This Posh team of all the talents won the Fourth Division by three points from Gillingham thanks mainly to the only unbeaten home record in the club’s Football League history. Posh won 19 and drew four of their 23 matches at London Road.
That record was confirmed in an effective title decider against the Gills which Posh won 4-2 after a cracking encounter in front of 17,569 fans at London Road.
The only teams to take points off Posh at London Road that season were, Torquay, Bradford City, Chester and Bury.
The current Posh team are also brilliant at home. They have dropped just five points in their first 13 League One matches at London Road (P13 W10 D2 L1).
Posh only used 19 players in Division Four that season (only one sub per game was allowed) and three of them, captain John Cozens, ace midfielder Freddie Hill and winger Tommy Robson played in all 46 matches, while defenders Mick Jones and Jeff Lee missed just one match.
We’ve featured the players with the 12 most appearances below. The other seven to take part in a memorable campaign were Dave Llewelyn, Keith Oakes, Dave Gregory, Jack Carmichael, Dougal McLachlan, Brendan Phillips and Alan Lewis.
McLachlan and Phillips made just one appearance each, while Lewis joined on loan from Derby late on in the season and replaced the injured Keith Bradley.
1.
MICK DREWERY: Position: Goalkeeper. 1973-74 apps/goals: 26/0. Drewery, a one-club man, is a forgotten star of the title-winning side. He was the club’s number one ’keeper until Eric Steele arrived on loan from Newcastle early in January, 1974. Steele soon replaced Drewery and became a firm fans’ favourite, and it’s his name most supporters from that era associate with Cantwell’s side. But Drewery played more games that season (26-20) so his role should never be under-estimated. He kept a club record seven successive clean sheets during the successful campaign. Drewery joined Posh in 1967 as an understudy to Welsh international Tony Millington, but was first-choice ‘keeper for four seasons up until Steele’s arrival, racking up 234 appearances. Drewery’s last Posh appearance was an FA Cup defeat at home to Leeds in January, 1974, although he stayed at the club for 18 months before retiring with a back injury. Photo: Midlands
2.
KEITH BRADLEY: Position: Right back. 1973-74 apps/goals: 36/0. Bradley was a quiet man of the star Posh squad. A reliable right-back who just went about his business without fanfare. Bradley initially joined Posh on loan from Aston Villa in November, 1972, but his displays persuaded manager Noel Cantwell to splash out £4,000 to take him permanently. Bradley had played in a League Cup Final defeat for Villa against Spurs during his 150 games for the Villains. Bradley played 128 matches for Posh and scored one goal before ending his career at London Road, and in professional football, in 1976. His partnership with Bert Murray down the Posh right in the title-winning season was a real strength of the side. Bradley moved back to the Midlands after leaving Posh and coached Birmingham City in the 1980s. He was last heard of running a bar/restaurant in Spain. He is now 75. Photo: Midlands
3.
JEFF LEE: Position: Left-back 1973-74 apps/goals: 45/4. When Lee moved to London Road from Halifax for £6,000 in time for the 1973-74 season few would have predicted the instant impact he would have on the side. But Cantwell’s eye for talent was keen and the tough-tackling defender went straight into the side and stayed there for all but one game of his debut season. Lee was the club’s penalty king and netted a big one in the key end-of-season win over title rivals Gillingham. Lee was still a first-team regular when he decided to join former Posh teammate Mick Jones, who was by now managing Kettering Town, in February, 1978. He was soon rewarded for the move by appearing in the 1979 FA Trophy Final at Wembley. Lee made 207 Posh appearances and scored 14 goals. He also worked with Jones at Mansfield and had spells as assistant boss at Rochdale and Hull before taking a job in insurance. Photo: Midlands
4.
MICK JONES: Position: Centre-back. 1973-74 apps/goals: 45/3. Jones and Chris Turner was the best centre-back pairing in Posh history until classy Ian Ross turned up to play alongside Turner later in the decade. Jones had started his career at Derby, but had to move to Notts County to start playing regularly. He helped the Magpies to the 1970-71 Fourth Division title with a record number of points. Jones joined Posh on the eve of the 1973-74 season and made his debut in the opening day win over Mansfield. He also missed just one League game that season. Jones then started to pick up regular injuries and after 101 games and seven goals for Posh he took the manager’s job at Kettering in 1976. He also managed Mansfield, Halifax and Posh, where he flopped. Jones became Neil Warnock’s assistant manager at five different clubs and also enjoyed a successful stint as manager of Brunei between 1998-2002. Photo: Midlands