Glorious warm sunshine marked skipper Barry Swallow leading his York City side out for the club’s first-ever game in Division Two on Saturday 17th August 1974.
Glorious warm sunshine marked skipper Barry Swallow leading his York City side out for the club’s first-ever game in Division Two on Saturday 17th August 1974. Bootham Crescent was filled with excited fans and the atmosphere rippling with anticipation – it was to be a day of massive celebration as little York opened a campaign that promised future league meetings with a host of high-profile clubs, including Manchester United, Sunderland, Norwich City, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and of course their first much-heralded opponents Aston Villa.
The home side were chiefly relying on the players who had earned them promotion from the Third Division three months earlier. Peter Oliver had arrived on a free transfer from Hearts, while new record signing Micky Cave was an £18,000 midfield acquisition from Bournemouth. Giant centre-forward Jimmy Hinch had also been signed from Hereford United.
Roared on by an expectant crowd, York almost had the perfect start inside the first minute when Ian Butler’s free-kick was headed just over the bar by Swallow. But just seven minutes later the hosts, in their unmistakeable maroon shirts with the broad white ‘Y’, took the lead to the delight of their followers.
Villa goalkeeper Jim Cumbes was penalized for carrying the ball too many paces, and from the resulting free-kick the darting Ian Holmes delivered an inviting pass for Barry Lyons to drill a low shot past the defensive wall and inside the keeper’s right hand post.
That shock immediately sparked the visitors into action and York goalkeeper Graeme Crawford was called upon to make a couple of tremendous saves. But it was the home side almost adding to their tally when striker Jimmy Seal swept beyond Cumbes before his shot was cleared off the line by Villa left-back Charlie Aitken.
That appeared even more important moments later when the visitors drew level after Ray Graydon met Chico Hamilton’s 30th minute cross and headed home from point-blank range. Villa then began to dominate and their opponents were grateful to the brilliant Crawford and resolute Swallow in particular as the second-half wore on.
However, York rallied and their dangerous strike pair of Seal and Chris Jones both went close to a winner during the final quarter of the game, while Villa had a goal ruled out when Northern Ireland international centre-back Chris Nicholl headed in from a corner. The hosts then saw late calls for a penalty turned down after Jones went down inside the area as honours remained even at 1-1 on a memorable afternoon.
York City: Crawford, Stone, Oliver, Holmes, Swallow, Topping, Lyons, Cave, Seal (Hinch), Jones, Butler
Goals: Lyons (8)
Aston Villa: Cumbes, Gidman, Aitken, Ross, Nicholl, Robson, Graydon, Little, Morgan, Hamilton (Betts), Carrodus
Goal: Graydon (30)
Ref: G.M Trevett (Manchester)
Att: 9,396
