Ok well got an e-mail back from BDTBL and I must hold my hands up and say I was wrong even though I was conned into thinking Blades needed a 1-0 win to get into Europe a bit like owls get conned with talk about these Premiership strikers coming in and takeover bids ;)

The reply was as follows

Hi Steve


If my memory serves me correctly, the situation you describe was correct going into the Birmingham game ( which I also went to and was very miserable afterwards).

However, for the first time that year, they changed the rules and allowed two clubs from the same City to play in Europe, and so we would not have qualified even if we had won.


Everton and Liverpool both went into Europe (I think).

Regards _____________


Hmmmmmmm he thinks :hihi::hihi:

We Was Not Wrong Cb We Were Mistaken.

The person to ask about that would be an elderly Stoke City fan, or one of their historical archive websites. Whatever rule change meant that we would not have qualified, meant that Stoke City did not - you can be damn sure they'll remember what it was. :hihi:

It does mean, in essence, that the old United player you quoted (I suck at remembering names) was basically right; if Woodcock had scored that late goal, we would have finished in a Europe-qualifying position, only to later find out that it was no longer one. Only in hindsight was it clear that a 10-0 victory was necessary.

The person to ask about that would be an elderly Stoke City fan, or one of their historical archive websites. Whatever rule change meant that we would not have qualified, meant that Stoke City did not - you can be damn sure they'll remember what it was. :hihi:

It does mean, in essence, that the old United player you quoted (I suck at remembering names) was basically right; if Woodcock had scored that late goal, we would have finished in a Europe-qualifying position, only to later find out that it was no longer one. Only in hindsight was it clear that a 10-0 victory was necessary.

:o It was Len Badger who was quoted and it was TONY CURRIE who didnt score, who the hell is Woodcock :loopy::loopy::hihi::hihi:

Ok well got an e-mail back from BDTBL and I must hold my hands up and say I was wrong even though I was conned into thinking Blades needed a 1-0 win to get into Europe a bit like owls get conned with talk about these Premiership strikers coming in and takeover bids ;)

The reply was as follows

Hi Steve


If my memory serves me correctly, the situation you describe was correct going into the Birmingham game ( which I also went to and was very miserable afterwards).

However, for the first time that year, they changed the rules and allowed two clubs from the same City to play in Europe, and so we would not have qualified even if we had won.


Everton and Liverpool both went into Europe (I think).

Regards _____________


Hmmmmmmm he thinks :hihi::hihi:

CB I could have told you all this as I remember it well - However when I read through the thread the context got lost with the silly arguing - so I lost interest.

CB I could have told you all this as I remember it well - However when I read through the thread the context got lost with the silly arguing - so I lost interest.

As is the case with so many good threads on here :mad:

So when did they change the rules Mrs H because I was at Birmingham along with over 6,000 other Blades and we all fully believed we had to win 1-0 :huh:

:o It was Len Badger who was quoted and it was TONY CURRIE who didnt score, who the hell is Woodcock :loopy::loopy::hihi::hihi:

Don't ask me. I was three years old.

As is the case with so many good threads on here :mad:

So when did they change the rules Mrs H because I was at Birmingham along with over 6,000 other Blades and we all fully believed we had to win 1-0 :huh:

At last I think we have the answer.

http://www.goldenboot.me.uk/the_uefa_cup/

Stoke must have been livid!

As is the case with so many good threads on here :mad:

So when did they change the rules Mrs H because I was at Birmingham along with over 6,000 other Blades and we all fully believed we had to win 1-0 :huh:

I too went to that match thinking the same thing (coach broke down at Alfreton and we were 10 minutes late for the match)- sorry cannot remember the date of the change however - if memory serves me right (and it often doesn't) there were the rumours of the change of rules before that match, all to do with the change to uefa from inter city fairs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Match-My-Life-Sheffield-Favourite/dp/1905449623/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204327391&sr=1-1


this is the book i got badgers quote from