Leicester City Through The Years: 1960-1963

01

1961 Semi-Final Ticket

Leicester’s route to the 1961 FA Cup final not only included replayed ties against Birmingham City and Barnsley but also two semi-final replays against Sheffield United, including this one at Elland Road.

02

1961 Cup Final Souvenir Booklet

This official souvenir booklet marking Leicester’s appearance in the 1961 FA Cup Final against Spurs included individual pen portraits of the manager, players and backroom staff.

03

1961 Cup Final Radio Times

In the run up to the Final, this ‘Radio Times’ cover featured Danny Blanchflower, captain of League champions Spurs and Jimmy Walsh, captain of sixth-placed Leicester.

04

Ken Leek Newspaper Cutting

The dramatic news broke that Leicester’s manager Matt Gillies, for reasons never fully explained, had dropped top scorer Ken Leek from the Final team for the inexperienced Hugh McIlmoyle.

05

1961 Cup Final Programme

The 24-page programme, costing one shilling, contained potted histories of the two sides, individual pen pictures of the players, team photos, semi-final action shots and adverts.

06

1961 Community Song Sheet

A regular Cup Final tradition was the ‘Daily Express’ Community Singing. The traditional Cup Final favourite ’Abide with me’ was amongst the 14 songs on this fans’ song sheet.

07

Howard Riley's Cup Final Medal

Howard Riley’s runners-up medal. In the days before substitutes, Leicester (playing most of the game with only 10 fit men following Len Chalmers’ injury) eventually lost 2-0.

08

1961 Final Rattle

The Club’s memorabilia collection contains many items belonging to fans relating to this Final, including rosettes, tickets and this customised Cup Final rattle.

09

1961 Dorchester Banquet

The Leicester City party’s weekend at the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane ended with this post-final Celebration Dinner and Dance for over 300 guests.

10

1961 South Africa Tour Programmes

Eleven days after the 1961 FA Cup Final, Leicester embarked on a five game tour Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They won four games and drew one.

11

1961 Natal Mercury, Durban City

This photo of Leicester’s touring team appeared in the ‘Natal Mercury’ when they arrived in Natal for the game against Durban City.

12

LCFC's BEA Viscount

In September 1961, This BEA Viscount took Leicester City to their first-ever game in European Competition, a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie against Glenavon at Windsor Park Belfast. Leicester won the tie 7-2 on aggregate.

13

LCFC vs. Atletico Madrid Ticket

Leicester’s next European opponents were Atletico Madrid who equalised in the last minute in a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Filbert Street. Keyworth also had a goal disallowed.

14

Madrid Bullring Training Ground

The day before the second leg in Madrid, Ian King, Howard Riley, Colin Appleton, Ian White and Frank McLintock visited a Madrid bullring training ground.

15

ECWC Second Leg Poster

This poster advertised the second leg in Madrid which Leicester lost 2-0. 18 year-old Graham Cross was outstanding and Gordon Banks saved a penalty.

16

Pedro Domecq Sherry

This bottle of Pedro Domecq sherry, signed by the Atletico players, was presented to Leicester City’s Directors. There is still some sherry left in the bottle, over 50 years later!

17

Don Quixote Momento

After the game, Atletico Madrid, the eventual winners of the competition, also presented Leicester City with this impressive, and very heavy, brass figure of Don Quixote on a marble base.

18

Atletico Madrid Tray

Another memento from the game was this engraved silver tray commemorating what turned out to be Leicester’s last competitive appearance in Europe for another 36 years.

19

LCFC vs. Leyton Orient Programme

The 5-1 defeat of Leyton Orient started Leicester’s record run of 10 consecutive League and Cup wins which took them to the top of the old First Division for the first time since 1927.

20

'The Big Freeze'

This run coincided with the harshest winter of the century. Leicester’s use of a chemically treated top soil enabled the City to play most of their home games during the big freeze.

21

Mike Stringfellow's Winning Goal vs. Liverpool

Mike Stringfellow’s winning goal against Liverpool at Hillsborough in the FA Cup semi-final kept Leicester on course for a League and FA Cup Double as Leicester were second in the League

22

1963 Cup Final Souvenir Booklet

This 50 page booklet commemorating Leicester’s Cup Final against Manchester United contains action pictures of the FA Cup run, and pen pictures of players, coaching staff and directors.

23

1963 Cup Final Programme

Leicester were overwhelming favourites to beat Matt Busby’s relegation-fighting Manchester United in the FA Cup Final. The programme for the game shows Wembley’s new roof which now covered all of the terraces.

24

1963 FA Cup Final Ticket

As this ticket shows, the Cup Final was originally scheduled for 4 May. The over-stamped date of 25 May on the ticket was due to the fixture backlog caused by the harsh winter.

25

1963 Rosette

Thousands of these plastic rosettes showing the players’ faces were sold to supporters for their trip to Wembley.

26

'Our Wembley Trail'

Another souvenir was this plastic wallet called ‘Our Wembley Trail’. Although they didn’t play in this Final, Cheesebrough, Chalmers and Walsh, who all played in the 1961 Final, are still featured.

27

Howard Riley's Cup Final Shirt

Howard Riley’s shirt from the Final. Against all predictions, Leicester lost 3-1. They also failed to win their last five League games and finished fourth. Hopes of a League and FA Cup double were dashed.

28

David Gibson's Scotland Shirt

Davie Gibson wore this shirt in his first international game for Scotland. Leicester team mate Frank McLintock became a Scottish international the following month.