The Clarets Collapse of 1962

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Claretforever
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The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Claretforever » Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:55 pm

I’m too young to have seen our team of the early 1960’s but, listening to people who watched us at the time, our team of 1961-62 was arguably better than the one which won the league title 2 years earlier.

We lost out in the league title race to recently promoted Ipswich by 3 points (2 points for a win), but our goal average was the best in the division at 1.507 as we scored over 100 goals, and although we were level on points with Ipwichgoing into the final 10 games we had 3 games in hand and a much better goal average.

We gained only 7 points from those 10 games. We also lost the FA Cup Final as we looked set at one point to win the double.

How disappointed were you at the time, and was the collapse expected based upon performances? It just seems like such a missed opportunity to get back into the European Cup, win a couple more major trophies, and be a real force in the mid-60’s.

ClaretTony
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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by ClaretTony » Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:22 pm

Claretforever wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 12:55 pm
I’m too young to have seen our team of the early 1960’s but, listening to people who watched us at the time, our team of 1961-62 was arguably better than the one which won the league title 2 years earlier.

We lost out in the league title race to recently promoted Ipswich by 3 points (2 points for a win), but our goal average was the best in the division at 1.507 as we scored over 100 goals, and although we were level on points with Ipwichgoing into the final 10 games we had 3 games in hand and a much better goal average.

We gained only 7 points from those 10 games. We also lost the FA Cup Final as we looked set at one point to win the double.

How disappointed were you at the time, and was the collapse expected based upon performances? It just seems like such a missed opportunity to get back into the European Cup, win a couple more major trophies, and be a real force in the mid-60’s.
Jimmy Mac always put it down to fatigue but by then he was not the player he’d been and was carrying an injury and missed a number of those last games.

When you look back it really was an opportunity missed.

Moving on four years, the team of 1965/66 ended the season in 3rd place but had won as many points as the title winning team.
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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by ClaretLoup » Wed Mar 31, 2021 1:57 pm

Heartbroken, my regular attendance coincided with the collapse, losing at home to Rovers and Man United wasn't nice either especially as they were both mid table with nothing to play for.

One major factor was playing 12 games from 31st March to April 30th, including 3 games in four days over Easter, this resulted in 6 goals in 10 games in the month of April, six in one game on March 3rd vs West Ham. This pile up was created by postponements due to international commitments and the Cup run, neither of which Ipswich had to contend with.

We would have won that league if Sean Dyche had been in charge as we would have gone out in the FA Cup in round 3 to QPR instead of lakin' 'em 6 -1

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Silkyskills1 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:27 pm

I was 10 years old at the end of the season. Too young to be devastated but definitely disappointed. I think we just 'ran out of steam and as the gap at the top closed frustration set in on and off the pitch. One particular game stands out for me and that was the home game v Blackburn played under lights on a Tuesday. To say we battered them is an understatement. They defended for the most part of 90 mind and on a breakaway in the first half a young player called Barrie Ratcliffe got their winner down at the Cricket j Field End. Never heard of him before or since but, believe me, it's stuck with me ever since. That for me was the game that confirmed our final destiny. Runners-up and Cup Finalists ....just not good enough. ;) ;)

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by tiger76 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:34 pm

This era was well before my time, but all the stuff I've read would suggest that we probably should have won more given the quality we possessed at this time, we often were competing in the top 2 or 3 in the league, and we reached a few FA Cup semi-finals as well during this period, our nemesis normally proved to be Tottenham, but 62 was a freak year that Ipswich won the league under Ramsay in their 1st season in the 1st division from memory.

Injuries undoubtedly were a major factor, as was the mass of games in such a short time frame, but yes this will always be looked back on with regret as we could have followed Spurs and won the double the season after they achieved this historic feat.

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by ClaretTony » Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:44 pm

Silkyskills1 wrote:
Wed Mar 31, 2021 3:27 pm
I was 10 years old at the end of the season. Too young to be devastated but definitely disappointed. I think we just 'ran out of steam and as the gap at the top closed frustration set in on and off the pitch. One particular game stands out for me and that was the home game v Blackburn played under lights on a Tuesday. To say we battered them is an understatement. They defended for the most part of 90 mind and on a breakaway in the first half a young player called Barrie Ratcliffe got their winner down at the Cricket j Field End. Never heard of him before or since but, believe me, it's stuck with me ever since. That for me was the game that confirmed our final destiny. Runners-up and Cup Finalists ....just not good enough. ;) ;)
For anyone who watched Lancashire League cricket, East Lancs captain was the obnoxious Brian Ratcliffe. He was Barrie’s brother.

Claretforever
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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Claretforever » Wed Mar 31, 2021 6:10 pm

I suppose it’s just frustrating knowing we were so close to 2-4 further major trophies during that era, and arguably more could have been won during the 1915-1920 period were it not for World War One.

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Buxtonclaret » Wed Mar 31, 2021 7:39 pm

Hadn't all our other teams won their leagues that season?
I was too young then, but remember us finishing 3rd a few years later well enough.

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Silkyskills1 » Wed Mar 31, 2021 8:33 pm

We certainly had strength in depth when you consider the players that came into the first team in the next few years.

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by claret59 » Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:49 pm

Looking back with the benefit of hindsight it became obvious that the clarets were running out of steam and needed a boost. This could have been provided by entering the transfer market. Just one player could have made the difference. So it was something of a management failure and this included Bob Lord. The reserves too were very strong and a couple of promotions to the first team might have helped. Lochead in particular was banging them in. I guess the management felt under some obligation to keep faith with the players that had got them to the point ( almost) of the league title. But if ever a team need just a 'leg up' then this was it. They were hampered with the number of games and injuries. I also think the high number of 'games in hand' went against them. There was a feeling that points had been won before the games were played!

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by conyoviejo » Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:02 pm

It still hurts,no excuses,we blew it..It was a devastating time for a young 11 year old to take..Never got over it..

Buxtonclaret
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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Buxtonclaret » Fri Apr 02, 2021 8:12 am

Re my earlier post on here.
The reserves did win the league.
Anyone know if the 'A' and 'B' sides won theirs?

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by Silkyskills1 » Fri Apr 02, 2021 1:02 pm

Not too sure about that, Buxton but I do remember being on the bus with my dad back to Rawtenstall after the game and checking the programme for news of our other teams and seeing what were to become household names plying their trade well in 'A', 'B' and 'C' teams. Wonderful times.
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superdimitri
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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by superdimitri » Sat Apr 03, 2021 7:42 am

claret59 wrote:
Thu Apr 01, 2021 9:49 pm
Looking back with the benefit of hindsight it became obvious that the clarets were running out of steam and needed a boost. This could have been provided by entering the transfer market. Just one player could have made the difference. So it was something of a management failure and this included Bob Lord. The reserves too were very strong and a couple of promotions to the first team might have helped. Lochead in particular was banging them in. I guess the management felt under some obligation to keep faith with the players that had got them to the point ( almost) of the league title. But if ever a team need just a 'leg up' then this was it. They were hampered with the number of games and injuries. I also think the high number of 'games in hand' went against them. There was a feeling that points had been won before the games were played!
Sounds familiar.

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by mdd2 » Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:19 am

The reserves had held Chelsea 4-4 in 1961 so not to use some of the reserves was an error although I would need to refresh how many players we used that April to see if Potts had rotated much
We did of course get fined for that in 1961 and whether that made Lord stop Potts from rotating the squad we will never know

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Re: The Clarets Collapse of 1962

Post by ClaretTony » Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:50 am

mdd2 wrote:
Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:19 am
The reserves had held Chelsea 4-4 in 1961 so not to use some of the reserves was an error although I would need to refresh how many players we used that April to see if Potts had rotated much
We did of course get fined for that in 1961 and whether that made Lord stop Potts from rotating the squad we will never know
Squads weren't rotated back then. You had a first team and a reserve team and generally the only change would come was if a first team player was unavailable and then the reserve team player stepped up.

If you look at what was considered the regular team that season, they all played a lot of the 42 league games.

Blacklaw - 42
Angus - 38
Elder - 41
Adamson - 34
Cummings - 39
Miller - 38
Connelly - 38
McIlroy - 36
Pointer - 40
Robson - 41
Harris 34

Others who played

Joyce - 15
Towers - 10
Lochhead -2
Fenton - 5
Meredith - 3
Talbut - 3
Walker - 2
Simpson - 1
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