| Champions Of England 08:34 - Apr 28 with 8371 views | PJH |
Back in '62
BUMP-THIS IS A THREAD THAT APPEARED ONE YEAR AGO TODAY WITH THE BULK OF THIS OPENING POST HAVING APPEARED ON 28TH APRIL 2016 SO MANY OF YOU WILL HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE BUT HERE IT IS AGAIN.
MY MEMORIES REMAIN THE SAME.
On 28th April 1962 Ipswich Town became Champions of England and an eleven year old me was there to see it.
What follows is mostly a re-typing of a post of mine from three years ago today, that post is somewhere in the TWTD Time Capsule, although I will correct a factual error that I discovered in the earlier post and add a few observations on football as it was at the time.
On this day in 1962 my team,Ipswich Town, became Champions Of England.
We should have won it again in 1981 and probably a couple of other times in Sir Bobby's reign but in 1962 under Sir Alf we DID.
I know that there are a few of us on here that were about at the time but obviously and regrettably the vast majority of TWTDers have not been able to say that "My team is Ipswich Town and we are Champions of England".
I would just like to try to give you an idea of what it was like, as I remember it.
In 1961/62 I was in my last year at Primary school and I attended 20 of the 21 home League games only missing the Boxing Day game against Leicester because we were at my grandparents in Worcestershire for Christmas, I also attended one away game.
Looking at the fixtures now I do not actually have specific memories of some of the games although I was there but I would like to list a few vivid memories of games and incidents that I do have.
1)Losing our first ever home game in the top division 4-2 to Man C.
2)Beating Burnley 6-2 the following Tuesday night with all 5 forwards scoring.
3)Winning 3-1 at WBA in my first ever away game.
4)Beating Spurs 3-2, the previous season they had been the first team in the 20th
Century to do the League and F.A. Cup double.
5)John Elsworthy scoring with a chipped freekick in a 4-1 win over Man U.
6)Ray Crawford shoulder charging the Bolton goalkeeper with ball in his arms over the
line to score, perfectly legal back then.
7)Roy Stephenson scoring late under the lights to beat Sheff W 2-1.
8)Dougie Moran with a late winner to beat Wolves 3-2.
9)Over 30000 in the ground for the 2-2 Easter raw with Arsenal.
10)Two Ray Crawford second half goals to beat Villa 2-0 in our last game.
We then had to wait for the Burnley result because if they won and then won the other game that they still had to play they would have finished above us on goal average(not GD).
After what seemed like ages but probably wasn't the news came through that Burnley had drawn 1-1 with already relegated Chelsea and we,Ipswich Town, had won the League.
The pitch seemed to fill with men and boys and presumably women and girls and the players were hoisted onto shoulders-I have tears in my eyes whilst typing this.
The team was Bailey, Carberry,Compton, Baxter, Nelson, Elsworthy, Stephenson, Moran, Crawford, Phillips and Leadbetter and they all played at least 37 of the 42 games.
We were lucky with injuries although the original first choice Left Back Kenny Malcolm got injured in the third game and reserve Wing Half John Compton replaced him.
Back then (before substitutes) all clubs basically had a first team and reserves, no squads as such, and for a first team player to lose his place through loss of form was rare-they just played until they regained form.Players were not at anything like the fitness levels of these days and injuries then were far more likely to be to joints rather than muscular although fora player to actually leave the pitch to injury they seemed to have to need a broken leg of ankle or something.If a player took a serious knock during a game they were usually stuck out on the wing "for nuisance value" rather than go off and players would play games carrying knocks or well short of their peak fitness.
Of that team that won the League Bailey, Carberry,Elsworthy, Phillips and Leadbetter had been in the team that won the Third Division (South) in 1956/57 and they plus Nelson, Stephenson and Crawford plus for a large part of the season Baxter made up the Second Division winning team of 1960/61.
The only addition for 1961/62 apart from Compton replacing the injured Malcolm was Dougie Moran signed from Falkirk for £12000.
Crawford and Phillips between them scored 61 of the 93 League goals in 1961/62 having scored 70 of the 100 in the previous season.
Phillips had a thunderous shot from anywhere up to about 30 yards and Crawford was a great taker of chances with a lot of his goals being from rebounds off the keeper or woodwork of Phillips' shots,they were both very good in the air.
Back then teams traditionally lined up as a goalkeeper,two fullbacks,centre half,two halfbacks and five forwards two of whom were wingers.
Normally a winger would take on the opposition fullback and beat him with skill and pace before crossing or passing to the centre forward or inside forwards but Alf RAmsey devised a plan that confused opponents.
Both of our wingers, Stephenson and Leadbetter, were converted Inside forwards and although Stephenson had some pace and could play as a traditional winger Leadbetter did not.Alf played both of them deeper than conventional wingers which gave the opposition fullbacks a problem as to whether wait in their normal position for a winger who might never arrive or to push up to where our wingers were playing from and leave spaces behind for Stephenson and particularly Leadbetter to exploit with telling passes to Crawford and Phillips.
With Elsworthy and Moran being close to what would now be called midfield players and the wingers playing from deep Alf was using a sort of flexible 442 system before such a thing "existed".
Match day for me consisted of arriving at the ground with my mum and dad well before the turnstiles opened so that we could get our place on the wall just to the Churchman's(SAR) side of the half way line in the West Stand(Co-op).
There were separate turnstiles for adults and boys(girls?).
I remember Swede Herring going around the pitch before kick off with his chant"1,2,3,4 who are we for? I P S W I C H"
Our team running out to "Entry Of The Gladiator"-teams did not walk out together back then.
The crowd singing "Keep right on to the end of the road".
That was the wonderful season of 1961/62 as I remember it, thank you Sir Alf and the players for the joy that you brought to me, my mum, my dad and thousands of others.
The date is April 28th 1962 and I am 11 years old and my team,Ipswich Town, are Champions Of England.
[Post edited 28 Apr 2020 6:06]
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| Champions Of England on 15:03 - Apr 28 with 2499 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 14:14 - Apr 28 by monty_radio |
I was also, just as PJH, in my last year at Primary school. Two months after that April triumph our year went away to school camp in North Wales. There, some of us went into a shop and were asked where we were from. When we replied "Ipswich" the shopkeeper rejected the idea and called us glory-hunters. He said he'd never knowingly met anyone from Ipswich, if indeed there was any such place, and that, the name of the town having been catapulted into history, we were just leaping on the bandwagon.
Imagine! |
I was on holiday in Worcestershire after the end of that season and was talking to some other boys about football and they said "who do you support?" and I replied "the best team in England", they said "who is that?" and I was delighted to say "Ipswich". | | | |
| Champions Of England on 17:46 - Apr 28 with 2464 views | Sibelius8 |
It's worth recalling that the BBC correspondent (and all other press reporters) in 1962 had to use the public telephone in the Station Hotel to give their report of Portman Road games and, crucially, the final score. There were absolutely no dedicated press facilities at the ground in those days.
Our valued younger supporters may need a giant leap of imagination here.......! But, Those Were the Days! |  | | |
| Champions Of England on 20:54 - Apr 28 with 2422 views | strikalite |
| Champions Of England on 15:03 - Apr 28 by PJH |
I was on holiday in Worcestershire after the end of that season and was talking to some other boys about football and they said "who do you support?" and I replied "the best team in England", they said "who is that?" and I was delighted to say "Ipswich". |
My Grandparents and other relatives lived in Kidderminster, Worcestershire funnily enough, we used to also visit them every school holiday from Ipswich in the early 80's, I had Uncles and cousins supporting all the midland Clubs, Birmingham, Villa, Wolves and the Albion, I can't tell you how proud I was supporting Town, all the talk to me back then was about Ipswich when we visited, my cousins friends hearing my non-midland accent would ask "where yow from like"....instant respect I honestly felt I had saying Ipswich, they we so envious my Dad would say, those big BIG midland Clubs would give anything to be in our position, even now when ever I go back the team of the 80's always get's brought into conversation, usually sadly at funerals these days, us sitting at the bar reminiscing..........these days the tables have turned and I'm the one envious of my cousin Mark who supports the Wolves, well, slightly envious ;)
Those were certainly the days... |  | | |
| Champions Of England on 20:57 - Apr 28 with 2421 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 20:54 - Apr 28 by strikalite |
My Grandparents and other relatives lived in Kidderminster, Worcestershire funnily enough, we used to also visit them every school holiday from Ipswich in the early 80's, I had Uncles and cousins supporting all the midland Clubs, Birmingham, Villa, Wolves and the Albion, I can't tell you how proud I was supporting Town, all the talk to me back then was about Ipswich when we visited, my cousins friends hearing my non-midland accent would ask "where yow from like"....instant respect I honestly felt I had saying Ipswich, they we so envious my Dad would say, those big BIG midland Clubs would give anything to be in our position, even now when ever I go back the team of the 80's always get's brought into conversation, usually sadly at funerals these days, us sitting at the bar reminiscing..........these days the tables have turned and I'm the one envious of my cousin Mark who supports the Wolves, well, slightly envious ;)
Those were certainly the days... |
My mum comes from Evesham.
My late grandfather was a Villa fan and my two late uncles were Wolves fans.
TWTD. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 06:07 - Apr 28 with 2124 views | PJH |
Thread bumped from last year/2016 | | | |
| Champions Of England on 08:11 - Apr 28 with 2106 views | hoppy |
| Champions Of England on 06:07 - Apr 28 by PJH |
Thread bumped from last year/2016 |
I wondered how early in the day you’d do this... a fine read as always! Well done sir! |  |
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| Champions Of England on 08:27 - Apr 28 with 2094 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 08:11 - Apr 28 by hoppy |
I wondered how early in the day you’d do this... a fine read as always! Well done sir! |
Well I had to get up for a slash so...
Thank you, I hope people that I have read it twice before(or three times when you bumped it for 12th Man) don't get bored with it. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 09:10 - Apr 28 with 2082 views | Bluespeed225 |
I've got a full set of programmes from this season, Alfs clipped notes make great reading, as do the away trip offers. Ipswich to London by train in 1 hour 15 minutes!
i remember in 2012 Carlos leading the team over before kick off to applaud the 62' lads that were in the directors box. My Godson worked in Planet Blue for a while and had to accompany Ray Crawford at an event, and confirms that he is a complete gent! | | | |
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| Champions Of England on 10:38 - Apr 28 with 2054 views | Beattie78 |
Thanks for a great post PJH. I was at the game a couple of weeks away from my 12th birthday. Got there early enough for a place against the wall in the West Stand, about level with the Churchmans penalty spot. I usually went with my Dad but for whatever reason he wasn't going on this occasion so I went on my own. I don't recall that my parents objected. It wasn't the first time that I had been to PR by myself - things a bit different back then. It helped that we lived in walking distance to the ground.
I recall the wait for the Burnley result Nd then remember climbing over the bonnet of a BBC outside broadcast car so I could watch Sir Alf being interviewed.
Othe memories |  |
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| Champions Of England on 10:43 - Apr 28 with 2055 views | Kropotkin123 |
So many goals, lol.
Obviously the quality wasn't the same level, but did the Royle years remind you of this season? Purely on a level of goals for and against. |  |
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| Champions Of England on 10:57 - Apr 28 with 2054 views | Beattie78 |
Thanks for a great post PJH. I was at the game a couple of weeks away from my 12th birthday. Got there early enough for a place against the wall in the West Stand, about level with the Churchmans penalty spot. I usually went with my Dad but for whatever reason he wasn't going on this occasion so I went on my own. I don't recall that my parents objected. It wasn't the first time that I had been to PR by myself - things a bit different back then. It helped that we lived in walking distance to the ground.
I recall the wait for the Burnley result and then remember climbing over the bonnet of a BBC outside broadcast car so I could watch Sir Alf being interviewed.
I saw maybe a third of the home games and other memories of that season include the 6-2 hammering of Burnley, Man Utd being thrashed 4-1, defeat of Leicester on a freezing Boxing Day (I just wanted to get home) and the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Good Friday when I sat on the grass in front of Churchmans. One other memory is the FA Cup 4th Round replay defeat against Norwich. The gates that night we're about to be shut just as we got to the turnstiles and we were told that we couldn't get in. As my Dad stood arguing with the operator, he told me to crawl under the turnstile. He then told the bloke that he had to be let in because I was already in the ground and couldn't be left on my own. It worked - pity we lost 2-1! | |
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| Champions Of England on 12:51 - Apr 28 with 2020 views | woodbridge_blue |
This thread never fails. Although I was just under two years old when we won the title I was brought up with the amazing story of our triumph as my mum was a regular in Churchmans and travelled to and from home games on the supporters bus from the Market Hill in Woodbridge....you probably knew her PJH or at least your dad would have done.
I am so thankful and proud to have been brought up as a Town supporter....if only my son could witness a fraction of the excitement and glory that I have experienced in my near fifty years of supporting Town.
Thanks again PJH. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 14:50 - Apr 28 with 1996 views | longtimefan |
| Champions Of England on 12:57 - Apr 28 by PJH |
Love watching that clip but one interesting thing is that the second Ray Crawford "goal" shown is not actually the second goal.The one shown must have been disallowed although I do not remember it but I have the actual second goal in my head and the one shown is not it. |
Must admit when I watched that I thought someone was offside, given the offside law in those days would see any player in advance of the goalscorer flagged, regardless of whether they were involved in play. [Post edited 28 Apr 2020 16:49]
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| Champions Of England on 16:34 - Apr 28 with 1973 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| Champions Of England on 14:50 - Apr 28 by longtimefan |
Must admit when I watched that I thought someone was offside, given the offside law in those days would see any player in advance of the goalscorer flagged, regardless of whether they were involved in play. [Post edited 28 Apr 2020 16:49]
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You can see in the clip that Crawford looks over at the linesman with hands on hips rather than celebrating. I would say likely was offside. |  |
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| Champions Of England on 18:24 - Apr 28 with 1967 views | monty_radio |
| Champions Of England on 16:34 - Apr 28 by Nthsuffolkblue |
You can see in the clip that Crawford looks over at the linesman with hands on hips rather than celebrating. I would say likely was offside. |
PJH remembers the goal differently. I have it in my head that it involved a barge on the keeper which was permissible then, if not today.
I note that the reporter in the cap and duffel coat, Newman Sanders, if I recall, sent down from control centre at Norwich, has to utter the immortal lines: "this is the moment of truth for East Anglia".
Still is! | |
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| Champions Of England on 19:18 - Apr 28 with 1958 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 18:24 - Apr 28 by monty_radio |
PJH remembers the goal differently. I have it in my head that it involved a barge on the keeper which was permissible then, if not today.
I note that the reporter in the cap and duffel coat, Newman Sanders, if I recall, sent down from control centre at Norwich, has to utter the immortal lines: "this is the moment of truth for East Anglia".
Still is! |
The barge on the keeper was against Bolton when Ray Crawford barged keeper (Eddie Hopkinson) and ball over the line.
Second goal against Villa there was Crawford, their centre half Sleeuwenhoek and keeper Sims going for the ball and I think Sims blocked Ray's first shot and he put the rebound in the net. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 20:29 - Apr 28 with 1947 views | PhilTWTD |
| Champions Of England on 19:18 - Apr 28 by PJH |
The barge on the keeper was against Bolton when Ray Crawford barged keeper (Eddie Hopkinson) and ball over the line.
Second goal against Villa there was Crawford, their centre half Sleeuwenhoek and keeper Sims going for the ball and I think Sims blocked Ray's first shot and he put the rebound in the net. |
I mentioned this to Donovan Blake a while back, will ask him again once relatively normal service is resumed whether he's able to dig out the real second goal. |  | | |
| Champions Of England on 20:48 - Apr 28 with 1943 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 20:29 - Apr 28 by PhilTWTD |
I mentioned this to Donovan Blake a while back, will ask him again once relatively normal service is resumed whether he's able to dig out the real second goal. |
I think filming of games at all back then was rare,I don't remember seeing any film of any other game from that season so I imagine cameras were only there because of the significance of the game-maybe the second goal got cut out in editing or something.
The goal is still in my head though!
Football highlights programmes did not start until a couple of years after 61/62 and only F.A. Cup Final and some Internationals were shown live-England often played midweek afternoon games at Wembley in early 1960's.
edit-I don't recall football highlights on local TV news back then but there may have been.
[Post edited 28 Apr 2020 20:54]
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| Champions Of England on 09:45 - Apr 29 with 1854 views | Churchman |
A great read. Thank you. It was before my time, but what a wonderful season that must have been. I’d love to have seen it. The only comparable achievement in this country being particularly Leicester’s and to a lesser extent Forest’s. Sadly, little or no TV football at the time, time itself and the advent of the Premier League where everything before 92 doesn’t count, means Ipswich’s title win is basically down there with the Corinthian Casuals as a footnote in football history. But not for me!
Somehow, with the club owned by Mr Evans and basically finished, what the club was and it’s remarkable achievements seem all the greater to me. |  | | |
| Champions Of England on 11:28 - Apr 29 with 1839 views | WeWereZombies |
| Champions Of England on 09:45 - Apr 29 by Churchman |
A great read. Thank you. It was before my time, but what a wonderful season that must have been. I’d love to have seen it. The only comparable achievement in this country being particularly Leicester’s and to a lesser extent Forest’s. Sadly, little or no TV football at the time, time itself and the advent of the Premier League where everything before 92 doesn’t count, means Ipswich’s title win is basically down there with the Corinthian Casuals as a footnote in football history. But not for me!
Somehow, with the club owned by Mr Evans and basically finished, what the club was and it’s remarkable achievements seem all the greater to me. |
I would beg to differ on Leicester, not quite the impact that we have had when you consider our European trophy and providing England with their two best managers. Forest, no quibbles - their European trophies have to be viewed as having a bit more kudos than ours and Cloughie should have been given a shot at the England job at some point.
I think that in the Leicester bracket below us and Forest there should also be honourable mentions for Coventry, Southampton and Wimbledon. And these days Burnley, Sheffield United and Wolves are keeping the door open with a model that works in this money dominated time. Another silver lining that could emerge from this dreadful pandemic is that as well as a small bit of environmental benefit we could also see a slightly more level playing field in football. |  |
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| Champions Of England on 13:58 - Apr 29 with 1819 views | Churchman |
| Champions Of England on 11:28 - Apr 29 by WeWereZombies |
I would beg to differ on Leicester, not quite the impact that we have had when you consider our European trophy and providing England with their two best managers. Forest, no quibbles - their European trophies have to be viewed as having a bit more kudos than ours and Cloughie should have been given a shot at the England job at some point.
I think that in the Leicester bracket below us and Forest there should also be honourable mentions for Coventry, Southampton and Wimbledon. And these days Burnley, Sheffield United and Wolves are keeping the door open with a model that works in this money dominated time. Another silver lining that could emerge from this dreadful pandemic is that as well as a small bit of environmental benefit we could also see a slightly more level playing field in football. |
Poor explanation on my part. I was thinking purely on the achievement of winning the league, not anything else. An honour not many clubs have managed, as it goes. We won it literally at our first attempt, having been in the league only 23 years, including 5+ years lost due to the war.
Forest won the league the season after being promoted in 78. But they had been Div 1 before. Leicester’s achievement was amazing, against the terms set by the big rich clubs that they should monopolise the money and the trophies. However, you could argue that they were against the big clubs who were in transition or off form and got lucky with injuries. You could also argue that Town were up against a great Burnley side and Spurs the first Double winners. Tough one, but I’d set ITFCs achievement on a par with Leicester’s with Forest behind.
As far as future prospects, I hope you’re right and my pessimism is just that. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 14:15 - Apr 29 with 1817 views | PJH |
| Champions Of England on 13:58 - Apr 29 by Churchman |
Poor explanation on my part. I was thinking purely on the achievement of winning the league, not anything else. An honour not many clubs have managed, as it goes. We won it literally at our first attempt, having been in the league only 23 years, including 5+ years lost due to the war.
Forest won the league the season after being promoted in 78. But they had been Div 1 before. Leicester’s achievement was amazing, against the terms set by the big rich clubs that they should monopolise the money and the trophies. However, you could argue that they were against the big clubs who were in transition or off form and got lucky with injuries. You could also argue that Town were up against a great Burnley side and Spurs the first Double winners. Tough one, but I’d set ITFCs achievement on a par with Leicester’s with Forest behind.
As far as future prospects, I hope you’re right and my pessimism is just that. |
Just as an aside I could at this moment and without checking name both the Burnley and Spurs preferred first teams from that year and just before but I certainly could not name the current Spurs or Burnley's first team-if there is such a thing as a first team.
Back then it was just first team and reserves and changes usually only brought about by injury. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 16:06 - Apr 29 with 1797 views | PhilTWTD |
| Champions Of England on 20:48 - Apr 28 by PJH |
I think filming of games at all back then was rare,I don't remember seeing any film of any other game from that season so I imagine cameras were only there because of the significance of the game-maybe the second goal got cut out in editing or something.
The goal is still in my head though!
Football highlights programmes did not start until a couple of years after 61/62 and only F.A. Cup Final and some Internationals were shown live-England often played midweek afternoon games at Wembley in early 1960's.
edit-I don't recall football highlights on local TV news back then but there may have been.
[Post edited 28 Apr 2020 20:54]
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I don't know about news coverage but I knew Match of the Week started very early, 1962 the below tells me.
https://twohundredpercent.net/televised-football-regions-anglia-punching-above-w | | | |
| Champions Of England on 16:40 - Apr 29 with 1784 views | PJH |
I did not realise that it was that early-Match Of The Day was 1964.
I always found it strange that Hull City were East Anglian as regards football and therefore presumably news. | | | |
| Champions Of England on 20:36 - Apr 29 with 1759 views | WeWereZombies |
| Champions Of England on 16:40 - Apr 29 by PJH |
I did not realise that it was that early-Match Of The Day was 1964.
I always found it strange that Hull City were East Anglian as regards football and therefore presumably news. |
It might have had something to do with the administrative rearrangement of counties in the Local Government Act of 1972 when Humberside was created (despite not appearing in the White Paper proposal - another change which did not make the final act was the switch of Harwich and Colchester into Suffolk so that the Stour Estuary was all in the same county). I seem to remember Hull City suddenly appearing in 'Match of the Week' at about that time and also some news from the nether regions of Lincolnshire and beyond creeping into Anglia News (but not Look East) so it might have been Anglia TV doing a bit of land grabbing on the back of the Act or perhaps the TV companies dividing up areas so that Humberside got a bit more attention and was not subsumed by Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and so on during Yorkshire TV reporting?
It did mean a bit of variety from Ipswich as the featured match one week and Norwich the next, because at that time the likelihood of Cambridge United, Colchester, Southend or Peterborough rising higher than the Third Division looked a bit remote. There were glory years for Luton and Northampton but they were brief and perhaps too early for 'Match Of The Week' main match coverage in the case of Northampton.
That's as I remember it but I was sometimes a bit the worse for wear by drink in the Seventies. [Post edited 30 Apr 2020 17:43]
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