Tonight’s League Cup tie ends a wait of nearly four decades for Stoke City to visit Brunton Park to take on Carlisle United in competitive action.
(Unless you include a game against their Under-21s in the EFL Trophy. Which we don’t).
The previous meeting between Blues and Potters took place in November 1985: a precarious period for United and also the wider lower-league game, which brought the welcome interlude of an emphatic – and long overdue – Carlisle win.
On the pitch, the Cumbrians were moving through difficult times. Their start to 1985/86 in Division Two proved troubled, as Bob Stokoe gave way to Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson in the manager’s chair, only to return to the helm when Robson’s short reign proved unsuccessful.
Come the visit of Stoke on November 9, they had a solitary league victory to their name from 15 games. Eleven of those matches had ended in defeat, and the Blues were winless in eight – and had taken one point in that time – before Stoke, managed by former Ipswich Town and England defender Mick Mills, made their trip.
United were welded to the bottom of the table with Stoke a few places above them in the bottom half. The visiting side included a future First Division title winner in defender Steve Bould, eventually of Arsenal, while Carlisle’s home crowds, other than a couple of exceptions, were hovering around the 3,000 mark.
The footballing build-up saw Stokoe shuffling his squad given that Andy Hill was sidelined with back trouble. Alan Mayes, the striker signed from Swindon Town, had not featured often in the season so far, but he was in the mix to face Stoke.
Manager Stokoe said that there was a possibility of Mayes leaving for another club, given his shortage of action, “but he’s certainly one of the options I’ll be considering for Saturday.
“He’s had a run-out in the reserves last week, he’s looked a lot sharper, and in shooting practice in training he’s our best finisher.”
They proved prescient words – while, at the other end, Carlisle were banking on emergency help. Before the Stoke game they brought in goalkeeper Scott Endersby on loan, also from Swindon.
His task was considerable bearing in mind, as our correspondent Ivor Broadis wrote, “United have looked only slightly less vulnerable than a clay pipe in a fairground shooting gallery”, conceding 41 goals in their 15 games.
A debut against Stoke, in place of Kevin Carr, was the plan. In the meantime, there were growing concerns about the general footballing climate – and some comments about big-club dominance that echo down the decades.
Talks regarding a “restructure” of the leagues were under way in London, with the “elite” – clubs including Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Arsenal – wanting a First Division of 20 clubs, down from 22, and 24 in the second tier – “with the 48 Third and Fourth Division teams left to their own devices,” Broadis wrote.
There was a proposed British Cup involving clubs from England, Scotland and Ireland, as well as the reorganisation of the league’s voting structure.
Carlisle’s chairman Andrew Jenkins reckoned the plans did not bode well for clubs such as Carlisle. “Basically the big clubs want the money that comes in through sponsorship and television. What share of the cake a club that drops out of the second division would get is uncertain.
“If third and fourth division clubs lose it all, the situation would be serious.”
All the more reason, then, for United to fight for their second-tier status. And, on one afternoon against Stoke, fight they did.
From nowhere, in terms of their recent form, Carlisle put together a good opening spell of pressure against a Potters side whose own display was stodgy. John Cooke nearly created an early opening goal for the Blues, when Bould, trying to clear it behind, swept the cross against his own post.
Stoke’s clearances and play from the back were often sloppy and, on the half-hour, Carlisle took the lead in style: John Halpin’s corner breaking back outside the box, and Mick Halsall drilling a sweet 30-yard half-volley past keeper Peter Fox.
Nine minutes later, it was two, and at this point the previously little-used Mayes stepped onto the stage. He found space to flick home a Halsall pass to make it 2-0, and there was little Stoke, or injured player-boss Mills, could do to halt United.
Ian Bishop, in the Blues’ midfield, was also a danger to the visitors while in goal, debutant Endersby handled well. A third duly came, when Cooke crossed for Mayes to head home, and a second half played in driving rain saw Carlisle sweep to a highly welcome 3-0 win.
Stokoe was pleased, but added perspective to his post-match remarks. “The performance and result was a morale-booster,” the manager said. “But it’s about time that players got their fingers out and developed some pattern to their game.
“They’ll be a lot chirpier than they were last Monday morning. But the only way to build up confidence is to do it regularly.”
Alas, the side who found more consistent form was not United. The Blues continued to struggle as Stoke climbed to mid-table, while Mayes never scored a league goal for the club again. The season eventually brought one of Brunton Park’s most famous solo goals – Halpin’s brilliant dribble against Blackburn Rovers – while a sequence of spring victories generated late hope – while they drew 0-0 at Stoke’s Victoria Ground in the clubs’ most recent league meeting in April – but an infamous own-goal mishap by Jim Tolmie in the penultimate game against Charlton Athletic pointed United to relegation, which was duly sealed.
It meant a departure from the second tier which has been permanent, United making their home in the bottom tiers in all the years since then. As for the controversial restructure of football, things rumbled on later into 1985, talk of a Super League surfacing in October before a new revenue redistribution deal – inevitably favouring the top-flight – was duly struck.
Carlisle’s win over Stoke at Brunton Park, then, proved one of the last days of fading hope before United had to lower their Football League sights. As the clubs meet some 39 years on, it is the lesser but still meaningful boost of a League Cup upset being chased by the modern-day Blues.
TEAMS
United: Endersby, Gorman, Ashurst, Saunders, McCartney, Cooke, Bishop, Halsall, Halpin, Baker, Mayes. Sub: Gavin.
Stoke: Fox, Bould, Dyson, Berry, Hemming, Parkin, Maskery, Adams, Bertschin, Saunders, Heath. Sub: Shaw.
Crowd: 2,813.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here