Coventry (h) 1987
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 10:51 am
To celebrate the 29th anniversary of what proved our last win in the top division, I thought it would be fun to share some memories I have of that match.
Firstly, I remember it was the only top division match that day, as all the other matches were postponed because of international call-ups.
Because of that, there were lots of TV cameras at the game. But not because it was on British TV, because it wasn't. It was on Swedish TV, whom I think had the only TV deal for English football at the time.
Most of the advertising around the ground were in Swedish, for Swedish brands. This was not unusual for English football - there was an episode of The Manageress in which they dealt with the subject of Swedish advertisement boards and annoyed local sponsors.
It was early November. I'd only recently bought myself a season ticket (my first) with my pocket money (it was £25 for most of the season), and despite some odd results (being thumped 5-2 at home by Luton, but beating league leaders QPR shortly after) were were doing OK.
The match was a good one as I recall, tight, and if memory serves me correct, we won with a Dean Saunders penalty.
I also remember a Saunders shot, which deflected in off Billy Whitehurst's belly, only to be disallowed for offside. Presumably his arse was 10 yards onside.
Whitehurst never came close to scoring again for us. Despite moving really high in the table that day (10th, I recall,our highest ever place), we were not to win again in the league that season, recording some extraordinary scores along the way. If this season was before your time, look it up as it was totally weird.
Other memories from that season: losing 7-4 at Luton. Losing 5-2 at home twice. Losing 5-3 at Forest. Losing 4-2 at Norwich, Bradford, Drawing 4-4 with Chelsea after being 3-0 down at half time, thanks to Sean Reck transforming the match at the break. Then going the next six games without a goal.
We went 20-odd games without a league win and finished bottom, Chelsea went down with us having gone about 19 winless.
Our match against Man Utd was watched by fewer than 9,000, while our match at Wimbledon was watched by 4,300.
Twas a funny old season.
Firstly, I remember it was the only top division match that day, as all the other matches were postponed because of international call-ups.
Because of that, there were lots of TV cameras at the game. But not because it was on British TV, because it wasn't. It was on Swedish TV, whom I think had the only TV deal for English football at the time.
Most of the advertising around the ground were in Swedish, for Swedish brands. This was not unusual for English football - there was an episode of The Manageress in which they dealt with the subject of Swedish advertisement boards and annoyed local sponsors.
It was early November. I'd only recently bought myself a season ticket (my first) with my pocket money (it was £25 for most of the season), and despite some odd results (being thumped 5-2 at home by Luton, but beating league leaders QPR shortly after) were were doing OK.
The match was a good one as I recall, tight, and if memory serves me correct, we won with a Dean Saunders penalty.
I also remember a Saunders shot, which deflected in off Billy Whitehurst's belly, only to be disallowed for offside. Presumably his arse was 10 yards onside.
Whitehurst never came close to scoring again for us. Despite moving really high in the table that day (10th, I recall,our highest ever place), we were not to win again in the league that season, recording some extraordinary scores along the way. If this season was before your time, look it up as it was totally weird.
Other memories from that season: losing 7-4 at Luton. Losing 5-2 at home twice. Losing 5-3 at Forest. Losing 4-2 at Norwich, Bradford, Drawing 4-4 with Chelsea after being 3-0 down at half time, thanks to Sean Reck transforming the match at the break. Then going the next six games without a goal.
We went 20-odd games without a league win and finished bottom, Chelsea went down with us having gone about 19 winless.
Our match against Man Utd was watched by fewer than 9,000, while our match at Wimbledon was watched by 4,300.
Twas a funny old season.