CHANGING GAME
KEITH DIXON STEPS BACK IN TIME TO LOOK AT THE ISSUES AFFECTING FOOTBALL IN THE PAST…
Taking a look back
IT’S the end of the 1955-56 season, that’s 63 years ago. Manchester United have won the Division One title, whilst neighbours Manchester City claimed the FA Cup - so not much of a change there.
Sheffield Wednesday were top of Division Two and here we enter history: Leyton Orient were champions of Division Three South and Grimsby were champions of Division Three North.
I find it fascinating to look at the decisions made at the Football League’s Annual General Meeting held in June 1956:
The proposed regrouping of the present Third Division clubs into national third and fourth divisions, as planned by the management committee and approved by both sections of the Third Division, fell down because the proposal did not receive the necessary three-quarters majority.
A minimum of 36 votes were required, the actual voting being 33 for and 16 against.
The reason it failed was the influence of a few First and Second Division clubs yet it was a scheme that affected purely Third Division clubs and they had approved the change. So in that regard nothing has changed - the big boys rule!
The main explanation for the defeat was that the increased cost to clubs would not be justified by the greater interest shown in the new league set-up, which might not last more than a season.
It was proposed that players should be given an increased bonus of £3 for a win and £1 10s for a draw, instead of £2 and £1. This proposal also failed by not reaching the necessary three-quarters majority.
The players’ union put forward a proposal that floodlit games and others additional to the normal programme of the League, FA Cup and FA County Cup matches should rate for extra payment.
This was approved with players receiving a maximum of £3 and a minimum of £2 per game.
It was agreed that any League fixtures may be played wholly or in part by floodlights if both clubs agreed.
This meant that matches could either be played by floodlight in the evening or that in the dark winter days the kick-off time on a Saturday afternoon could be delayed.
It was felt that this was the first positive step to combat the decline in League attendances which the committee felt was due to the much greater number of matches being played.
Portsmouth’s proposal to increase the minimum charge of 2s to 2s 3d due to rising costs, heavy entertainment taxes and increased rates failed.
It was agreed that the best referees would not be compelled to retire at 47.
There was to be no change to the arrangements for sound broadcasts of matches. The second half of the match would continue to be broadcast each Saturday, but which game would not be disclosed.
There was an offer of £40,000 from Associated Television to televise the second halves of 35 matches which would kick-off at 6.15 to avoid clashing with other games.
Objections were raised and the offer rejected with a warning from a committee member who said, “You cannot stop TV. The question is can we use it to our advantage without injuring this great game?”
Bristol Rovers could not find a seconder for their proposal that goal average should not decide vital issues when clubs finished level on points and that there should be play-offs on neutral grounds instead.
No seconder was also found for Middlesbrough’s proposal that no transfer should be allowed between March 16 and the end of the season in any year.
Finally, the main event of all AGMs at this time was the decision over the four clubs applying for re-election. As usual, those clubs found no difficulty in retaining their league status.
In the North, it was Bradford and Crewe and in the South, Crystal Palace and Swindon. Who missed out? Peterborough, Wigan, Boston United, Gloucester City, Burton Albion, Worcester City and Hereford United.
So the issues today are very similar to way back then:
● The structure of the game
● Players’ income
● New technology – A bit of a stretch from floodlights to VAR perhaps
● The impact of television
● Kick-off times and the impact on attendances
● Referees’ competency
● Play-offs
● Transfer window implications To sum up, then, the game has changed a lot over the last 60-odd years, but a lot of the issues remain the same.