(Image: Newsquest)
The Bradford (Park Avenue) squad in the club’s final-ever Football League season contained plenty of talent.
A young Terry Dolan was in there, former Arsenal and Spurs centre half Laurie Brown was player-manager, while they were about to add Huddersfield icon Les Massie to their ranks.
There was also a regular spot for talented young full back John Brodie, who was the centre of attention in the T&A sports pages on this day 57 years ago.
The 21-year-old had been controversially sent off in a 2-1 defeat at Peterborough, a furious Brown requesting a hearing from the FA over the decision.
It appeared Bradford had a case, not least because former Newcastle left half Jim Iley, now Posh’s player-manager, had agreed to defend Brodie if required.
The club saw something in Brodie, as he missed only three league games all season, and while he stuck with them after demotion to the Northern Premier League, he was soon on his way.
Third Division Port Vale snapped up the full back in 1971, and he went on to play for them 193 times.
He scored three goals for the club, which bizarrely all came in separate matches against Wrexham.
But there was another unusual treble that was rather less of a celebration for Brodie.
He broke his leg in a game against Huddersfield in March 1975, then suffered exactly the same injury 13 months later against Brighton.
And poor Brodie only appeared three more times for Vale, before breaking the same leg for a third time against Portsmouth, forcing his retirement in April 1978 at the age of just 30.