Modern footballers simply would not be able to cope with mudbath pitches such as this. Watching Greaves, Moore and Hurst knock the ball around is a striking reminder of just how good they were!
What absolute rubbish, of course they could their technique is way better now as they have all grown up playing on small sized pitches not when we were growing up where we touched the ball once every 20 minutes on a full sized pitch. I know everyone likes to forget and look back with rose tinted specs but England did not qualify for the 1974 or 1978 World Cup as we were crap.
@@neilboulton9813 we didn’t qualify in 1974 and 1978 because only the top team in a group went to the finals. In 1974 we finished 2nd behind Poland who got to the semis and in 1978 to Italy, another excellent team.
@@ianclarke1852Funny how when they now say their are NO easy games in International football and you don't beat Tufkey 8-0 we don't have worry about finishing behind mighty Poland we finish top and when we get there we do alot better than we did again in the 1980s when football was also imagine your mind incredible.
you are the only person I've ever heard claiming that coming second and not qualifying was fine. It was so fine it was a national disgrace. It got Ramsey sacked. England were not much better in the 80s either, But you know, Golden Era.
I was present at this match, a City fan, it was one of the first I went to. I can't remember the mud or anything else about the match, only Ron Boyce's goal. Thank you for posting this video.
My Dad was at the match and even though he was a massive City fan he loved Jimmy Greaves and said he was probably the best finisher he’d ever seen. RIP Dad. .🍀
I remember watching this at the time on M.O.Day looking forward to seeing Jimmy Greaves playing but feeling sad at seeing Westham without Martin Peters for the first time in my life . The thing that stands out about it now for me after watching it after all these years is that at the time that pitch seemed completely normal to me and not a bad one at all for the time of year . Now I look at it and think , Crikey , what a state that pitch is in . How times change .
@@victorformosa2825 Tremendous finisher who was streets ahead of any other striker at the time, tho I rated Allan Clarke, and George Best was simply the best was a pleasure to witness such stars and many others from that era.
@@mick6370 It was the golden era in my opinion, so many great players, no diving to win penalties etc, playing on quagmires for pitches, we were fortunate to witness it all.
Greaves in his autobiography said this match became a millstone to him as he knew due to his increasing alcohol dependence he was unable to keep up the standard of his debut for the hammers
@@andrewwilliams7501 they are pampered compared to yesteryears football stars. They will complain if they have to play on muddy pitches like those years ago.
I was at this match and was absolutely rain soaked, as was the Maine Road mudbath of a pitch .... as a City fan who is still attending games today i have never forgotten this match, and, thinking back to the scoreline, it is with good reason too, Jimmy Greaves was absolute quality ..... i was only around 12 years old, and stood at the front of the kippax ... the scoreboard end back then had no roof.
Now that’s the sort of pitch I remember from my youth. Ridiculous skill under the conditions with a ball getting heavier all the time. Wonderful soccer!!
Greavsie had the knack of scoring goals by somehow leaving the goalkeeper stranded They weren’t miracle blistering shots but placed shots and touches He could also dribble past two or three defenders with trickery and skill rarely seen today
Remember this so well ,first game I watched on MOD ,my late brother God rest his soul was broken hearted , literally crying when Martin Peters left for Spurs ,but this result on the Saturday sure brought a big smile back to his face .Awful pitch due to weather ,Ronnie Boyce volley back into the net from a Joe Corrigan clearance and Jimmy Greaves RIP doing what he did better than anybody else ,scoring goals .
That game would not be played these days. Jimmy Greaves had amazing balance, composure and silky skills. He would be priceless in today’s game. One and one with a keeper, it’s a goal. Is there a potential Jimmy Greaves out there?
@@angelicupstart1977 Lucky we still don't otherwise those early covid shortages would be every week with the shit games now what with so many teams trying not to lose instead of trying to win.
Greavsie, the greatest ever England striker! Average percentage of goals per games played, Jimmy scored more than anyone else so far up to the present time, 2024!
It is chalk and cheese, football then is as good as your grammar, poor. You can bemoan the lack of physicality now versus then but the speed of football today with their superior technique these unfit individuals out on the lash all the time would run out puff in the 55 minute and lose by double figures.
@@neilboulton9813 funny you should say that, Emlyn Hughes was once asked in the late 90s (I think) about who would win between his Liverpool side and the current one. He said that 'they wouldn't get the ball off us in the first hour, but then they would hammer us because we'd be knackered.'
@@dcanmoreIronically the Liverpool team now is even more professional and fit than the team of Fowler, Macmanaman and Razor Ruddock. Now the 1970s Liverpool team would not get the ball off the current Man City side, and so would run out of puff even earlier.
Amazing game ! Man City had a superb team then , but even they had a day to forget !! West Ham , with Greaves on debut , had a dream day in the mud ! Bizarrely the ball didn’t get stuck in the mud . Wonder what today’s players would make of it ?
I loved the 4th goal when Big Joe kicked out , the way he just turned as thought to say oh well that's a bad kick out I will just trot back into position , oh they've scored ! Hahaha
Apparently, there was a pitch inspection, to which the ref happily declared that he found a blade of grass near the corner flag and so stated the bog, I mean pitch was playable.
Current prem players and match officials would not hesitate to call this match off due to unsafe play conditions. What a joke! In those days men were men and played in whatever nature poured on football pitches. Great video quality. 👍👍
Our school didn't have a rugby pitch ( everything else but ... ) so we had to play on the Rugby Pitch at the local Rec . People used to walk their dogs there ! ...... We'd walk back to school , after "Double Games Lesson ", each and every one of us stinking to high heaven , into the steaming hot showers . Nobody , not one of us , butted an eyelid . Unbelievable now . Late 60's / Early 70's . Totally different world . Totally different planet .
It grieves ( no pun intended) me to say , but I haven't been to the new athletics stadium once . Leaving Upton Park was the writing on the wall for me when the money men ( a.k.a.vultures ) & women moved in . Leeches . Unforgivable . Usual suspects get filthier rich , usual "suspects" pay dearly for it all . West Ham "London" / & "Castle" removed from badge . The biggest bit of w.t.f.-ery I've ever seen .
Football from a different era - quagmire of a pitch, full-blooded tackles, the genius of Greaves. And not a single pouting Portuguese prima donna in sight.
They were actually top drawer pitches when the season started, but towards the end of the season (this game was played in March) they'd deteriorated badly.
That pitch reminds me of playing football as a kid at school. Mind you Maine Road was notorious for the state of its pitch back in those days, as was Stamford Bridge as well as a few other grounds. And its been a long time since anyone put five past Man City at their place now. Jimmy Greaves first goal was amazing. He accepted the ball with his right foot then scored with his left. He made it look so graceful. Ronnie Boyce's goal was great to watch too. Joe Corrigan was a top goalkeeper but his complacency there caught up with him.
Pep would go nuts see a pitch like that today. West Ham and City still played the ball on the floor. This is why those players back then could play on the pitches of today.
@@johnhassall1782 yes. Your right. It's too easy to dismiss those players. There were good players back then. Football didn't start with the premier league. Though if you listen to sky sports you would
The amazing thing about this game apart from playing on that quagmire pitch is, earlier on that season in December City went to Upton Park and won 4-0. So both teams winning the away game by +4. Two great teams putting on two great games.
@@onthekippaxsince75 I was kidding! I'm well aware of the away goal rule but we are talking about 2 league games. Away goals is totally meaningless in context.
@@terranceparsons5185 I know mate, but when I saw the scores from these two games, I immediately thought if it was a cup tie, West Ham would have gone through following a 0-4 1st leg at home defeat and that would probably be a record. Wasn’t it the late great Jimmy Greaves who features quite prominently in this video that said “ it’s a funny old game”?
Reminds me of many a Saturday and Sunday league match I played in.........happy days!! Some great finishing here too, Greavsie was such a natural talent ( Frannie Lee wasn't too bad either)
@@stevelee9924 Football is not a euphemism for physical and moral qualities but a game of skill and intelligence. This is where we have gone wrong since 1966.
I was there. My mate was a city fan (I was United), and we traveled over from Rotherham to watch it. Not only was the pitch unplayable by today's standards but it was VERY cold.
Yeah l was there what cold night it was but the two teams did fantastic,l was at the end just right of goal,second half when Cities goalkeeper kick the ball and as we see in the video just walks back to goal not a care in the world and picks the ball out of the net crazy game,West Ham on the day just adapted to the conditions Plus had GREAT SIDE making is Debut again (scores,) That was the reason 4 of us went the game,No need for tickets turn up pay watch go home,So simple back then😂😂😂😂
Beach searching We were near the halfway line, near the back, City goal to our left. Back then they had long studs, so better grip in those conditions.
Horrendous pitch. But still a good game. Main thing that strikes me is how quickly they got on with it. Time from whistle to restart about one second. Ten to twenty seconds now, unless there is a dispute in which case 1-2 minutes.
Greaves and Hurst.. some double act. Bonds and Moore.... West Ham still playing attractive football on that pitch. I'm not a Hammer but they always played good football.
My dad in his later years of attending matches always used to clap a good goal from the opposition,modern fans used to ask him why he was clapping.Its a different game now.
This was what the West Ham sides of the 60's and 70's were capable of but were always too inconsistent to turn it into a title. Untouchable when they clicked as in this game,
I agree they were inconsistent, but SO entertaining to watch. Win or Lose, you always had your 50p side enclosure entrance fee money's worth. Bobby Moore etc. Superb. 😆😆😆
Is that Frank Lampard Sr.? Think it must be. Talk about legends. Greaves, Hurst, Moore, Lampard, Lee - and I guess Bell wasn't playing that day. Simply wonderful to see again.
Although I 'm a Newcastle fan I've always had a soft spot for West Ham. Always liked their football style. Jimmy Greaves was one of the best goal getters England has ever produced. Up the Hammers 👍
Chelsea fan here. Saw Greaves when I was a kid. 60/61 season Chelsea scored 98 league goals but finished 12 th having conceded 100 !! Greaves scored 41 league goals inc 6 hat-tricks. England 's greatest striker.
I was there for that as a City season ticket holder. I remember before the game, apart from getting drenched, the talk was about Greavsie and if he would score. It didn't take long.
come on man, we want more info than that! Did yer have a pie at halftime? Did you miss any of the goals cuz u spotted a hottie walking by? Did yer hear any racist chanting? Was there any halftime entertainment? Did u buy a sports paper on the way home? Did u watch Match Of The Day and try to spot yerself? Did you get yer leg over that night? Let us know quick...we don't want u to take these answers to the grave.
I'm a city fan who was brought up hearing stories of bell, lee and summerbee as we didnt have too much to cheer about when i was kid in the 90's. We had our own famous ballet on ice v spurs at Maine Road in 67 (ironically Greaves scored on that too). This should be the ballet in the mud. Both teams looking to play football on a pitch that wouldnt even pass a sunday league test. Some great stuff from west ham there. 🎩 Two other points. The fourth goal is quite famous anongst city fans for Corrigan having a bit of a nightmare, my dad actually brought it up when he met big Joe a few years ago. Secondly, everyone else is caked in mud apart from Greaves 😂. Anyay respect from a city fan.
To think that in the next few months, some of those players would be playing against the world on hard dry pitches, at altitude and in the heat in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. It's remarkable how they adapted.
For context sake, Manchester City would finish the season 10th (with 43 points: 2 points per win) and West Ham United would finish in 17th with 37 points. Manchester City won the match at Upton Park 4-0 on 06th December 1969. (Sugar Sugar by the Archies was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day) This match took place on 21st March 1970. (Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garson was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day) In the FA Cup, Manchester City would get knocked out in the Fourth Round, losing 0-3 to Manchester United on 24th January 1970. (Two Little Boys by the **** ****** was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day) West Ham United would lose in the Third Round at Middlesborough. 1-2 on 03 January 1970. (Two Little Boys by the **** ****** was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day). In the League Cup: Manchester City won the trophy beating WBA 2-1 on 07th March 1970. (Bridge Over... was still Numero Uno). On 23rd September 1969, West Ham United lost 0-1 at Nottingham Forest. (Bad Moon Rising by CCR was number one). In the European Cup Winners Cup: On 29 April 1970, Manchester City would beat Polish side Gornik Zabre 2-1 so winning their only European trophy. (All Kinds Of Everything: Dana was the best selling single on the weekly survey).
That pitch is something else! I played in the lowest levels of Sunday league when I was younger. Even their games would have been cancelled in those conditions.
RIP Jimmy. The beautiful skill and cool headedness of his first goal here sums his brilliance up beautifully. God bless him.
He was a brilliant goal-scorer.
In the right place at the right time with the right finish.
Yes indeed, I did noticed how beautiful that goal was. Goals can be beautiful even from a few yards out.
always enjoyed watching him even though he was the bane of our lives the clarets against spurs some Great matches to witness
Modern footballers simply would not be able to cope with mudbath pitches such as this. Watching Greaves, Moore and Hurst knock the ball around is a striking reminder of just how good they were!
What absolute rubbish, of course they could their technique is way better now as they have all grown up playing on small sized pitches not when we were growing up where we touched the ball once every 20 minutes on a full sized pitch. I know everyone likes to forget and look back with rose tinted specs but England did not qualify for the 1974 or 1978 World Cup as we were crap.
@@neilboulton9813 we didn’t qualify in 1974 and 1978 because only the top team in a group went to the finals. In 1974 we finished 2nd behind Poland who got to the semis and in 1978 to Italy, another excellent team.
@@ianclarke1852Funny how when they now say their are NO easy games in International football and you don't beat Tufkey 8-0 we don't have worry about finishing behind mighty Poland we finish top and when we get there we do alot better than we did again in the 1980s when football was also imagine your mind incredible.
Maine Road, a bit like the Baseball Ground. An absolute shocker. This was played on the Spring Equinox, March 21 1970.
you are the only person I've ever heard claiming that coming second and not qualifying was fine. It was so fine it was a national disgrace. It got Ramsey sacked. England were not much better in the 80s either, But you know, Golden Era.
Great vid quality. Thanks for sharing. Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst in the same team!
I loved playing in conditions like those. It brought everyone down to my level.
Me too. It slowed everyone down to my pace !
😆👍😂
Are you Julian Dicks?
@@johnhuwroberts7766 yes, as a consistently mediocre player I was in my element in such conditions.
Same here.
If you look really carefully, there is a blade of grass (1:20) near the corner flag, where the car is parked.
Are you sure that ain't an empty pack of Rizla greens mate? :-)
@@Plentisaki Oh yes, it probably is.
More grass on Franny Lees arse than the pitch.
😂😂😂
Nah, don't believe you.
I was present at this match, a City fan, it was one of the first I went to. I can't remember the mud or anything else about the match, only Ron Boyce's goal. Thank you for posting this video.
I'd love to see today's footballers playing on a pitch like this.
Don't be daft.
This lot would have their
agents demanding danger money.
@@mikehopkins4040 That's why I'd like to see it.
@@stevelee9924 Better that they don't have to as it's not football. Some things have improved.
Should have seen Pompey v Sunderland last week.
Hope Doyle enjoyed it!!🤣👹
My Dad was at the match and even though he was a massive City fan he loved Jimmy Greaves and said he was probably the best finisher he’d ever seen. RIP Dad. .🍀
Jimmy Greaves was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best finisher I've ever seen.
I've watched football, Leeds United, since the late 1950's and your dad was right.Greaves was a great finisher.
It's intresting to speculate on what might have happened had we been allowed substitutes in the 1966 World Cup Final. Would he have got a game?
My dad was also at the game as a city fan and said exactly the same to me
That's my opinion, too.
yes, proper old school - no shirt advertising, restrained goal celebrations and players just getting on with it
Hand shake, a smile, rub of the head, and back to centre circle.
And "assists" used to be called passing
Jerseys for goalposts....
@@staceygrove5976 yep done that as well..now the kids can't find anywhere to even try it
Your thoughts on the pitch?
I remember watching this at the time on M.O.Day looking forward to seeing Jimmy Greaves playing but feeling sad at seeing Westham without Martin Peters for the first time in my life . The thing that stands out about it now for me after watching it after all these years is that at the time that pitch seemed completely normal to me and not a bad one at all for the time of year . Now I look at it and think , Crikey , what a state that pitch is in . How times change .
I know, there were some bad pitches about then, but Maine Road took some beating!
Sparky take a look at Derby County 's Baseball ground. Believe it or not, it was worse.
0:36 Such a composed finish from Greavsie on such a tricky surface. Jimmy must be the most naturally gifted finisher that England has ever produced 👍🏼
I'll second that, he passed the ball into the net for his second goal. What a player.
@@thomasandersen6719 4th and 3rd for me. Lineker takes 2nd
@@walesdad I saw Greaves play many times, most of his goals would roll over the line just as you saw.
@@victorformosa2825 Tremendous finisher who was streets ahead of any other striker at the time, tho I rated Allan Clarke, and George Best was simply the best was a pleasure to witness such stars and many others from that era.
@@mick6370 It was the golden era in my opinion, so many great players, no diving to win penalties etc, playing on quagmires for pitches, we were fortunate to witness it all.
quck then lads..lets play the match before the tide comes back in.
Could have dug some lugworm at half time
😂😂 ( tide comes back in. ) love it. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Proper tackling, proper football, great to watch,
all the great players, Greaves, Best, law, Charlton, and many more,
This is the game I miss
@paul...er? Have another look mate.....Best? Law? Charlton?...🤪 was you ever a referee back in the day?..
Greaves in his autobiography said this match became a millstone to him as he knew due to his increasing alcohol dependence he was unable to keep up the standard of his debut for the hammers
The days when the kit laundry earned their money.
Show this video to Pep Jack Grealish Sterling and those MC current players.
RIP Jimmy Greaves the greatest English goalscorer .
What would that prove? 😂
@@andrewwilliams7501 they are pampered compared to yesteryears football stars.
They will complain if they have to play on muddy pitches like those years ago.
@@mohdazmi10 Still don't understand the point. Of course pitch maintenance has got better?
I was at this match and was absolutely rain soaked, as was the Maine Road mudbath of a pitch .... as a City fan who is still attending games today i have never forgotten this match, and, thinking back to the scoreline, it is with good reason too, Jimmy Greaves was absolute quality ..... i was only around 12 years old, and stood at the front of the kippax ... the scoreboard end back then had no roof.
Now that’s the sort of pitch I remember from my youth. Ridiculous skill under the conditions with a ball getting heavier all the time. Wonderful soccer!!
Note the accuracy of passing deft touches and subtle turns and...and .no one went down claiming a foul!
Er? It's football.
Greavsie had the knack of scoring goals by somehow leaving the goalkeeper stranded
They weren’t miracle blistering shots but placed shots and touches
He could also dribble past two or three defenders with trickery and skill rarely seen today
His saying was that stayed with me as a young boy was " you don't have to hit the ball hard to score
Interesting to see Francis Lee pondering the idea for a new business after scoring that goal.
Remember this so well ,first game I watched on MOD ,my late brother God rest his soul was broken hearted , literally crying when Martin Peters left for Spurs ,but this result on the Saturday sure brought a big smile back to his face .Awful pitch due to weather ,Ronnie Boyce volley back into the net from a Joe Corrigan clearance and Jimmy Greaves RIP doing what he did better than anybody else ,scoring goals .
That game would not be played these days. Jimmy Greaves had amazing balance, composure and silky skills. He would be priceless in today’s game. One and one with a keeper, it’s a goal. Is there a potential Jimmy Greaves out there?
Jimmy greaves was a world class striker.
There's only one Greavesie
Thanks from a City fan who was at the game. Look at the beautiful simplicity of those classic kits, compared to those of today.
Agreed. The colours and the badge were all you needed. Classic.
Yeah, change the kit every year, get it made in Bangladesh for 50p and sell it to some suckers for £90.
Ah the days when a goal was celebrated by throwing loo roll
We only took bog roll just in case it was really shit ...
@@angelicupstart1977 Lucky we still don't otherwise those early covid shortages would be every week with the shit games now what with so many teams trying not to lose instead of trying to win.
Greavsie, the greatest ever England striker! Average percentage of goals per games played, Jimmy scored more than anyone else so far up to the present time, 2024!
60's and 70's football was far much better then what it is today.
It is chalk and cheese, football then is as good as your grammar, poor. You can bemoan the lack of physicality now versus then but the speed of football today with their superior technique these unfit individuals out on the lash all the time would run out puff in the 55 minute and lose by double figures.
@@neilboulton9813 funny you should say that, Emlyn Hughes was once asked in the late 90s (I think) about who would win between his Liverpool side and the current one. He said that 'they wouldn't get the ball off us in the first hour, but then they would hammer us because we'd be knackered.'
@@dcanmoreIronically the Liverpool team now is even more professional and fit than the team of Fowler, Macmanaman and Razor Ruddock. Now the 1970s Liverpool team would not get the ball off the current Man City side, and so would run out of puff even earlier.
Amazing game ! Man City had a superb team then , but even they had a day to forget !! West Ham , with Greaves on debut , had a dream day in the mud ! Bizarrely the ball didn’t get stuck in the mud . Wonder what today’s players would make of it ?
Proper players and real skill. It shows how good were 50yrs later they are still household names (certainly WH players anyway) thanks for posting
I loved the 4th goal when Big Joe kicked out , the way he just turned as thought to say oh well that's a bad kick out I will just trot back into position , oh they've scored ! Hahaha
Blokes on The Somme would describe that pitch as being "a bit muddy"
Exactly, now you are talking about a real tough generation, not this load of long haired skirt chasing piss drinking merchants!
I haven't seen one player slip! Today's "professionals" should watch!
Yes and you won't see a pitch like that one these days and also the ball was heavier than the football used nowadays.
Players didn't dive to win penalties then, they stayed on their feet.
12 2 inch studs.
@@victorformosa2825 You don’t know much about Francis Lee, do you?
@@colinbaker3916 Francis Lee was the exception of that day, however, in the modern game, diving is done by a fair number of players.
The most amazing thing about this game is not the scoreline or Boyce’s goal - it’s the pitch.
And dont the kits look better without all the sponsorship plastered on them
Just covered with healthy mud. In my day I played on worse. Notice how they have to skate across the surface.
Love the old style kits. I wouldn't be seen dead in one of the modern football tops.
These days even pigs would turn their noses up at that pitch.
Pitch is a good word for it....
Never seen a pitch as bad as that before.
@@davidknight8172 I guess you didn't watch footie in the '70s. That type of surface was par for the course in those days.
Groundsman did a great job painting the lines on the mud. Looks like he uses a plough instead of a mower to prepare the pitch. Good job.
Today's professional footballers should watch this match, they wouldn't believe its possible to play on such a surface.
It's still better than Astroturf!
I’d rather play on Astroturf or Fieldturf.
Notice the accuracy of passing and deft touches even in those conditions
But could they do it on a wet windy Tuesday night at Stoke? Well on this evidence I’d say yes.........
Love to see Ronaldo or Messi try and play on this pitch . Could watch that Boyce goal all day
I reckon messi might be better than Boyce.
@@baliksupper6043 nonsense. Its Pele, Maradona... then Boyce.
On that pitch it would be Lionel Messy.
I think ultimately the best players of any era would be pretty much on a par with any other era if they'd all played at the same time.
Until now I'd thought Clyde Best had scored that goal. That was a belter!
The state of the pitch! Yet the touch and technique were superb.
The half time entertainment was a tractor ploughing up the pitch to level it up.
Apparently, there was a pitch inspection, to which the ref happily declared that he found a blade of grass near the corner flag and so stated the bog, I mean pitch was playable.
not true; it was a plastic pitch.
It was an experimental Man City team. That's why they were playing the game on a big Petri dish.
made my evening finding this....absolutely brilliant ! level of skill and the pitch to die for . Superb
Current prem players and match officials would not hesitate to call this match off due to unsafe play conditions. What a joke! In those days men were men and played in whatever nature poured on football pitches. Great video quality. 👍👍
Our school didn't have a rugby pitch ( everything else but ... ) so we had to play on the Rugby Pitch at the local Rec . People used to walk their dogs there ! ...... We'd walk back to school , after "Double Games Lesson ", each and every one of us stinking to high heaven , into the steaming hot showers . Nobody , not one of us , butted an eyelid . Unbelievable now . Late 60's / Early 70's .
Totally different world . Totally different planet .
When football was just a simple entertaining game. I loved this clip,
Falling out of love for the game today tho'.
It grieves ( no pun intended) me to say , but I haven't been to the new athletics stadium once . Leaving Upton Park was the writing on the wall for me when the money men ( a.k.a.vultures ) & women moved in . Leeches . Unforgivable . Usual suspects get filthier rich , usual "suspects" pay dearly for it all . West Ham "London" / & "Castle" removed from badge . The biggest bit of w.t.f.-ery I've ever seen .
GREAT FOOTBALL,GREAT CROWD,GREAT PITCH,GREAT PLAYERS,GREAT DAYS
Nice and white too bet you like that especially 😂😂
Football from a different era - quagmire of a pitch, full-blooded tackles, the genius of Greaves. And not a single pouting Portuguese prima donna in sight.
And no Africans or cheating South Americans either.
English Scots Welsh and Irish lads all could play for the same team but the fun started when the home inters were on happy days
the days when all pitches , professional or amateur were the same - a true level playing field. The players just adapted.
They were actually top drawer pitches when the season started, but towards the end of the season (this game was played in March) they'd deteriorated badly.
That pitch reminds me of playing football as a kid at school. Mind you Maine Road was notorious for the state of its pitch back in those days, as was Stamford Bridge as well as a few other grounds. And its been a long time since anyone put five past Man City at their place now.
Jimmy Greaves first goal was amazing. He accepted the ball with his right foot then scored with his left. He made it look so graceful. Ronnie Boyce's goal was great to watch too. Joe Corrigan was a top goalkeeper but his complacency there caught up with him.
Pep would go nuts see a pitch like that today. West Ham and City still played the ball on the floor. This is why those players back then could play on the pitches of today.
Not to mention fitness,,,, its a lot harder running on those pitches,, plus it's more physical and the balls are much heavier 💪
@@johnhassall1782 yes. Your right. It's too easy to dismiss those players. There were good players back then. Football didn't start with the premier league. Though if you listen to sky sports you would
Love the pitch!
Game was so much better back in those days.
Great passing from both teams. Really good football.
The amazing thing about this game apart from playing on that quagmire pitch is, earlier on that season in December City went to Upton Park and won 4-0. So both teams winning the away game by +4. Two great teams putting on two great games.
West Ham on away goals then!
@@terranceparsons5185 back in 1969-70 no, but up until more recently when uefa scrapped the away goals rule, then yes
@@onthekippaxsince75 I was kidding! I'm well aware of the away goal rule but we are talking about 2 league games. Away goals is totally meaningless in context.
@@terranceparsons5185 I know mate, but when I saw the scores from these two games, I immediately thought if it was a cup tie, West Ham would have gone through following a 0-4 1st leg at home defeat and that would probably be a record. Wasn’t it the late great Jimmy Greaves who features quite prominently in this video that said “ it’s a funny old game”?
@@onthekippaxsince75 best line. I dunno Saint, the ball sounds hollow to me.
Reminds me of many a Saturday and Sunday league match I played in.........happy days!!
Some great finishing here too, Greavsie was such a natural talent ( Frannie Lee wasn't too bad either)
Ah - those were the days when pitches were PITCHES !
Imagine today's pansies playing on that!!
......and players were players !
Proper sliding tackles as well.
Obviously Arthur, that's a bit silly 😜
@@stevelee9924 Football is not a euphemism for physical and moral qualities but a game of skill and intelligence. This is where we have gone wrong since 1966.
I remember seeing that Ronnie Boyce goal on match of the day, what a strike.
Greavsie was lethal in front of goal
And remarkably earlier in that season Man City won 4-0 at West Ham So both lost their home games by a 4 goal margin
Amazing match! Ive just turned off Albania V England WC qualifier to watch this,its better 👌🏽 Greaves and Hurst utter class
Congratulations to the effects guy, you've nailed the muddy pitch sound!
I was there. My mate was a city fan (I was United), and we traveled over from Rotherham to watch it. Not only was the pitch unplayable by today's standards but it was VERY cold.
Yeah l was there what cold night it was but the two teams did fantastic,l was at the end just right of goal,second half when Cities goalkeeper kick the ball and as we see in the video just walks back to goal not a care in the world and picks the ball out of the net crazy game,West Ham on the day just adapted to the conditions Plus had GREAT SIDE making is Debut again (scores,) That was the reason 4 of us went the game,No need for tickets turn up pay watch go home,So simple back then😂😂😂😂
Spell check 😲😲😲😲GREAVSIE
Beach searching We were near the halfway line, near the back, City goal to our left.
Back then they had long studs, so better grip in those conditions.
If you can play on this, you can play on anything. What skill!
Horrendous pitch. But still a good game. Main thing that strikes me is how quickly they got on with it. Time from whistle to restart about one second. Ten to twenty seconds now, unless there is a dispute in which case 1-2 minutes.
Orient supporter here. The pitch looks a little muddy for the time but you could still see the players' numbers so it wasn't too bad..
In all seriousness why were pitches so bad at that time? Anyone able to explain?
Greaves and Hurst.. some double act. Bonds and Moore.... West Ham still playing attractive football on that pitch. I'm not a Hammer but they always played good football.
Amazing how well they played on them there pitches......so good to see again.
And the very next game West Ham played was at home v. Liverpool - the first game I ever saw at Upton Park. Happy days !! 😎
Ticker Boyce and Patsy Holland, vastly underrated players.
A very good West Ham side then.
I fuckin love watchin that Ronnie Boyce goal
The look on Joe Corrigans face as the ball flys past him, priceless.
Greaves was always a joy to watch. He would despair at what Enic and Levy have done to ruin Spurs.
Great to see home fans applaud an away team. So sad we don't see it today
My dad in his later years of attending matches always used to clap a good goal from the opposition,modern fans used to ask him why he was clapping.Its a different game now.
When you see how much average footballers go for these days how much would Jimmy Greaves sell for now ?
The pitch reminds me of my childhood when playing football for the schools
Playing on pitches like that made your touch so much better - it had to be!
This was what the West Ham sides of the 60's and 70's were capable of but were always too inconsistent to turn it into a title. Untouchable when they clicked as in this game,
I agree they were inconsistent, but SO entertaining to watch. Win or Lose, you always had your 50p side enclosure entrance fee money's worth. Bobby Moore etc. Superb. 😆😆😆
I think a lot of it depended on what time they got in the night before.
Is that Frank Lampard Sr.? Think it must be. Talk about legends. Greaves, Hurst, Moore, Lampard, Lee - and I guess Bell wasn't playing that day. Simply wonderful to see again.
Billy Bonds was playing. Maybe Harry Redknapp too? That was a great West Ham side.
The Skill of These Footballers will Never be seen again . .
The sound of the ball smacking the on the mud is unbelievable
I would love to see how the current Man City team would play on that pitch
They wouldn’t! 😊
I wish West Ham would do that to City today.
...they wouldn't come out of the dressing room.......
They would have just gone long!
I can tell u how theyd do; theyd smash Norwich 8-0, Brighton 5-0, and lose in the quarters or semi of the Champions League.
Although I 'm a Newcastle fan I've always had a soft spot for West Ham. Always liked their football style.
Jimmy Greaves was one of the best goal getters England has ever produced.
Up the Hammers 👍
You can actually see Jimmy Greaves reflection on the pitch.
Some players literally walked on water in those days.
Chelsea fan here. Saw Greaves when I was a kid. 60/61 season Chelsea scored 98 league goals but finished 12 th having conceded 100 !! Greaves scored 41 league goals inc 6 hat-tricks. England 's greatest striker.
They don't breed groundsmen like that at Maine Road anymore.
They don't do they. They were the days.
Lol
Hard to think that the season we left Maine Road we won an award for best pitch. Guess this guy was long gone by then haha.
An infamous game. City were actually quite good at the time having won the FA Cup and League in the previous two seasons.
That pitch is like a bowling green . . . after four years of trench warfare.
I started supporting West Ham about this time. Love the pitch . Heading that wet ball will have caused serious damage. Reminds me of school football .
remember the imprint those old leather balls would leave across your face ?
and the headaches ? but none of us complained .
Were they playing this on The Somme?
I was there for that as a City season ticket holder. I remember before the game, apart from getting drenched, the talk was about Greavsie and if he would score. It didn't take long.
come on man, we want more info than that! Did yer have a pie at halftime? Did you miss any of the goals cuz u spotted a hottie walking by? Did yer hear any racist chanting? Was there any halftime entertainment? Did u buy a sports paper on the way home? Did u watch Match Of The Day and try to spot yerself? Did you get yer leg over that night? Let us know quick...we don't want u to take these answers to the grave.
I'm a city fan who was brought up hearing stories of bell, lee and summerbee as we didnt have too much to cheer about when i was kid in the 90's. We had our own famous ballet on ice v spurs at Maine Road in 67 (ironically Greaves scored on that too). This should be the ballet in the mud. Both teams looking to play football on a pitch that wouldnt even pass a sunday league test. Some great stuff from west ham there. 🎩
Two other points. The fourth goal is quite famous anongst city fans for Corrigan having a bit of a nightmare, my dad actually brought it up when he met big Joe a few years ago.
Secondly, everyone else is caked in mud apart from Greaves 😂.
Anyay respect from a city fan.
Hoped they used Persil
To think that in the next few months, some of those players would be playing against the world on hard dry pitches, at altitude and in the heat in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. It's remarkable how they adapted.
For context sake, Manchester City would finish the season 10th (with 43 points: 2 points per win) and West Ham United would finish in 17th with 37 points.
Manchester City won the match at Upton Park 4-0 on 06th December 1969. (Sugar Sugar by the Archies was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day)
This match took place on 21st March 1970. (Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garson was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day)
In the FA Cup, Manchester City would get knocked out in the Fourth Round, losing 0-3 to Manchester United on 24th January 1970. (Two Little Boys by the **** ****** was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day)
West Ham United would lose in the Third Round at Middlesborough. 1-2 on 03 January 1970. (Two Little Boys by the **** ****** was at No.01 in UK Hit parade that day).
In the League Cup: Manchester City won the trophy beating WBA 2-1 on 07th March 1970. (Bridge Over... was still Numero Uno).
On 23rd September 1969, West Ham United lost 0-1 at Nottingham Forest. (Bad Moon Rising by CCR was number one).
In the European Cup Winners Cup: On 29 April 1970, Manchester City would beat Polish side Gornik Zabre 2-1 so winning their only European trophy. (All Kinds Of Everything: Dana was the best selling single on the weekly survey).
@@KebabMusicLtd you seem more obsessed with the hit parade than with footie. But thx.
There seems to be a drainage issue with the pitch.
I was at this game . Incredible match. It would be deemed TO DANGEROUS TODAY
Everything today is considered to dangerous. A world of wimps run by women
This was like playing on a wet beach,imagine greavsie with modern methods & pitches,would have netted 40 a season!R.I.P jim👍
140
@@allansmith3561 That was about the number of goals he used to score for Chelsea's youth team.
Could you imagine players today with that pitch..
"Call my agent. Tell them im not going out on that pitch"
Lol
Wonder if the groundsman got his monthly bonus?
Even in the mud, true quality shows itself.
That pitch is something else! I played in the lowest levels of Sunday league when I was younger. Even their games would have been cancelled in those conditions.
It was like a paddy field