Jim Melrose’s Game against Liverpool in January 1981.
Where were you on January 31st 1981 ?, were you in Liverpool ?, as Max Boyce used to say, “I was there ! “ , and I was to witness one of the most remarkable wins that I have ever seen by Leicester City. To set the scene, we were back in the First Division under Jock Wallace, who had modestly stated at the start of the season that we could win the league ! . In reality, we were to be relegated back into the Second Division. But did that season have some ups and downs as we went along.
In the 3rd game of the season, we had beaten the mighty Liverpool at Filbert Street, a fact made even better that it was captured by the ITV camera’s and a commentator that I grew up with Hugh Johns. The game had been won by an Andy Peake thunderbolt from outside the area into the top corner. A second was added in the second half in front of the kop by Martin Henderson.
The season went on its way, but by Christmas, there had been more defeats than wins, 2 of those defeats in a period of 8 days by 5-0 away at Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. Our usual Boxing Day defeat was provided at home by Bright & Hove Albion, although a bit of joy was provided by a 3-0 home win against Cardiff City in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. This gave us a home draw against Exeter City. This we managed to draw 1-1 and shortly after, we were beaten 3-1 away at Exeter’s St James Park, knocked out of the cup by a third division side.
So what is the perfect game after a humbling like that, yes , a trip to Anfield to play the unbeatable Liverpool under Bob Paisley who had not been beaten at home for 3 years, they had set a record of 85 home games unbeaten stretching back to January 1978, 63 of these games were league games. They had also been first division champions in 1979 & 1980 , and were to be so again in 1982 & 1983 . I had just turned 18 and headed for Merseyside on the football special train. Half way there, I saw a fox in a field, always a good omen. We arrived at Liverpool’s Lime Street Station and a number of double decker buses took us directly to the ground, perfect. Just after the game, the same buses would bring us the several miles back to Lime Street Station.
We stood behind the goal at the opposite end of the ground to Liverpool’s famous kop. I remember having blaring winter sunshine directly in our eyes for nearly the whole game as we watched history taking place before our eyes. The actual game is a bit of a blur, but I know that Jim Melrose, a signing from Partick Thistle in Scotland for £250,000 scored the winning goal. I recall there being a good turn out by city fans that day in a crowd of 35,154 . Liverpool‘s goal coming from an Own Goal by a City player..
After the game, the promised buses were not there, and we had to walk back to Lime Street under Police escort. To this day, I believe the bus drivers got the hump as we had ended their massive undefeated home run and said, let them walk ! J
A week later, we beat Manchester United 1-0 at Filbert Street, then we lost at Sunderland 0-1 before beating Tottenham Hotspurs 2-1 at White Hart Lane. A draw followed at home to Nottingham Forest, then a 1-0 win at home to Arsenal. Thins then went a bit sour as we got beat 4-1 at Coventry, with at least one goal from a certain Tommy English, who was to be controversially swapped with Jim Melrose at a later date. Jim Melrose scored 21 goals for us in 82 games between July 1980 and September 1982.
Our fate was sealed on Bank Holiday Monday as we travelled to Brighton and lost narrowly by 2-1 . Our final game was at Norwich City at Carrow Road. We had already been relegated, but by beating Norwich 3-2 , we took them down with us and Crystal Palace. We were just 3 points behind 3 other teams at the bottom of the table.
As for Liverpool, they had a good season after we beat them. The league cup was won after a replay against West Ham while they won the European Cup for the third time beating 1-0 against Real Madrid in Paris through an Alan Kennedy goal. In the league, they finished 5th, 9 points behind Aston Villa.
That was quite a season, I managed to see 36 of the 42 league games, but I will never forget that Saturday afternoon in the winter sunshine, as we defeated Liverpool and in doing so, did the double over them.
Anybody remember August 30th 1972 , Keith Weller 3 Liverpool 2, after being 0-2 down early in the game ? , I was only 9, but its one of those games that burns into your mind and makes you a City fan forever. My first ever competitive game watching at Filbert Street being a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on October 30th 1971, both goals coming very late in the match. Just 2 years after that, I would witness the Alan Birchenall wonder goal in the 2-2 home draw with Don Revie’s Leeds United. I was sat in the main stand just about on the edge of the penalty area, just prefect to see it fly in past David Harvey in the Leeds goal.