 4/6 on at one stage to win the title so we were serious contenders but as others have said we were lacking something,we didn't score enough goals and probably conceded to many.We ended the season in fourth place and for those younger fans who think Man Utd have always been the big cheese they were in the old second division.

 

[allezlesbleus]

We absolutely threw it away lads. Very open season throughout but we had got ourselves into absolute pole position by Easter without us or anyone being consistently outstanding. The team was light years off the 1969-70 team but it did not matter because we had just done enough to get one hand on trophy..... Carlisle fgs twice and 2-0 up vs sheffield Utd .... Plus Luton away. Bingham. Too cautious in vital games near the end but we were so brittle mentally, no bottle, literally collapsed.