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Thanks all. Yes a remember Chopper Harris and Norman bit yer legs Hunter, Tommy Smith and even Nobby Stiles.Dont remember Eddie Clamp tho. It was well known defenders were instructed to make a couple of early hacks at opponents to leave there mark, sometimes off the ball. A remenber as a youngster skinning a defender and then a minute later he said something like "you wont dare try that again " and then floored me with an off the ball punch in the face.
Still, that McReady challange looked inexcusible (delibrate and leg breakingly dangerous) to me even for then and am suprised that Kenneth Wolstenhome thought it was an innocent one.
A prefer the modern game but maybe its gone a little to far the other way, the smallest challenge like shirt pull or what we called a fair shoulder charge will get a booking. A played in my 40s in a match and was booked for obstruction just for nipping in front of a younger player and winning the ball when he was receiving it from a throw in.