chelsea 04/04/69 & 05/04/69

[dangerman]

does anyone know why Chelsea played 2 matches in two days on the 04/04/69 & 05/04/69 both home games

[stingray]

At the risk of a whoosh, it was because the Football League decreed that they should - as I suspect was the case for all clubs that season.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

On the same days in Division 2, Palace were at home to Middlesbrough & Portsmouth.

That made me wonder about Middlesbrough - they were away to Palace and then Charlton. That at least makes sense.

I wonder if there were any ludicrous journeys for any clubs on those days.

[foxes1]

Clubs in the 1960's used to play quite often on consecutive days especially Christmas / Easter. The dates you quoted are Good Friday and Easter Saturday for that year.

[Fishy]

Millwall were at home to Villa on 4/4/69 and then had to travel up to Hull for a game on the 5th!
We lost both games..................

[wandererpaul]

foxes1 wrote:

Clubs in the 1960's used to play quite often on consecutive days especially Christmas / Easter. The dates you quoted are Good Friday and Easter Saturday for that year.

Christmas and Easter always had two or three games over a short period of time - 2-4 days. From the 1920's to 1960's at least - although Brentford FCs last game on Christmas Day was 1958 I think, without looking.

I'm surprised the original poster didn't check this out first!
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Not Forgotten; Allwright, Greechan, Hagan, Kennedy, Littler, Purver, Robotham, Saunders, Shields

[rogerclunn]

foxes1 wrote:

Clubs in the 1960's used to play quite often on consecutive days especially Christmas / Easter. The dates you quoted are Good Friday and Easter Saturday for that year.

Probably played on the Monday or Tuesday as well. 3 games in 4/5 days was not uncommon.
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Regards

Roger Clunn

[cardiff55]

In those days clubs used to play 3 games over Easter, Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Monday usually.

Back before that, as late as the 1950s clubs used to play on Christmas Day with a return fixture on Boxing Day. Some strange results used to occur depending I suppose on how much turkey or alcohol the players used to have!

[Karb]

Pete’s Picture Palace wrote:

On the same days in Division 2, Palace were at home to Middlesbrough & Portsmouth. That made me wonder about Middlesbrough - they were away to Palace and then Charlton. That at least makes sense. I wonder if there were any ludicrous journeys for any clubs on those days.

Sunderland were away at Ipswich on 4th, then home to Arsenal the following day.

[Wullie]

No squad rotation either. Probably the same 12 everytime unless there were injuries .