Was watching the big match revisited last night and saw Burnley 3-Arsenal 3. Think this one was actually March 75. The was no shortage of skill or quality and players like James, Collins, Newton and Noble looked really good. I was too young to remember this team but saw James in his latter spell and can remember Noble. I’ve see James on other earlier footage and he looks a standout player. Who were the standout players in this period from those who were there ?

As with todays team it was the collective more than individuals. As can be seen with the lack of caps.
Everyone will have their own favourites but Dobo was the class of the X1. James, Casper and Stevenson were excellent and Newton oozed class and has to be up there as our best ever signing.

Keith Newton was an outstanding fullback.

minnieclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 9:57 am

As with todays team it was the collective more than individuals. As can be seen with the lack of caps.
Everyone will have their own favourites but Dobo was the class of the X1. James, Casper and Stevenson were excellent and Newton oozed class and has to be up there as our best ever signing.

Dobbo was at Everton when this game was played and Casper hadn't played in over a year.

Done by referee Reynolds in that game, missing a blatant pen for a foul on Keith Newton.

By then the injuries were piling up and we followed that game with three defeats in four days at Easter.

The 3-3 draw was really the twilight of that 70's era. Started letting in a lot of goals, injuries and no squad back-up resulted in a disappointing end to a season that only a few weeks earlier promised the possibility of 'something very special'. 72-75 was a great time to be a Claret, though with some outstanding performances and memories.

No surprise who was my favourite, and I always thought his contribution was underrated.

A bit before 1975 (maybe 1971?) but we had a marvellous 3-0 at Villa in which lots of the aforementioned players figured.
The great Keith Newton scored a good free kick, and Taffy ran em daft, they couldn't handle him.

Some really good players there.

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:51 am

A bit before 1975 (maybe 1971?) but we had a marvellous 3-0 at Villa in which lots of the aforementioned players figured.
The great Keith Newton scored a good free kick, and Taffy ran em daft, they couldn't handle him.

Some really good players there.

January 1973

https://www.uptheclarets.com/big-win-at ... reat-style

Cheers, Tony don't know where I got 1971 from.
One of the best away performances I've ever been privileged to see.

ElectroClaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:26 am

Cheers, Tony don't know where I got 1971 from.
One of the best away performances I've ever been privileged to see.

Brilliant, I left Villa Park that day wondering what on earth could stop us going up.

Did Doug Collins become a lay preacher and emigrate to Australia?
I remember when we first bought him from Grimsby how Dougie used to try and take on all of the opposition with tricky footwork but with good coaching he became a key player with is passing and free kicks.
One of the goals in 'that' 1-4 win at dirty Leeds was one straight from the training ground.

Juan Tanamera wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 12:03 pm

Did Doug Collins become a lay preacher and emigrate to Australia?

He did, and workwise in Australia he ran a McDonald's franchise.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:24 am

By then the injuries were piling up and we followed that game with three defeats in four days at Easter.

And played on pitches which were massively worse than today's. Makes you wonder just how some of today's Prima Donna's would have coped!

Taffy for me , the longside used to buzz in anticipation every time he got the ball . " the team of the 70s " . I don't know if I'm partly blinkered , but all i can remember is fast flowing attacking football with 2 hard men ( Waldron and Thompson) at the back .

Some of the pitches are shocking looking at the games from that era. The Orient pitch was laughable in one of the matches. I doubt you could have played rugby properly on it. The quality of football is still evident though. There’s no way that Newton ‘penalty’ wouldn’t have been given today. Who wouldnt have looked out of place in todays team and who would stand out ? Also would today’s players manage those pitches and the challenges/tackling of that era ?

Leisure wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 12:46 pm

And played on pitches which were massively worse than today's. Makes you wonder just how some of today's Prima Donna's would have coped!

They'd probably be overlooked for strong physical players with a lot less skill and talent and the top division would be equivalent to the rubbish you see in the lower leagues as it was back in the 70s.

Thankfully the games moved on and the standard of football we get to see today is light years ahead of the slow turgid rubbish from back then

Boss Hogg wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:28 pm

There’s no way that Newton ‘penalty’ wouldn’t have been given today.

The referee saw it again on the tv the following day and contacted us to apologise and admit he should have given it.

Uwe Noble wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:24 am

Keith Newton was an outstanding fullback.

He certainly was. His positioning, timing of the tackle and reading of the game was exceptional and among the best I've ever seen at Burnley.
James was an exciting player who, on his day, could run rings round anyone.

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:32 pm

They'd probably be overlooked for strong physical players with a lot less skill and talent and the top division would be equivalent to the rubbish you see in the lower leagues as it was back in the 70s.

Thankfully the games moved on and the standard of football we get to see today is light years ahead of the slow turgid rubbish from back then

Total drivel. But you're just trying to provoke a comment.

Quicknick wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:51 pm

Total drivel. But you're just trying to provoke a comment.

As ever of course he is. don't raise to the bait Quicknick.

I was teenager watching every home game (and some away) in the 70s and that team which came up from Div2 and had 2/3 really good seasons in Div1 really were excellent and extremely entertaining to watch to boot. The problems came when Bob Lord couldn't afford to resist the cash any longer and we sold Dobo, then James, plus Flynn and eventually Hankin, Nulty etc,etc and you can also throw in Casper's career ending injury. AND (imo) having signed the veteran Newton who was excellent for 2 seasons, we kept playing him well after his legs had gone and that was another factor in our ultimate relegation. Selling players and cashing in hadn't normally been too much of an issue for us as we had a real "production line" going, as well being brilliant at spotting other clubs cast off mistakes whereby we picked up loads of players who went on to grace the top division when other clubs hadn't deemed them good enough. Thus we usually had a fair amount of talent waiting in the wings, but suddenly we didn't. The reserves weren't good enough and the squad not big enough and we became relegation fodder, despite belatedly actually trying to throw some serious cash at the issue (which was unheard of at the time!!) by signing the likes of Summerbee, Morgan and Morley.

Quicknick wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:51 pm

Total drivel. But you're just trying to provoke a comment.

So how do you think some of today's "Prima Donna's" would cope on those 70's pitches

Quicknick wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:51 pm

Total drivel. But you're just trying to provoke a comment.

I think there is some truth in his comment to be honest. Particularly at schoolboy level, lightweight but very skilful players were often overlooked in favour of bigger or more mature lads who could drift a ball on the awful pitches then. They then benefitted from better coaching and by the time the smaller lads caught up in maturity or size it was often too late except for the very best of them. All weather pitches, playing with smaller balls etc is why players are streets ahead now in terms of skill. You see stuff every game now that would have garnered a polite round of applause in the seventies. Instantly controlling long balls for example. Having said all that, I was surprised at the skill and pace on display when I watched the Hillsborough semi final recently.

It wasn’t that unusual bAck then but you could name the team in the early 70s.

I’d still prob manage Leeds and Liverpool from memory. Ours was
Stevenson
Docherty
Newton
Dobson
Waldron
Thompson
Nulty
Casper
Fletcher
Collins
James.
Sub Ingham
1-12 in that order. They didn’t hVe squad shirt numbers but they might as well have done.

minnieclaret wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 9:57 am

As with todays team it was the collective more than individuals. As can be seen with the lack of caps.
Everyone will have their own favourites but Dobo was the class of the X1. James, Casper and Stevenson were excellent and Newton oozed class and has to be up there as our best ever signing.

I have to agree. Great team great times.

Big Match Revisited is on now on itv4

We`re on next v Sheff Utd 1975