Another from the Moscow Dynamo match.

7 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

Training on the West terrace, gives an idea of its size

An Archibald Leitch designed terracing barrier too.

Love the way the guy at the top of the picture is dressed !

Shirt, tie,and what looks like tracksuit bottoms !

4 hours ago, Boyne said:

It would be great to know what he remembers of the game if he was there.

It would indeed.

https://readtheleague.com/the-big-feature/the-russians-are-coming

WHEN THE RUSSIANS CAME

by Vince Cooper | Oct 24, 2017 | The Big Feature |

IN late 1945, with World War Two moving into history, the FA decided to further build relations with their Russian allies by inviting the famed Dynamo Moscow team to tour the UK. The tour was arranged with the assistance of the Russian embassy in London and was set for November.

The Dynamo squad that toured the U.K. 

Prior to leaving Moscow, the Russians, fortified by guest players from CSKA (then CDKA) and Dynamo Leningrad attended a meeting with Joseph Stalin where it was made very clear that they were expected to return triumphant.

Russian football was, in the most part, a mystery to British fans but interest in the tour was unheralded with tickets for all matches selling quickly. And what’s more Dynamo had English roots. The original club from which they grew, Morozowstky, were founded in 1887 by two brothers, Clement and Henry Charnock, who ran a textile business on the outskirts of Moscow.

When the Dynamo team and entourage (including their own referee) arrived at Croydon Airport the players were met by a press corps clamouring for interviews, but the players, not used to such attention either refused or answered briefly, quickly earning them the nickname ‘The Silent Ones’.

The Russians were not totally happy with their welcome. “In England, the fatherland of football, we were met rather dryly. Officials of the British federation coldly shook our hands and then threw us to the press to be torn to pieces’” said a Russian radio commentator. “The players were taken to the Guards Barracks to be housed but we discovered mould on the walls, cobwebs and hard bolsters instead of pillows so we went to the Russian embassy to spend the night.” They were eventually housed in a Russell Square hotel.

Dynamo players feeding the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.

Dynamo came armed with their own food and a list of requests and conditions These included a flat refusal to number their players, the right to refuse invitations to any social functions and an insistence that, while in London, all food had to be provided by the Russian Embassy. Some serious negotiating had to be carried out before the tour went ahead, as planned, with matches against Chelsea, Cardiff City, Arsenal and Glasgow Rangers.

In the days before the opening match, press and public interest grew even stronger, although the potential for the visitors to give their hosts a serious test was met with some cynicism in the English press. “They are not nearly good enough to play our class of professional teams,” sniffed the Sunday Express after watching them train at the White City. “Their players are simply a set of earnest amateurs who are so slow you can almost hear them think”.

The crowd outside Stamford Bridge.

Fans certainly weren’t put off by the prospect of seeing these ‘earnest amateurs’. On Tuesday November 13, 1945, people started queuing outside Stamford Bridge at 8am for a 2:30 kick-off. The waiting crowd grew – and grew – and grew. Local public transport ground to a halt. The gates were closed 20 minutes before kick-off with an official 74,496 inside. Touts were asking for, and getting £3 and £4 for 10s stand tickets. Many found alternative ways to get into the ground, crossing railways lines and climbing fences. Others scaled buildings in Fulham Road to glimpse the action.

The Dynamo players meet U.S. Army Chief of Staff Dwight D Eisenhower.

The final actual attendance will never be known but was certainly vastly in excess of the official figure with estimates range from around 100,000 to a slightly unbelievable 200,000.

A slightly bemused Chelsea team with their bouquets.

The game itself lived up to the hype. The Dynamo players presented bouquets to their slightly bemused opponents before kick-off  and the home players handed them off to their trainer who was later described as; ‘leaving the pitch like a walking battle of flowers’. Chelsea, wearing unfamiliar red shirts had new £14,000 record signing Tommy Lawton leading their attack (the Russian press claimed he had been signed specifically to play against Dynamo), who said of the flower presentation; “I felt like a film star at a premiere”. The Blues also included two players – Joe Bacuzzi and Jim Taylor – guesting from Fulham.

Fans closing in in the pitch in front of the West Terrace

The hosts started slowly and, perhaps slightly unnerved to see supporters pressed tight to the touchline all around the pitch, initially found it hard to come to terms with the slick passing of the Soviets who hit goalkeeper Vic Woodley’s woodwork three times in the first 10 minutes. “Dynamo were one of the fastest teams I have ever seen in my life,” recalled Lawton later. “The Russians do not dribble. They flash the ball from man to man in bewildering fashion, often while standing still.” And for a team supposedly ‘so slow you could almost hear them think’ the visitors played at a bewildering pace.

Enjoying the action from any vantage point.

It was the home team, totally against the run of play, who took the lead. A run down the wing by Jimmy Bain was followed by a cross which found  Lawton’s head. Lawton nodded down to set up Len Goulden to score. Then, even more surprisingly, Reg Williams doubled the advantage when a clearance by Stankevich struck him in the back and rebounded into the goal. Undeterred by the setbacks, Dynamo continued pressing forward, Soloviev missed a penalty and they had another effort disallowed when it rebounded off one of the spectators who were crammed in close to the touchline.

Chelsea ‘keeper Vic Woolley keeps one out.

The scoreline remained the same until the 66th minute when Vassili Kartsev pulled one back for Dynamo then set up Evgeny Archangelski for the equaliser. Chelsea surged back, Kohmich made a string of fine saves before Lawton regained the lead for the hosts with a towering header. In a rousing finish and with the majority of the crowd cheering the Russians on, Vsevolod Bobrov levelled things again and it finished all square.

Fans using all parts of Stamford Bridge’s Shed.

The final equaliser was said to have been five yards offside. Lawton questioned the referee about the decision after the game and was told he had allowed it to stand for ‘diplomatic reasons’ but the majority of observers agreed that the visitors were well worth their draw. Writing in the Daily Record, former Rangers and Scotland star Davie Meiklejohn said: “These Russians are the slickest moving side I have seen in years. They taught Chelsea a lesson”.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0853q4k/the-fa-cup-201920-fa-cup-classic-chelsea-v-liverpool

The classic FA Cup 4-2 game from 1997 in case anyone wants a watch. Available for thenext 7 days.

Join Motty, Des Lynam, Alan Hansen and Jimmy Hill for this 90s FA Cup classic, as a Chelsea side featuring Vialli, Zola and co. take on the Spice Boys of Liverpool. 

• Duration 124 mins
• First shown 2 Mar 2020
• Available for 7 days

Dave Sexton, shows The Bridge to new signing, David Hay. July 1974                                  Dave Sexton with Alan Hudson.

http://stamford-bridge.com/match.php?mid=3403&opp=Arsenal

 Saturday, 26th Mar 1977 at 11:00
Competition: Friendly
Opponent: Arsenal
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 4,495
Result: Won 3 - 0

Houseman / Gillham Childrens Fund

Programme cover image kindly provided by Carole Crutchfield

Goals: Britton, Ross (OG), Stanley

"Up go the heads," as a Scottish football commentator of the 1970s used to say.

Just like this pic of us v Arsenal at The Bridge, late 60s/early 70s.

Gotta be 1945 FA Cup ?

Love this photo with the young boy on the pitch, wonder where he is now ?

 

38 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Gotta be 1945 FA Cup ?

 

Could well be mate.

Or perhaps from early 1920s, when a couple of FA Cup Finals was played at The Bridge ?

5 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Love this photo with the young boy on the pitch, wonder where he is now ?

 

Now that's a good shout !

Great picture.

2 minutes ago, erskblue said:

 

 

Or perhaps from early 1920s, when a couple of FA Cup Finals was played at The Bridge ?

Could well.be mate, hadn't thought of that

Just now, The Rising Sun said:

Could well.be mate, hadn't thought of that

Neither had I to be honest, until a couple of minutes ago.

4 minutes ago, erskblue said:

 

Could well be mate.

Or perhaps from early 1920s, when a couple of FA Cup Finals was played at The Bridge ?

 

1 minute ago, The Rising Sun said:

Could well.be mate, hadn't thought of that

Judging by the style of clothes it does look like the 1920s. Some of the players especially the guy in the light coloured coat look like gangsters.

From a speedway site, guess that's the finish line where the crowd is gathered.

1 minute ago, Boyne said:

 

Judging by the style of clothes it does look like the 1920s. Some of the players especially the guy in the light coloured coat look like gangsters.

And a young Pat Nevin wearing the bunnet, (flat cap for the English viewers amongst you) between them in the background !

2 minutes ago, Boyne said:

 

Judging by the style of clothes it does look like the 1920s. Some of the players especially the guy in the light coloured coat look like gangsters.

I love the highly polished shoes !

Have found this picture of the winners of the 1921 FA Cup Final leaving the Bridge. Style of clothes and hats looks similar to the picture above. Sadly, the Cup was won by Spuds

2 minutes ago, erskblue said:

And a young Pat Nevin wearing the bunnet, (flat cap for the English viewers amongst you) between them in the background !

Haha, gotta be related to him !

On 24/03/2020 at 15:49, Boyne said:

You're welcome mate. If I could go back in time and be at two games, one would be the 1970 FA Cup Final Replay. The other would be the match against Moscow Dynamo. So much history with that game and others in the tour the Soviets made in 1945.

In the same tour, Moscow Dynamo played Rangers. Here's a picture of the Main Stand at Ibrox. It's probable that some of my relations were at Ibrox that day.

Surprised on the Pathe newsreel to see Rangers wearing hooped shirts !

20 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Surprised on the Pathe newsreel to see Rangers wearing hooped shirts !

Not sure why, will check on Rangers Forums. Rangers have for most of its history worn all blue shirts but from 1879 to 1883 wore hooped shirts.

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm

I assume that Moscow Dynamo wore red shirts during the tour. Red being the colour most associated with the Soviets. Chelsea wore blue as Rangers did normally and I guess also Cardiff who the Russians played during the tour so no obvious clash of colours.

30 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Surprised on the Pathe newsreel to see Rangers wearing hooped shirts !

 

4 minutes ago, Boyne said:

Not sure why, will check on Rangers Forums. Rangers have for most of its history worn all blue shirts but from 1879 to 1883 wore hooped shirts.

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Rangers/Rangers.htm

I assume that Moscow Dynamo wore red shirts during the tour. Red being the colour most associated with the Soviets. Chelsea wore blue as Rangers did normally and I guess also Cardiff who the Russians played during the tour so no obvious clash of colours.

Have found this report of the game at Ibrox. It also covers the whole tour.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/14094342.ibrox-1945-when-rangers-tackled-the-might-of-moscow-dynamo/

Here is a paragraph about why Rangers wore hoops. 

The first surprise of the day – the crowd were treated to an elaborate warm up routine by the Russians, was quickly followed by Rangers’ choice of strip. With Dynamo wearing dark blue jerseys, Rangers donned Queens Park style thin blue and white hoops. The Dynamo side included famous goalkeeper ‘Tiger’ Khomich, the wonderfully named winger Archangelski, and Konstantin Beskov who, as Dynamo manager would cross swords with Rangers in the 1972 Cup Winners’ Final.

Another from the Moscow Dynamo game.

Apologies for posting a video showing Spurs on this forum but it shows the Bridge in 1921 FA Cup Final. A big crowd and the pitch was in a terrible state.  Australian cricketers in the crowd. Love the steward trying to move supporters on. Pitch invasion at the end.

 

Edited March 26, 20206 yr by Boyne