DAYS OF GLORY

Successful seasons for the Black Country’s football clubs

Season 1967-68

THIS was Albion’s season through and through … FA Cup winners, eighth place in Division One – completing the double over the champions Manchester City, thrashing the European champions Manchester United 6-3 and belting Burnley 8-1 in the process –and gaining a place in the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Also, Jeff Astle netted 35 goals (26 in the League) and was voted Midlands Footballer of the Year.

The Baggies didn’t start the campaign all that well, losing four of their first matches, but after that they played some exciting football in both the League and FA Cup competitions and in the end their efforts were duly rewarded.

In the FA Cup, Albion beat lowly Colchester United 4-0 in a 3rd round replay (after a 1-1 draw). Indeed it took a late Tony Brown penalty to scrape a draw at Layer Road.

It took another replay victory for Albion to make progress in the 5th round, Albion winning 3-2 at Southampton after a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns.

Three games

Portsmouth were then ousted 2-1 at Fratton Park and it took three games to knock Liverpool out of the competition in round six, Albion winning 2-1 at Maine Road after 0-0 and 1-1 draws at The Hawthoens

and Anfield respectively.

Villa Park was the venue for the semi-final showdown with Bimingham City and after a pretty hard and well-contested encounter, Albion reached their first FA Cup final in 14 years with a 2-0 victory in front of almost 61,000 fans.

So into the final went Alan Ashman’s men, and once again Albion buckled down to the task in hand. They battled hard and long, as usual, and although the game itself wasn’t brilliant,

Jeff Astle’s extra-time goal proved to be the winner.

A delighted skipper Graham Williams then went up the 39 steps to collect the coveted trophy – Albion’s fifth triumph in this prestigious competition.

Sub

The ‘King’ Astle scored in every round and Baggies defender Dennis Clarke had the honour (and record) of being the first-ever substitute to be used in an FA Cup final when he replaced the injured John Kaye at the end of 90 minutes.

As for Wolves, their run in this season’s FA Cup ended early as they crashed out in round three, beaten 1-0 at Rotherham, while Walsall reached the fourth round after wins over Leytonstone, Exeter City and Crystal Palace, before eventually falling in a replay against Liverpool, losing 5-2 at Anfield after a particularly gutsy goalless draw at Fellows Park.