Part one of our weekly series charting Carlisle United's historic 1973/74 season...
Carlisle United’s journey to the top began in a summer that was not, to say the least, serene. Weeks before 1973/74 began, the Blues were engulfed by more than one controversy.
One came down to the multi-talented nature of one of their greatest players. Chris Balderstone, United’s classy midfielder and captain, did not report back for the start of pre-season training.
The reason? His cricket commitments with Leicestershire.
United, whose squad returned for pre-season on July 25, had granted Balderstone extra time before rejoining his team-mates until after Leicestershire’s Gillette Cup quarter-final against Worcestershire.
That meant Balderstone would not be immediately acquainted with Carlisle’s three summer additions to date: Bill Green, Mike Barry and Mike McCartney.
Yet the wait went on. Come the date he was due to return, things erupted into what the Evening News & Star’s Ross Brewster described as “a major row with the club.”
He wrote:
While Carlisle waited, Leicestershire manager Mike Turner was issuing a statement saying that Balderstone had informed him that he would not be returning to soccer until the end of the cricket season.
Balderstone emphasises that he has no dispute with United and wishes to maintain a happy relationship with the club.
[Yet] he clearly believes that his future interests will be best served by playing as much first class cricket as possible. This is especially so as his name has been linked with international recognition.
Mr Turner stressed: “I would add that we have not in any way tried to persuade Chris to stay on in cricket. This has been an entirely personal decision. Obviously even at this stage he would be financially better off playing soccer.”
Turner said he had not yet spoken to Alan Ashman, the United manager, about the situation, but added that the Blues boss had been “co-operative in the past as far as Chris has been concerned.”
The suggestion was that Balderstone would remain with Leicestershire until the end of August, putting him at risk of missing the start of Carlisle’s Division Two season, their first game scheduled for August 25 against Cardiff City, given the possibility of Balderstone’s inclusion in the England squad to tour the West Indies in the winter.
The position cost Balderstone the United captaincy - not that it deterred Balderstone’s footballing admirers. As things rumbled on, there was a surprise visit to Carlisle from their former manager Bob Stokoe to enquire about signing Balderstone for Sunderland.
Ashman was defiant. “I told him that if Chris is going to play soccer for anyone, it will be us.”
There was more disquiet in the background. A reported eight players were still to sign new contracts over wages. They had called for clear-the-air talks with chairman George Sheffield, but he preferred manager Ashman to resolve matters.
The manager had other business on his plate as the build-up to the momentous season continued. Ashman was in the market for a striker and a name that would eventually become familiar to Blues fans was mentioned in dispatches.
Billy Rafferty of Blackpool was the subject of firm close-season interest from the Blues, and United felt they had got their man when a fee of £45,000 was agreed.
The sharp-shooting Scot, though, decided to remain at Bloomfield Road. “We will just have to sit down and talk over the situation again,” Ashman said of his search for reinforcements.
There were, it should be said, happier spirits among many of those players back in the mix at the start of pre-season. Two of their squad, Dennis Martin and John Gorman, became fathers for the first time, while the merits of constructive preparation on the training ground had Ashman and trainer Dick Young in a positive frame of mind.
“For me the four weeks between now and the opening league game are as important as any part of the season,” Ashman said. “It’s vital to get the players ready mentally and physically for the start of the season."
The legendary Young, as ever at the forefront of United’s preparation, explained how things would unfold, two weeks before their first pre-season friendly at Berwick Rangers.
“It’s imperative to ease them back into it,” he said. “We shall be doing running, walking, body work and some ball training to start with.”
It would be double sessions until “full match fitness” was achieved, while Martin had further cause for contentment given he had added some bulk to his wiry frame.
Martin had spent the summer weight training and, as he returned to Brunton Park, was informed he had put on ten pounds. In one respect at least, there was extra weight to the idea United could make 1973/74 a campaign to remember…
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