50 years ago today!

[WhiteJC]

 
Fifty years on from that mad Boxing Day that saw Ipswich Town concede 10!


Fulham's Bobby Robson

Former EADT and Ipswich Evening Star sports editor Tony Garnett's tongue is placed firmly in cheek when he describes the Blues' joint-record defeat, on Boxing Day 1963, as a "bit unlucky".


Gerry Baker
Tony, who also reported on Town's 9-0 debacle at Manchester United in March 1995, was the unfortunate journalist sent to Fulham's Craven Cottage and witnessed Jackie Milburn's Blues suffer a 10-1 hammering at the hands of a Cottagers team including a certain Bobby Robson, who himself got on the scoresheet that day.

Town were 4-0 down after 20 minutes, a spell that included a three-and-a-half minute hat-trick from Graham Leggat – which is the seventh fastest treble in English football – and the performance from the "bewildered" and "perplexed" Blues' was described as "humiliating".

"In terms of possession, it wasn't a one-sided game," recalls Tony, who saw Gerry Baker hit the Blues' solitary strike that day.

"But Jackie Milburn didn't have much idea as to how to set up a team to defend and while George Dougan hit the post a couple of times early on, I think the player he was marking (Bobby Howfield scored a hat-trick) scored a few.

"You could make an argument that they were a bit unlucky though as, had the game gone on for five or 10 minutes longer, it would likely have been abandoned as a result of the thick fog!

"I was on the team coach on the way back and you could not see anything more than a few yards in front of you."

Mother Nature may well have come close to saving Town that day, but it is unlikely they would have had much better fortune had the game been replayed at a later date.

A total of 55 goals were scored in the other nine Division One games that day (157 in the four divisions in total), suggesting Town could have been part of a freak set of results.

While the Blues were being beaten in west London, Terry Venables was among the scorers as Chelsea won 5-1 at Blackpool, while hosts Burnley humbled Manchester United 6-1.

Elsewhere, Liverpool matched Burnley's feat at home to Stoke, Jimmy Greaves scored twice in Spurs' 4-4 draw at West Brom and Blackburn won 8-2 at West Ham.

Town actually went and won the reverse fixture at home to Fulham two days later, 4-2, with just one change made to the team – Danny Hegan replacing Ted Phillips.

However, a total of 121 goals conceded and only nine wins to their name at the end of a dismal season told its own story.

The Fulham game was just one of a number of Ipswich Town horror-shows that season with a 9-1 defeat at Stoke, a 6-3 loss at Tottenham, 6-0 defeats to Liverpool, Arsenal and Bolton and a 7-2 home drubbing by Manchester United adding to their woes.

Tony was under no illusions that Town were on a downward spiral, so soon after winning the Division One title in 1962 under the England-bound Alf Ramsey.

"They were pretty hopeless," he recalls.

"Jackie Milburn was a lovely fella but he brought in quite a few players from the north and Scotland and they did not really fit in with Ramsey's men.

"I remember Fulham having a decent team with the likes of Bobby Robson, Tony Macedo in goal and Graham Leggat in attack who scored four goals.

"But there a few big defeats that season, including the 9-1 hammering at Stoke City.

"Was it a bad time to be a Town fan? Well not many people travelled to away games at that time, so a lot of the big defeats were not seen."

It was certainly a difficult period for Town and just showed how quickly football can change.

TOWN at Fulham: Roy Bailey, Joe Davin, John Compton, Billy Baxter, John Bolton, George Dougan, Joe Broadfoot, Doug Moran, Gerry Baker, Ted Phillips, Bobby Blackwood.

(Hegan replaced Phillips in the return game, two days later).



http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/fifty_years_on_from_that_mad_boxing_day_that_saw_ipswich_town_concede_10_1_3147083

[Bradstow]

I was there with my Dad - only seems like yesterday

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/incoming/article6235.ece/BINARY/Fulham+10-1+Ipswich

[win-dup]

Fifty years on from that mad Boxing Day that saw Ipswich Town concede 10!


Fulham's Bobby Robson

Former EADT and Ipswich Evening Star sports editor Tony Garnett’s tongue is placed firmly in cheek when he describes the Blues’ joint-record defeat, on Boxing Day 1963, as a “bit unlucky”.


Gerry Baker
Tony, who also reported on Town’s 9-0 debacle at Manchester United in March 1995, was the unfortunate journalist sent to Fulham’s Craven Cottage and witnessed Jackie Milburn’s Blues suffer a 10-1 hammering at the hands of a Cottagers team including a certain Bobby Robson, who himself got on the scoresheet that day.

Town were 4-0 down after 20 minutes, a spell that included a three-and-a-half minute hat-trick from Graham Leggat – which is the seventh fastest treble in English football – and the performance from the “bewildered” and “perplexed” Blues’ was described as “humiliating”.

“In terms of possession, it wasn’t a one-sided game,” recalls Tony, who saw Gerry Baker hit the Blues’ solitary strike that day.

“But Jackie Milburn didn’t have much idea as to how to set up a team to defend and while George Dougan hit the post a couple of times early on, I think the player he was marking (Bobby Howfield scored a hat-trick) scored a few.

“You could make an argument that they were a bit unlucky though as, had the game gone on for five or 10 minutes longer, it would likely have been abandoned as a result of the thick fog!

“I was on the team coach on the way back and you could not see anything more than a few yards in front of you.”

Mother Nature may well have come close to saving Town that day, but it is unlikely they would have had much better fortune had the game been replayed at a later date.

A total of 55 goals were scored in the other nine Division One games that day (157 in the four divisions in total), suggesting Town could have been part of a freak set of results.

While the Blues were being beaten in west London, Terry Venables was among the scorers as Chelsea won 5-1 at Blackpool, while hosts Burnley humbled Manchester United 6-1.

Elsewhere, Liverpool matched Burnley’s feat at home to Stoke, Jimmy Greaves scored twice in Spurs’ 4-4 draw at West Brom and Blackburn won 8-2 at West Ham.

Town actually went and won the reverse fixture at home to Fulham two days later, 4-2, with just one change made to the team – Danny Hegan replacing Ted Phillips.

However, a total of 121 goals conceded and only nine wins to their name at the end of a dismal season told its own story.

The Fulham game was just one of a number of Ipswich Town horror-shows that season with a 9-1 defeat at Stoke, a 6-3 loss at Tottenham, 6-0 defeats to Liverpool, Arsenal and Bolton and a 7-2 home drubbing by Manchester United adding to their woes.

Tony was under no illusions that Town were on a downward spiral, so soon after winning the Division One title in 1962 under the England-bound Alf Ramsey.

“They were pretty hopeless,” he recalls.

“Jackie Milburn was a lovely fella but he brought in quite a few players from the north and Scotland and they did not really fit in with Ramsey’s men.

“I remember Fulham having a decent team with the likes of Bobby Robson, Tony Macedo in goal and Graham Leggat in attack who scored four goals.

“But there a few big defeats that season, including the 9-1 hammering at Stoke City.

“Was it a bad time to be a Town fan? Well not many people travelled to away games at that time, so a lot of the big defeats were not seen.”

It was certainly a difficult period for Town and just showed how quickly football can change.

TOWN at Fulham: Roy Bailey, Joe Davin, John Compton, Billy Baxter, John Bolton, George Dougan, Joe Broadfoot, Doug Moran, Gerry Baker, Ted Phillips, Bobby Blackwood.

(Hegan replaced Phillips in the return game, two days later).



http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town/fifty_years_on_from_that_mad_boxing_day_that_saw_ipswich_town_concede_10_1_3147083

It was the only game I missed in about fifteen seasons due to pressing family arrangements. How I cursed!!

[Holders]

The results that day were shown on Question of Sport the other day as the highest-scoring day ever in the "top flight". Unless I'm mistaken ours still remains the highest-ever score in the old 1st or PL.

That's Fulhamish.

[Peabody]

I was there, stood at the Putney End and could'nt believe what I was seeing, I mean Bobby Howfield scoring a hat trick!!!

[filham]

yes,10goals on Boxing day 50 years ago sent us all home happy. Today of course most of us will be satisfied if our defence can perform and we hold out for a boring 0-0 draw.

[Fernhurst]

 I was there also with my brother....very muddy pitch. Could not understand why full back and goalie were giggling when 6th goal flew in. It emerged many years later from chairmans autobiography Ipswich players attended Christmas party night before the game and smuggled a keg of Beer on the bus for the coach journey down. This may explain why we got beat 4-2 at their place two days later!

Don't remember any fog though, though my memory is a bit foggy these days.

[Holders]

yes,10goals on Boxing day 50 years ago sent us all home happy. Today of course most of us will be satisfied if our defence can perform and we hold out for a boring 0-0 draw.

That's the progress of modern football.

[Peabody]

Well, for what it is worth, we are playing another East Anglian team today.

[Keefy]

I was there too in the snow.....happy days We attacked the Hammy end where I was standing in the first half. At half time I walked down where the Riverside is now ( then a terrace) and stood behind the Cottage end goal.

COYWs

[Oakeshott]

It was certainly foggy. I was standing at the Hammersmith end and we only knew the final couple of goals went in by the reaction of the fans at the Putney end.

First and only time I can remember a Cottage crowd shouting "we want ten".

[Chrisg3]

I was there as a 15 year old, remember it well, Roy Bailey (Gary's dad) was in goal and he changed his shirt at half time
If I remember Graham Leggat scored the fastest hat trick going