28/12/1974 - The Big Match

[@PaulSwindells-wl8dc]

What an excellent commentor Brian Moore was

[@Realbillball]

Bryan King went to Coventry, were badly injured and that ended his carreer. So he was offered a coaching job in Norway and he's stayed ever since. He lives in the town of Kongsberg and he speaks fluently Norwegian.

[@lennylaa1686]

He got his wish to play in the First Division just months after this interview but thanks for stating that injury ended his career,...not mentioned on wiki.

[@Realbillball]

@@lennylaa1686 As I mention further down this thread - I highly recommend his memoirs bearing the fitting title "Lions' King". Very good read.

[@1990-t1j]

You can tell he's very intelligent in the interview.

[@stanslad7868]

Thanks for showing, Love the old West Ham games from my school days, mostly suffered then & mostly still suffering now!

[@neilpountney9414]

There was always so much to love about West Ham even if you were not a fan. They always played the game the "right" way.

[@middleagedpunk8923]

I've watched it back 4 times now and only the ref will ever know what he thought he saw there that was worthy of a penalty for Stoke. Anyway, thanks for yet another great upload.

[@neilpountney9414]

Never a penalty in a million years. I think he gave it for the push (Touch!!!) on number 11 Salmons. Stoke were loaded with talent and I totally forgot Hurst played for them after his West Ham days and to score against his old team too. Two brilliant goalkeepers. Day was very unlucky not to play for England at a time when of course Shilton and Clemence were around. I loved these days when so many of the teams could have won the title sad to say we will never see those close competitive days with so many teams again.

[@kevinbeck6785]

@@neilpountney9414 👍👍

[@kevinbeck6785]

Love the Millwall away dug out lucky to get 3 people in there🤣🤣

[@terrybrown4400]

@@neilpountney9414 Yes, three of the Big Six finished near the bottom of the table, with Chelsea relegated and Man Utd in the Second Division

[@terrybrown4400]

Bryan King ought to be careful with that shirt collar, he could put somebody’s eye out😅

[@1061andy]

The season after Eamon Dunphys brilliant book about life as a player at Millwall. He moved onto Charlton from the Den. Football was so much more low key in those days, no smothering hype like you get now.

[@kevinbeck6785]

👍👍

[@Realbillball]

I can highly recommend Bryan King's memoirs bearing the fitting title "Lions' King". Very colourful insight to what he describes as "eight years of the happy madness called Millwall" and then some. He was the one who brought Kevin Beattie to play in Norwegian fourth level for a couple of seasons when he coached Kongsberg. He scored about 60 goals. Not bad for a terminally injured former defender, you might think, but if you knew how crap Norwegian fourth level football was back then....

[@kevinbeck6785]

@@Realbillball Cheers will look Bryans memoirs up 👍

[@gavster_999]

That Millwall v Pompey game might be the worst match I've ever seen. Loved every second of it! 👍

[@freebornjohn6876]

The Pompey player thought he'd scored and had his arms raised .....then Kingy pulled off that save. What a great keeper he was.

[@kevinbeck6785]

Great watching these boys giving everything, these puddings today would not play in these conditions it would be to Windy and to Muddy 😂😂

[@sfwplant]

Xmas week, what a great choice for the main game!

[@neilpountney9414]

Is that Keith Weller winking at the start? Got to appreciate the kits in those days some were so outrageous. Being a Birmingham fan it was always a distraction from the crappy soccer we had to watch :). Which also reminds me I am sure that Summerhill playing for Millwall here was one Phil Summerhill ex of the 'Blues'. My dad hated him, he used to say as he comes on a sub and scores that he was just looking for his place in the team for next week. I don't know why my dad disliked him because is that not what he was supposed to do! RIP Dad thanks for giving me the love of the game but I surely wish you followed a better team than Birmingham I have been stuck for life supporting them!!! So many players in the Millwall vs Portsmouth game went on to bigger and better things Gordon Hill, Peter Marinello and more I am sure. YOFC: Thanks for uploading all these vids they bring back many happy memories and at my age I am shocked at how many players I can remember when I cannot think what I had for breakfast this morning!!!!

[@noone-ty3lz]

Yes. That is Keith Weller winking after he scored that brilliant goal against my beloved Luton Town, also show at the beginning of the programme

[@neilpountney9414]

@@noone-ty3lz Thank you sir. I have always had a soft spot for Luton Town, always rooted for them except when they played Birmingham. A very up and down history and I am glad to see them where they are today!

[@diptastik5651]

Outrageous 😳 Can't see it myself, but what to do.

[@kevinbeck6785]

These puddings today wouldnt play in these conditions too Windy and too Muddy

[@lennylaa1686]

Never too late to get that claret and blue scarf round your neck, would love to see you bouncing up and down on the Holte End, celebrating yet another classic Villa goal! 😄😄😄 🤭🤭🤭

[@staceygrove5976]

Saw Millwall play at Oldham a couple of months earlier than this game. Final score was 1-1, a player called Allder scored for them, really dire game. Their manager was a guy called Benny Fenton, who obviously didn't last much longer in the job.

[@1990-t1j]

Bryan King was a nice bloke. Very articulate.

[@richardshowers]

I was at the Millwall v Pompey game, miserable game, freezing cold, happy days!

[@staceygrove5976]

No wonder Millwall were relegated in 1974-75 on this showing - barely created a single decent scoring chance.

[@Ponty30]

Tell us about the wind Brian..

[@lennylaa1686]

On this exact day, I travelled down to Cardiff on a half-full special train to follow Villa. Terrible first half, 0-3 down, I made the long walk back to the station at half-time, missed a consolation goal as we lost 1-3. /terrible

[@stephenholmes1036]

David Best a cracking keeper

[@lennylaa1686]

Very odd how Millwall took Summerill off with only a couple of minutes to go as he did not appear to be injured.

[@staceygrove5976]

Peter Marinello moved from Hibernian to Arsenal in the 1969-70 season and was tipped to be the next George Best. Proved a bit of a flop, and ended up in the Second Division with Portsmouth.

[@andrewc4612]

Seemed a rather contentious penalty award in favour of Stoke

[@CamperVanPersie]

Geoff Hurst getting lucky with the crossbar again...

[@alanprior7650]

Pompey, my team,were shit during this season. Great Admiral kits but destined for relegation.. When Frank Burrows took over and we got promoted in the 79/80 season when things got better!

[@michaelodonnell5400]

Great

[@silverbackstrongzone]

no perfect grass no damn drums no $400 haircuts, no 200 million salaries, just tough in your face British players and British football. god i wish i had a time machine

[@richardcoffey6057]

I love the big match I can remember most of the players it was a time when any team could win the league teams back then diddent buy the league by spending huge amounts of cash and also any team could have won the the FA cup aswell you can now almost perdict who Will win the league and FA cup it's either Man City Liverpool or Chelsea we will never again see a team outside the top four in the league win the FA cup unless it's another PL side if there lucky it's such a pity the best they can hope for is a good run I was working in London when wilbeldon beat Liverpool in the FA cup they were underdogs I went to the game I was delighted when was the last time a team from outside the PL won the FA cup long time I'd say such a pity that huge money has destroyed football and it's only getting bigger the gap between PL and the rest of the EFL

[@dlamiss]

pretty sure Millwall went down that season

[@staceygrove5976]

Yes, along with Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff.

[@lennylaa1686]

Checking the stats, Millwall got relegated at the end of the season.

[@butzee]

That ref definitely in the pay of Stoke City after that non pen? Dreadful officiating!!

[@halfordslain7477]

Millwall's den. Be afraid .

[@skintslots]

That main game was a terrible match. Not helped by the wind or pitch but it was easy to see why both teams were struggling in the 2nd division. Awful penalty awarded to Stoke v West Ham too.

[@seanbonella]

first yaaaay

[@petervarone8462]

Terrible English football, until the foreigners arrived it was amateurish.

[@staceygrove5976]

Plenty of excellent games at all levels of the professional game in the 1970s. Wouldn't cross the road to watch a modern Premier League fixture, even if admission were free.