Match Report: Yorkshire Evening Post 29th December 1939 (Courtesy Steve Bell)
REMEMBER THIS MATCH?
When Leeds Drew Record Crowd
That Fog and Frost Cup-Tie at Bramall Lane
So far as Association Football matches in the regional competitions are concerned the struggle for points to-morrow concerns clubs in the South, Midland and South-Western Groups. In other areas, friendly engagements again fill the bill, as they have done for the most part during the holidays.
Leeds United renew acquaintence with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. Mention of this ground will bring back to the minds of key followers of the Elland Road club that famous F.A. Cup-tie, close to four years ago. The clash took place on 15th February 1936. That was the season when the Leeds men promised big things. They started by drawing with the mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, winning the replay, and then beating Bury, after the first game was abandoned owing to fog. These successes took Leeds to the last sixteen and the victories had been so well merited that there was talk of it being their "Wembley year" at last. Then, when it became known that the fifth round Cup engagement was no further afield than South Yorkshire, one recalls, first, the big demand for the tickets for the match, and then the call made on all forms of transport by the more eager followers of the Elland Road club. The match also aroused a deal of enthusiasm at Sheffield - so much so that the game drew a record attendance for Bramall Lane of 68,287, with receipts of £4,114. Hundreds of visiting supporters were destined to find the gates closed when they arrived, but even those inside the huge enclosure saw little of the game, owing to the crush and the blanket of fog, while the ground was frozen hard as iron. Hopes of further success by Leeds were frustrated by an injury very early on to Edwards, and Leeds were eventually beaten 3-1. It was a shock to United, but their Sheffield rivals passed on to Wembley, where they allowed Arsenal to take the trophy by an only goal by Drake.
Edwards Reappears
Holley and Copping have returned to their units after Christmas leave so that Leeds United will be without their services, while the two Scotsmen, McGraw and Brown will also be missing because they are going home for the New Year festivities. Stephenson, however will be available, and United will welcome the return of Willis Edwards. Edwards underwent a painful operation in August but he is now fit again and makes his first appearance in wartime football. His accurate feeding should be immensely valuable to the little right-wing pair, Powell and Cochrane, who gave all their best exhibitions last season when playing in front of Edwards. Goldberg has recovered from his ankle injury and resumes in place of Jack Milburn. A surprising introduction is Teddy Buck, the old United half-back who for a long time has been with Grimsby Town. Browne is unfit and Buck happens to be available. The team will be: Swindin; Goldberg, Gadsby; Edwards, Thompson, Buck; Cochrane, Powell, Henry, Stephenson, Hargreaves. If he can get away in time on military leave, Hagan, will appear at inside left for Sheffield United. He turned out for Aldershot in the holiday matches, and scored in all three games, against Brighton and Hove, Reading and Fulham (twice). Kuhnel, who will lead the home attack is the former Outwood, Yorkshire Amateurs and Goole Town player, who joined Aldershot last close season. As Jeffries is unfit, Barton returns at outside-right. Team (from):- Smith; Young, Cox; Jackson, Eggleston, Johnston, Settle; Barton, Pickering, Kuhnel, Hagan/Sheen, Collindridge.
Match Report: Yorkshire Post 30th December 1939 (Courtesy Steve Bell)
TWO LONG SERVICE MEN
Edwards and Buck in Leeds United team
Willis Edwards will make his first appearance of the season in the Leeds United team to visit Sheffield United, and there will be another long-service player in the half back line - Buck, who has been a regular member of the Grimsby Town team since he left Elland Road eleven years ago. The Leeds team will be:- Swindin; Goldberg, Gadsby; Edwards, Thompson, Buck; Cochrane, Powell, Henry, Stephenson, Hargreaves.
Match Report: Yorkshire Post 1st January 1940
MORE GOALS THAN EVER IN ASSOCIATION MATCHES
Attributed generally by footballers themselves to the less severe tackling compared with peace-time, the greater frequency of scoring in Regional competition and friendly Association matches was more marked than ever on Saturday. It was not to be expected, in the conditions, that men with other things to think about besides football were going to run risks they would normally take in the fight for League points. But it was not on all grounds that the forwards were able to make rings round the opposing backs. One of the exceptions was Bramall Lane, where the Sheffield United and Leeds United forwards were rarely permitted to play constructive football. Sheffield United were more aggressive than Leeds, because they adopted an open style of game which the conditions made profitable. They got the Leeds defence on the run by swinging the ball out to the wings and letting their forwards gallop for it. Leeds attempted neat combination, but movements repeatedly broke down because their style involved too much stopping and turning, and with foothold so treacherous, valuable time was lost. The ball could not be closely controlled, and even such an adept as Cochrane found himself beaten by uncertain bounce. Hargreaves was the most go-ahead Leeds forward, but he could not act quickly enough at close quarters. The Leeds half-back line presented a curious appearance of two remarkable veterans on the wings, Edwards and Buck, with 19-year-old Leslie Thompson in the centre. Edwards was making his first appearance of the season, and although happily now quite fit he could not have turned out on a day less congenial to his talent and temperament. Buck, who last
played for Leeds eleven years ago, is still decidedly useful, and after starting slowly he supported his wing energetically, and once went near scoring. There was an attendance of nearly 5,000, the receipts being over £200.
Match Report: Yorkshire Evening Post 1st January 1940 (Courtesy Steve Bell)
The extension of the age for Service registration to 28, now officially announced, raises fresh problems for those who are carrying on with the difficult task of keeping professional football alive. The call-up, of course, may not be for quite a long time; but obviously there will eventually be some curious football teams when reliance has to be placed on players under twenty and over twenty-eight.
In the Association world, despite the general dislike of the idea of summer football, club officials are looking more and more favourably towards the prospect of some matches in May and perhaps June in a supplementary competition of somekind. It is hoped that the new classes will not be required before that time. The games may be played on Saturday afternoons or in the evenings; but the main object, besides providing entertainment, is to earn a little money to enable the hard-up clubs to meet their heavy obligations in the way of ground maintenance and rates and taxes.
Directors who are particularly concerned with club finances are having a worrying time wondering how difficulties are to be overcome, and a gate of £200, such as Leeds United shared at Bramall Lane on Saturday, is regarded as quite a windfall. It was to be regretted that the state of the ground made accurate football out of the question, and Willis Edwards could scarcely have picked a more unsuitable day for him to make his return to the team. However, though Sheffield by adopting the open game and putting the ball well in front of their forwards, were able to play a more go-ahead type of football than Leeds, the game might have been a draw until two minutes from the end when the home team scored twice.
