Iconic Moments in Football No.61
1st November 1975. Derby County vs Leeds United at the reigning champions Baseball Ground. BBC’s ‘Match of the Day’ chose the game as their featured match and it wasn’t hard to see why.
The two clubs had both enjoyed success during the early 1970s, both winning the league title and Leeds had won the FA Cup in 1972. Both sets of fans knew it yet, but this was both sides most successful eras and haven’t enjoyed such successful periods since.
In the first half, Leeds defender Norman Hunter had dragged Derby’s Francis Lee inside the penalty area and Charlie George duly scored from the resulting kick.
Tensions had been brewing between Hunter and Lee after the incident and in the second half, the two players started to have a punch up on the pitch!
The pair had to be dragged away from one another. Hunter managed to punch Lee in the face, splitting the Derby midfielder’s lip. The two walked off the pitch after being sent off by referee Derek Nippard but moments later, the scrap started up yet again!
Once more, players, coaches and physios had to intervene and the two carried on at each other until they reached their respective dressing rooms. Lee had his lip tended to by the Derby club doctor and was still trying to get out of the dressing room to get at Hunter!
Four days after the incident, Derby were thumped 5-1 by Real Madrid in the European Cup. They would reach the FA Cup semi final before losing to Manchester United and finished the season in fourth position in the league. Leeds finished a place below Derby in fifth position.
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