Tell me about the 74/75 Boro team/season

[PhillySpecial]

As an early 80's kid I know little about the pre-80's teams but I'm intrigued about the 74/75 season. How close where we to winning the league? Any stories of misfortunate?

Tell me about it!?

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

Just follow the posts of Erimus74 and you will find everything you need to know!

 

[Rofesleg]

Never mind the league, we could (should?) have won the double.
Stuey Boam slipping against Derby.
Bloody Bob Hatton.

 

[davidmills]

fa cup was there for the taking

 

[Corcaigh_the_Cat]

Shankly tipped us for the league at Easter. It was an excellent season when small squads were the norm, little chopping and changing.

What surprised me that season was how we completely dominated some established top flight sides. Around this time of the year we had three home games in a week, winning them all 3-0. Brum, Leicester and Ipswich were the opponent's. We'd beaten Brum 3-0 away on the opening game of the season at their place.

We had a slow home start, losing to Carlisle, drawing with Chelsea and Luton. Had we managed a couple if wins against these struggling sides the end of the season would have been even more exciting.

A brilliant and unexpected season for me. After 20 years out if the top flight I didn't expect us to be challenging for the title come Easter.

The cup match at Brum was a disaster, we just didn't turn up.

 

[WindyNook]

gue Division One table after close of play on 26 April 1975​

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAvg	GD	Pts
1	Derby County	42	21	11	10	67	49	1.367	18	53
2	Liverpool	42	20	11	11	60	39	1.538	21	51
3	Ipswich Town	42	23	5	14	66	44	1.500	22	51
4	Everton	42	16	18	8	56	42	1.333	14	50
5	Stoke City	42	17	15	10	64	48	1.333	16	49
6	Middlesbrough	42	18	12	12	54	40	1.350	14	48
7	Sheffield United	41	18	12	11	58	51	1.137	7	48
8	Manchester City	42	18	10	14	54	54	1.000	0	46
9	Leeds United	41	16	13	12	55	45	1.222	10	45
10	Burnley	42	17	11	14	68	67	1.015	1	45
11	Queens Park Rangers	42	16	10	16	54	54	1.000	0	42
12	Wolverhampton Wanderers	42	14	11	17	57	54	1.056	3	39
13	Coventry City	42	12	15	15	51	62	0.823	-11	39
14	Newcastle United	42	15	9	18	59	72	0.819	-13	39
15	Arsenal	41	13	11	17	47	48	0.979	-1	37
16	West Ham United	41	12	13	16	57	59	0.966	-2	37
17	Birmingham City	41	14	8	19	53	61	0.869	-8	36
18	Leicester City	42	12	12	18	46	60	0.767	-14	36
19	Luton Town	42	11	11	20	47	65	0.723	-18	33
20	Chelsea	42	9	15	18	42	72	0.583	-30	33
21	Tottenham Hotspur	41	12	8	21	48	61	0.787	-13	32
22	Carlisle United	42	12	5	25	43	59	0.729	-16	29

As you can see from the table pretty close.
If Bobby Murdoch and Big John were a few years younger then who knows
We were a Paul Mariner or a David Cross away from being top of the shop
Jack has admitted not buying that season was a huge mistake.
What a time to be a Boro supporter 94 onwards had big investment
73 onwards came out of nowhere after decades of under acheivement with Jackadding Bobby Murdoch to Stan Andersons team.
We were truly a force in English football!

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

You have come to the right place. What do you want to know apart from the fact that it was one of the happiest times as a Boro supporter. We could beat anybody well and that was the beauty of it. We could easily have been League champions in 1974-75 - we were just a striker short. Our midfield of Murdoch, Souness, Mills and Armstrong was as good as any team. Our defence of Craggs Boam and Maddren also top quality. Left back was strengthened in March with the signing of Terry Cooper. Dear old Frank Spraggon was limited

Erimus74 is an expert and will enlighten you in every way.

 

[Abel Tasman]

From that league table why did some teams play only 41 games?

 

[WindyNook]

From that league table why did some teams play only 41 games

League Division One table at close of 1974-75 season​

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAvg	GD	Pts
1	Derby County	42	21	11	10	67	49	1.367	18	53
2	Liverpool	42	20	11	11	60	39	1.538	21	51
3	Ipswich Town	42	23	5	14	66	44	1.500	22	51
4	Everton	42	16	18	8	56	42	1.333	14	50
5	Stoke City	42	17	15	10	64	48	1.333	16	49
6	Sheffield United	42	18	13	11	58	51	1.137	7	49
7	Middlesbrough	42	18	12	12	54	40	1.350	14	48
8	Manchester City	42	18	10	14	54	54	1.000	0	46
9	Leeds United	42	16	13	13	57	49	1.163	8	45
10	Burnley	42	17	11	14	68	67	1.015	1	45
11	Queens Park Rangers	42	16	10	16	54	54	1.000	0	42
12	Wolverhampton Wanderers	42	14	11	17	57	54	1.056	3	39
13	West Ham United	42	13	13	16	58	59	0.983	-1	39
14	Coventry City	42	12	15	15	51	62	0.823	-11	39
15	Newcastle United	42	15	9	18	59	72	0.819	-13	39
16	Arsenal	42	13	11	18	47	49	0.959	-2	37
17	Birmingham City	42	14	9	19	53	61	0.869	-8	37
18	Leicester City	42	12	12	18	46	60	0.767	-14	36
19	Tottenham Hotspur	42	13	8	21	52	63	0.825	-11	34
20	Luton Town	42	11	11	20	47	65	0.723	-18	33
21	Chelsea	42	9	15	18	42	72	0.583	-30	33
22	Carlisle United	42	12	5	25	43	59	0.729	-16	29

Sorry Abel I posted the table after the final Boro game not realising some teams had not finished their season.
Who was top of the league after 3 games?

 

[Redwurzel]

I remember we went top twice that season - In Jan we were equal top with Ipswich. In March we beat Everton at home in a mid week game and I think we went top for a day.

The top league was so much more interesting then. I find it very boring now with the same names season after season and almost for ever more.

In 1974/5 we didn't even buy a new player until Terry Cooper in March.

So it was Platt, Craggs, Spraggon, Boam, Maddren, Souness, Murdoch, Armstrong, Mills, Foggon, Hickton most games. We were lucky with injuries. The same side that won the old Division 2 in 1973/4.

 

[Erimus74]

You have come to the right place. What do you want to know apart from the fact that it was one of the happiest times as a Boro supporter. We could beat anybody well and that was the beauty of it. We could easily have been League champions in 1974-75 - we were just a striker short. Our midfield of Murdoch, Souness, Mills and Armstrong was as good as any team. Our defence of Craggs Boam and Maddren also top quality. Left back was strengthened in March with the signing of Terry Cooper. Dear old Frank Spraggon was limited

Erimus74 is an expert and will enlighten you in every way.

About covers it there Cardiff, when we bought Terry Cooper & IMHO, he was still good enough to play for England

Best ever Boro team in my life time, we should have won something, made history, finishing in a european place should have been the least we expected

We bottled it at the worst moment, April 5th we battered, champions to be Derby but leading with a solitary goal & with the final kick of the game in a snowstorm of a match Stuey Boam gifted Derby the equaliser & with it our chances, as we lost our way in the next 2 away games, losing at Wolves & Leicester, before winning our final 2 games, v Liverpool at home & Coventry away, the damage for me was done in the final minute at home to Derby

2nd divison Man Utd at home in the league cup QF, drawing 0-0 with Alex Stephany playing a blinder, we lost the replya 3-0, Mna utd lost to Norwich in the SF & as Corciagh mentioned the Brum game, enough said on that

 

[davidmills]

We were beating Derby 1-0 with only a couple of minutes to go and Stuey Boam under hit a back pass to Platt which Kevin Hector intercepted and slotted past Platt to equalise. Absolutely gutted it seemed to knock the stuffing out of us.
Following Tuesday we went to Leicester and lost 0-1, we didn't play well
Following Saturday we went to Wolves and lost 0-2, we didn't play well
I have always been convinced if we had held on and beaten Derby ( who eventually won title) we would have gone to Leicester and Wolves with a completely different mindset and who knows?
We eventually finished 5 points behind Derby and giving us +1 point and Derby -1 point had we held on.
Then 2 wins at Leicester and Wolves would have given us the title.
Seems farfetched now looking back, but truly believed this as a 15/16 year old at the time.
I think I only missed 1 game that season home and away.
Fantastic team, Fantastic manager, Fantastic times.

 

[NorthumberlandBoro]

League Division One table at close of 1974-75 season​

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAvg	GD	Pts
1	Derby County	42	21	11	10	67	49	1.367	18	53
2	Liverpool	42	20	11	11	60	39	1.538	21	51
3	Ipswich Town	42	23	5	14	66	44	1.500	22	51
4	Everton	42	16	18	8	56	42	1.333	14	50
5	Stoke City	42	17	15	10	64	48	1.333	16	49
6	Sheffield United	42	18	13	11	58	51	1.137	7	49
7	Middlesbrough	42	18	12	12	54	40	1.350	14	48
8	Manchester City	42	18	10	14	54	54	1.000	0	46
9	Leeds United	42	16	13	13	57	49	1.163	8	45
10	Burnley	42	17	11	14	68	67	1.015	1	45
11	Queens Park Rangers	42	16	10	16	54	54	1.000	0	42
12	Wolverhampton Wanderers	42	14	11	17	57	54	1.056	3	39
13	West Ham United	42	13	13	16	58	59	0.983	-1	39
14	Coventry City	42	12	15	15	51	62	0.823	-11	39
15	Newcastle United	42	15	9	18	59	72	0.819	-13	39
16	Arsenal	42	13	11	18	47	49	0.959	-2	37
17	Birmingham City	42	14	9	19	53	61	0.869	-8	37
18	Leicester City	42	12	12	18	46	60	0.767	-14	36
19	Tottenham Hotspur	42	13	8	21	52	63	0.825	-11	34
20	Luton Town	42	11	11	20	47	65	0.723	-18	33
21	Chelsea	42	9	15	18	42	72	0.583	-30	33
22	Carlisle United	42	12	5	25	43	59	0.729	-16	29

Sorry Abel I posted the table after the final Boro game not realising some teams had not finished their season.

Who was top of the league after 3 games?

Carlisle!

 

[davidmills]

About covers it there Cardiff, when we bought Terry Cooper & IMHO, he was still good enough to play for England

Best ever Boro team in my life time, we should have won something, made history, finishing in a european place should have been the least we expected

We bottled it at the worst moment, April 5th we battered, champions to be Derby but leading with a solitary goal & with the final kick of the game in a snowstorm of a match Stuey Boam gifted Derby the equaliser & with it our chances, as we lost our way in the next 2 away games, losing at Wolves & Leicester, before winning our final 2 games, v Liverpool at home & Coventry away, the damage for me was done in the final minute at home to Derby

2nd divison Man Utd at home in the league cup QF, drawing 0-0 with Alex Stephany playing a blinder, we lost the replya 3-0, Mna utd lost to Norwich in the SF & as Corciagh mentioned the Brum game, enough said on that

reading your version of Derby seems more how it was Erimus definitely battered them
What was Stuey thinking of

 

[gregorgregorovich]

We were beating Derby 1-0 with only a couple of minutes to go and Stuey Boam under hit a back pass to Platt which Kevin Hector intercepted and slotted past Platt to equalise. Absolutely gutted it seemed to knock the stuffing out of us.
Following Tuesday we went to Leicester and lost 0-1, we didn't play well
Following Saturday we went to Wolves and lost 0-2, we didn't play well
I have always been convinced if we had held on and beaten Derby ( who eventually won title) we would have gone to Leicester and Wolves with a completely different mindset and who knows?
We eventually finished 5 points behind Derby and giving us +1 point and Derby -1 point had we held on.
Then 2 wins at Leicester and Wolves would have given us the title.
Seems farfetched now looking back, but truly believed this as a 15/16 year old at the time.
I think I only missed 1 game that season home and away.
Fantastic team, Fantastic manager, Fantastic times.

You part timer you. I managed to get to every game that season, even Ipswich away and what an awful journey that was. It may have been the folly of youth but I went to every game fully expecting us to get something out of it, we really were that good. Happy days.

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

reading your version of Derby seems more how it was Erimus definitely battered them
What was Stuey thinking of

On the subject of that Derby game such was the importance of the late error the Ayresome crowd booed Stewy Boam at the end. I recall we were all shocked at that reaction especially Boam who said in the papers the next day that he was devastated. Have you any newspaper reports @Erimus74 of that match at all?

 

[Rofesleg]

Boam offered to retire (according to the EG headline I remember anyway ).

The thing I remember about that season, and from watching highlights now, is that we weren't punching above our weight - we were competing as equals. Teams were scared of us. Which is incredible considering how long we'd been out of the top flight (20 yrs).
We almost did a Forest before Forest did a Forest.

 

[BoroinBuxton]

I don't know how many of you felt this, but I never appreciated how good we really were until years after. It just seemed to happen, burn bright then slowly fade. I'm so glad I was old enough to see that side.

 

[Erimus74]

reading your version of Derby seems more how it was Erimus definitely battered them
What was Stuey thinking of

Yea I'll post a match report over the next say ir so, nights tonight, SB's blunder shoukdnt have matteted but typical Boro hey

 

[Erimus74]

On the subject of that Derby game such was the importance of the late error the Ayresome crowd booed Stewy Boam at the end. I recall we were all shocked at that reaction especially Boam who said in the papers the next day that he was devastated. Have you any newspaper reports @Erimus74 of that match at all?

Yes & i left before the end, missed their goal, i had just started a paper round, bottom of Burlam road & didnt want to get there late