Leeds Fans Vote For Wrong Game Of The 1970s!

I remember the 7-0 thumping of Southampton well. The poor Saints were chasing shadows all match and Leeds passed the ball around beautifully, and were wonderful in front of goal. It was a cracking performance but as a contest it was a non event. Game of the decade? No way. There was only one contender for that title, West Brom 2 Leeds 1.

The first goal was handed on a plate to the Baggies, with Jack, "Little Black Book" Charlton giving the ball away to Astle in the centre circle, and the bracelet fancier slipping a pass to Suggett who played in Tony Brown to do what he did best, sliding home a neat finish. For anybody too young to remember, Brown was the Kevin Phillips of his age - great goal scoring record (that was his twenty-seventh of the season!) but not good enough for England.

But what followed makes the game live in the memory for ever courtesy of Jasper Carrott lookalike referee Ray Tinker. First off, with Charlton blocked off in the box as he went for a cross, Tinker made the amazing decision to award an indirect free kick in the box for obstruction. Jones promptly slammed the ball into a wall no more than five yards away from the kick.

Next up came  three fantastic chances for West Brom to go two goals ahead. Suggett, clean through was defied by a superb save by Sprake, then the Welsh clown made a brilliant block with his feet from a Brown shot, and the Baggies goal machine promptly passed the ball to the grounded keeper from the follow up.

Keeping in mind the recent fuss over Barton, just take a look at the Bremner attempt to remove Lovett's head with a flailing elbow on Youtube. I flinched watching it after all these years! Barry Davies simply says, "Bremner responded very strongly" and the ginger tosser isn't even booked. Different era! Today, Bremner would be off and facing a charge of violent conduct without question, and a scrum of players would have joined a melee around the little Scottish shit. From the free kick, awarded to Leeds, they get the ball in the net, but the linesman's flag, with marvellous irony, rules out Jones's header from an Eddie Gray cross.

Alan Clarke then nearly scores with a deft back header saved by Worcestershire cricketer Jim Cumbes. Suggett scores, but the offside flag rules that one out too. Then comes THE moment, perhaps the most controversial incident in the history of English football, apart from Hurst's "goal" against West Germany. Brown wins the ball and bursts into the Leeds half but Suggett is clearly offside by about five yards. The linesman flags, but Brown doesn't play the pass so Tinker waves play on - but everybody has stood still expecting the offside award. Realising that the ball is still live, Brown runs on and, with Sprake advancing off his line, rolls the ball into the path of an offside Astle who puts the ball in the net. 2-0, and with Leeds' title slipping away from them, cue pandemonium. Fans - in suits and ties - invade the pitch and are rugby tackled by the police, Revie marches on to the field, Leeds players scrum around Tinker, the linesman has his say, and the goal is still awarded. A coin is then thrown at the linesman on the far side, very unfairly because he wasn't even involved in the decision, though he had ruled out Jones's effort earlier.

Clarke then scores "from an almost impossible angle" according to Barry Davies but West Brom hold out for a victory that robs Bastard United of the title.

Do watch the Youtube video and see how the game has changed - not least the moment when Merrick keeps the ball in touch and clatters into two fold up chairs on the touchline! Amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBhpJZJ8O6U&feature=related