Classic Match: Blues 5 - Boldklub Copenhagen 0

Last updated : 23 October 2008 By Brian Cartlidge

They had some exciting and sometimes bruising encounters during their five years in Europe and their biggest win came against Danish side, Boldklub Copenhagen on 6th December 1960.

A fortnight earlier in Copenhagen, the Blues had achieved an excellent 4-4 draw and were confident of progressing into the semi-final when they took on the Danes in the return leg at St. Andrew's.

Fielding new signings Jimmy Bloomfield and Jimmy Harris and teenage inside forward Robin Stubbs, the Blues were in devastating form and went on to win the tie 9-4 on aggregate.

It took them only four minutes to expose a serious weakness on the Danes' right flank where full-back Helbrandt and wing-half Krog looked hesitant from the start. Stubb's chased a long-ball from Dick Neal down the Blues left, then checked, cut inside Helbrandt and let fly with a scorching right-foot drive, that left keeper Jensen helpless.

The Danish keeper was kept on his toes as first Harris and then Bloomfield tested him with long-range efforts. Neal also fired in a crisp 25-yarder and Johnny Watts tried the same. Yet the Blues could not get a second goal. Stubbs (twice), Harris again and Brian Taylor all went close as Jensen worked overtime to keep his side in the game.

Within eight second-half minutes, however, Blues had total control. On 48 minutes Harris scored an almost identical goal to that of Stubbs' opener. He swept in from the left wing and, with Helbrandt struggling in his wake, let loose with a fierce shot. The goal unsettled Jensen and twice in the next five minutes, he presented Blues two gifts. First he misjudged Mike Hellawell's cross, the ball dropping into the net behind him. Then he booted a clearance straight to Bloomfield's feet and the Blues inside-forward slammed it straight back into the net to make the score 4-0.

In the 67th minute Stubbs, this time on the right wing, cut insde Poulsen and beat Jensen with another beautifully struck shot.

So the Blues sailed comfortably into the semi-finals where they met the mighty Inter Milan.

The Blues knocked out the Italians but then lost in the final to AS Roma, their second successive final defeat, having lost to Barcelona the year before.

Blues: Withers, Farmer, Allen, Watts, Smith, Neal, Hellawell, Stubbs, Harris, Bloomfield, Taylor.

Boldklub Copenhagen: Jensen, Helbrandt, Poulsen, Krog, Kjoge, Petersen, Clausen, Ravn, Jorn-Sorensen, Ole Sorensen, Mortensen.

Attendance: 22,486