When we read about yet another manager or top player criticising the number of fixtures scheduled, one of the most common ripostes is that players and managers “have it easy compared to how football used to be”. This is undoubtedly the case, however even a cursory skim through the pages of Football Monthly of the 1950s and 1960s shows there were many concerns from managers, players and media about just that, especially over the Christmas and Easter periods.

The Easter period of 1964 saw Derby, now an established Second Division club, faced with no fewer than four league fixtures in just seven days. On March 28^th, eventual title-winners Leeds came to the Baseball Ground in the first of two home games within 48 hours of one another. The 1-1 draw was followed up on Monday by Ian Buxton scoring the winner in a 3-2 victory over Southampton. No time to rest, however, as the return fixture at The Dell was scheduled for the Wednesday evening and it would produce one of the season’s craziest matches – arguably due to what was being expected of professional footballers.

Both clubs were safely ensconced in mid-table so not a lot rode on the outcome. Derby rested Buxton and Alan Durban, replaced by Bill Curry and Phil Waller. Otherwise, the rest of the team would be turning out for their third game in five days. Bear that in mind.

For the match, Southampton issued a 16-page programme costing 6d, its front cover presumably intended to provide a visual representation of the club and city’s heritage. Page 3 has basic pen-pictures of the Rams players. Page 5 includes a syndicated article from a News of the World reporter on the “sensational” fee being paid by Everton to Blackburn for centre-forward Fred Pickering. The article concludes by asking questions (still being asked today) about whether financial disparities would directly affect the League’s competitiveness.

Page 7 has a message from the Chairman, team line-ups are in the centre pages and we then have a few words from manager Ted Bates who would like to be more open with supporters about how a football club is run. Accordingly, he invites questions to be sent in the post directly to him and he will answer – as long as they’re not concerning the playing staff!

The programme may have been a bit on the bland side but the same couldn’t be said about the action on the pitch. It’s testament to both sets of players that, far from settling for a sterile 0-0 draw, which may have been understandable, they went at it hell-for-leather. John Bowers gave Derby a 4^th minute lead only for a defensive mix-up to gift the England international Terry Paine a 9^th minute equaliser. Ten minutes later, a ferocious shot from future England international Martin Chivers (18 years old here) put the home side 2-1 up only for Bowers to collect a Jack Parry pass, beat three defenders and slot the ball bast home ‘keeper Godfrey (whose mobility seemed impaired…more on that later). The first half scoring wasn’t finished, however, as Geoff Barrowcliffe’s 43^rd minute free-kick restored Derby’s lead only for Paine to equalise on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot.

Plenty for both fans and managers to talk about during the interval but, for Ted Bates, his main problem was that his goalkeeper, Tony Godfrey, had been playing most of the first half with an injury and was evidently in no state to continue. In these pre-substitute days, then, that meant an outfield player going between the sticks and that task, voluntary or otherwise, was delegated to left-half Cliff Huxford. So now Derby were playing against not just ten men but also a side minus a recognised goalkeeper.

Enlivened by this, the Rams went on the attack only to find that Huxford perhaps wasn’t quite the “rabbit caught in headlights” they had hoped for. Saints began to tentatively press forward themselves and, after 50 minutes, Chivers netted once again. By now, a bewildered crowd were probably wondering what was going to happen next – and, on the hour mark, centre-half Mike Hennigan was left sprawled on the ground following a challenge. Unable to continue, despite copious lashings of the trainer’s wet sponge, off he went and Southampton were now down to nine men including, don’t forget, a stand-in ‘keeper.

Surely the match was Derby’s for the taking now and, less than two minutes after Hennigan went off, an unmarked Bill Curry headed home to make the score 4-4. They do say, however, that a team is at its most vulnerable immediately after scoring. Straight from the kick-off, then, Southampton passed their way into the Derby penalty area and down went Paine under a challenge. Uninjured, he got up and slotted the ball past Reg Matthews to restore the home side’s lead.

Derby had 27 minutes to try and get something out of the game. But, if playing against ten men is hard, then logically playing against nine men must be even harder, yes? As the minutes went by and what remained of the Saints defence stood firm, the feeling was it just wasn’t going to be Derby’s day and, as they made one final attempt to salvage a point, winger John Sydenham broke clear in the 89^th minute, running the length of the field to net what would prove to be the final goal.

So, 6-4 to Southampton, terrific entertainment for the neutral but under circumstances (both in terms of injuries and general fatigue) which likely would not have arisen had both sets of players not been asked to comply with a schedule that seemed to put their interests at the bottom of the priority list.

Southampton: Godfrey; Williams, Hollywood; Wimshurst, Hennigan, Huxford; Paine, O’Brien, Chivers, McGuigan, Sydenham.

Derby: Matthews; Barrowcliffe, Ferguson; Webster, Young, Parry; Hughes, Cullen, Curry, Waller, Bowers.

Attendance: 11,392