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50 Years Ago..


Niall

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Morton started one of their most memorable seasons on 10th August 1963, with a league cup group match against Ayr United at Somerset Park.

 

The 1-0 win gave no real hint of what was to follow...a League Cup final, 32 league wins out of 36 games, a Scottish record of 25 successive league victories, and 171 goals in all competitions.

 

For the record Allan McGraw scored the only goal in front of just under 5,000 fans, the first of 62 goals he was to score that season. The team was :-

 

Brown, Boyd, McTurk, Reilly, Kiernan, Strachan, Adamson, Stevenson, Byrne, McGraw, Wilson. 5 of these players were making their debuts, and only Jimmy Wilson, signed the previous season from Newcastle United for £3,000 cost a transfer fee.

 

A long time ago, but if anyone's interested I will post each result and details on the corresponding date this season. It was a season that is worth re-living.

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My memory is pretty crap at the best of times, and I was too young to take a lot of notice, so it would be nice to hear what I've forgotten. The night game at Love St and the Hampden heartbreak are probably the only things that have stuck apart from some autographs and programmes.

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Morton started one of their most memorable seasons on 10th August 1963, with a league cup group match against Ayr United at Somerset Park.

 

The 1-0 win gave no real hint of what was to follow...a League Cup final, 32 league wins out of 36 games, a Scottish record of 25 successive league victories, and 171 goals in all competitions.

 

For the record Allan McGraw scored the only goal in front of just under 5,000 fans, the first of 62 goals he was to score that season. The team was :-

 

Brown, Boyd, McTurk, Reilly, Kiernan, Strachan, Adamson, Stevenson, Byrne, McGraw, Wilson. 5 of these players were making their debuts, and only Jimmy Wilson, signed the previous season from Newcastle United for £3,000 cost a transfer fee.

 

A long time ago, but if anyone's interested I will post each result and details on the corresponding date this season. It was a season that is worth re-living.

 

Pretty sure it was only 23 consecutive victories, a record which lasted 40 years until Celtic won 24 on the trot. Our one and only league defeat was game no. 24 at Bayview with East Fife winning 3-1.

 

I'd definitely want to see the results as the season progresses as my Dad started taking me to watch Morton that season, great memories.

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Pretty sure it was only 23 consecutive victories, a record which lasted 40 years until Celtic won 24 on the trot. Our one and only league defeat was game no. 24 at Bayview with East Fife winning 3-1.

 

I'd definitely want to see the results as the season progresses as my Dad started taking me to watch Morton that season, great memories.

 

I think it was 25 on the trot, although Gretna almost beat the record a few years back.

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Was it not 23 in 1963-64 season but we'd won the final two games of the previous season, taking the total to 25?

 

 

 

Just checked, and you are spot on Toby. I think the record may still stand as I'm sure I remember a load of media hype a few years back now around the possibility that Gretna would beat it, but they didn't.

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Count me in. Before my time but I would love to wallow in the nostalgia of the good old days.

 

If you could please update each time wearing a cloth flat cap that would add to the Russ Abbot atmosphere

 

Thanks in anticipation.

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Pretty sure it was only 23 consecutive victories, a record which lasted 40 years until Celtic won 24 on the trot. Our one and only league defeat was game no. 24 at Bayview with East Fife winning 3-1.

 

I'd definitely want to see the results as the season progresses as my Dad started taking me to watch Morton that season, great memories.

As others have said, we won the last two league games of 1962/3 season, plus the first 23 of 1963/4. Subsequently equalled by Celtic.

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I was just into footy so to see the results and the team changes would be excellent

So when did Caven Gray and smith join

 

Joe Caven joined at the start of that season and features in the next update, due on Wednesday. Eric Smith came in in 1964/5 making his debut in the League Cup semi final v Celtic, and Billy Gray signed in 1965/66 replacing Jim Kiernan, I think.

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A long time ago, but if anyone's interested I will post each result and details on the corresponding date this season. It was a season that is worth re-living.

 

Looking forward to your updates. Let's hope the current season is as successful.

<span style='font-size: 14px;'><em class='bbc'>"That LinwoodTon's a c*nt, eh?"</em></span>

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Count me in. Before my time but I would love to wallow in the nostalgia of the good old days.

 

If you could please update each time wearing a cloth flat cap that would add to the Russ Abbot atmosphere

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

I remember being at the semi-final v Hibs at Ibrox with a massive Morton support in a crowd of around 40,000.

Apparantly one Morton fan quipped that Morton had more coach drivers at the game than Hibs fans.

Interesting to see Pat Stanton and Eric Stevenson (brother/cousin of Morton's Morris Stevenson) who both probably played for Hibs in the semi-final in attendance at Lawrie Reilly's funeral last week.

Final was a massive let down, which I don't remember any of, against a very strong Rangers side of that time.

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thanks for that

can some advise me are rangers the same club as third lanark

 

both in the same category.

 

After the 63/64 final saw the influx of the Scandanavians - I think McGraw went to Hibs and Joe Caven to South Africa pretty shortly thereafter. Eric Sorenson came in for goalie Miller, then Johansen, Bertelsen etc etc etc and if I recall correctly Morris Stevenson probably lasted the longest from the 63/64 season.

Heaven knows how many Danes arrived, but until about 1970 Morton had really good sides despite the massive turnover of players. Personal favourites were Bartram, Jensen and Arentoft and there were very few 'duds' signed.

Great times !

...and how could I forget Leif Neilsen, fantastic goalkeeper.

 

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Wednesday 14th August 1963.

 

Morton's second game in their League Cup qualifying group, and their first home game of the season.

 

8,245 turned up at Cappielow to witness the 5-0 demolition of Stranraer, with 4 of the goals coming in the first half. The goals were shared amongst three of the 'Ton's new signings with Bobby Adamson and Morris Stevenson scoring doubles and bustling striker Joe Caven getting the other.

 

The Morton team was Brown, Boyd, Mallan, Reilly, Kiernan, Strachan, Adamson, Stevenson, Caven, McGraw, Wilson.

 

In the other Group match Ayr Utd came from 3-1 down to beat Clyde 4-3, giving Morton an early 2 point lead after 2 games.

 

Pl 2 W 2 D 0 L 0 F 6 A 0 Pts 4

 

It's the club's 9th consecutive home win, in all competitions, a run going back to March in the previous season, with 47 goals scored - an average of more than 5 goals per game - and only 7 conceded during that sequence.

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Guess there's not much interest in this, but I'll keep going to the League Cup Final at least.

 

1963/64 Match 3 - Saturday 17th August 1963. Scottish league cup - group match against Clyde at Cappielow.

 

Morton lose a rare first goal to newly relegated Clyde (Harry Hood puts the ball through Brown's legs), but left back McTurk hits a screamer from a 20 yard free kick to equalise. 1-1 at half time but two second half goals from Joe Caven secure 2 more points and secure another home win.

 

Team - Brown, Boyd, McTurk; Reilly , Kiernan, Strachan; Adamson, Stevenson, Caven, McGraw, Wilson.

 

The crowd - only 9,563

 

So at the half way stage in the Group, Morton are unbeaten with 6 points.

 

As was the case in those days, the League programme started in the following midweek...Morton travel to Stranraer on Wednesday 21st August 1963

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dont remember McTurk , thought it was Boyd and Mallon

 

My uncle used to take me and then home

I dont know /cant remember who I stood with

When were the summer cup matches

 

Thanks for all this hard work, Im surprised you are not giving us the weather as well

 

 

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