Fjorfoft spotted in Ipswich town centre!!?

[raul]

Pretty sure it was widely reported at the time, but the meat and drink appeared in FB. Wonder if someone with the relevant back issue to hand could clarify?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Whilst the loss of McGrath was a blow, it was the loss of Whitehouse to a career ending injury at port Vale at the tend of November that derailed our season. (IMO)
Up to then we had been playing 5-3-2 (or 3-5-2) with Whitehouse excelling in an attacking midfielder role.
Once we lost him, we had to revert to 4-4-2 and weren`t quite the same again.
At that point we had, on the books as strikers, Deane, Fjortoft, Taylor, Marcello, Katchuro.
So in December Spackman went and bought Saunders as well. If ever there was a signing that was not needed it was that one.
With 6 strikers on the books, it was inevitable that we sold 1 or 2. taylor was rumoured to be on the way out, but we speant almost an entire game (Charlton at home, 4-1, 28/12/97) singing his name and this convinced the board that we would be happy to sell "other strikers".
The problem being, we sold our best 2 strikers. Madness.

Don't forget that Tiler, Ward and Patterson were all sold around the same time as Whitehouse got injured.
Tiler and Patterson had both played in THAT opening game v Sunderland and were almost ever-present afterwards.
So within the space of a month we lost around half the team that started the season so well.
I totally agree about Spackman's signing of Saunders as "an early Xmas present for myself."
Totally unnecessary at the time, particularly when key players in other positions were being sold at the same time!

 

[Barney Rubble]

Here's an extract from Fred Eyre's book 'Kicked Into Touch' regarding the sales :-

'Brian Deane's a bit late,' said Nigel, rubbing his hands together at the prospect of fining our most prized asset a few bob. We all had a good chuckle, because we knew how painful it was for Brian whenever he was called upon to part with his cash. A fine, for him, was worse than a public flogging.
It was not like him to be late and as 11 o'clock approached our mood changed and we began to wonder if he was all right. I rang his mobile and found it to be switched off.It illustrated the seriousness of the situation because Brian's mobile phone appeared to be permanently welded to his ear.
Half an hour later he made contact with us.
'Where are you, Brian?'
'Just outside Lisbon'
'What are you doing in Gisburne?'
'No, Lisbon, Portugal'
'Oh right, I didn't know they had given you a few days off.'
'I'm signing for Benfica.'
'WHAT?'
It was mid-afternoon before Nigel got us all in his office to try to make sense of this latest bombshell. Obviously it had been a financial decision to sell him, but after pushing the boat out to bring Brian back, and the team doing so well, to release him after just six months at the club was disappointing to say the least.
'We'll be alright' said Tommo.'As long as we've stll got Nigel to lead us, as long as we've still got Willie, the best coach in the country, and as long as we've still got Jan Aage to do Brian's job up front, we'll still get promotion.'
'That was the other thing I have to tell you' said Nigel. 'They've also sold Fjortoft, to Barnsley today.'

 

[Ollessendro]

Highlights of that game against Sunderland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZ-thRITFQ

What was the team that day? My guess would be

-------- Kelly

---- Marker McGrath Tiler

Vas ----------------------- W. Quinn

------ Ward Patterson Whitehouse

-------- Fjortoft Deane

By January over half of that team had either left or retired through injury. Says it all really.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Highlights of that game against Sunderland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJZ-thRITFQ

What was the team that day? My guess would be

-------- Kelly

---- Marker McGrath Tiler

Vas ----------------------- W. Quinn

------ Ward Patterson Whitehouse

-------- Fjortoft Deane

By January over half of that team had either left or retired through injury. Says it all really.

Nearly right but I think Tracey was in goal, Holdsworth was centre-back and Ward was injured.
Nicky Marker played a midfield holding role just in front of the centre-backs which allowed Borbokis and Quinn to bomb forward.
His eventual permanent move to centre-back to replace McGrath (or Tiler) was one of the reasons the team started to struggle.
He wasn't as good as either of them in that position and we also had nobody as good as him at the holding role.

 

[Ollessendro]

Nearly right but I think Tracey was in goal, Holdsworth was centre-back and Ward was injured.
Nicky Marker played a midfield holding role just in front of the centre-backs which allowed Borbokis and Quinn to bomb forward.
His eventual permanent move to centre-back to replace McGrath (or Tiler) was one of the reasons the team started to struggle.
He wasn't as good as either of them in that position and we also had nobody as good as him at the holding role.

I thought Ward was injured too, but there is a little skin head in the video (behind Waybne Quinn and infront of McGraph - you get a glimpse on 13 secs) when the teams were coming out of the tunnel that looks like him. Forgot about Holdsworth (shame on me) who was a cracking centre half. Where was Nilsen at that point? Injured?

As well as having cracking attackers we had a cracking set of defenders on the books: Michel Vonk, Roger Nilsen, David Holdsworth, Carl Tiler, Lee Sandford, Vas Borbokis, Mitch Ward and Wayne Quinn. Not forgetting Paul McGraph who is possibly the grestest defender I have seen grace the turf on Bramall Lane. Absolute class act. Even as a 38 year old alcoholic with shagged knees who could not train!!!

 

[secretchief]

I had totally forgotten this, but the season following the Deane/Fjortoft sale, after Dean Saunders had installed himself as our best striker, he too was sold the following season. Guess where? Benfica!

 

[Selly]

I thought Ward was injured too, but there is a little skin head in the video (behind Waybne Quinn and infront of McGraph - you get a glimpse on 13 secs) when the teams were coming out of the tunnel that looks like him. Forgot about Holdsworth (shame on me) who was a cracking centre half. Where was Nilsen at that point? Injured?

Patterson surely?

 

[Slugger]

Not Curtis Woodhouse is it? He looked a class act as well that year.

 

[Ollessendro]

Not Curtis Woodhouse is it? He looked a class act as well that year.

No Woodhouse had only just signed that summer and didn't make his debut until late November. Plus he is black/mixed race and the guy in the vid is white. He did not feature that much in the 97/98 season (he was only 17) and started to shine a little later.

Patterson surely?

No, 'wing nut' patterson was a baldy, mousey coloured haired midget. This guy is dark. Have you seen the vid Selly? I am sure it is Wardy. I would say the team was:

-------- Tracey

--- Holdsworth McGraph Tiler

Vas ----------------- W. Quinn

---- Ward Marker Whitehouse

------- Deane Fjortoft

can't find a fookin match report anywhere. I have programmes from that season, but they are in the attic at my parents place in South Yorks.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

It's definitely Patterson. This is the team according to Soccerbase:-

Sheff Utd S. Tracey, V. Borbokis, W. Quinn (R. Nilsen, 77), P. McGrath, C. Tiler, D. Holdsworth, M. Patterson, N. Marker, J. Fjortoft (P. Kachouro, 59), B. Deane, D. Whitehouse Subs not used: A. Dibble
Sunderland L. Perez, C. Makin, M. Scott , L. Clark, K. Ball (M. Bridges, 45), A. Melville, S. Agnew, R. Ord, N. Quinn, A. Rae (C. Byrne, 71), M. Gray Subs not used: D. Williams

Referee:G Cain Attendance:17324 Stadium:Bramall Lane

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2328&comp_id=2#teamTabs=results

 

[shorehamview]

It's definitely Patterson. This is the team according to Soccerbase:-

Sheff Utd S. Tracey, V. Borbokis, W. Quinn (R. Nilsen, 77), P. McGrath, C. Tiler, D. Holdsworth, M. Patterson, N. Marker, J. Fjortoft (P. Kachouro, 59), B. Deane, D. Whitehouse Subs not used: A. Dibble
Sunderland L. Perez, C. Makin, M. Scott , L. Clark, K. Ball (M. Bridges, 45), A. Melville, S. Agnew, R. Ord, N. Quinn, A. Rae (C. Byrne, 71), M. Gray Subs not used: D. Williams

Referee:G Cain Attendance:17324 Stadium:Bramall Lane

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2328&comp_id=2#teamTabs=results

That team would comfortably piss this division now. They'd probably be able to play with only nine and give most teams a two goal start and still leather everyone.

 

[Ollessendro]

It's definitely Patterson. This is the team according to Soccerbase:-

Sheff Utd S. Tracey, V. Borbokis, W. Quinn (R. Nilsen, 77), P. McGrath, C. Tiler, D. Holdsworth, M. Patterson, N. Marker, J. Fjortoft (P. Kachouro, 59), B. Deane, D. Whitehouse Subs not used: A. Dibble
Sunderland L. Perez, C. Makin, M. Scott , L. Clark, K. Ball (M. Bridges, 45), A. Melville, S. Agnew, R. Ord, N. Quinn, A. Rae (C. Byrne, 71), M. Gray Subs not used: D. Williams

Referee:G Cain Attendance:17324 Stadium:Bramall Lane

http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2328&comp_id=2#teamTabs=results

Cheers Sothall.

What a team! We also has Andy Walker, Don Hutchinson, Mitch Ward, Gareth Taylor, Andy Scott, Kathchouro, Marcelo, Michel Vonk, Curtis Woodhouse, Lee Sandford and David White knocking about!

One can only dream of a team like that in future years. As SV points outs, that team would walk the Championship now.

 

[Billyblade]

Enjoyed watching this vid.
Reminded me of when my Brother, me and a mate went down to the south coast (Worthing) for the weekend prior to the Palace play off final defeat. We were doing Fjortoft celebrations everywhere. My Brother couldn't get through the turnstile to go on the pier because of his outstretched arms. We played football on the beach and were doing aeroplanes then. I scored one goal, ripped off my shirt, Jan-Aage'd down to the sea, ran along the breakwater and dived into the water.
The night before the match we were in a curry house and this local bloke came up to me and shook my hand saying "Good luck at Wembley tomorrow lads. By the way, Jan-Aage Fjortoft - Top man!)
Happy days - shame the inevitable happened and the Blades ruined it!

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Cheers Sothall.

What a team! We also has Andy Walker, Don Hutchinson, Mitch Ward, Gareth Taylor, Andy Scott, Kathchouro, Marcelo, Michel Vonk, Curtis Woodhouse, Lee Sandford and David White knocking about!

One can only dream of a team like that in future years. As SV points outs, that team would walk the Championship now.

Absolutely. Although the injuries to Whitehouse and McGrath were disruptive we could have simply replaced them with Hutchison and Tri Dellas (who it so happens turned out to be one of the World's best centre backs) and kept the juggernaut rolling along.

There was no need to sell Tiler, Ward and Patterson. No need to sign Ford, Stuart and Saunders for similar amounts. Certainly no need to rush through the sales of Deane, Fjortoft and Hutchison to be replaced by the likes of Jon Cullen, Jon O Connor and Ian Hamilton. It's enough to make you weep how we keep getting so close and then throwing it away.

 

[Ollessendro]

Enjoyed watching this vid.
Reminded me of when my Brother, me and a mate went down to the south coast (Worthing) for the weekend prior to the Palace play off final defeat. We were doing Fjortoft celebrations everywhere. My Brother couldn't get through the turnstile to go on the pier because of his outstretched arms. We played football on the beach and were doing aeroplanes then. I scored one goal, ripped off my shirt, Jan-Aage'd down to the sea, ran along the breakwater and dived into the water.
The night before the match we were in a curry house and this local bloke came up to me and shook my hand saying "Good luck at Wembley tomorrow lads. By the way, Jan-Aage Fjortoft - Top man!)
Happy days - shame the inevitable happened and the Blades ruined it!

Cheers Billy. Nice story.

Most (in Pompey) had no idea what the fuck we were doing. In fact some young Blades we met had never seen Fjortoft play for United (poor them!) and were mythed as we areoplaned around some ale house.

Absolutely. Although the injuries to Whitehouse and McGrath were disruptive we could have simply replaced them with Hutchison and Tri Dellas (who it so happens turned out to be one of the World's best centre backs) and kept the juggernaut rolling along.

There was no need to sell Tiler, Ward and Patterson. No need to sign Ford, Stuart and Saunders for similar amounts. Certainly no need to rush through the sales of Deane, Fjortoft and Hutchison to be replaced by the likes of Jon Cullen, Jon O Connor and Ian Hamilton. It's enough to make you weep how we keep getting so close and then throwing it away.

Indeed. That two hat McDonald makes McCabe look like Steve Gibson!

I understand Ward going (Kendall wanted him at Everton) and Deane too to an extent, but the others (Jan Aage, Hutchinson, Tiler etc) were too much. It was just the combo of all the above we discussed.

 

[Wards]

That opening game v Sunderland ranks up there with my all time favourites, just one of the best bunch of players I've ever seen at the Lane.