The Ice Kings

kendalfox

kendalfox

Roofer
Many will not remember 1963 bad bad year coldest weather for many a long year.
But Leicester Citypulled the rabbit out of the hat when groundsman defied the odds andkeptusplaying despite the majority of clubs grounds were frozen solid we survived to bring joy to our spectators into the thaw that saw us fade away and Everton pulled it off and we faded to finish fourth and added I sultto injury by being beaten in the Cup Final in the same Season.
That year we had a long unbeaten run off 16 games Cup and League
Long remembered but once again the nearlymen
 
I used to wish I could have witnessed that close attempt at the Double.

2015/16 and 2020/21 have helped...
 
kendalfox said:
Many will not remember 1963 bad bad year coldest weather for many a long year.
But Leicester Citypulled the rabbit out of the hat when groundsman defied the odds andkeptusplaying despite the majority of clubs grounds were frozen solid we survived to bring joy to our spectators into the thaw that saw us fade away and Everton pulled it off and we faded to finish fourth and added I sultto injury by being beaten in the Cup Final in the same Season.
That year we had a long unbeaten run off 16 games Cup and League
Long remembered but once again the nearlymen
Click to expand...

My old man always said that whilst it was ingenious that we kept the FS pitch playable during those first 3 months of 63, in the end it was what killed us. We played 14 matches in just over 7 weeks at the end including 2 FA Cup matches. An incredible 11/14 of those were away.
In those days they’d be none of this ‘flying’ to matches, staying over the day before, rotating the squad la di dah stuff of today. 4hr bus journeys to Blackpool on the morning of the match etc were the norm.

It’s no wonder the wheels came off.
 
Also had “injured” players who didn’t want to play the league games as they were desperate to play in a cup final!
 
I got.married in the September.of that year
First time in.many a long year l cried after the Cup final backed them to win it, all came crashing down after that. As you say too many bloody games to play in a short period whilst most of our competitors were reasonably fresh.
Knew Bert Johnson the head groundsman he relayed that pitch after the end of the previous Season so it was a good ground that had hardly been played on unlike so many others plus some ingenuity.
 
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kendalfox said:
Many will not remember 1963 bad bad year coldest weather for many a long year.
But Leicester Citypulled the rabbit out of the hat when groundsman defied the odds andkeptusplaying despite the majority of clubs grounds were frozen solid we survived to bring joy to our spectators into the thaw that saw us fade away and Everton pulled it off and we faded to finish fourth and added I sultto injury by being beaten in the Cup Final in the same Season.
That year we had a long unbeaten run off 16 games Cup and League
Long remembered but once again the nearlymen
Click to expand...
Remember it well pal. The pitch was like Blackpool beach with the tide out. No tippy tappy crap then, lump and chase, keepers wearing tracksuit bottoms, knee pads, elbow pads.
I was at Secondary school, the school team never played a match from late January til late March!@
 
The Daily Express loved us in those times, I think one of their headlines was "The Ice Age Champs"
Par for the course, "Nearly"
 
LGFOX said:
My old man always said that whilst it was ingenious that we kept the FS pitch playable during those first 3 months of 63, in the end it was what killed us. We played 14 matches in just over 7 weeks at the end including 2 FA Cup matches. An incredible 11/14 of those were away.
In those days they’d be none of this ‘flying’ to matches, staying over the day before, rotating the squad la di dah stuff of today. 4hr bus journeys to Blackpool on the morning of the match etc were the norm.

It’s no wonder the wheels came off.
Click to expand...
Used to go by train to away matches mind you they had lots of local Stations until Beeching came along and fucked it all up
 
evingtonfox said:
Remember it well pal. The pitch was like Blackpool beach with the tide out. No tippy tappy crap then, lump and chase, keepers wearing tracksuit bottoms, knee pads, elbow pads.
I was at Secondary school, the school team never played a match from late January til late March!@
Click to expand...

evingtonfox said:
Remember it well pal. The pitch was like Blackpool beach with the tide out. No tippy tappy crap then, lump and chase, keepers wearing tracksuit bottoms, knee pads, elbow pads.
I was at Secondary school, the school team never played a match from late January til late March!@
Click to expand...
20230316_202400.jpg
Like this from late 60's
 
Banks getting injured towards the end of that season was the final nail in the coffin of our title hopes. His replacement, George Heyes, was like Ward, only better.
 
In those days if playing in London, the team would congregate on Platform 3 at London Road station just after 0900 to catch the 0920 train to St Pancras, play the match in London, WIN, and come back to the pub opposite St Pancras (now O'Neils) have a quick pint, then have dinner on the train home leaving St Pancras about 7.00PM.
Where they went once they got back to Leicester I'm not sure, this was pre Grannys days. :)
 
channys6thswan said:
Banks getting injured towards the end of that season was the final nail in the coffin of our title hopes. His replacement, George Heyes, was like Ward, only better.
Click to expand...
I think George Hayes came to us from Swansea. When he finished playing he started a job where I worked (BT) .
A lovely bloke who I last saw about 7 years ago at a employee's reunion.
Too much of a short arse for a goalkeeper though!
 
JohnMitten said:
In those days if playing in London, the team would congregate on Platform 3 at London Road station just after 0900 to catch the 0920 train to St Pancras, play the match in London, WIN, and come back to the pub opposite St Pancras (now O'Neils) have a quick pint, then have dinner on the train home leaving St Pancras about 7.00PM.
Where they went once they got back to Leicester I'm not sure, this was pre Grannys days. :)
Click to expand...
Some of the younger lads used to frequent The Penny Farthing in Abbey St.
 
evingtonfox said:
I think George Hayes came to us from Swansea. When he finished playing he started a job where I worked (BT) .
A lovely bloke who I last saw about 7 years ago at a employee's reunion.
Too much of a short arse for a goalkeeper though!
Click to expand...
His son played at Forest, goalie as well, they lived near me in Oadby
 
Alan Hodgkinson MBE ,Sheffield United and England,was the best “shortarse” goalkeeper. 5’ 9”.
 
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