Club goes down — in chaos

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 24

Club goes down — in chaos

I (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copy right) LONDON. Manchester Inked, once the pride of English soccer, hit a low point in its history on (Saturday when the club (slid out of the first divi- ' sion amid chaotic scenes. j Its last home game, against (Manchester City, was! (abandoned five minutes from' ’ the end as hundreds of young spectators swarmed on the! (pitch. Police made dozens of arrests, the players scuttled to safety, and smoke from a fire lit in the stands rose .above Old Trafford like a funeral pyre. The scenes had been sparked off by a goal from D. Law which condemned his former team to relegation; after a 37-year run in the; first division. I

I Ironically, the result] (would have made no differ-1 (ence anyway. Birmingham’ (City beat Norwich City, 2-1,1 '(and ensured that Manchester] (United and Southampton; J would occupy the two re-1 maining relegation places. 1 i] But the action of United’s; .; ferociously-partisan sup- ( (porters left the club facing ’’closure of its ground for the .(early games next season, and l; probably further disciplinary ’(action. r Police and an appeal by ((the club chairman, Sir Matt Busby, failed to persuade the , crowd to clear the field, and ’ the referee called off the ‘ game. Whether it is replayed l (or not is irrelevant to the ‘(relegation situation. 1 On the last full day of the league season, Luton Town ' i] clinched a return to the first division after a 14-year absence, joining Middles- : brough. The third promotion place I will be decided when Orient;!

(meets Aston Villa this week.; | Orient needs a solid win! Ito edge past Carlisle United. lon goal average. ] At the other end of the! (second division table, the] (third team to go down with! 'Swindon and Preston will not (be decided until Cardiff’s and! (Crystal Palace’s final ; matches. Cardiff needs only a ; point to stay up. ENGLISH LEAGUE Division I.—Birmingham 2, Norwich 1; Burnley 1, Newcastle 1; Chelsea 0, Stoke 1; Coventry 3, Arsenal 3; Derby 2. Wolverhampton 0; Everton 0. Southampton 3; Ipswich 0. Sheffield United 1: Manchester United 0. Manchester City 1 'abandoned after 85 minutes); Queen's Park Raneers 0, Leeds 1; Tottenham 1. Leicester 0; West Ham 2, Liverpool 2. Division ll.—Cardiff 1, Orient 1; Carlisle 2, Aston Villa ft; Hull 2, Fulham 0; Millwall 0. Oxford 0; Notts Conntv 2. Bristol Citv 1; Portsmouth 0. Nottingham 2; Preston 2. Middlesbrough'4; Sheffield Wednesday I. Bolton 0; Sunderland 2. Blackpool 1; Swindon 0. Crystal Palace 1; West! Bromwich 1. Luton 1. Division 111. — Aidershot 4. ißlackburn 0; Bournemouth 0,1

I Wrexham 1; Bristol Rovers 1 (Brighton 1; Chesterfield 0 (Shrewsbury 2; Huddersfield 3 I Southport 1; Plymouth 4, Cam bridge 1; Port Vale 3, Charltor , 1; Rochdale 1, Halifax 1; Tran J mere 2, Southend 0; Walsall 3 (’Hereford 1; Watford 1, Grimsb.’. 112; York 1. Oldham 1. . Division IV.—Bradford City 1 ((Colchester 1; Bury 5. Newport ’(O; Chester 0, F,eading 0; Crewe Lincoln 1; Darlington 4, Barns ley 2; Exeter 2, Swansea 0; Gil lingham 1. Brentford 0; Hartle pool 0, Peterborough 1; North ampton 3. Doncaster 1; Rather ham 2. Mansfield 1; Scunthorpe 0. Workington 1; Stockport 2 ; Torquay 1. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Division I.—Aberdeen 2, Ar ; broath 2; Clyde 0, St Johnstone 1 ( Dundee United 0. Dunfermline 1; East Fife 0. Ayr 1; Falkirk 1 Celtic 1: Hearts 3. Partick 1 ! Morton 0. Hibernian 3; Jlother well 2, Dundee 2; Rangers 3 Dumbarton 2. Division ll.—Albion 3. Brechir 1; Alloa 0. Hamilton 1; Berwick 2. Queen of the South 1; Clyde bank 2. Airdrieonians 1; Cowdenbeath 0. St Mirren 0; Forfar 0 Stenhousemuir 2: Kilmarnock 2 Stirling Albion I; Montrose 2 Queen’s ’’ark 0; Stranraer 3 East Stirling 0. IRISH CUP i Final.—Ards 2. Ballymena 1.