The winter of 1962-63 is long remembered as one of the harshest in the memory of Britain. Its impact on football was such that many clubs went between December and March without games, causing a congestion of fixtures in the latter stages of the season.
Such an environment might have lent itself to a certain kind of drama. As Leicester City created possibly the greatest miracle in modern football in 2016, Outside90’s David Vutuopal takes a look back at the last time they were serious title contenders, which was the 1962-63 campaign.
The previous season, 1961-62, was the first true ‘miracle’ of the post-war period. Alf Ramsey had taken Ipswich Town into the First Division for the first time in their history and won the League Championship at the first time of asking. This feat was even more remarkable considering the teams they had beaten to the title – Harry Potts’ Burnley who had been Champions in 1960, Bill Nicholson’s Tottenham who had won the Double the previous season, and Harry Catterick’s rising Everton. With Ipswich unlikely to repeat their heroics, all three sides were expected to be in contention for the League Championship the following time around the block. 1962 was also the year that Bill Shankly took Liverpool into the First Division after eight years, thus Merseyside derbies in the League resumed after more than a decade.
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With Leeds United in the Second Division, the two Sheffield clubs – United and Wednesday – flew the flag for Yorkshire in the early 60s. The top-flight at the time was well populated by the grand old clubs of the north-west and Midlands, and more variably from London. The removal of the maximum wage at the start of the decade was a step in the transformation of football in the coming decades, especially in terms of the balance of power. Yet it still remained, at the time, a very open playing field, though the latter decline of clubs who had been prominent at this time would be influenced by more complex factors.
Burnley had finished runners-up in the League and were beaten by Tottenham in the 1962 FA Cup final. Under Harry Potts, they had built a very fine team which included such players as Adam Blacklaw, Alex Elder, John Angus, Tommy Cummings, Brian Miller, Jimmy Adamson, Jimmy McIlroy, Ray Pointer, Jimmy Robson, Andy Lochhead, John Connelly and Gordon Harris. They had won the title in 1921 and again in 1960, and were one of the founder members of the Football League along with fellow north-west clubs Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End. All of these had their moments as forces in the English game well into the 20th Century, and all bar Preston have enjoyed top-flight football in the modern era.
Under the management of Bill Nicholson, Tottenham followed on what had been built by Arthur Rowe, whom lead Spurs to promotion and then the League Championship in 1951. It was a football philosophy that was one of the precursors of ‘Total Football’, with an emphasis on passing and movement. Appointed in 1958, Nicholson assembled a side including Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay, Danny Blanchflower, John White, Terry Dyson, Les Allen, John Smith and Cliff Jones, with Jimmy Greaves being added to a setup that already could do seemingly nothing but score. They would manage 115 League goals in the double-winning season, and 111 again two years later. While Arsenal had been continuously in the First Division since 1919, Tottenham had an up and down existence until the 1950s, emerging from the shadows to turn the tables. Chelsea, West Ham and Fulham were other regular presences from the capital in the top-flight at this time.
Everton, under Harry Catterick, had built on the revival that began with Johnny Carey. Following a barren period after World War II, the 60s saw the Toffees re-emerge as a force in English football, synonymous with class. Catterick’s team included Gordon West, Alex Parker, Mick Meagan, Brian Labone, Brian Harris, Tony Kay, Jimmy Gabriel, Dennis Stevens, Billy Bingham, Alex Scott, Johnny Morrissey, Alex Young and Roy Vernon. Bobby Collins had left for Leeds during the previous season, with Dennis Stevens signed from Bolton and Alex Scott joining from Rangers. Everton were at the time in a strong position to attract players, as one might say a big city club being an inevitable beneficiary of the changes affecting the balance of power in the game. With Liverpool winning promotion, cross-town rivalry was rekindled.
Stay tuned for part two of our look at the 1962-63 season later tonight on Outside90.
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