Programme cover showing Luton FA Cup match - February 1961

Hope you can see the picture in pdf format. I'm not sure how to convert it to jpg.

I've dragged the big boxes out of the loft and have decided to catalogue my large collection of programmes, mostly going back to the 1960s but some older ones than that. I've joined several programme buying/selling groups on Facebook and thought it might be good to see if anyone would be interested in buying any of them. I think I've been custodian of this collection for long enough so it might be time to move some of them on to collectors. The oldest home one I have is a friendly against First Division Bolton Wanderers to inaugurate the new floodlights at Oakwell. The date was 23 Jan 62 and we had the great Tom Finney guesting for us at centre forward. Imagine the ground before then without lights - no midweek night time games.


I was just interested in this photo of Ken Oliver jumping to head the ball against a Luton defender. What is remarkable about the picture though is the crowd shown in the old Paddock and the corner of the Ponty End. This was an FA Cup Fifth Round match and the ground looks pretty full. I don't have access to the actual crowd figure but it must have been brilliant that season watching our progress through the rounds. We might have reached the final, as a Third Division team, but were unluckily knocked out by Leicester in the 6th round. Had we got past the Foxes we would have faced Sheff Utd in the semi final and then Spurs in the final. If only......

 

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Love seeing these old programmes, thanks PoR for posting this. I've got loads of old programmes myself (but only go back to early 70s).

Just a suggestion, but could you take a photo of the programme, then post that image ,maybe

 

That was my first option but the iPhone took a picture far too big to upload here. I suppose I could mess about with my phone settings but I thought a scan would work for now. Clicking on the file I have uploaded presumably you can see it?

 

Great photo, PoR. The crowd looks awesome. Thanks for posting.

 

Ah good - you can see it! I did wonder if scanned images in pdf format could be viewed. Thanks for your response.

I love the old images on the 1960s programmes before we went to no picture and just the detail of todays match on the front. Unfortunately I have vandalised a lot of them by scrawling the opposition's name on the front, as you can see. Shocking handwriting for a ten year old

 

Yes, can see the image, but need to download the pdf first. Re photo, could you zoom in/out to get the image size you require

 

I tried that - cropping it as much as I could, but the jpg is still too big in mb for this site

 

Are you sure that's not the FA Cup fifth round game against Luton which we won 1-0? The size of the crowd would suggest it was that
game.

 

You are right - I am mistaken with my dates. The picture features on the front cover of 61/62 programmes so it can't be the league cup 2-1 defeat to Luton which was a Third Round game on 16 Oct 62. They obviously used the image from when we beat Luton 1-0 in the 5th Round of the FA Cup on 18 Feb 61, the previous season. Thanks for putting me right and I have edited both the title and my original post

 

I was at that game against Luton. They were, I think, old First Division (not sure, or top Second anyway) and they were fancied to wipe the floor with us. We gave them a damned good game and won 1-0 thanks to a Jackie Lunn goal. Jackie passed away a while ago, reported on here but I don't expect many will remember him. The ground was absolutely packed. I was 15 years old and for the first time in my life experienced the alarming feeling of being carried out of the ground by the crowd. I don't think my feet touched the earth. We went on to the quarter finals and had a good draw 0-0 away to Leicester when again they were tipped to maul us. I went to that game too, on my own on the bus. It was the time when you could stand anywhere and have a bit of a chat to the opposition and some banter. The replay was on the following Wednesday with a 2pm kick off, I think. My Dad got me a ticket from his mate who ran the Supporters' Club but there was a snag called school. I wagged the day off but was **** scared somebody would see me so I put my Dad's flat cap on and a Club scarf as a disguise. We took them to extra time, Gordon Banks and all, and were unlucky to lose 2-1. It feels like yesterday, 59 years ago! You REDS.

 

Just ahead of my time GT but I believe that there were mass absences from schools for that afternoon replay. Great days!

 

Got that on a set of coasters somewhere at work i think


https://images.app.goo.gl/AqFQPsnrb7oReku5A

 

I was at that game that we won 1-0 but, as has been mentioned, couldn't get to the 6th round replay against Leicester because of school. My dad went though because his shift at Rockingham colliery finished at mid-day. Unfortunately, after the 0-0 draw at Filbert Street we lost 1-2 at Oakwell....

 

Those were the days. Oakwell absolutely bursting at the seams. Long before I started
supporting the Reds. Biggest crowd I was in at the Shrine ( I believe) was the 1-0 Cup
defeat against Everton with Graeme Sharp grabbing their goal.

 

From the Official History the crowd that day was 32923. The game itself is etched on my memory forever, as it was my first senior match at Oakwell and I count my support as starting on that day. I had been to quite a few Central League reserve matches beforehand but to experience that crowd and atmosphere was unbelievable. In my mind's eye I can still see Jackie Lunn poking home the winner.

Interestingly we only played Luton because they had knocked out Manchester City in the previous round at the second attempt after the original game was abandoned - the one in which City were leading 6-2, with all six having been scored by Denis Law.

 

I hadn't heard about that. Law scored six but they will have been null and void. What a sickener, and lucky Luton

 

My first season supporting the Reds, Was at the Luton game and went to Leicester with my Dad, He got me a ticket for the replay, afternoon k.o. as we had no floodlights in those days and I too had to hide under my Dad`s coat to avoid detection as we travelled from Elsecar station which was at the side of my schools (King street Hoyland) playground, they truly were great days.

 

Big Stretch Keith took that picture.... not as young as you think isn't Keith...