Memory Hole: The Forgotten European Nights

Thanks are due to Jonathan Derbyshire (in comments) for corrections to this post.

Not forgotten by fans of the teams concerned! but it’s interesting, in the light of the English dominance of European club football between 1977 and 1985 to take a look at what happened immediately prior to that period. Throw in Celtic and Rangers, and you have what might have been twenty years, not eight, of predominance, and no European Cup trebles from Ajax and Bayern. Run your eye down this list – so many more victories than you might have recalled, and so very many semi-finals and finals and might-have-beens. Especially for Revie’s Leeds.

In 1969, Manchester United lost in the semi-final of the European Cup, Manchester City won the European Cup-Winner’s Cup and Newcastle United won the Fairs Cup.
In 1970, Celtic lost the European Cup Final to Feyenoord 2-1 after extra time, Manchester City won the European Cup Winner’s Cup and Arsenal won the Fairs Cup.
In 1971, Leeds United won the Fairs Cup and Chelsea won the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
In 1972, Celtic lost in the semi-final of the European Cup on penalties, Rangers won the European Cup Winner’s Cup, and Tottenham Hotspur won the UEFA Cup, beating Wolves in the final.
In 1973, Derby County were robbed, probably via bribes to a referee, in the semi-final of the European Cup against Juventus, Leeds lost in the semi-final of the European Cup Winner’s Cup, and Liverpool won the UEFA Cup.
In 1974, Celtic again lost in the semi-final of the European Cupand Tottenham Hotspur lost in the final of the UEFA Cup.
In 1975, this happened:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foA10zTvf50]
In 1976, West Ham lost in the final of the European Cup Winner’s Cup and Liverpool won the UEFA Cup.

5 Replies to “Memory Hole: The Forgotten European Nights”

  1. I went to Easter Road in, I suppose, the early 70s to watch a Hibs vs Leeds European match: we outplayed them but lost 0-1 (if memory serves). What was truly memorable was that a Leeds fan pissed on my leg and when I turned, 20 of them were waiting to see what I’d do. That must have been about the start of English football fans becoming a violent and disgusting mob. (In Scotland, only the “animals” of Celtic and Rangers were violent.)

  2. Dearieme, that would have been about the time – violence got going during the ’60s, but didn’t predominate until about the period you discuss.

    Thanks, Jonathan – I’ve been working from long small-print lists and must have become tired. I’ll correct it at next edit.

  3. You don’t have to worry about that here, Jonathan. Jokes about forks and White Star liners/World Cup winners banished entirely.

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