What If?

[SwalePie]

A rather random one to go back to that sticks in my mind is 9th March 1988 away at Brighton in the regional semi-final of the Sherpa Vans Trophy, as it was then called. I went down by train with two friends and we got utterly hammered after our 5-1 win and stayed over in a cheap seaside B&B where one of the lads fell asleep eating his post booze kebab and woke up with it still sitting on his chest the next morning, which was pretty gross. No idea why this game came to mind but it brings back happy memories. I remember little of the match itself apart from being in an uncovered corner of the ground and seeming a long way from the action, and Charlie having a crack from very long range and either scoring or hitting the bar but we all went mental. He really was a cracking player and I think that sometimes gets forgotten as we remember his managerial time more recently.

In the regional final the next month against Wolves away at Molineux we came up against the goal machine that was Steve Bull in his prime and lost badly. I remember we were all locked in for what seemed an age after the game while the stewards and police waited for the home fans to disperse. Strange the random memories that stick!

COYP!

[laddo]

Nothing against him personally but I would eliminate Meindert Dijkstra about 10 mins from the end of the game at the old Baseball Ground back in April 1994.

If he wasn't on the pitch then there would have have been no comical miscommunication with Cherry and we would have beat the Rams on their own patch. Who knows what would have happened for the rest of that season if that was the case.

Absolute heartbreak.

Loved that game up to that point, horrific view from their old away end but great atmosphere in there and it went mental when Drapes headed us in front bang level from where I was stood with a mate.
Instant mayhem and joy followed.

[magpie_mania]

I don't blame in any way Gary Bailey the Man Utd keeper, but I would like to take out that minute when McCulloch was injured. I don't think he ever played for us again.

We went on to beat Man Utd at home though in front of a crowd of just under 14,000. (We also beat them the season before).

[60YearsAPie]

Nothing against him personally but I would eliminate Meindert Dijkstra about 10 mins from the end of the game at the old Baseball Ground back in April 1994.

If he wasn't on the pitch then there would have have been no comical miscommunication with Cherry and we would have beat the Rams on their own patch. Who knows what would have happened for the rest of that season if that was the case.

Absolute heartbreak.

Loved that game up to that point, horrific view from their old away end but great atmosphere in there and it went mental when Drapes headed us in front bang level from where I was stood with a mate.
Instant mayhem and joy followed.

I don’t know Mayhem but I seem to remember Joy was one of the Golden Goal Girls who used to parade round the Baseball Ground. The days of miniskirts. One bright spark in the crowd shouted “Show us your kn!ckers,” to which she replied, “I haven’t got any on!”.

Great memories of visits to the Baseball Ground. The best, the brilliant goalkeeping display in the League Cup, when Eric McManus single-handedly kept Derby at bay. The worst our 6-0 thrashing in the FA Cup. A game I went to with 3 Derby fans from work.

[The_Don_ORiordan]

There’s lots of talk about the Rideout sale, but he was basically playing in midfield toward the end of his time with us and Pavis for once was able to make a quick profit on a player. What’s more widely overlooked is that we sold Tommy Johnson to Derby for £1.3 million that March. Rob Matthews was a promising cheap replacement, but his career was sadly blighted by injury.

If we’d signed Brian Deane instead of Tony Agana from Sheffield United, I like to think we could have stayed up that season.

Thinking about it now, I’d quite like to go back to the away game at Sheffield U. in 1991 as a time machine game. Travelling up on The Pie coach, REM’s new album Out of Time blasting out en route, and a great 3-1 victory after trailing after an hour, all the goals scored in front of the away fans. I’m not sure the season got any better from that point away from home.

And that’s my point chap. He was playing deeper because we didn’t have the service for his type of striker. And he wasn’t scoring.

We needed a poacher (Clive Allen), a worker (Brian Deane), or someone who would lead the line in a different direction (Mark Hateley). All were possibilities. None were signed. Rideout needed service. We were a scrap and scraps team. You had to make your chances or take half chances.

If you wanted to make one change that would mean we stayed up. You’d rest Don O’riordan in the first game of the season.

From that moment on, the side and game plan Warnock had which had driven us to promotion was gone. Never to return.

The game away at United (where rideout scores of course) was a great night.

I don’t blame Pavis. He was a shrewd businessman, and he ran the club in thar manner. We could have done with more owners like him.

We’ve been relegated from the top flight twice in my time. Had we signed Roeder we’d have stayed up the first time. Had o’riordan not been injured, we’d have stayed up the second time. In both cases I’d feel pretty confident.

[ForeignLegion]

A rather random one to go back to that sticks in my mind is 9th March 1988 away at Brighton in the regional semi-final of the Sherpa Vans Trophy, as it was then called. I went down by train with two friends and we got utterly hammered after our 5-1 win and stayed over in a cheap seaside B&B where one of the lads fell asleep eating his post booze kebab and woke up with it still sitting on his chest the next morning, which was pretty gross. No idea why this game came to mind but it brings back happy memories. I remember little of the match itself apart from being in an uncovered corner of the ground and seeming a long way from the action, and Charlie having a crack from very long range and either scoring or hitting the bar but we all went mental. He really was a cracking player and I think that sometimes gets forgotten as we remember his managerial time more recently.

In the regional final the next month against Wolves away at Molineux we came up against the goal machine that was Steve Bull in his prime and lost badly. I remember we were all locked in for what seemed an age after the game while the stewards and police waited for the home fans to disperse. Strange the random memories that stick!

COYP!

I went to both those games as well, much to the annoyance of my girlfriend at the time. We were heading Down Under and I put the trip back for the Sherpa bleeding Van Trophy. I remember chatting to the Brighton manager the next day (can't remember name) in his lolly shop somewhere down the seafront. At least I think that happened anyway, as hungover as I was. I seem to remember Adey Thorpe having a blinder.

[60YearsAPie]

Here’s the highlights of Notts’ first game in the top flight for 55 years. Their game against the previous season’s champions, Aston Villa at Villa Park.

A choice of at least one as a game to travel back in time to see.

Star Soccer showed these highlights of the game on the Sunday.

I was there and it’s great to see this again. I believe this was John Chiedozie's first game.

A notable absentee was Don Masson, who missed the first four games as he was playing in the USA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyqT...=NottsCountyFC

[Elite_Pie]

Here’s the highlights of Notts’ first game in the top flight for 55 years. Their game against the previous season’s champions, Aston Villa at Villa Park.

A choice of at least one as a game to travel back in time to see.

Star Soccer showed these highlights of the game on the Sunday.

I was there and it’s great to see this again. I believe this was John Chiedozie's first game.

A notable absentee was Don Masson, who missed the first four games as he was playing in the USA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyqT...=NottsCountyFC

Stonewall penalty for us at 2:02. How was that not given?

[cher1]

Oh that was an enjoyable watch. Missed that game as my cousin got married that day so we had to rely on a radio under the table at the reception to keep up with the score. Agree about the penalty, no idea how he got away with that.

[MagpieMike]

One I attended: either the Cup win against Tottenham, which cost Ardilles his job, great Notts performance, or Charlie Palmer day, another great game.
One I would like to attend: any home win featuring the great Tommy Lawton. But only with the proviso of being at the ground early enough to get a good vantage point!