Leicester City Through The Years: 1964-1970
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01
League Cup Final appearance
Despite record-signing Bobby Roberts heading to Filbert Street, Leicester didn’t reach the heights of the previous season in the league or the FA Cup, but they did reach the two-legged League Cup Final against Stoke City in 1964.
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02
Up for the Cup!
Skipper Colin Appleton receives the League Cup following a 4-3 aggregate success, as Mike Stringfellow (partly obscured) and Ian King wait in line to receive their winner’s tankard.
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03
A youthful competition
The League Cup was inaugurated in 1960 by Sir Joe Richards, President of the Football League until Leicester’s Len Shipman succeeded him.
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04
The 1964 official handbook
The Club published this official handbook for the 1964/65 season, during which Frank McLintock went to Arsenal, while Leicester Boys (with Peter Shilton in goal) shared the English Schools FA Trophy with Swansea.
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05
League Cup finalists again in 1965
Leicester once again reached the League Cup Final, against Chelsea, after beating Coventry 8-1 away in the process. Leicester lost 3-2 on aggregate to a Blues side riding high in the league.
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06
New faces at Filbert Street
New signings Derek Dougan and Jackie Sinclair (pictured) made their debuts against Liverpool and Jimmy Goodfellow became the Club’s first-ever substitute.
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07
Gordon Banks moves to Stoke
Derek Dougan’s sudden departure for Wolves was a shock, but Gordon Banks’ move to Stoke City a month later was less of a surprise as Peter Shilton was his heir-apparent. Leicester finished in eighth-place in 1966/67.
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08
New pitch installed in 1967
This newspaper clipping from the Club’s archive reports that turf from the Belvoir Drive training ground was used to replaced the notoriously bad Filbert Street pitch. Two new watering machines aided the process.
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09
A tour of Zambia
Following a season in which manager Matt Gillies became ill, Frank Large became a cult hero and Leicester wore an all-blue kit. The Club also toured Zambia with head coach Bert Johnson in charge. Chairman Alf Pallett received this letter from Zambia’s State President, Kenneth Kaunda, thanking the Club for helping improve Zambian soccer performance during their tour.
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10
A record signing
Matt Gillies broke the British transfer record in June 1968 to sign Fulham’s Allan Clarke in a deal valued at £150,000 (£110,000 plus the transfer of a reluctant Frank Large to Fulham).
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11
Gillies leaves the Club
A month after signing Andy Lochhead and after a record 10 years as manager, Matt Gillies resigned in in November 1968 in protest at the sacking of assistant manager Bert Johnson.
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12
An intrepid FA Cup run
Appointed in December, new manager Frank O’ Farrell oversaw a fine FA Cup run during the 1968/69 campaign, which included a victory at Anfield and jubilation at Hillsborough (pictured here) after defeating West Brom in the Semi-Final.
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13
The 1969 FA Cup Final
City have appeared in four FA Cup finals without yet lifting the famous trophy.
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14
The programme
The FA Cup Final programme, with Manchester City stars Francis Lee, Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell. Leicester’s 21 year-old David Nish was the youngest-ever cup final captain.
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15
A civic dinner
After losing to Manchester City, Leicester needed seven points from five games to avoid relegation. Two of these games were played in the three days before the Lord Mayor’s Cup Final Civic Reception.
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16
Relegation from the First Division
This team (pictured in a cup final booklet) needed to win the last match at Old Trafford to avoid relegation. Leicester lost 3-2. Their 12-year stay in the top division was over…but not for too long.
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17
A bid for promotion
Playing outside the top division for the first time since 1957 in the 1969/70 season, Frank O’Farrell’s side opened their bid for promotion with a 3-1 home victory over Birmingham City. Rodney Fern scored a spectacular overhead volley.
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18
Peter Shilton
In a League Cup game at Bournemouth, Peter Shilton was asked to remove this specially-designed and marketed goalkeeper’s shirt as the collar fastening was deemed to be dangerous. The Football League agreed.
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19
A mud bath at Filbert Street
Leicester’s vital Easter Tuesday home game against promotion rivals Blackpool was played on a mud bath of a pitch rendered unplayable by torrential rain. The 0-0 draw cost Leicester promotion.