When Posh were mighty: remembering the 1973-74 champions

The last two or three years have not been great for us Posh fans.

So, I thought I might cheer you up a bit by taking you back to a time when we were celebrating.

In fact, all the way back to the 1973-74 season, when the Posh really were mighty and crowned Fourth Division (League Two in today’s money) champions (a division we'll hopefully avoid anytime soon!).

I refuse to admit I am old enough to reveal I was around back then. In fact, due to the kindness of a fellow Posh fan, I barely missed a match. How lucky was I that such history was made.

The Messiah

To be fair, the previous season had been disastrous, and without the arrival of Noel Cantwell, aka The Messiah, we'd almost certainly have had to apply for re-election to the football league, which we'd only joined in 1960.

We ended up 19th of 24. Sound familiar?

When Noel came into the club, we were rock bottom, 92nd, yet he told the fans he'd have us champions the next season.

Oh, how we laughed, but yep, that's exactly what happened.

A few astute signings, a raised sense of professionalism and of course his amazing leadership was 'all' it took.

The numbers

Our record that season is really impressive, and not just compared to today.

We did not lose a single game at home all season.

Played 23, won them all but four, scoring 49 and only conceding 10.  Our away form was solid too: winning eight, drawing seven and losing eight.

Anyway, that's the stats, and I know for some they are important, but as a 14-year-old it was just so bloody exciting, especially at London Road.

The players

To my generation, the names are legendary and will never be any less.

The squad was so strong, and although there were certain changes for the historic Gillingham game, this was the main line-up for most games.

Two great keepers over the season: Drewery and Steele.

The first, loyal and steady; the latter, much higher quality and more flamboyant, who went on to bigger and better things as a player and keeper coach.

The two best full backs in the league, Messrs Bradley & Lee, who were before their time and would ‘push on’ if the opportunity arose.

The great Chris Turner majestically won everything aerially, on the ground and was the dominant character who, later in history, turned the club around, as his mentor Noel Cantwell had.

Mick Jones, alongside him, who also went on to manage the club, was Mr Dependable; if CT didn’t get the forward(s), then Mick would.

Bert Murray, formerly of Chelsea, showed his pure quality week after week.

Freddie Hill! How did we get a former England international? Well, Mr Cantwell is the answer to that. The man oozed sheer class on and off the pitch. Played like he knew he was way above that standard, but was one of the lads too.

Paul Walker, extremely underrated, always involved in the less glamorous parts of the game but again a quality player.

John Cozens. Our top scorer and leader on and off the pitch. Team Captain and a massive influence on the younger players at the club.

Still around the city at 80 years of age and an absolute gentleman, though as hard as nails (like most players were back then).

Jim Hall. Talking about hard! This bloke, who is our leading goalscorer with 122 goals in 302 games, literally would run through a brick wall to score. I am glad I never saw Jim and Chris Turner contest a ball in the air; I very much doubt the ball would have survived, frankly.

The 1973/74 squad

Mick Drewery, Keith Bradley, Jeff Lee, Mick Jones, Chris Turner, Paul Walker, Freddie Hill, Bert Murray, Tommy Robson, Jim Hall, John Cozens, Eric Steele, Dave Llewelyn, Keith Oakes, Dave Gregory, Jack Carmichael, Dougal McLachlan, Brendan Phillips, Alan Lewis.

TR11

Last but most certainly not least, and I am obviously massively biased, is my all-time favourite footballer and person who ever wore a Posh blue shirt, and that’s of course Sir Thomas of Robson.

TR11 is, as you all know, our highest-ever appearance maker with 559 games, a figure that, it is safe to say, will never be beaten.

A winger of the highest quality, a winger that is unrecognisable in today’s football in that he actually beat a man on the outside, not always with pace, though. He was no slouch, but often after squaring his full-back up and whilst they were unbalanced, he crossed the ball in at speed.

Often Coz and Big Jim would come into the box late and at speed to meet these pinpoint crosses, and Tommy knew precisely that. 

Oh God. My eyes are tearing up as I write these words; such are these memories, so golden. 

I accept they may not mean a lot to most of our readers, but I'm just not literal enough to express their impact on our club, but even more so on our city.

In those long-gone days, the players lived amongst us, travelled on the bus, drank in the same pubs and yep, bought their cigarettes in the same shops.

The world in 1974

ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden with "Waterloo" while Mud had the best-selling single of the year with "Tiger Feet".

The first UK McDonald's opened in the UK while the BBC launched Ceefax, the world's first teletext service.

A pint of beer cost 22p, a first class stamp 4p and a large loaf of bread cost 14p.

The average house price was £8,400 – £10,000 while the average weekly wage was £30 – £40 per week.

Key moment

I won't go through the whole season, but it is a massive shame there's so little footage from back then, especially the iconic fixture against the club challenging us for the title, Gillingham.

May 1st, a beautiful Wednesday night, almost 18,000 present and virtually a decider for the title; not for nothing is it described as the greatest night in the club's history.

We actually went behind to a controversial penalty but unlike now the crowd did not quit on their team. The noise became even more deafening, and it didn't take long for the players to get things back on the rails.

The great Chris Turner scored with a trademark soaring header, Jeff Lee with a penalty, and the ever-reliable top scorer John Cozens with two typically sweetly hit strikes.

I know the MK play-off win was brilliant; it was loud and absolutely was a great night, but you need to treble the noise to even have an idea how loud it was that May night in 74.

A night for the ages

As a fan, these are the nights that we live for; we want them more often, but it is the rarity itself that makes them so unforgettable.

We can only wish for them to come back; they will, rest assured, but it may just take some time.

The Last Waltz was sung that night with a gusto not heard since, and ‘It's Posh we are’ has never been heard louder. Probably never will be, but those memories of 'that night', the greatest night in Posh's history, will stick with me and many others forever and a day.