From the Vault | Notts County v Man City | FA Cup R4 | Jan 2011

[ncfcog]

A look back at the 5th round FA Cup tie with Man City. A dodgy pitch and a scare for the premier leagues wealthiest team …

https://www.nottscountystats.com/post/from-the-vault

[SwalePie]

Cheers for this, what a day that was and what a 'Kop moment' when that goal went in!

[ncfcog]

Cheers for this, what a day that was and what a 'Kop moment' when that goal went in!

Was a great moment. Thought I might start doing a few of these, might have to get UTM involved though for some of the older matches!

[Elite_Pie]

Was a great moment. Thought I might start doing a few of these, might have to get UTM involved though for some of the older matches!

Talking of older matches, there is one I would really love to see the highlights of but they probably don't exist. It goes all the way back to Saturday 23rd August 1973 when I were nowt but a lad. It was the opening game of the season, and we had just been promoted to Division 2 (now The Championship) and seemed to be given the hardest possible start playing Crystal Palace away. Palace had just been relegated from the top division and were hot favourites to go back up. We fielded a much weakened team because David Needham, Willie Carlin and Les Bradd were suspended, and David McVay (who was a better writer than footballer) made his debut in the centre of defence. It was a baking hot day, and we were under the cosh for the first half hour and they went one up. I think most Notts fans feared a hammering, but then something magical happened. Don Masson put in a precision free kick, Brian Stubbs charged through their defence and planted a bullet header into the back of the net. That was the game changing moment, Palace fell apart and we grew in confidence. Kevin Randall and Mick Vinter scored within a couple of minutes of each other midway through the second half and Randall put the icing on the cake with another in the 85th minute.

Some of that is from memory and some from Google, but I still remember the Brian Stubbs goal like it was yesterday. This was our line up that day followed by a report I found:

1. Roy Brown
2. Bill Brindley
3. Bob Worthington
4. Don Masson
5. Brian Stubbs
6. Dave McVay *
7. Steve Carter
8. Jon Nixon
9. Kevin Randall
10. Eric Probert
11. Arthur Mann

Sub: Mick Vinter *57

Freshly promoted Notts were up against a side who had just dropped out of the top flight under Malcolm Allison. Two players made their debuts for Notts (in competitive action), Eric Probert - who had joined from Burnley for £30,000 - and local boy Dave McVay (Three players were suspended - Bradd, Carlin and Needham). The Daily Express report noted; "Notts were brilliantly regimented in midfield by Don Masson and Eric Probert, their command and control underlined weeks of persistent practice to fulfil the Sirrel plan of 100 percent team work. It was simple but superb to watch." Masson said afterwards; "It was beyond our wildest dreams to win 4-1 at Palace and to be honest, we weren't really in the game in the first 30 minutes, but once we equalised they seemed to fall away and showed little fight. I think that is their trouble, they have too many stars who don't want to know when things go wrong."

Apologies for the essay, but if you or UTM could add anything at all to that, I would love to read it.

[ncfcog]

Talking of older matches, there is one I would really love to see the highlights of but they probably don't exist. It goes all the way back to Saturday 23rd August 1973 when I were nowt but a lad. It was the opening game of the season, and we had just been promoted to Division 2 (now The Championship) and seemed to be given the hardest possible start playing Crystal Palace away. Palace had just been relegated from the top division and were hot favourites to go back up. We fielded a much weakened team because David Needham, Willie Carlin and Les Bradd were suspended, and David McVay (who was a better writer than footballer) made his debut in the centre of defence. It was a baking hot day, and we were under the cosh for the first half hour and they went one up. I think most Notts fans feared a hammering, but then something magical happened. Don Masson put in a precision free kick, Brian Stubbs charged through their defence and planted a bullet header into the back of the net. That was the game changing moment, Palace fell apart and we grew in confidence. Kevin Randall and Mick Vinter scored within a couple of minutes of each other midway through the second half and Randall put the icing on the cake with another in the 85th minute.

Some of that is from memory and some from Google, but I still remember the Brian Stubbs goal like it was yesterday. This was our line up that day followed by a report I found:

1. Roy Brown
2. Bill Brindley
3. Bob Worthington
4. Don Masson
5. Brian Stubbs
6. Dave McVay *
7. Steve Carter
8. Jon Nixon
9. Kevin Randall
10. Eric Probert
11. Arthur Mann

Sub: Mick Vinter *57

Freshly promoted Notts were up against a side who had just dropped out of the top flight under Malcolm Allison. Two players made their debuts for Notts (in competitive action), Eric Probert - who had joined from Burnley for £30,000 - and local boy Dave McVay (Three players were suspended - Bradd, Carlin and Needham). The Daily Express report noted; "Notts were brilliantly regimented in midfield by Don Masson and Eric Probert, their command and control underlined weeks of persistent practice to fulfil the Sirrel plan of 100 percent team work. It was simple but superb to watch." Masson said afterwards; "It was beyond our wildest dreams to win 4-1 at Palace and to be honest, we weren't really in the game in the first 30 minutes, but once we equalised they seemed to fall away and showed little fight. I think that is their trouble, they have too many stars who don't want to know when things go wrong."

Apologies for the essay, but if you or UTM could add anything at all to that, I would love to read it.

Great post Elite, not sure there’s much more to add!

[upthemaggies]

Talking of older matches, there is one I would really love to see the highlights of but they probably don't exist.

No TV cameras there that day sadly and as memories fade and older supporters pass on, history is skewed by what does exist. The 5-1 win at Fulham for example is wonderful but would largely be forgotten by now if that match hadn't been filmed whilst the win over Everton a year earlier had, which was a much more significant win but only people who were there on the night can talk and refer to it. The win at the City Ground in 1981/82 is another one, barley mentioned now but would be legendary had that been on MOTD and preserved whilst the 3-2 win not been.

[ncfcog]

No TV cameras there that day sadly and as memories fade and older supporters pass on, history is skewed by what does exist. The 5-1 win at Fulham for example is wonderful but would largely be forgotten by now if that match hadn't been filmed whilst the win over Everton a year earlier had, which was a much more significant win but only people who were there on the night can talk and refer to it. The win at the City Ground in 1981/82 is another one, barley mentioned now but would be legendary had that been on MOTD and preserved whilst the 3-2 win not been.

This is why what you do and the level of detail on your website is so valuable to fans UTM.

[BigFatPie]

No TV cameras there that day sadly and as memories fade and older supporters pass on, history is skewed by what does exist. The 5-1 win at Fulham for example is wonderful but would largely be forgotten by now if that match hadn't been filmed whilst the win over Everton a year earlier had, which was a much more significant win but only people who were there on the night can talk and refer to it. The win at the City Ground in 1981/82 is another one, barley mentioned now but would be legendary had that been on MOTD and preserved whilst the 3-2 win not been.

Yeah that’s true. I remember being at that game(as an 8 year old!) but don’t remember anything about it, other than the Raddy penalty save. Last time we won at the City Ground wasn’t it?

Btw, did anyone else cheer for Yugoslavia in Its a Knockout cos of Raddy? No? Just me then...

[60YearsAPie]

Talking of older matches, there is one I would really love to see the highlights of but they probably don't exist. It goes all the way back to Saturday 23rd August 1973 when I were nowt but a lad.

Apologies for the essay, but if you or UTM could add anything at all to that, I would love to read it.

There are some games that stick in your memory. The first game back in the First Division, against the previous year’s champions, at Villa Park is one. Another I remember better than a lot of other games is the one at Selhurst Park, that Elite refers to, our first back in the Second Division for 16 years.

Sir Jimmy had added four new players to the squad pre-season, Eric Probert (record signing at the time), Eddie Cliff, Geoff Collier and an 18-year-old David McVay. (Not all his signings were successful. Cliff and Collier made 8 appearances between them before moving on).

With David Needham and Les Bradd suspended, the young McVay was drafted into the defence, with 19-year-old Mick Vinter on the bench. It was a mistake by McVay that led to the Crystal Palace goal after 24 minutes. Notts were under the cosh for most of the first half, with Brian Stubbs outstanding in defence. He scored Notts’ opening goal from our first real attack, from a Masson free-kick. A few minutes before half-time Masson had the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for offside.

Roy Brown in goal made several crucial saves and then, after around 60 minutes, the turning point to my mind was taking McVay off, dropping Arthur Mann back into defence and bringing young Vinter on. Following another tremendous save by Roy Brown, Notts scored two goals in the space of a couple of minutes. First Vinter, from a Jon Nixon cross, set Randall up. Then a shot from Nixon rebounded off the Palace keeper and Vinter himself scored with a simple tap-in.

The Magpies final goal came around 5 minutes from the end, when Don Masson ran down the right and his cross was met by Kevin Randall.

We were brought down to earth the following week, with a 4-1 home defeat to Sunderland.

[nw6pie]

A look back at the 5th round FA Cup tie with Man City. A dodgy pitch and a scare for the premier leagues wealthiest team …

https://www.nottscountystats.com/post/from-the-vault

Thanks for this - happy days. I flew over from Israel especially for the match. Scenes in The Kop when Bish put us in front.

Pretty sure this was the fourth round, though, not the 5th. However, we did beat City in the 5th round in 1991, in one of my favourite Notts games ever.