1965–66 Hull City A.F.C. season
English football club season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1965–66 season was the 62nd season in the history of Hull City Association Football Club and their sixth consecutive season in the Third Division. In addition to the domestic league, the club would also participate in the FA Cup and the League Cup.
| 1965–66 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Harold Needler | ||
| Manager | Cliff Britton | ||
| Stadium | Boothferry Park | ||
| Third Division | 1st (promoted) | ||
| FA Cup | Sixth round | ||
| League Cup | Second round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Ken Wagstaff (27) All: Ken Wagstaff (31) | ||
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Summary
The campaign has since been regarded as one of the most successful in the club's history.[1] This is largely because the Tigers won their third-ever league title, which coincidentally would be their last for another 55 years. The drought was eventually broken in the 2020–21 season, when they won EFL League One.[2]
Elsewhere, Hull endured a memorable FA Cup run, defeating First Division side Nottingham Forest prior to a sixth round exit. Even then, the Tigers only lost to another top flight opponent, Chelsea, who they heroically forced to a draw at Stamford Bridge, before bowing out at home in the replay.
Aside from on-pitch results, this season was also notable for the many iconic figures within the Tigers’ ranks. Led by long-serving manager Cliff Britton, Hull operated with an attacking unit affectionately known as "the Front Five". Of the 109 league goals the club scored in 1965–66, 100 of them were attributed to Ian Butler, Ken Houghton, Chris Chilton, Ken Wagstaff, and Ray Henderson.[1][3]
Irishman Maurice Swan was entrusted as the team's goalkeeper for the majority of the campaign,[4] whilst legendary captain and eventual club record appearance maker Andy Davidson anchored the defence from right full-back.[5] Dennis Butler often featured to the left of him,[6] with future Wales international Alan Jarvis and local lads Mike Milner and Chris Simpkin tending to service as the Tigers' half-backs.[7][8][9]
Competitions
Third Division
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hull City (C, P) | 46 | 31 | 7 | 8 | 109 | 62 | 1.758 | 69 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 2 | Millwall (P) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 76 | 43 | 1.767 | 65 | |
| 3 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 24 | 9 | 13 | 95 | 65 | 1.462 | 57 | |
| 4 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 80 | 67 | 1.194 | 53 | |
| 5 | Workington | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 67 | 57 | 1.175 | 52 |
Matches
Win Draw Loss
| # | Date | Home | Result | Away | Venue | Att. | Scorers[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.08.65 | Hull City | 3–2 | Scunthorpe United | H | 18,829 | Houghton, Wagstaff (2) |
| 2 | 24.08.65 | Watford | 1–1 | Hull City | A | 10,648 | Chilton |
| 3 | 28.08.65 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1–2 | Hull City | A | 16,560 | Wagstaff, Henderson |
| 4 | 01.09.65 | Hull City | 1–0 | Swindon Town | H | 23,163 | Wagstaff |
| 5 | 04.09.65 | Hull City | 1–3 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 20,478 | Chilton |
| 6 | 11.09.65 | Mansfield Town | 1–2 | Hull City | A | 14,081 | Houghton, Chilton |
| 7 | 18.09.65 | Hull City | 1–4 | York City | H | 20,554 | I.Butler |
| 8 | 25.09.65 | Hull City | 3–3 | Reading | H | 14,686 | Houghton (2), Chilton |
| 9 | 02.10.65 | Exeter City | 1–4 | Hull City | A | 7,125 | Chilton, Houghton (2), Wagstaff |
| 10 | 06.10.65 | Hull City | 5–1 | Oldham Athletic | H | 17,028 | Wagstaff, Houghton, Chilton (3) |
| 11 | 09.10.65 | Swansea Town | 4–2 | Hull City | A | 7,949 | I.Butler, Henderson |
| 12 | 13.10.65 | Oldham Athletic | 2–2 | Hull City | A | 5,883 | Houghton (2) |
| 13 | 16.10.65 | Hull City | 3–2 | Walsall | H | 15,931 | Henderson, Wagstaff, Chilton |
| 14 | 22.10.65 | Workington | 3–0 | Hull City | A | 5,482 | |
| 15 | 30.10.65 | Hull City | 3–0 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 12,440 | Henderson, Chilton, Wagstaff |
| 16 | 06.11.65 | Southend United | 0–2 | Hull City | A | 8,088 | (o.g.), Henderson |
| 17 | 20.11.65 | Shrewsbury Town | 2–2 | Hull City | A | 5,316 | I.Butler, Wagstaff |
| 18 | 24.11.65 | Hull City | 3–1 | Watford | H | 15,511 | Houghton (2), Chilton |
| 19 | 27.11.65 | Hull City | 1–1 | Grimsby Town | H | 20,681 | Wagstaff |
| 20 | 11.12.65 | Hull City | 6–1 | Bristol Rovers | H | 16,349 | Simpkin, Houghton (2), Henderson, (o.g.), I.Butler |
| 21 | 17.12.65 | Walsall | 2–4 | Hull City | A | 8,617 | I.Butler (3), Chilton |
| 22 | 27.12.65 | Hull City | 1–0 | Millwall | H | 40,231 | (o.g.) |
| 23 | 28.12.65 | Millwall | 3–0 | Hull City | A | 17,184 | |
| 24 | 01.01.66 | Hull City | 4–1 | Swansea Town | H | 22,700 | Wagstaff (2), Henderson, Chilton |
| 25 | 08.01.66 | Swindon Town | 3–1 | Hull City | A | 15,875 | Houghton |
| 26 | 15.01.66 | Hull City | 6–0 | Workington | H | 14,704 | (o.g.), Jarvis, I.Butler (2), Wagstaff, Houghton |
| 27 | 29.01.66 | Scunthorpe United | 2–4 | Hull City | A | 15,570 | Henderson (2), Houghton, Chilton |
| 28 | 05.02.66 | Hull City | 1–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 25,374 | Wagstaff |
| 29 | 19.02.66 | Queens Park Rangers | 3–3 | Hull City | A | 12,327 | Wagstaff, Chilton, Houghton |
| 30 | 23.02.66 | Gillingham | 0–3 | Hull City | A | 10,527 | Wagstaff, Houghton, Chilton |
| 31 | 26.02.66 | Hull City | 4–0 | Mansfield Town | H | 28,214 | Wagstaff (2), Henderson, Houghton |
| 32 | 09.03.66 | Hull City | 1–0 | Gillingham | H | 30,122 | Wagstaff |
| 33 | 12.03.66 | York City | 1–2 | Hull City | A | 19,420 | Wagstaff, I.Butler |
| 34 | 18.03.66 | Reading | 0–1 | Hull City | A | 14,196 | I.Butler |
| 35 | 08.04.66 | Oxford United | 0–2 | Hull City | A | 14,359 | Wagstaff, Houghton |
| 36 | 09.04.66 | Brentford | 2–4 | Hull City | A | 9,919 | Wagstaff (4) |
| 37 | 11.04.66 | Hull City | 2–1 | Oxford United | H | 31,992 | Wagstaff, Chilton |
| 38 | 16.04.66 | Hull City | 2–1 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 24,333 | Chilton, Jarvis |
| 39 | 20.04.66 | Hull City | 6–1 | Exeter City | H | 28,055 | Chilton (3), Henderson (2), Houghton |
| 40 | 23.04.66 | Grimsby Town | 1–0 | Hull City | A | 18,018 | |
| 41 | 25.04.66 | Peterborough United | 4–1 | Hull City | A | 9,547 | Chilton |
| 42 | 30.04.66 | Hull City | 4–1 | Brentford | H | 25,039 | Chilton, (o.g.), Jarvis, Henderson |
| 43 | 06.05.66 | Bristol Rovers | 1–2 | Hull City | A | 9,234 | Wagstaff, Chilton |
| 44 | 10.05.66 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | 1–1 | Hull City | A | 7,861 | I.Butler |
| 45 | 17.05.66 | Hull City | 2–1 | Peterborough United | H | 28,255 | Houghton, Chilton |
| 46 | 20.05.66 | Hull City | 1–0 | Southend United | H | 30,371 | I.Butler |
FA Cup
Matches
Win Draw Loss
| # | Date | Home | Result | Away | Venue | Att. | Scorers[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1R | 13.11.65 | Bradford Park Avenue | 2–3 | Hull City | A | 11,487 | Houghton, Chilton, I.Butler |
| 2R | 08.12.65 | Gateshead | 0–4 | Hull City | A | 5,935 | Wagstaff, Henderson, I.Butler, Houghton |
| 3R | 22.01.66 | Hull City | 1–0 | Southampton | H | 28,851 | Houghton |
| 4R | 12.02.66 | Hull City | 2–0 | Nottingham Forest | H | 38,055 | Heath (2) 19', 83' |
| 5R | 05.03.66 | Hull City | 2–0 | Southport | H | 38,871 | Chilton |
| 6R | 26.03.66 | Chelsea | 2–2 | Hull City | A | 46,324 | Wagstaff (2) 85', 89' |
| 6R | 26.03.66 | Hull City | 1–3 | Chelsea | H | 45,328 | Simpkin 37' |
League Cup
Matches
Win Draw Loss
Squad
| Name | Position | Nationality | Place of birth | Date of birth (age)[b] | Previous club | Date signed | Fee | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||||||||
| Maurice Swan | GK |  IRL |
Dublin | 27 September 1938 (age 26) |  Cardiff City |
June 1963 | £5,000 | ||||||
| Mike Williams | GK |  ENG |
Hull | 23 October 1944 (age 20) | Youth | June 1960 | – | ||||||
| Defenders | |||||||||||||
| Mick Brown | FB | ENG |
Walsall | 11 July 1939 (age 25) | Youth | October 1958 | – | ||||||
| Dennis Butler | FB | ENG |
Parsons Green | 7 March 1943 (age 22) | Chelsea | June 1963 | £10,000 | ||||||
| Les Collinson | HB | ENG |
Hull | 2 December 1935 (age 29) | Reserves | August 1953 | – | ||||||
| Andy Davidson | FB |  SCO |
Douglas Water | 13 July 1932 (age 32) | Youth | September 1949 | – | ||||||
| Paddy Greenwood | FB | ENG |
Hull | 17 October 1946 (age 18) | Reserves | October 1964 | – | ||||||
| Alan Jarvis | HB | WAL |
Wrexham | 4 August 1943 (age 21) | Everton | May 1964 | Free | ||||||
| Mike Milner | HB | ENG |
Hull | 21 September 1939 (age 25) | Youth | July 1957 | – | ||||||
| Len Sharpe | FB | ENG |
Scunthorpe | 29 November 1932 (age 32) | Scunthorpe United | June 1962 | £750 | ||||||
| Chris Simpkin | HB | ENG |
Hull | 24 April 1944 (age 21) | Youth | April 1962 | – | ||||||
| Gerry Summers | HB | ENG |
Birmingham | 4 October 1933 (age 31) | Sheffield United | April 1964 | £12,000 | ||||||
| Attackers | |||||||||||||
| Ian Butler | OF | ENG |
Darton | 1 February 1944 (age 21) | Rotherham United | January 1965 | £40,000 | ||||||
| Chris Chilton | CF | ENG |
Sproatley | 25 June 1943 (age 22) | Youth | August 1960 | – | ||||||
| Norman Corner | CF | ENG |
Horden | 16 February 1943 (age 22) | Horden Colliery Welfare | August 1962 | Unknown | ||||||
| Terry Heath | IF | ENG |
Leicester | 17 November 1943 (age 21) | Leicester City | May 1964 | £8,000 | ||||||
| Ray Henderson | OF | ENG |
Wallsend | 31 March 1937 (age 28) | Middlesbrough | June 1961 | Unknown | ||||||
| Ken Houghton | IF | ENG |
Rotherham | 18 October 1939 (age 25) | Rotherham United | January 1965 | £40,000 | ||||||
| Ken Wagstaff | IF | ENG |
Langwith | 24 November 1942 (age 22) | Mansfield Town | November 1964 | £40,000 | ||||||
| Billy Wilkinson | IF | ENG |
Stockton-on-Tees | 24 March 1943 (age 22) | Stockton | May 1962 | Unknown | ||||||
| Ron Young | OF | ENG |
Dunston | 31 August 1945 (age 19) | Youth | August 1963 | – | ||||||