billc
Youth Player
Posts: 489
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Post by billc on Jan 22, 2016 15:29:36 GMT
The Icelanders arrive November 1999 Stoke v Bristol City
When Mohan scored after Kevin Keen planted a cross on his head on the 67 minute the abiding memory I have of what was a tedious game was the players running to mob Megson the soon to be replaced Stoke manager. In his short 4 month tenure as manager Megson had not done a bad job and in a tribute the Sentinel journalist was lyrical in his eulogy “His popularity arose from his ability to speak the punters language and to put these words into action by fielding the sort of team supporters have been craving for years”.
I had come across Megson a few years before playing for Norwich against Inter in the UEFA cup in 1993 with my girlfriend Cathy a Man City season ticket holder who knew Megson from his days as a much travelled journeyman footballer at Maine Road.
“I’m watching Gary Megson play at the San Siro. It does not compute”
For the watching Icelandic group waiting to take over the game was hum drum and perhaps an unfair reflection on Megson’s time as Stoke manager. It was a dull game on a dull November afternoon with only the imminent arrival of the Viking invasion to occupy Stoke supporter’s minds.
The game ended in a draw when Tinnion equalised hitting a dipping shot 35 yards past Ward in the Stoke goal. The match had an anaemic end of season feel about it and would have been instantly forgettable if it was not the circumstances of the takeover
Gunnar Gíslason the new Stoke chairman and one of the youngest in the League at 33 was obviously upbeat about the future and that it was all systems go for the Premiership as he addressed reporters after the match. “My job is to make Stoke a better football team. We belong in the Premiership”. The new manager Gudjon Thordarson was introduced and he said he had been coming to Stoke regularly to see compatriot Larus Sigurdsson play.
We waited what the future would bring
To welcome the new Nordic team Greg Smith well known Stoke supporter dressed up as a Viking.
Bristol City were managed by a man called Tony Pulis.
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Post by rawli on Jan 22, 2016 16:33:27 GMT
We all got little Icelandic flags to wave as I remember.
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Post by modfather on Jan 22, 2016 16:37:37 GMT
I seem to remember around that time a 4-0 away win at Wycombe .. I thought that was first game of Icelandic regime? There was some sort of signifance to it either way I'm sure of it ... Gudjons first game?
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Post by Fenparkpotter on Jan 22, 2016 16:37:56 GMT
It was a dull game on a dull November afternoon Difficult to explain why....
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2016 17:32:12 GMT
It was like sitting watching a tub of yoghurt in the midday sun. You knew it was eventually going to turn into something nasty. Things began to stink and fester underneath. Eventually bubbling up, overflowing, and spewing forth foul unpleasantries.
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Post by followyoudown on Jan 22, 2016 17:45:16 GMT
I seem to remember around that time a 4-0 away win at Wycombe .. I thought that was first game of Icelandic regime? There was some sort of signifance to it either way I'm sure of it ... Gudjons first game? You are indeed correct, fantastic goal by Danielsson (?) on debut and Gislason got injured, neither really did very much after that. The think I most remember about the game was the good following of Stokies struggling to sing Gudjon's name in the the when we get promotion, red and white army songs.
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Post by ryan4england on Jan 22, 2016 17:50:11 GMT
Nicky mohan
Not heard him mentioned since he played for us. He was a decent player if i rember right
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Post by WoodbineWright2@ on Jan 22, 2016 18:05:35 GMT
We had high hopes for success when the Icelanders arrived. They soon realized that their Premier league dream was going to be an expensive job & they couldn't afford it. We did have one or two good seasons though - a promotion & a cup win. The memories of the Icelanders aren't really bad ones I guess.
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Post by bathstoke on Jan 22, 2016 18:37:21 GMT
The Icelanders arrive November 1999 Stoke v Bristol City When Mohan scored after Kevin Keen planted a cross on his head on the 67 minute the abiding memory I have of what was a tedious game was the players running to mob Megson the soon to be replaced Stoke manager. Bristol City were managed by a man called Tony Pulis. & when Brizol scored, the classless cnuts parodied us by mobbing Pulis
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Post by DentySCFC on Jan 22, 2016 18:47:48 GMT
The Icelanders arrive November 1999 Stoke v Bristol City When Mohan scored after Kevin Keen planted a cross on his head on the 67 minute the abiding memory I have of what was a tedious game was the players running to mob Megson the soon to be replaced Stoke manager. Bristol City were managed by a man called Tony Pulis. & when Brizol scored, the classless cnuts parodied us by mobbing Pulis Strangely they mobbed someone else on the bench not Pulis haha.
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Post by MarkWolstanton on Jan 22, 2016 20:12:59 GMT
It was like sitting watching a tub of yoghurt in the midday sun. You knew it was eventually going to turn into something nasty. Things began to stink and fester underneath. Eventually bubbling up, overflowing, and spewing forth foul unpleasantries. Piss off you IHW! Magnus was ace.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2016 20:14:03 GMT
At the time, the takeover really served all parties the best. Coates wasn't rolling in it,a downer around the club in general, threat of administration (i believe we were a comparatively whopping £8m in debt). Thought at the time that Megson's sacking was a bit harsh, but given the agenda to pillage an untapped Scandinavian market, it made sense to appoint someone familiar with it.
Gudjon served us well, i think he was proud of the job he did and wanted to do good by the fans. Quite harshly sacked (as his predecessor) a few days after promotion.
I do remember though the season we got promoted, we had a fairly dour run-in, and half time vs Chesterfield the first song at half time was handbags and gladrags by stereophonics.
Coates also came back at the right time too. We seem to have benefitted from a number of right things at the right time.
Its easy to think where we came from,but theae things actually happened a long time ago. For example, as a 32 year old, the bristol game was half my life ago!! Yet, i still remember the aforementioned mob celebration. I don't, however, remember who we played the game after or the game before.
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Post by JoeinOz on Jan 30, 2016 4:57:38 GMT
At the time, the takeover really served all parties the best. Coates wasn't rolling in it,a downer around the club in general, threat of administration (i believe we were a comparatively whopping £8m in debt). Thought at the time that Megson's sacking was a bit harsh, but given the agenda to pillage an untapped Scandinavian market, it made sense to appoint someone familiar with it. Gudjon served us well, i think he was proud of the job he did and wanted to do good by the fans. Quite harshly sacked (as his predecessor) a few days after promotion. I do remember though the season we got promoted, we had a fairly dour run-in, and half time vs Chesterfield the first song at half time was handbags and gladrags by stereophonics. Coates also came back at the right time too. We seem to have benefitted from a number of right things at the right time. Its easy to think where we came from,but theae things actually happened a long time ago. For example, as a 32 year old, the bristol game was half my life ago!! Yet, i still remember the aforementioned mob celebration. I don't, however, remember who we played the game after or the game before. The sacking of Gudjon was absolutely the right thing to do.
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Post by salopstick on Jan 30, 2016 11:15:51 GMT
And that era gave us Sergei and hooky
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Post by JoeinOz on Jan 30, 2016 13:23:13 GMT
I seem remember it being on a Sunday. Why was it on Sunday?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 7:47:45 GMT
I seem remember it being on a Sunday. Why was it on Sunday? It was Saturday for us here ;-)
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