jnb14
Youth Player
Posts: 269
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Post by jnb14 on Mar 1, 2012 11:18:51 GMT
Thanks for that Roots ;D If anyone had asked I would never have said it was on the telly. Now that I've seen it I can remember that chance falling to Greenhoff in the first half. Memory is a strange thing, I can't particularly remember the Sunderland fans making much noise (though I'm sure they did) my abiding memory was that save by Montgomery from Salmons right at the end. The other was that nothing seemed to click that day, from playing the wrong way round and nothing really dropping. I'm glad that this was televised (anyone else realise that it was Ken Wolstonholme commentating?) because this match completely encapsulated the end of Waddo's glory years. He managed us for another 12 months, but with hindsight this match was the end. IF we'd won, we'd have played 3rd division Crystal Palace (we'd probably have lost ) then second division Southampton in the semis - perhaps we'd have been the ones to have beaten Man U in the final? But it was not to be. As you can see on the clip, the Butler St. was roofless and had to be paid for in full due to inadequate insurance - a cup final appearance might have paid for it, generated interest for the following season and brought more people in. We wouldn't have had to sell half of that team ( why the hell did we let Jimmy Robertson go - he seemed to just disappear?) and subsequently get relegated. That season itself was a tipping point - home form had left many unsatisified - too muchTIP TAP said many - Pulisball can certainly be clunky - but in '75-76 we were crying out for the ball to be played forward quickly! After being beaten in the replay, the season died. I remember home defeats to Spurs (it was on Star Soccer so there's clips somewhere and a young Glenn Hoddle scoring) and Leicester. Ok we scored 3 at Liverpool, but let in 5. Jimmy Greenhoff played out of his skin, but still couldn't get picked for England - again it was on Star Soccer when we played Newcastle, the match turned in to the Greenhoff show, he scored a blinder only for it to be disallowed. he did put us ahead, but Shilton cocked up a clearance and MacDonald equilised. Greenhoff played so well that Billy Wright came on to the programme to say he should be playing for England! But, last game of the season, we lost at home to Norwich (hope I've not hexed Saturday!) with a completely insipid performance in front of an embarrasing attendance. The first match of the following season- a nil-nil draw with newly promoted Sunderland set the pattern and down we went. That was also the last 40,000+ crowd at the Victoria Ground and probably one of the few 30,000+ ones as well andthe last time we went on a cup run till being beaten by Coventry in '87 eleven years later. *sigh*
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Post by NG4POTTERS on Mar 1, 2012 12:03:44 GMT
Super post mate! That's the idea behind uploading the videos, no personal kudos just the chance to let folk relive and reminicse great moments and games from our history
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Post by Davef on Mar 1, 2012 12:23:20 GMT
Great post jnb! I was thinking exactly the same as I watched the video. We really did pass up the chance to win the FA Cup that season or even reach the final. A cup win and European football the following season would have made a massive difference to the club at the time. As you say though, interest really waned after that Sunderland cup tie and with an ageing side and star players sold off the only way was down. Some of the crowds towards the end of that season were indeed embarrassing...16,062 v Burnley, 17,113 v Spurs, 16,059 v Coventry and 15,598 v Norwich. If you don't mind me saying though, your memory is playing tricks with you regarding the Newcastle match. The game was at the end of the 1974/75 season. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975%E2%80%9376_Stoke_City_F.C._season
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Post by sheikhmomo on Mar 1, 2012 12:28:35 GMT
Ken Wolstenholme commentated for Tyne Tees after he left the BBC. Is Gerard Sinstadt John Rudges best mate? They go to the pictures together.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2012 14:51:57 GMT
I was there, Feb or March '76 wasn't it? It had been my first season. Unlike Joe - who remembers every single detail of every game he's ever seen - I, who remember hardly anything of any of them, remember bugger all about this one too. I can with massive amounts of certainty, say me and Dad would have arrived at the ground half-an-hour before they opened the doors. He'd be moaning his bag off because the camera tower/scaffold would be in our place, so we'd be four or five steps further down (ruining his view) and I'd be sneaking up the tunnel (allowed by Pat, the ace policeman) to try and get autographs ... though I probably didn't bother for Blunderland, as who the f**k are they?! Great to see all the old adverts, people standing up and craning to see over the front walls (because there was a five foot drop) and to remember how unlike today's so called football it all looks. You'd be banned for life, nowadays, for a couple of them tackles. And a final mention for Shilts. Me and dad would argue all the way home, after every match ... Not that I'd ever seen Banksy play, but how could he possibly have been better - or even anywhere near as good - as "muscles" Cheers for the post, roots (Oh, and Jimmy, yer gotta score them! )
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Post by swedishstokie3 on Mar 1, 2012 15:52:42 GMT
I remember these games well. To be honest as stated here, we should have at least been in the cup final that year, as we would have met teams from lower divisions all the way to Wembley. It was basically the beginning of the end of the great team; we NEVER recovered. I asked Denis Smith 2 years ago, who scored our goal at Roker, about his thoughts of the 2 ties and he answered, "I cannot remember the games." I must admit, I was surprised.
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jnb14
Youth Player
Posts: 269
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Post by jnb14 on Mar 1, 2012 15:53:58 GMT
Dave F,
I bow to the power of Wiki!! I would have sworn differently. Mind you looking at that list, the home defeat to Coventry is a complete blank!
One more thing... the home win against Birmingham, saw a little (literally) ray of sunshine toward the end of that season, it was the debut of Kevin "Bomber" Sheldon.....alas that was snufed out as he broke his leg soon afterwards. Who was that against??
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Post by swedishstokie3 on Mar 1, 2012 15:57:21 GMT
The last home game of 1974/75 was at home to Newcastle (drew 0 - 0)
Shiltons blunder (I think) was against them in the autumn of 1975/76 season, and I think it was Alan Gowling that got the goal.
Supermac was at Arsenal then.
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jnb14
Youth Player
Posts: 269
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Post by jnb14 on Mar 1, 2012 15:58:56 GMT
er.... having looked at Wiki again... I did at least get the season right - winky thing!
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Post by swedishstokie3 on Mar 1, 2012 16:05:54 GMT
I agree, cannot remember the Coventry game. Interesting that Alan Bloor played so many matches that season, as I don't think he hardly played any the season before. I remember the Man U game where Bluto scored the only goal of the game. Kevin Sheldon..............good question. I should know the answer to this; but must say I am struggling for an answer: maybe Coventry City?
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Post by Davef on Mar 1, 2012 16:19:26 GMT
The last home game of 1974/75 was at home to Newcastle (drew 0 - 0) Shiltons blunder (I think) was against them in the autumn of 1975/76 season, and I think it was Alan Gowling that got the goal. Supermac was at Arsenal then. Oops, I stand corrected.
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Post by str8outtahampton on Mar 1, 2012 16:33:30 GMT
Dave F, I bow to the power of Wiki!! I would have sworn differently. Mind you looking at that list, the home defeat to Coventry is a complete blank! One more thing... the home win against Birmingham, saw a little (literally) ray of sunshine toward the end of that season, it was the debut of Kevin "Bomber" Sheldon.....alas that was snufed out as he broke his leg soon afterwards. Who was that against?? Aahh - Kevin "Bomber" Sheldon. He and I played in the same Leek Primary schoolboys' team in the glorious 68-69 season. At least I think we did - sometimes I fear for my memory. For example, I would have sworn that this match was played before the roof fiasco. But of course, even without the Tyne Tees evidence, the chronology would not have stacked up. I agree that the Sunderland game marked the beginning of a very long ice age. If you'd said the previous season, for instance, after we had won in February/March at the Baseball Ground, that we would be spending most of the following 30 years in the second and third divisions you'd have been sectioned.
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Mar 1, 2012 18:38:34 GMT
We beat Spurs in the 3rd rd.Then Man City in rd 4.
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Post by stayingupforbigbazza on Mar 1, 2012 20:07:47 GMT
Dave F, I bow to the power of Wiki!! I would have sworn differently. Mind you looking at that list, the home defeat to Coventry is a complete blank! One more thing... the home win against Birmingham, saw a little (literally) ray of sunshine toward the end of that season, it was the debut of Kevin "Bomber" Sheldon.....alas that was snufed out as he broke his leg soon afterwards. Who was that against?? super player bomber kevin I thought Joe Jordan broke his leg at Elland Road great shame and perhaps why we never liked boring joe as our manager I heard he was servicing photocopiers later
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jnb14
Youth Player
Posts: 269
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Post by jnb14 on Mar 1, 2012 20:59:20 GMT
I don't quite know what kevin Sheldon's doing now, but the mate I go to the match with works for a clothing firm in Leek, you all know the owner -organised the bbqs at the end of the first two season in the Prem, did the Tony Pulis mask thing the third season... anyroad, Mr Sheldon is often a customer and on occasion has got my mate and others from the firm in to one of the sky boxes, while yours truly shivers on the Boothen!
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