April 28, 1965: Despite losing 2–1 to Aston Villa, at Villa Park in Birmingham, on the final day of the League season, Manchester United are crowned Football League First Division champions for the 6th time in their history -- and the first time since 1957, and thus the first time since the Munich Air Disaster -- on goal average, ahead of a Leeds United side who have yet to win the top division title.
On April 26, Leeds had completed their League season with a 3-3 draw with Birmingham City, at St. Andrews Stadium in Birmingham in the West Midlands. In contrast, Man United beat North London team Arsenal, 3-1 at Old Trafford, in Salford, west of Central Manchester. With a much greater goal average, it would have taken a truly massive Villa win, at Villa Park, also in Birmingham, to throw the title to Leeds. But with a 2-1 loss, Man U finished with 61 points and a goal average of 2.282; while Leeds finished with 61 points and a goal average of 1.596.
United had lost to Leeds, 1-0 at Old Trafford on December 5, 1964; but had beaten Leeds, 1-0 at Elland Road on April 17.
Sir Matt Busby's phoenixlike triumph is led by the men who will become known as the Holy Trinity: Fellow Munich survivor Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, and a 19-year-old superstar in the making, George Best. None yet have the hairstyles for which they will be known: Charlton doesn't yet need the combover, while Law and Bestie still have comparatively short hair.
Three days later on May 1, Don Revie's Leeds completed that most frustrating of "achievements": The runner-up "Double," losing the FA Cup Final, to Liverpool, 2-1 in extra time, at the original Wembley Stadium in West London.
Over the course of 10 seasons, starting with this one, they will win 2 League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup, and 2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups (now known as the Europa League) -- but also finish 2nd in the League 5 times, lose 3 FA Cup Finals, a European Cup Final, a Fairs Cup Final and a European Cup Winners' Cup Final, and develop a reputation as the dirtiest team in the modern history of English football.
This season is also the beginning of the Man U-Leeds rivalry, which is one of the nastiest in Britain, with its roots in the Wars of the Roses of 1455 to 1485, with Greater Manchester having historically been part of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Leeds being in Yorkshire, run by the House of York. To this day, Leeds United wear the White Rose of the House of York on their crest. (United wear red shirts, which matches the Red Rose of the House of Lancaster, but this is not an intentional connection.)
*
April 28, 1965 was a Friday. This was also the day that President Lyndon B. Johnson sent U.S. troops as peacemakers to the Dominican Republic. I have a separate entry for that event.
Football was out of season. The NBA Finals ended 3 days earlier, with the Boston Celtics beating the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games. The Stanley Cup Finals were between Games 5 and 6, and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks in Game 7.
These baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees beat the Kansas City Athletics, 5-1 at Yankee Stadium. Mickey Mantle went 1-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs.
* The New York Mets lost to the Houston Astros, 12-9 at the Astrodome in Houston. Mets broadcaster Lindsey Nelson broadcast the game from the gondola suspended from the ceiling of the Astrodome, accompanied by a cameraman, 208 feet above 2nd base. "At first, I couldn't see anything except a lot of tiny figures. Everybody looked the same height... You couldn't tell a line drive from a pop fly." The dome had debuted on April 9, and they remained there through the 1999 season. The stadium hosted many other events over those years. And yet, no broadcaster, not even Nelson himself, ever copied the stunt.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Senators, 6-3 at District of Columbia Stadium in Washington. (It was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969.) Brooks Robinson went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Minnesota Twins, 9-3 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Harmon Killebrew went 0-for-4, but Jimmie Hall hit 2 home runs for the Twins, who knocked Jack Kralick out of the box in the 2nd inning. It was far from enough: The Indians knocked Jim Kaat out of the box in the 3rd, and Sonny Siebert pitched 7 2/3rds innings of strong relief.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Frank Robinson went 0-for-4, but drew 2 walks. Pete Rose went 1-for-6. Ernie Banks went 1-for-5.
Ernie Broglio, whom the Cubs infamously traded Lou Brock to the St. Louis Cardinals for the season before, lost the game in the bottom of the 14th inning: Having gotten the 1st 2 outs, he walked Tommy Harper, allowed a single to Vada Pinson, and intentionally walked Robinson to set up the play at any base. But that loaded the bases, and, with Tony Pérez at bat, home plate umpire Doug Harvey called Broglio for a back, forcing Harper home. I wonder if Harper said, "'Preciate it. Thanks." (Ball Four reference.)
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Braves, 5-0 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Bob Gibson pitched a 3-hit shutout. Hank Aaron did not get any of those hits. The aforementioned Lou Brock went 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and 2 RBIs.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the California Angels, 5-4 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Al Kaline went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-0 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Bob Veale pitched a 3-hit shutout, outpitching Claude Osteen. Roberto Clemente went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-3 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Willie Mays hit a home run.
* And the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox were not scheduled.
No comments:
Post a Comment