Late December Back in '63

The Boxing Day Football Went Goal Crazy

Ian Davidson

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• eBook ISBN:
  9781785317569
• Year: 2020

Late December Back in '63 tells the story of an unforgettable day in top-flight English football—when 66 goals were netted in just ten fixtures on Boxing Day 1963. The author brings each match to life through archive reports and images, exploring how such a staggering tally of goals was scored. This was the age of attacking formations, just before the era of more defensive disciplines, but what other factors were at play? The book examines and tests the veracity of various myths that surround that extraordinary day. Along with club line-ups, match reports, programs, and images from the fixtures, Late December Back in '63 takes an in-depth look at the careers of the various characters who played their part. It also offers a snapshot of where the national sport stood less than 20 years after World War 2 and the socio-economic changes taking place in the "Swinging Sixties." You'll get a picture of the state of the game less than three years before the summer of 1966 and how our future World Cup heroes were doing in their careers.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Index
• Foreword by Martin Tyler
• Introduction
• 1. Setting the Scene
• 2. West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
• 3. Blackpool v Chelsea
• 4. Burnley v Manchester United
• 5. Fulham v Ipswich Town
• 6. Leicester City v Everton
• 7. Liverpool v Stoke City
• 8. Nottingham Forest v Sheffield United
• 9. Sheffield Wednesday v Bolton Wanderers
• 10. West Bromwich Albion v Tottenham Hotspur
• 11. Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa
• 12. The Missing Fixture – Birmingham City v Arsenal
• 13. The Boys of 66 – Where Were They?
• 14. Summary & Conclusions
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgements