Bill Shankly, the Liverpool manager, described it as the greatest feat in the game. Unfashionable Carlisle United, tucked away in the northwest of England with little support and even less money, grabbed third place in the Second Division to win promotion to the top flight.

It was the first season that three teams were promoted. Carlisle, under manager Alan Ashman, had built a fine team spirit with a talented group of players. They finished behind runaway leaders Middlesbrough and Luton in a season when Manchester United lost their place in the First Division. Carlisle were top of the First Division after three games the next season, but could not sustain their form and were relegated.

1 Bobby Owen Signed from Manchester City, the centre-forward scored 51 goals in 204 league games during a six-year spell. He was then loaned to several clubs before finishing his career at Doncaster. He drives fork-lift trucks in Bury.

2 Stan Ternent After failing to win a regular place at Burnley, Ternent moved to Brunton Park in May 1968 and went on to play in 189 league games in midfield. As a manager, he saved Hull from relegation and won promotion with Bury and Burnley. He was caretaker manager at Gillingham until last May.

3 Tommy Clarke Signed from Airdrie in 1970, the reserve goalkeeper made 23 appearances in five seasons, then played three games for Preston. He works on oil rigs.

4 Allan Ross Born in Glasgow, Ross was brought to Carlisle as a makeweight in the signing of Jackie Lornie from Luton in 1963. He made a club-record 466 league appearances in goal, then worked in the club’s commercial department until his death in 1999.

5 Brian Tiler After long spells in defence at Rotherham and Aston Villa, he joined Carlisle near the end of his career and made 52 league appearances. He was manager of Wigan for two seasons, then became chief executive at Bournemouth. He was killed in a car crash in Italy during the 1990 World Cup. Harry Redknapp survived the crash.

6 Peter Carr The full-back joined Carlisle from Darlington in November 1972 and played in 204 league matches during the next five seasons. He also played for New England Revolution and Hartlepool. He owns a hotel and restaurant at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

7 Steve Derrett A Wales full-back, he was a member of the Cardiff side that beat Real Madrid in the Cup Winner’s Cup quarter-finals in 1971. He joined Carlisle in 1972, but played only 13 first-team league games. He sells protective clothing for a company in Cardiff.

8 Dennis Martin Born in Edinburgh, the winger joined Carlisle from West Bromwich Albion and in seven years played in 275 games, scoring 48 goals. He was the last Carlisle player to score in the top division, with the winning goal against Wolves on April 19, 1975. He also played for Newcastle and Mansfield before ending his career with Kettering, where he lives.

9 Bob Delgado A Cardiff-born central defender who played 35 games for Carlisle in three seasons, but had more success at Chester, where he made more than 100 appearances. He works for a travel company in Chester.

10 Bill Green Signed from Hartlepool at the start of the season, Green was appointed captain and went on to play in 119 league matches. Sold to West Ham in 1976, he had a long stint with Chesterfield. He took Scunthorpe to a playoff final as manager and was chief scout at Sheffield Wednesday. He is now a coach at Wigan.

11 Graham Winstanley The defender played 166 league games in the first of two spells with Carlisle, but only one game in the First Division. He moved to Brighton and returned to Carlisle in 1979 for one season. He works for a wholesale electrical company.

12 Mike McCartney A Scottish schoolboy international, he joined at the start of the season and played 285 matches in two spells. He also played for Southampton and Plymouth and was player/manager at Gretna. He is a builder in Carlisle.

13 Kenny Wilson A striker signed from Dumbarton in September 1972, he played only 20 league games, scoring one goal. He was loaned to York and Workington in the promotion season and dropped out of professional football.

14 Mike Barry The Wales Under-23 winger arrived at the start of the season and spent four years at Carlisle, scoring 10 goals in 81 games. He moved to America in 1979 and is director of coaching at the Thunder Soccer Club in Ohio.

15 John Gorman The player of the season, the left-back joined from Celtic and made a name for himself in 229 league outings. He moved to Tottenham for £80,000 in 1976 and then played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. He was Glenn Hoddle’s right-hand man at Swindon, England, Southampton and Spurs, and now manages Wycombe Wanderers. He was given compassionate leave until the end of the season after his wife died in February.

16 Joe Laidlaw A midfielder who joined from Middlesbrough and played 151 league games, Laidlaw was the club’s top scorer in the First Division with 12 goals. He managed non-league Sidlesham FC in Sussex until recently.

17 Les O’Neill After success at Darlington and Bradford, the midfielder ended his career at Brunton Park with 155 league matches. He was a milkman for 12 years, then coached under Gorman at Swindon. He is the chief scout at Blackpool.

18 Ray Train The midfielder spent five years at Carlisle before moving to Sunderland for £90,000 and won the Division Two title in 1976 and again with Bolton in 1978. He coached at Walsall and Middlesbrough, and has a driving job at a garage in Middlesbrough.