THE last time English football came to a standstill, one team rose to the challenge.
During the 1962-63 season, the Big Freeze wiped out THREE MONTHS of football, hundreds of games were postponed and clubs called for the campaign to be cancelled.
The 1962/63 English football season was paused for three months due to a winter freezeCredit: GETTY
It was one of the coldest winters of the 20th century, with temperatures plunging to -16C in January.
Rivers froze over and most pitches were ruined by ten days of constant snow.
But despite a two-month delay to the end of the season, Leicester emerged from the cold top of the table with five games to go and in the FA Cup final.
The run saw them dubbed the Ice Kings — but it all ended in failure after a sudden drop in form as other sides finally played their games in hand.
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Ex-Foxes defender Frank McLintock remembers that time with fondness.
He recalled: “It was a strange environment to be in but you couldn’t do much about it, so we carried on.
“The governing body wanted us to complete the season while some teams were complaining and wanting games and even the season cancelled. It wasn’t that dramatic for us, though.
“We were a young and enthusiastic side that just wanted to play — plus about 75 per cent of the squad and coaching staff were Scottish.
“So for us this was just another summer up north!
Leicester emerged from the chaos to go on a brilliant runCredit: Colosport
“We also had the Filbert Street pitch that was so well managed and kept. Others struggled to get theirs to that standard.
“Gordon Banks would bring out two pairs of boots on to the pitch for a game and wear studs on one foot and leather moulds on the other for grip, while I wore the same boots the entire season.
“I used to go to the park in the freezing cold and get kids to chuck balls up for me so I could practice heading, even if they were like frozen rocks with the sting of the cold around your ears.
“Banksy, Davie Gibson and I would then go out on to the pitch on our day off on the Sunday during the blizzards and do an hour of shooting practice. The ground staff used to go potty!
Frank McLintock’s men were dubbed the Ice Kings despite narrowly missing out on the titleCredit: REX
“But we were football mad and had that good feeling because we were winning.”
Several sides, such as Bolton, Liverpool and eventual champions Everton, went ten weeks without playing. But Leicester were back on the pitch and training in just under five.
Even their gate receipts at Filbert Street increased as over 40,000 braced the chill every week.
And the conditions played right into the hands of Leicester’s direct, long-ball style.
McLintock, 80, who later captained Arsenal, continued: “We managed to drive to training OK but it wasn’t a comfortable experience.
The big freeze put a huge dent in English footballCredit: Getty
“Instead of seeing corners in the road, you would just guess they were there and hope for the best.
“We were having a laugh for most of it. Sometimes in training you were skidding on your backside for 20 yards and end up with a red-raw behind. Sometimes we would travel elsewhere in a bid to find somewhere a bit warmer, like Brighton, but it was still f***ing freezing.”
Despite admitting he thought the winter of all winters would never end, McLintock believes the current delay in the football calendar due to coronavirus is far more concerning.
He said: “Coronavirus is far more dangerous than a bit of snow or frost. This is something that is impacting the entire globe.
“The big debate is whether Liverpool will go on and win the league, or will the whole season be cancelled?
“It would be a real tragedy for them not to lift it after doing so well.”
English football is facing a new problem with the coronavirus crisisCredit: REX
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
