Quote Originally Posted by jackal2 View Post
I don't know if you could call him "unsung" after his famous goal in the FA Cup at Spurs, but Don O'Riordan I thought was a key player in getting us promoted to the old Division One.

After our promotion from the old Third Division we had started well in the Second Division in 1990-91 but then the bubble was threatening to burst in late Autumn until Neil Warnock pulled the masterstroke of dragging 'Donno' in from the cold, often playing him as a sweeper, where his experience and talent was invaluable.

Don did for us what Dave Mackay once did for Brian Clough at Derby - an old warhorse who everybody had written off suddenly turned out to be the linchpin that held all the other pieces together.

It might be the rose-tinted specs talking but I still think O'Riordan's achilles tendon injury on the opening day of the Division One season away to Man Utd at Old Trafford was ultimately what cost us a chance of staying in the top flight. Prior to that injury he had become a key player, despite his age.
Nothing rose tinted about that. I’ve absolutely no doubt his loss was the main reason Notts have never been in the Premier league.

His move in to the role of “forward sweeper” coincided with an unbelievable defensive improvement. If you look at the goals Notts conceded after Don’o was brought into that role you’ll see they were either worldlys or scored from very short range.

We were really difficult to breakdown except against the very best.

He was my favourite player that season. I was gutted when he limped off at ManUre but never for a minute thought he would never make a serious contribution again. Hugely underrated player.

And I was right in line with that goal at white hart lane. Of all the goals I’ve watched, I think that one was the most excited I’ve ever got. I was still celebrating it when they started the second half and had to be told to calm down!

Venables, Lineker, Gascoigne, who?

Thanks for that reminiscing.