13 goals in 2 games and George Best’s first ever as a Red
THE Four Seasons famously sang about late December back in ’ 63 being a special time, and it certainly gave us the best Boxing Day football in living memory.
The 10 top-flight fixtures that year produced a staggering 66 goals. Fulham scored 10 against Ipswich, Blackburn eight against West Ham, Liverpool six against Stoke and Chelsea five against Blackpool.
Christmas 1963 also saw an extraordinary double- header between Manchester United and Burnley, who meet again at Old Trafford today.
Matt Busby’s team lost 6-1 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day and played Burnley again just 48 hours later on December 28, turning the tables with a 5-1 home win on the day George Best’s legend was born. ‘Crazy games and crazy scores,’ says United legend Paddy Crerand, reminiscing about that Christmas. ‘And they didn’t come any more crazy than those two against Burnley.’
What would Jose Mourinho make of it all? The United manager has voiced his concern over a heavy fixture list this Christmas, but it was a different story then.
‘Totally different,’ says Crerand. ‘The winter of ’63 was a bad one but very few games were ever postponed. Ice and mud. We played on pitches animals wouldn’t go on.
‘There were no substitutes either. If somebody got injured, you played with 10 men.’
But weren’t two games in three days too much? ‘I think that’s a load of rubbish,’ insists Crerand. ‘The players loved to play and never complained.
‘You didn’t get tired. That’s just a mental thing created by who knows what. Players prefer to play than train. You’re getting paid for something you love. But you’re right, people shouldn’t be playing over Christmas and New Year. It’s a family time.’
United’s hammering at Burnley was a big shock, even though they were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute when Crerand was sent off for the first time in his United career.
‘The first of quite a few,’ admits the uncompromising Scotland midfielder, still a formidable character at the age of 78. ‘There was a scuffle but the red card was unfair — I only punched the guy once!’
Burnley won convincingly with Crerand’s fellow Scot Andy Lochhead scoring four goals and Willie Morgan, a future Old Trafford favourite, the other two. David Herd got United’s consolation.
Lochhead was one of three players to score four that Boxing Day along with Liverpool’s Roger Hunt and Fulham’s Graham Leggat.
‘In all my years in football, without a doubt it was the best game I was involved in,’ Lochhead, now 76, told Sportsmail. ‘It was just a magical day; 6-1 was a hell of a score and to score four goals was the icing on the cake.
‘It was absolutely superb for a small town like Burnley and a fantastic day for the fans to do it against Man United. It was the highlight of my career.
‘My mate Willie Morgan and me have been out a few times over the years doing the question-andanswer sessions. Every time that game comes up, he points out that he got man of the match even though I scored four!’
Busby decided to make changes for the return game, a quick turnaround two days later at Old Trafford. The United manager gave Willie Anderson his first-team debut at the age of 16 and sent a telegram to Belfast where Best was spending Christmas with his family, summoning the 17-year-old winger back to Manchester.
It was only Best’s second senior appearance for United, three months after his debut against West Bromwich Albion.
But he ran Burnley full back Alex Elder ragged and scored the first of his 179 goals for United in the 38th minute to put Busby’s side three up.
They won 5-1 to avenge their crushing defeat at Turf Moor with Herd and Graham Moore scoring twice each.
It was the day Best’s United career took off and afterwards he was flown straight back to Belfast. ‘There was no great defensive attitude towards football then,’ recalls Crerand. ‘Particularly at United. If we’d tried that, the fans would have given us abuse.
‘Football is more tactical now and I don’t think it’s for the benefit of the game.
‘That was the day George made his name. He completely tore Alex Elder apart, unfortunately for him — absolutely murdered him.
‘George had played against West Brom and did well, but he was exceptional that day. It pushed him to the forefront.
‘ Nobody knew George then, they’d never heard of him. After that they did.’