Matchday Memories: On This Day 1963 – CCFC Fly To Cumbria & ‘The Hud’ Creates A Carlisle Coup!
Jimmy Hill
On this day (27th April) in 1963 Sky Blue manager Jimmy Hill was in his first full season in charge and facing the eighth out of nine fixtures in April necessary to make up for many postponements due to terrible weather in February and March and a great F.A.Cup run which saw our Third Division side eventually go out in the sixth round to mighty Manchester United at Highfield Road in front of a sellout 44,000.
The Sky Blue ‘Hud’
Today’s league game on the road at Carlisle United followed on from run of four April games without a win. City flew to a domestic fixture for the first time but were a shadow of the side from earlier in the season. A modest crowd of only 4,751 watched City’s newish striker George Hudson (now a CCFPA member) get himself on the scoresheet again to get the only goal of the game with a comfortable eleventh minute header against a slack defence and two points in the bag. It also required some rugged defending to protect the lead until the end! Sky Blues captain George Curtis said he wished City could win this way every time they played so badly! The Cumbrians looked in danger of the drop.
City shot-stopper Bob Wesson and defender Brian Hill were outstanding on the day in keeping a clean sheet for the away side. The 1-0 win gave the Sky Blues a double over the Cumbrians having beaten them at Highfield Road 3-2 back in December with goals from Willie Humphries, Jimmy Whitehouse and Terry Bly (after Carlisle United scored first)!
Bob in the early 1960s
Brian Hill
Earlier in the month the new centre-forward, quickly nicknamed ‘the Hud’ had, somewhat controversially, been signed by JH from Peterborough United to replace another ex Posh No.9, terrace hero Terry Bly. The ‘Hud’ was quick to earn the affection of Sky Blue fans and himself become a Sky Blue legend scoring a hat-trick on his debut and this was his fifth in seven games. He would eventually go on to get six in fifteen this season (but 24 in 32 league games the next season). His fairly recent demise like many of this team (*) means a great loss to all Sky Blues’ fans.
JH‘s Boys on this day lined up as follows:-
Bob Wesson (*); John Sillett (*) & Mick Kearns; Brian Hill (*), George Curtis (*) & Dietmar Bruck; Willie Humphries, Ken Hale (*), George Hudson (*), Jimmy Whitehouse (*) & Ron Rees (*).
Mick in the Sky Blue
Apart from Ken we are delighted to say, along with JH, the whole of this team later joined this Association . John and George, of course, went on to manage the 1986-87 Sky Blue side that beat ‘Spurs at Wembley in the 1987 F.A.Cup Final and tributes, after both legends’ passed, in ceremonies at Coventry Cathedral showed how much both men are mourned by the Sky Blue family and wider footballing world!
Ivor Powell‘s Cumbrians put out the following team:-
Joe Dean, Terry Caldwell, Alan McBain, Ron Thompson, Jack Marsden, Peter McConnell, Les Dagger, Barry Brayton, Hughie McIlmoyle, Dave Oliphant and Frank Kirkup Referee:- J.Thacker
The 1962-63 season ended in league disappointment for the Sky Blues as their challenge for the top spot faltered and they had to be content with fourth position. Carlisle United were, indeed, relegated that season in next to bottom position (23rd) just above, also demoted, Halifax Town. Bradford Park Avenue and Brighton also suffered the drop into Division Four.
Northampton Town (Champs) and Swindon Town were the two promoted clubs.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
