41 years ago this December, we were 4th bottom of the old Second Division, looking like relegation fodder. The peanut seller could amble between the loose groups of fans in their various favourite spots in the Roker End. (Mine and my mates, bizarrely, was just in front of the floodlight farthest from the scoreboard). Anyway. In comes a new manager. Plays players in what he thinks is their best position (Watson? Center-Back? WTF?). Result. Robert Stokoe gets us dancing up the league and oh. By the way. We won the FA Cup. In the process beating the big-spending "pretty" Manchester City, double winning only two seasons before Arsenal and the then best team in England - Leeds Utd. We have a head start this season. So. Who we playing in the League Cup Final? x
Yes, first game of the season (against Leyton Orient I think) "attracted" about 12,000. My first season as a season ticket holder. When we played Man City we had somehow accumulated 52,000 "regulars" looking for cup tickets. Strange that!!!
Aye Dave Watson a Centre Half signed from Rotherham where he had been converted to a Centre Forward so Stokoe decided to play him in his original position - master stroke. Yes BOB all of a sudden we developed a big crowd for the Man City 5th round replay home game. I only got to Luton in the quarters after the Man City away game but I think lots of us who went regularly in those days got screwed over for tickets in the later stages - if I remember correctly they used to give vouchers in the programmes so as long as you got a programme from somewhere you were classed as loyal.
