Sheffield United's forgotten international trophy win remembered amid jungle walks, military escorts and on-pitch wars
More than 50 years before modern-day post-season tours became commonplace, Sheffield United travelled to politically-unstable Zambia for a remarkable three-match series that anyone involved never forgot.
The full-time whistle had barely blown the final day of the season and the thoughts of Sheffield United’s players began to drift towards their summer break. With the return for pre-season seemingly getting earlier, and after a gruelling if underwhelming campaign, time off is essential.
How things have changed. On this day in 1972, more than half a century ago, the Blades were crowned winners of the Zambian Airways Trophy after winning 8-3 on aggregate over three games in a rather instable country.
The final game saw the Blades triumph 4-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Stewart Scullion and a penalty converted by Alan Woodward. Remarkably the Blades had not long finished a season in the top-flight, where they finished 10th and just four points behind fifth-placed Arsenal.
But their break was delayed for the visit to Zambia which, while not officially at war, was hardly at peace either. Tensions were high amid the Rhodesian Border Blockade, following the escalation of the bush war, and the beginning of an armed insurrection against President Kenneth Kaunda's government.
Amongst that backdrop arrived a United party that, a year earlier, were celebrating their return to the top-flight. “Gentleman” John Harris was in charge of the Blades and United’s players and staff were kitted out in burgundy suits made of heavy wool as temperatures nudged 30 degrees in southern Africa.
Fresh from an English winter, United’s players could only cope with the sun for an hour a day and tensions rose in the games, too, despite their friendly billing. Flare-ups between the two sets of players were so frequent that local police and the army were sometimes called on to seperate them.
Even the genial Blades legend Tony Currie lost his temper, at one stage grabbing an opponent by the throat after one particularly spicy challenge. “They were kicking us to bits because they didn’t know how to tackle properly,” Currie remembered. “They were going straight through us.”
It wasn’t all bad, though, with United players and representatives also visiting the huge Livingstone Falls and walking through the jungle. There was also the odd chance for the hair to be let down, too, even if schoolteacher-like Harris tried to keep a lid on things.
Just over a week after lifting the Zambian Airways Trophy, Currie was pulling on an England shirt for the first time at senior level and made his debut against Northern Ireland at Wembley. One wonders which achievement, when he looks back on his storied career, meant more to him...