Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Football On This Day 29th April 1961

Football On This Day 29th April 1961, a 15,318 London Road crowd saw Peterborough United beat Barrow 6-2 in their final Division Four match of the season. Not only did Posh top the division in their first Football League season but those six goals saw the club complete the season with a record 134 League goals. Terry Bly scored a hat-trick against Barrow to finish the season with 52 League goals, a post-war League best.
The Division One play off, second leg, on May 14th 2014 saw Leyton Orient and Peterborough United locked at 1-1. Orient had a terrible run in, having once being easily in automatic promotion. The Posh have never failed at the play off stage.
Peterborough United Football Club officially came into being on 17th May 1934 when a meeting at the city's now long demolished Angel Hotel decided to form a professional club to fill a void left by the collapse of Peterborough and Fletton United two years earlier. Local councillor Jack Swain, appointed acting chairman, told the gathering: 'I think that with the revival of old enthusiasm in the city, Peterborough will ultimately find a place in the Football League.' It took almost 40 years for that dream to come to fruition in 1960, replacing Gateshead.
The club's 'Posh' nickname has obscure origins but it is believed to have stemmed from player manager Pat Tirrel who in 1921 said he was looking for 'Posh players for a Posh team.' Peterborough and Fletton, also known as the 'Brickies’ (the local employer), folded in 1932 with considerable debts and the new club had to obtain confirmation from the Football Association and Northamptonshire Football Association that there were no liabilities. The delight of representatives at the annual meeting of the Midland League, where a membership application was welcomed with open arms, turned to sheer panic when it was realised they didn't have the cash between them to pay a £20 security deposit, a 10 guinea entry fee and 5 guinea subscription. Grantham Town loaned the cash and back home the Posh officials set about raising funds through the sale of five shilling shares, around 150 turning up for a first shareholders' meeting on 31st July 1934 when a ten strong board of directors were elected. When Posh resigned from the Midland League in 1960 after their election to the Football League, the original £20 deposit was refunded!
The London Road ground was hired from Peterborough City Council. The weekly Posh wage bill was £38 and admission charges were set at one shilling for men (5p), six pence (2.5p) for women and the unemployed and, one shilling for transfer to the stand. City Council workmen built new dressing rooms and local businesses helped; Midgate outfitters E.B.Jackson donated shirts, Hoyles of Westgate gave towels and George Stokes of Church Street presented a new football. A crowd of 4,033 turned out on 1st September 1934 to see the Midland League campaign begin in some style with a 4-0 beating of  Gainsborough Trinity, the distinction of scoring the first Posh goal going to Len Hargreaves who had been signed from Luton Town. Posh began in green shirts with a while 'V' on the front, white shorts and black socks with a green top carrying two white hoops and as early as November 1934, when a statutory meeting took place, it was suggested the club should think seriously of seeking a league place. The Posh has had its ups and downs under a variety of managers, including the larger than life Barry Fry, chairman of the club.

Darren Ferguson, son of Sir Alex, first managed the club in the Second division in 2007 and took them to the Championship over a two year campaign. He later resigned in 2009 when the club was struggling to maintain its place in the division, only to return to the club, guiding them to 4th place in Football League One in 2010-11, BUT this was with one of the worse defensive records in the third tier, conceding over 70 goals, but scoring 106; (clearly inheriting his father’s love for attacking football) the most for anybody in the Football League that season. Peterborough beat Milton Keynes Dons in the playoff semi-finals and defeated Huddersfield Town in the Final 3–0 and gained promotion back to the Championship. Ferguson led the team to safety in its first season back in the Championship, however, the Posh were relegated back the following season, after losing to Crystal Palace 3–2 on 4 May 2013, the final match of the season. After being relegated from the Championship, the club worked hard in Division One and met Leyton Orient in the PLay Off. Posh were Football League Trophy holders, having beaten Chesterfield 3-1 in the Wembley Final March 2014

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