This weekend’s snowfall and Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Middlesbrough took my mind back to January 1963, when in that first week in January, we were all looking forward to the same opponents coming to Ewood in a 3rd Round FA Cup tie.

That Winter of 1962/63 was to become one of the coldest on record, with temperatures dipping well into double figures and most of the country enveloped in snow. Most of us supporters at the time perhaps believing that the cold snap would end relatively quickly were sadly mistaken and whilst sledging, snowball fights and kickabouts in the snow were being enjoyed by and occupied the younger fans – how everyone else yearned for the professional game to swing back into action.

To be honest that was never going to happen anytime soon as the Big Freeze continued to maintain its icy grip on everyday life.

That 3rd Round was supposed to be all but done and dusted on the 5th January 1963, with the exception of replays etc, but it was all rendered pointless by the predictable outcomes of successive frozen pitch inspections. Conditions around the grounds were not much better. Such was the confused situation that a Football Pools Panel met for the first time on 26th January 1963, assembling in the swish surroundings of the Connaught Rooms in Central London. The Panel assembled to predict the results of the scheduled games and included former players Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton, Ted Drake, George Young and former referee, Arthur Ellis.

Ewood was no exception and with Middlesbrough the intended visitors, and despite the best efforts of ground staff and enthusiastic volunteers, fans remained cautiously pessimistic at every stage of any attempt to get the match on. Even training became a difficulty and as the days and weeks passed any enthusiasm was confined to the local newspapers displaying photos of Rovers players engaged in mock snowball fights.

Just for context, the Rovers at that time were a First Division side (Premier League, in new money) whilst Middlesbrough were in Division Two (The Championship). Three years previously the Rovers were the beaten Finalists at Wembley. Whilst in that 1962/63 season the Rovers were to finish in 11th place. The Rovers team of the time was brimming with class and quality from 1 to 11, and the portents for another crack at the Cup looked favourable. Despite the wintry blasts, Rovers had been able to play a League game, a goalless draw at Aston Villa on 19th January 1963.

It wasn’t until 2nd March 1963 and a 2-2 draw against Manchester United that football returned to Ewood and 3 days later the long-awaited cup clash with Boro eventually got underway. There was still an icy chill in the air and a pitch which had been transformed from being snow covered, had turned into, to put it mildly, a muddy morass.

Once the game got underway, Rovers wasted no time in establishing a lead through the in-form Fred Pickering but failed to add to the scoreline and allowed Middlesbrough to equalise through Orritt and force a replay at Ayresome Park the following Monday.

So it was on Monday 11th March 1963, that the FA Cup 3rd Round was eventually completed with the Middlesbrough/ Rovers replay. There was relief all round as the original 32 ties had suffered a total of 261 postponements and covering 60+ chaotic days.

However, that was little consolation to  the Rovers as it wasn’t to be their night as a recently installed, Raich Carter (Middlesbrough manager) inspired Boro completely out-manoeuvred a star-studded Rovers. The icy North East blasts seemed to inspire the hosts and a first half double from England international Alan Peacock set up a firm foundation on which Middlesbrough were happy to build.

Rovers responded well after the interval and were back in the game through John Byrom. Any thoughts of building on this proved to be wishful thinking as Arthur Kaye, the pint-sized former Blackpool winger restored the two-goal advantage direct from a free kick. So, it was not to be Rovers night and another Cup run was over before it had begun. Middlesbrough sent their supporters home almost in a state of delirium whilst the Rovers had to lick their wounds.

Whilst we might not be waiting a couple of months for the outcome of Saturday’s tie, we can only hope for a better result.

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