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Post by Red and White Eyes on Mar 19, 2008 20:46:13 GMT
It can't possibly be as mind-blowingly/ heart-stoppingly close this time. Can it?
Final 1978/1979 English Division 2 (old) Table
P HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA Points GD
C Palace 42 12 7 2 30 11 7 12 2 21 13 57 +27
Brighton 42 16 3 2 44 11 7 7 7 28 28 56 +33
Stoke 42 11 7 3 35 15 9 9 3 23 16 56 +27
Sunderland 42 13 3 5 39 19 9 8 4 31 25 55 +26
West Ham 42 12 7 2 46 15 6 7 8 24 24 50 +31
Notts Co 42 8 10 3 23 15 6 6 9 25 45 44 -12
Preston 42 7 11 3 36 23 5 7 9 23 34 42 +2
Newcastle 42 13 3 5 35 24 4 5 12 16 31 42 -4
Cardiff 42 12 5 4 34 23 4 5 12 22 47 42 -14
Fulham 42 10 7 4 35 19 3 8 10 15 28 41 +3
Leyton Orient 42 11 5 5 32 18 4 5 12 19 33 40 0
Cambridge 42 7 10 4 22 15 5 6 10 22 37 40 -8
Burnley 42 11 6 4 31 22 3 6 12 20 40 40 -11
Oldham 42 10 7 4 36 23 3 6 12 16 38 39 -9
Wrexham 42 10 6 5 31 16 2 8 11 14 26 38 +3
Bristol R 42 10 6 5 34 23 4 4 13 14 37 38 -12
Leicester 42 7 8 6 28 23 3 9 9 15 29 37 -9
Luton 42 11 5 5 46 24 2 5 14 14 33 36 +3
Charlton 42 6 8 7 28 28 5 5 11 32 41 35 -9
Sheff Utd 42 9 6 6 34 24 2 6 13 18 45 34 -17
Millwall 42 7 4 10 22 29 4 6 11 20 32 32 -19
Blackburn 42 5 8 8 24 29 5 2 14 17 43 30 -31
Blackburn 1-0 West Ham
Bristol R 0-1 Preston
Cambridge 1-0 Sheff Utd
Cardiff 1-1 Burnley
Charlton 2-0 Oldham
Leicester 0-0 Millwall
Leyton Orient 0-1 C Palace
Luton 2-0 Fulham
Newcastle 1-3 Brighton
Notts Co 0-1 Stoke
Wrexham 1-2 Sunderland
For our younger viewers:
Stoke went into the last game at Meadow Lane a point better off than Sunderland. We only had to match their score.
With the score at 0-0 transistor radio's informed 15,000 visiting fans that Sunderland had come from behind to go 2-1 up at Wrexham with about 10 minutes to go knocking Stoke out of the promotion places.
The news was relayed to the pitch and Paul Richardson popped up with the winner a couple of minutes from time.
Now that is drama! I honestly don't think I could survive that type of situation again.
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Post by Pretty Little Boother on Mar 20, 2008 3:55:18 GMT
"...15,000 visiting fans"  I knew it was a massive game but didn't realise it was THAT massive! |
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Post by psv2000 on Mar 20, 2008 6:16:48 GMT
15,000 was a minimum as when the goal went in the other 3/4 of the ground went mad. No-one who was there will ever forget that day - maybe because of the lack of such days since.
I remember my father - a very respectable school headmaster - going mental being hugged by everyone - o the joy of terracing!
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Post by sheikh al dubai bin stokie on Mar 20, 2008 7:09:51 GMT
I was listening to it.. i was 7.... "and it looks like stoke will be staying in division 2 for another season..."
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Post by daverichards on Mar 20, 2008 7:18:55 GMT
15,000 stokies, and the crowd was only 21,500 odd
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Post by jpm64 on Mar 20, 2008 7:42:05 GMT
Only my second ever Away game  I think I might have cried with joy for the first ever time I still get Goose Bumps just thinking about it  |
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Post by Northy on Mar 20, 2008 7:46:12 GMT
at least 15,000 we had 3 sides of the ground and some in their one end. What a day it was, I was fined £30 for going AWOL as well, but it was worth it ;D
I was on the train from London up to Nottingham that day, in the normal carriages, there were 2 seperate coaches at the back for the southern supporters. Millwall were playing at Leicester and had a few "boys" on the train, they nicked a few people's scarves and I think broke somebodies fingers, The police were waiting for them at leicester.
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Post by armitagestokie on Mar 20, 2008 7:54:22 GMT
Memories--don't think I could do another 'pitch Invasion' though!!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2008 8:21:03 GMT
Attendance at notts county that day was 21,571 , County had played Wrexham in midweek and got 4,374 They've changed the ground since of course, but believe that attendance has only been beaten once since ( including time spent in the Prem ) , by the visit of Forest a couple of years later. The Stoke figure was IMHO an under esitimate Rememeber thinking they'd packed in a huge mob in the far corner on the side to our left...even that turned out to be stoke. Hope it doesn't come to that again , I couldn't go through another day like that , my heart wouldn't last.... but looking at the table , the games left and the goal differences, if we keep going it might even be closer this time around...  Other memories... Brighton played at Newcastle that day , think they took in excess of 10k Palace - THE ( supposed ) team of the 70's, played a mid week home game v Burnley after our game , with a huge attendance ...51,482 ( their record gate ) |
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Post by Davef on Mar 20, 2008 8:29:45 GMT
Amazingly, the game wasn't shown on TV either. Star Soccer decided that they would show the meaningless WBA v Man Utd game instead of ours, despite Notts County also being a midlands club, later explaining that they'd showed Stoke's last home game of the season against Newcastle.
Granada had their cameras at Wrexham though (and Tyne Tees incidentally showed Newcastle v Brighton) and it was hilarious to see the reaction on the faces of the Sunderland fans who'd invaded the pitch at the Racecourse Ground when they realised Stoke had scored late on and they weren't going up. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2008 9:47:34 GMT
15,000 Stokies?!
Now I understand who has all of these ID-Cards!!.
Without them I reckon we'd have taken 43,276.
(I wasn't allowed to go ... Away games were too dangerous ... In fact you can name any infamous event between 1970 - 1982 that the club was involved in ... And I wouldn't have been allowed to go! I was only allowed to the Barker Promotion Game - at home - because Dad was certain we weren't going up!!)
ah
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2008 10:08:37 GMT
Richardson did indeed score the last minute winner at the first game of the season...but it was Cambridge 1-0
Mansfield was the year before..first game down
PS always remember looking back from the pitch and seeing the crash barrier half way up the open end bent in half
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Post by GeordieDave on Mar 20, 2008 10:20:22 GMT
No TV footage of this grand day exists but Ive seen loads of old photographs before, many I'm sure posted on the old site.
The "fashion" is incredible. Long hair, curly perms and that old "Northern Soul" Oxford Bags, polo shirt and Harrington jacket style. The fans either had long hair, short hair or no hair!!!
I remember it like it was yesterday. Both the lad and his dad that I went with are both dead now. He'd have been 40 this August. Promotion would be a great tribute to a great mate.
Living up here since 1989 Ive shared my tales of this great day with dozens of Sunderland supporters who were at Wrexham. Great to contrast the stories of elation and derision.
Sunderland had 12,000 at Wrexham and most would probably have driven by/thru Stoke on the way back north. Bitter irony.
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Post by block30row19 on Mar 20, 2008 10:38:54 GMT
I went on the train with a few mates. Lot of banners out that day. We had 2 one read "Alan Durban's Magic Men" and the other "Big Bren Strikes At Three"  We were young ! Remember the news spreading with minutes to go Sunderland had scored and we had to score. I got pushed to a barrier near the front and away from my mates but was feeling so depressed that i could not be bothered to get back to them. This was the biggest sulk of sulks EVER. With 2 minutes to go cross from the right Uncle Paul heads GOAAAAAAL !!! Mental of all mental's. I am now looking for my mates in desperation. After all if you can't hug and kiss your mates in these circumstances when can you !. I stand to be corrected but pretty sure Uncle Paul scored in the 88th minute of the first game of the season as well away to Mansfield. Could be wrong on that one. Anyone got a stat book ? Anyway find my mates just in time for the final whistle. And as we all rushed forward to try and get on the pitch i remember a crash barrier giving way right near the front and this chap in front shouting at us to get back as his mate was caught up in it. All i could think was try telling the 15,000 Stokies behind me to get back. Think we were all probably lucky that day as it could have been a disaster in the making as was probably on numerous occasions pre the Taylor report. Eventually most of us got on the pitch with help from the stewards as they recognized the danger. Alan Durban came out from the stand with the players took the applause and we all headed back to the train. Remember the massive queues at the station and someone having a radio on listening to all the interviews coming in and they went to the Sunderland manager and he was moaning how they had missed going up by 2 minutes. Disappointed i suppose but at the time couldn't help thinking its played over a season not one game you prick. As we got off the train at Stoke i remember starting the singing off as we went under the subway "CITY ARE BACK CITY AR BACK HELLO HELLO CITY ARE BACK" was proud of that being a young lad of 18. As we emerged the other side of the station i noticed The Sentinel was already on sale. The good old days when they held the front and back pages back so they had all the final results in for the City Final. The front page simply read "CITY WIN AND GO UP" Due to the lack of TV coverage that day we don't seem to have the Goal or crowd to look back on that day. Real shame. I suppose i was lucky to be there and have the memories. Anyone got or seen any pics of the Stoke following that day Would love to see them. Remember there was i Pic of the away end in Delilahs Bar and one of our banners was on it i think. Phew What a day. |
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Post by block30row19 on Mar 20, 2008 10:51:24 GMT
Richardson did indeed score the last minute winner at the first game of the season...but it was Cambridge 1-0 Mansfield was the year before..first game down PS always remember looking back from the pitch and seeing the crash barrier half way up the open end bent in half Thanks for that Scouse i remember them now i was at both games. Wish i could explain to my son how good away games were in them days. Tried to explain to him how good it was back in the seventies when we went to Wolves this season. But you just had to be there. |
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Post by block30row19 on Mar 20, 2008 10:57:45 GMT
No TV footage of this grand day exists but Ive seen loads of old photographs before, many I'm sure posted on the old site. The "fashion" is incredible. Long hair, curly perms and that old "Northern Soul" Oxford Bags, polo shirt and Harrington jacket style. The fans either had long hair, short hair or no hair!!! I remember it like it was yesterday. Both the lad and his dad that I went with are both dead now. He'd have been 40 this August. Promotion would be a great tribute to a great mate. Living up here since 1989 Ive shared my tales of this great day with dozens of Sunderland supporters who were at Wrexham. Great to contrast the stories of elation and derision. Sunderland had 12,000 at Wrexham and most would probably have driven by/thru Stoke on the way back north. Bitter irony. Hi GeordieDave Have you or anyone for that matter do a link to any pictures from this game or point me in the right direction. Cheers. |
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Post by lordb on Mar 20, 2008 10:58:21 GMT
Pedants corner:
Palace were 'the team of the eighties',not the 70's.
sorry.
go on Stoke
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Mar 20, 2008 11:03:37 GMT
My heart was a lot stronger back then,I dont think it could take it now. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2008 11:11:21 GMT
lord b you are of course correct...the team of the 80's
Though it was promotion in 79 that saw this tag first applied ...with their youth policy , promotion, and that huge final night attendance with the new decade approaching
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Post by GeordieDave on Mar 20, 2008 12:02:16 GMT
No TV footage of this grand day exists but Ive seen loads of old photographs before, many I'm sure posted on the old site. The "fashion" is incredible. Long hair, curly perms and that old "Northern Soul" Oxford Bags, polo shirt and Harrington jacket style. The fans either had long hair, short hair or no hair!!! I remember it like it was yesterday. Both the lad and his dad that I went with are both dead now. He'd have been 40 this August. Promotion would be a great tribute to a great mate. Living up here since 1989 Ive shared my tales of this great day with dozens of Sunderland supporters who were at Wrexham. Great to contrast the stories of elation and derision. Sunderland had 12,000 at Wrexham and most would probably have driven by/thru Stoke on the way back north. Bitter irony. Hi GeordieDave Have you or anyone for that matter do a link to any pictures from this game or point me in the right direction. Cheers. I wouldnt know where to start mate. I imagine a lot of them are from personal collections. The Sentinel MUST have loads of images from this game. They occasionally throw one up online or in the paper. There is the famous one of Richardson diving for instance. Someone on here should be able to help. |
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Post by block30row19 on Mar 20, 2008 12:08:38 GMT
Hi GeordieDave Have you or anyone for that matter do a link to any pictures from this game or point me in the right direction. Cheers. I wouldnt know where to start mate. I imagine a lot of them are from personal collections. The Sentinel MUST have loads of images from this game. They occasionally throw one up online or in the paper. There is the famous one of Richardson diving for instance. Someone on here should be able to help. cheers. I have a black and white pic of Rchardson stooping to head the winner framed. But its not very good to be honest. |
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Post by knowles on Mar 20, 2008 14:04:31 GMT
What a cracking thread. Sadly, I am too young to have been to this game, but hear my dad go on about it all the time (he hit his head on a fire bucket when celebrating Richardson's goal!) block30row19- really enjoyed reading your little memory of the day. Thanks everyone! |
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Post by jpm64 on Mar 20, 2008 14:06:58 GMT
Remember the Phantom Penalty Taker on the Pitch before Kick Off ??? ;D
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Post by sonofbanks on Mar 20, 2008 14:38:52 GMT
Remember the Phantom Penalty Taker on the Pitch before Kick Off
How pissed was he ;D
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Post by Dr Oetcake on Mar 20, 2008 14:50:18 GMT
Great thread, brilliant to hear about our past successes, I hope that we will see similar scenes in 7 games time...I thought I was nervy enough at the Plymouth Championship game, the early goal, Peter Fox heroics, Shilton coming on after their keeper was injured, if it had been in a film script, you wouldnt have believed it, I dont think my heart would have stood the County match, Stoke hardly ever seem to manage one of those desperate last second goals when it is really really needed. And how come we are always so dismal in cup competitions?
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Post by Parkerson on Mar 20, 2008 15:47:08 GMT
block30row19 fantastic read mate, like knowles im just to young to remember it. Its times like these that make me pround im a Stokie.
Its also times like these that make me annoyed so much by Premiership supporters, and how its a major disappointment if they are knocked out of a cup and or title race and have little chance of winning silver wear in a season. I don't think they fully appreciate what it is to be a real football fan, turning up at some shit hole on a tuesday night freezing our bollocks off, whilst they position their arse on the couch warm and comfy. What little success we have, we fully appreciate it, i love watching Stoke regardless of where we play, whose manging the team or whose playing, as long as i can say im proud to be a Stokie i'll stick 2 fingers up at any glory hunting wankstain chasing cups. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Be proud, Be loyal, Be Stoke
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Post by knowles on Mar 20, 2008 16:04:05 GMT
Well said Parkerson |
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Post by Davef on Mar 20, 2008 16:27:07 GMT
Good read that was block30row19. Doing that to Sunderland was sweet justice, because if you remember about six weeks before our home game against them was called off when they claimed that their team coach was stuck in snow at Buxton or somewhere (despite the fact that dozens of their supporters coaches had managed to find their way to the Vic). It also had naff all to do with a couple of suspensions they had as well. Anyway, surprise of surprises, when the match did take place they beat us 1-0 and a few days later our season looked to be in tatters when Blackburn beat us 2-1 at home as well. We managed to get over those defeats though and were unbeaten in our final eight games. The exact same run this season (5 wins and 3 draws) and nobody will be able to stop us. |
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coll45
Academy Starlet
Posts: 157
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Post by coll45 on Mar 20, 2008 19:28:15 GMT
does anybody remember the white horse on the pitch knocking over that old lady
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Post by DodgyDino on Mar 20, 2008 20:02:33 GMT
Its a long time ago but im sure I remember 1 or 2 bricks heading in the direction of the half time score board because results werent going our way. Also i remember someone launching a load of bacon in the air, God knows where that came from. At the final whistle there was just a mass invasion of the pitch...Oh happy days.  |
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I knew it was a massive game but didn't realise it was THAT massive!
We were young ! Remember the news spreading with minutes to go Sunderland had scored and we had to score. I got pushed to a barrier near the front and away from my mates but was feeling so depressed that i could not be bothered to get back to them. This was the biggest sulk of sulks EVER. With 2 minutes to go cross from the right Uncle Paul heads GOAAAAAAL !!! Mental of all mental's. I am now looking for my mates in desperation. After all if you can't hug and kiss your mates in these circumstances when can you !. I stand to be corrected but pretty sure Uncle Paul scored in the 88th minute of the first game of the season as well away to Mansfield. Could be wrong on that one. Anyone got a stat book ? Anyway find my mates just in time for the final whistle. And as we all rushed forward to try and get on the pitch i remember a crash barrier giving way right near the front and this chap in front shouting at us to get back as his mate was caught up in it. All i could think was try telling the 15,000 Stokies behind me to get back. Think we were all probably lucky that day as it could have been a disaster in the making as was probably on numerous occasions pre the Taylor report.
