Recounting the stories making the headlines – this time 21st November 1973, with Third Division promotion hopefuls York City preparing to host Manchester City in the League Cup.
Recounting the stories making the headlines – this time 21st November 1973, with Third Division promotion hopefuls York City preparing to host top-flight Manchester City in the League Cup fourth round.
In-form 26-year-old goalkeeper Graeme Crawford is bidding to extend an astonishing sequence in which he’s incredibly not conceded a single goal in 900 minutes of football.
And the Scot was fully intending maintaining yet another clean-sheet when star-studded Manchester City provide the opposition later today. The tie has received a Wednesday afternoon kick-off with the current power crisis resulting in a floodlight ban.
The hosts are of course notorious cup-fighters, and have already accounted for neighbours Huddersfield Town, and more notably Second Division pair Aston Villa and Orient, on their way to the fourth round of the competition.
“We are right on form at the moment, and I think we’ll win because luck seems to be going our way,” Crawford, who arrived at York on a free transfer from Sheffield United in December 1971, told the awaiting national media. “I’m not worried about facing the big names of Manchester City. In fact, I hope they do plenty of attacking, because I enjoy it more when I’m involved.”
Manager Tom Johnston added: “We have such a good defensive record because we play a brand of total football in which all the lads support each other;” although his modest squad is rather stretched at present with left-winger Ian Butler suffering a broken leg only last week.
Meanwhile, fellow wide-man Denis Wann is already sidelined by another fracture, while there are also pre-match doubts over key midfielders Barry Lyons and Ian Holmes.
However, such is the confidence circulating around second-placed York at the present time, a near 17,000 Bootham Crescent capacity will probably be expecting them to produce yet another shock.
For their part the visitors have concerns over England international forward Francis Lee, who is suffering with a slight cold.
Scottish striker Denis Law had already been sent home with flu symptoms, although defender Mike Doyle returns from a two-match suspension.
Rewind Extra – November 1973
