Harlee Dean 18 72@50

Captain Harlee dean

Good afternoon and welcome back to St Andrew’s for this afternoon’s game against Preston North End.

We come into today’s fixture looking to bounce back after a disappointing defeat to Peterborough United last weekend. When you go a goal down so early on, it is always going to be tough. We need to make it more difficult for our opponents to score past us, as we have done in large parts of the campaign.

I know we have a good squad that has real depth to it. If someone comes out, we are all confident that whoever comes in to replace them will be ready from the off. As the season grows older, injuries and suspensions will naturally begin to play their part but we will make sure we are ready for those instances.

The entire First Team and coaches have come into training this week ready to graft and put things right. The sessions have been enjoyable and focused on hard work, whilst continuing to drive those early season standards we set for ourselves. The entire squad is adamant our season will not be defined in the space of a week. season, and you cannot get too carried away when results are going one way or another. When things are going well – like after Luton Town, it is about staying grounded whilst after Peterborough, it is about regrouping and pulling together – like we have done this week.

I want to say a big thank you to our supporters – who have been fantastic all season long. Whether we have been at St. Andrew’s or on the road, you have cheered us on, backed us and sung until the 90th minute. Seeing 4,000 fans pack out the away end at the Weston Homes Stadium was fantastic and you stayed with us until the end, and we are exceptionally grateful for your continued support.

After winning midweek and drawing their last three league games, Preston will come to the Midlands in a confident mood. But today is about us, in front of our home supporters fighting to get back to where we were not too long ago. The team has not changed, nor has our belief.

Let’s get this place rocking today.

Enjoy the game and Keep Right On!

HERE’S A ST AT I BET YOU DIDN’T KN W

5072 @

Half a century on from the glorious 1971/72 season when Freddie Goodwin’s Blues dramatically clinched promotion to the top flight having also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, we turn the Blues News spotlight on recalling one of the finest seasons in Blues’ post-war history.

by ROB MASON

It was a bit early for travelling fans to be singing, ‘All We Are Saying Is Give Us A Goal’ – the John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band single that refrain derives from was just over two months away from its first release (In the U.S.). However, as Blues went to Blackpool there had not been a goal scored on the road for 433 minutes in all competitions since Keith Bowker’s early goal at Sunderland on the opening day of the season. 22,610 – home fans were hoping for a return to form. After winning their first three home games the Seasiders had lost back-to-back fixtures, including their most recent home match to Norwich City. In contrast Blues had won two and drawn one of their last three league games. The sides were neck and neck in the table, Bob Stokoe’s Tangerines ahead of Freddie Goodwin’s Blues only on goal average.

As the game at Bloomfield Road kicked off in front of what would be Blackpool’s biggest gate of the season - That would remain the case at full-time with honours ending even, Trevor Francis ending the away goal drought

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE BIRMINGHAM CITY FORMER PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

The following Tuesday night 28,095 assembled at St. Andrew’s for the visit of second bottom Watford who had succumbed 3-0 at QPR as Blues were in action at Blackpool. The Hornets were not in a happy place. They had lost all four away games so far, conceding 10 times without scoring themselves.

The match went with the form book, City securing a big win although visiting fans heading back to Vicarage Road had at least one prayer answered as they did manage to score through Larry McGettigan. It was a night of goals. Blues scored four while elsewhere in the division, of the other five fixtures Bristol City beat Blackpool 4-0, Burnley thrashed Orient 6-1 and Charlton had a long trip back from Carlisle where Bob Hatton was amongst the scorers as the Addicks lost 5-2. If that was a long trip, the Icelanders of IBK Keflavik returned from Spurs where they lost a UEFA Cup tie 9-0 on the night and 15-1 on aggregate.

There were over 4,000 more fans at Birmingham than Tottenham Hotspur and they were well entertained. 2-1 up at half-time, Blues bossed the second-half with Francis getting his second goal of the week and Big Bob Latchford scoring a hat-trick against goalkeeper and future Everton and Norwich manager Mike Walker.

Latchford’s threesome was the 100th hat trick in Blues history. More importantly the result lifted the club to fifth place, one off the second and last promotion place and just two behind leaders Norwich.

TEAMS BLACKPOOL 1: Ramsbottom, Hatton, Bentley (Ainscow), Booth, Alcock, Suddaby, Burns, Green, James, Suddick, Hutchison. BLUES 1: Kelly, Martin, Pendrey, Page, Hynd, Robinson, Campbell, Francis, Latchford B., Phillips, Taylor (Smith). ATTENDANCE: 22,610

TEAMS BLUES 4: Kelly, Martin, Pendrey, Page, Hynd, Robinson, Campbell, Francis, Latchford B., Phillips, Taylor. WATFORD 1: KWalker, Butler, Williams, Welbourne, Lees (Lugg), Walley, McGettigan, Eddy, Wigg, Franks, Woods. ATTENDANCE: 28,095

ELSEWHERE IN FOOTBALL

Today’s visitors Preston North End were enjoying themselves having just been promoted from Division Three but 50 years ago today they lost a thriller at Sunderland by 4-3 when 16-year old Jim Hamilton came off the bench to head the winner and become the home club’s youngest ever scorer, a record he still holds. North End would consolidate, finishing three places and three points above the drop zone.

Elsewhere on this day half a century ago Liverpool and Manchester United drew 2-2 at Anfield, Derek Dougan scored a hat-trick as Wolves beat Nottingham Forest 4-2 at Molineux while Sheffield United’s home win over Chelsea kept the Blades top of the topflight. In contrast their local rivals Wednesday propped up the second division in which Blues were ninth with nine points from eight games, four behind leaders Norwich who won 1-0 at Bristol City.

CLASS OF 71/72

RAY MARTIN Right-back Ray Martin played in both of the games featured today, as he had in all games so far in this 1971-72 season. In total the Wolverhampton born defender made 374 appearances for Blues before seeing out his career in the USA with Portland Timbers and Minnesota Kicks.

A model of consistency he had been Blues Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons leading into this promotion campaign. Known for his prowess with the slide tackle – Ray had come into the side back in January 1964 when he had been thrown into the deep end against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

He was up against George Best in one of El-Beatle’s earliest games for United but it was Ray who was on the winning side, triumphing 2-1. Martin looked like being a mainstay of the defence in this 1971/72 season but just a month after the Blackpool and Watford matches featured today injury brought his season crashing to an end.

After playing against Preston on 23 October he would make just one further appearance that season as a sub against Swindon at the end of January.

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