Following our 4-0 away win yesterday, I have been searching past records online for a 5-0 away win at Huddersfield, a match I attended as a lad of about 8 or 9, back in the late 1950s. I went with my brother, who was just over 4 years older than me - just the two of us. Kids didn't need to have an adult with them in those days. I looked at the 57-58 season and the Second Division final table came up. We finished 14th. In our final game of the season we drew 1-1 at Anfield. What I found most interesting though, and what coincided with my memories, was that we played 3 games in 4 days over Easter. On the Saturday we beat Leyton Orient 3-0 at Oakwell. Two days later, Easter Monday, we won 3-1 at Lincoln. The very next day, Easter Tuesday, we played Lincoln again at Oakwell and this time lost 3-1! Amazing to think teams played 3 times in 4 days then. No subs allowed then, of course!
I’m sure I’ve seen before that years ago we used to play the same team home and away at Christmas over 2 days with the first game on Christmas Day.
Ridiculous fixtures in those days lol. It would help though if the Efl could arrange local derbies more, at Christmas and Easter. Instead of making us go to Colchester on Easter Monday in '15, and Plymouth on Boxing day in '90
As recently as 1994/95 we played Grimsby at home on Boxing Day (won 4-1) and then away at Portsmouth (lost 3-0) the following day.
I didn't remember that. Your early memories remain with you most vividly, I think. The Lincoln City games on successive days were especially memorable because of the away teams winning by the identical scoreline on successive days.
The anti-Barnsley conspiracy was around then too! Making us travel all the way down to Portsmouth immediately after playing at home. At least the Lincoln trip wasn't too far.
Was the last year we had three games over Easter back in 1980? I remember us drawing 1-1 at Blackpool on Good Friday, losing 1-0 at home to Grimsby on the Saturday, then drawing 1-1 at Rotherham on Easter Monday. However, I'm struggling to remember us playing three games during that period since.
On Christmas Day 1946 (25th) we drew 4-4 with Southampton at Oakwell; on Boxing Day (26th) we drew 1-1 with Southampton at The Dell! We also played QPR home and away in 1951 and Brentford home and away in 1952. All on consecutive days, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Southampton to Barnsley on Christmas Day and the reverse on Boxing Day - what kind of clownery allowed that kind of scheduling to happen? We complain about the EFL today but facts like that prove that things have always been so. Idiots run professional sport and I imagine always will.
Did he say how they did the journeys? Can't see an ancient bus being used by either club. Perhaps in 1946 we had a proper rail SERVICE that allowed you to travel long distances even at Christmas.
You're right, it was Easter 1980, but the previous season was even more onerous. When we got promoted in 1979, we played 5 games in 8 days in April/ early May (Tue 24, Thu 26, Sat 28, Mon 30 & Wed 2 May). This was after playing 7 other games from March 30 to April 21st. That made 12 games in 34 days! Also, if we look at the season we won the FA Cup in 1912, a similar sequence of games occurred. In fact, we played a game the day after winning the Cup Final replay on Wednesday 24th April! (Home to Chelsea, Thursday 25th April). Then played another game on the Saturday 27th, before finishing the season on Monday 29th. This was after playing the Cup Final the previous Saturday 20th, and then Squeezing another game in on the Monday 22nd!
When was the last time the top flight played over consecutive games? I'm guessing the 1994/95 season.
