On This Day – 15th September
Two British clubs recorded their highest ever victory on this day and six years apart. Both Derby County and Swansea City won 12-0 in European ties, Derby’s win coming in 1976 and Swansea’s in 1982.
Derby drew Finn Harps from the Republic of Ireland in the first round of the UEFA Cup. County hadn’t won any of their first eight league games so only 13,353 fans decided to attend.
They must have been very glad that their loyalty paid off as Derby stormed into a 9-0 lead at half time! The statisticians in the crowd would have realised at this point that one more goal was required to break the club’s record win, which was 9-0. Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten 9-0 by Derby in 1891 and Sheffield Wednesday were also beaten by the same score eight years later.
The record was broken as three further goals came in the second half to leave the Finn Harps players, management and fans pleading for mercy!
By the end of the game Kevin Hector had scored five goals, Charlie George and Leighton James both bagged hat-tricks and Bruce Rioch had also got on the scoresheet.
The second leg somewhat less of a hammering, with Derby beating Finn Harps 4-1 in Ireland. They would lose 5-2 on aggregate over AEK Athens in the Second Round.
Six years to the day later, Swansea City beat Maltese outfit Sliema Wanderers 12-0 in a Cup Winners Cup First Round tie.
Eight different Swansea players hit the back of the net that night at Vetch Field. Ian Walsh scored a hat trick, Jeremy Charles and Jimmy Loveridge both scored twice and Colin Irwin, Bob Latchford, Dzemal Hadziabdic, Ante Rajkovic and Nigel Stevenson also found the back of the net.
There was no let-up for Wanderers in the second leg as Swansea City won the second leg 5-0 in Malta.
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