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As discussed on another thread we have an upcoming FA Cup 2nd Round game against Stockport on Friday night at NYS and there's a certain lack of enthusiasm about it, particularly because of the day and time.
So the question is do we have any memorable 'Friday Night Lights' in our history? The only one I remember, and I'd rather forget was at Northampton's old County Ground when Dave Cusack was our player manager. Dave managed to get himself sent off and we hung on with 10 men for a turgid 0-0 draw. Only excitement for me was having to contain my excitement (of which thankfully there wasn't any) because living in Northants at the time I'd gone with a mate and was in the middle of a fairly tightly packed home end, Spion Kop. At least the pre and post match beers in The County Tavern were half decent.
Any Friday night memories to share?
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As it happens CAM I do.
Friday night 13th November 1971. 9 days before my 14th Birthday. 50 years ago.
I was there. Remember Neil Hague.
Sensational game. We were 2-3 down to Plymouth at Millmoor with 5 minutes to go and we won 4-3. Neil Hague got the winner in injury time.
Neil joined Plymouth after the game.
Link :
https://plymouth.*************.co.uk...ow-neil-hague/
Where has all the time gone?
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At Uni
Missed that one
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Link doesn’t work so have copied and pasted + credited the original article posted 8 years ago in ***** Plymouth:
Ian De-Lar 8 years ago Categories: News
This week Peverell Green’s Where Are They Now series takes a look at the career of Neil Hague.
NEIL HAGUE – Born 1st December 1949 Thurcroft, Rotherham, Yorkshire.
Neil began his football career as an apprentice with his local club Rotherham United, performing for them so well that in 1968 he was awarded an England Youth Cap.
He signed professional forms for the club on his seven****th birthday and was given his first team debut by manager Tommy Docherty in November 1967.
Neil proved to be a very versatile player, playing in most positions throughout the team.
His final appearance for Rotherham came on 13th November 1971 in a game against Argyle. With five minutes to go we were leading 3-2 after goals from Hughie Reed, Bobby Saxton and Derek Rickard had put Argyle in a winning position.
Former Rotherham goalie Jim Furnell conceded a goal in the 85th minute and it looked like we would have to settle for a point. Unfortunately with only seconds of the game remaining Neil Hague, a second half substitute, managed to glance a header into the net, with what proved to be his last touch of the ball as a Rotherham player sending Argyle home pointless.
He must have enjoyed playing against Argyle; in five games against the Greens he scored four goals.
Within twenty four hours Argyle manager Ellis Stuttard would be hoping he would soon be scoring more goals like it as he signed him on for a fee of £15,000.
While at Rotherham Neil made 145 league appearances scoring 23 goals.
He made his Argyle debut on 27th November in a 2-2 draw at Bristol Rovers with goals from Keith Allen and Don Hutchins securing a point for Argyle and then played in every remaining league game for the rest of the season.
Neil scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win at Shrewsbury in April, he scored the opener and Jimmy Hinch got the decisive second goal.
For a defender Neil was particularly effective at scoring goals especially from set pieces, he finished the 1972-73 season as the second highest goalscorer, finishing on twelve goals, only one behind Alan Welsh.
His first goal for the season came in a 3-1 defeat at Blackburn.
His next came when he got the only goal in a 1-0 win at Dean Court Bournemouth. Non-league Hendon were the visitors to Home Park in the first round of the FA Cup with Neil again scoring the only goal of the game to end their cup dreams for another year.
His next league goal came in the last game of 1972 when he scored Argyle’s consolation goal in a 3-1 defeat at Southend.
Neil then scored his first goal at Home Park for Argyle in a 2-2 draw with Chesterfield, Colin Sullivan scoring the second goal.
March saw him score in three successive games, the first in a 1-0 win at home to Wrexham, the second came against another Welsh club, this time in a 1-1 draw at Swansea, he then scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Home Park watched by crowd of 20,104.
In April he scored the Argyle goal in a 1-1 draw at home to Watford and followed it up in the next game when he scored the first goal in a 3-1 win at Walsall with Alan Welsh and Jimmy Hinch also on the scoresheet.
Neil finished the season off by scoring twice in the final game in a 3-2 win at home to Rochdale with Johnny Hore also scoring.
As a reward both for his goals and also his sterling defensive duties alongside his captain Dave Provan Neil was awarded the Player of the Year trophy.
After being an almost ever present for the first time in his Argyle career his appearances were restricted due to injuries, particularly at the start of the 1973-74 season.
This naturally also reduced the amount of goals he scored; his first of the season came on 20th October in an easy 3-0 win at Watford, after Neil had scored the first goal Paul Mariner added another two to ensure Argyle returned home with both points.
Another goal came right at the end of October when Argyle were drawn away to Division 1 (Premiership) club Burnley in the third round of the League Cup Argyle came away 2-1 winners with Neil scoring the Argyle second goal after a Burnley own goal had set them on their way.
With the motorway system not being as efficient as it is today I can remember getting home, having a couple of hours sleep then getting up again for work at 6:30, tired but happy.
Further wins against big name teams QPR and Birmingham, both away, saw Argyle finally knocked out 2-0 out at Maine Road after a 1-1 draw at Home Park in the Semi Final.
Neil had to wait five months for his next goal after his cup heroics, when he scored in a 1-1 draw at York. His final goal for the club came on April 16th when he scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win at home to Charlton.
He made his final appearance four days after his last goal when he played in a 5-2 defeat at Wrexham with an own goal and one from Steve Davey at least making the score respectable.
At the end of the season Bournemouth enquired about Neil and Derek Rickard as they obviously didn’t feature in manager Tony Waiter’s future plans, both players moved to Dean Court for a combined fee of £15,000.
While at Argyle Neil made a total of 113 appearances and scored seven**** goals.
Neil spent two successful seasons with Bournemouth, alongside future manager Harry Redknapp, making 89 appearances and scoring seven goals before being released and signing on a free transfer for Huddersfield.
He spent a season at Huddersfield where he made 25 appearances scoring two goals before joining Darlington on a free transfer.
Neil spent two seasons in the North East making 80 appearances and adding another four goals to his tally before deciding to bring his football career in England to a close and moving to the USA.
Neil’s first club in America was Phoenix Fire, managed by his old Bournemouth team mate Harry Redknapp.
From Phoenix he joined Columbus and finally Los Angeles.
After finishing playing football he continued to be involved in the game by running soccer camps in California.
Neil returned to England in 1981 and started a building firm in his home county of Yorkshire.
He returned to the Westcountry three years later to set up a property development company in Plymouth, as far as I know it’s something he’s still involved in now.
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Ps as mentioned above Jim Furnell (who went on to play for us) was in goal for Plymouth.
Jim was voted best goalkeeper of all time at Plymouth in a web poll in 2007.
Jim was 84 last Tuesday and lives in Blackburn (Lancashire) I believe.
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Remember it well pal. i was on nights at SPT and left before the end to walk over the Monty and heard the crowd......at least we won.Originally Posted by Nardendee
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You had me questioning my memory there Narden as I was at that game and distinctly remember it being a Saturday afternoon game as we left early at 3-2 down and got home and when my Dad told me we'd won 4-3 and I didn't believe him. Can't remember who I'd gone to the game with as I'd have been only just 11. Being the statto I am I did check and as you say the game was played on November 13th which was a Saturday in 1971.
Also, per your other comment, Jim Furnell joined Plymouth after playing for The Millers, he came to us from Arsenal.
So in conclusion, a great game and a great story but it doesn't qualify for Friday Night Lights
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Some time in the late eighties when I was a kid, my Dad took us to Halifax and I think that was a Friday night game.
I recall it being 1-1 with them scoring a penalty and Bobby Williamson with a diving header.
Nothing really memorable about the game but it always sticks in my head for some reason!!!
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I think the Win against Leeds when JCH scored a cracker was a Friday night.
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Looks like that Halifax game was Friday April 7th 1989 watched by 2,947. We went on to win the 4th Division Title just a few weeks later. Burnley finished 15th in the 4th Division that year, Darlington were relegated to the Conference.
Yes that Leeds game was a Friday night and we managed to get 11,350 inside NYS to watch that one. JCH scored that winning goal just 2 minutes after coming on as a sub for Matt Derbyshire.
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