'Memries' 81/82 article

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Great game that match at Tranmere. Finished 2-2. They got a late penalty which was saved by Keith Waugh. So their player decided to boot him in the stomach and was promptly sent off!
 
Yes he did struggle on crosses. He always looked very uncomfortable coming for them whereas he was a decent shot stopper and saved plenty of penalties.

Was always surprised that Steve Conroy didn't go on to have a better career. Was a promising young keeper at the Lane. And he almost saved the Walsall pen in THAT match the previous season.

Great season 81-82. Felt very much like we were on the way back and we almost bullied the other clubs in that division.

Quiz question. Which member of that squad could have played for West Germany (if he had been good enough obviously)??
 
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LS26BLADE said:
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What publication is that taken from Peter? Always remember John Matthews wearing a tache and looking miserable. Clean shaven there but still unsmiling. Forgot Paul Richardson was in the 81/82 squad. Thought he came the season after. Never played well for us. Didn't have a settled position. Right-back, centre back, midfield. Poor player. I remember Steve Neville's debut in a 4-1 win at Millwall where he scored a hat trick if I remember correctly. My only visit to the Old Den and we were bombarded with missiles, coins, planks of wood, anything the Millwall mob could get lay their hands on. Although I think that was in Division 3. Remember we paid £90,000 for Keith Waugh from Peterborough a big fee for a keeper those days. Happy memories. The shirt was great too.
 
Camden Blade said:
What publication is that taken from Peter? Always remember John Matthews wearing a tache and looking miserable. Clean shaven there but still unsmiling. Forgot Paul Richardson was in the 81/82 squad. Thought he came the season after. Never played well for us. Didn't have a settled position. Right-back, centre back, midfield. Poor player. I remember Steve Neville's debut in a 4-1 win at Millwall where he scored a hat trick if I remember correctly. My only visit to the Old Den and we were bombarded with missiles, coins, planks of wood, anything the Millwall mob could get lay their hands on. Although I think that was in Division 3. Remember we paid £90,000 for Keith Waugh from Peterborough a big fee for a keeper those days. Happy memories. The shirt was great too.
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Agree about Paul Richardson. He was total shite. Awful player.

Matthews was ok, but nowt special and I think he moved on to playing for Plymouth but I may be wrong. Only thing I remember of note about Matthews was a stunning volley straight from a corner that he scored versus a very good Barnsley side in a night match to save us from defeat. They played us off the park that night and we barely deserved a draw, but the kop went mad when we equalised with a few mins left. Still wasnt enough to keep us up though in the 80-81 season.

Just checked, it was played 31 March 81 and there was over 20k in the crowd that night. Not a bad attendance for those days and considering we were utter shit that season.
 
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Weasel said:
Agree about Paul Richardson. He was total shite. Awful player.

Matthews was ok, but nowt special and I think he moved on to playing for Plymouth but I may be wrong. Only thing I remember of note about Matthews was a stunning volley straight from a corner that he scored versus a very good Barnsley side in a night match to save us from defeat. They played us of the park that night and we barely deserved a draw, but the loo went mad when we equalised with a few mins left. Still wasnt enough to keep us up though in the 80-81 season.
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Matthews did score some stunning strikes. Two stick out in my mind. One against Oldham in a 4-2 win the first season I started to go regularly on the Kop as a kid. A free kick outside the box and he rifled it in. The second against Southend in a night match before Xmas and the Boxing Day debacle which he scored at the Lane End. Another thunderbolt. Can't place that Barnsley game right now. They regularly beat us around that era. Ronnie Glavin et al. I remember the 1-3 League Cup defeat at the Lane. The dream turned sour with Porterfield and we went through a 'Dad's army' phase signing big name players like Peter Withe, Phil Thompson, Derek Mortimer and Ken McNaught who were past their best. Although I liked McNaught, a tough no nonsense centre back. I'm sure we had Derek Mortimer or have I just imagined that! But we'll always have the 81/82 season! Morris, Hatton and Edwards were phenomenal that season and we beat First Division Arsenal at the Lane with a Bobby Hatton header at the Lane End in the League Cup. That and the Wigan and Bradford games mentioned in the article were special nights. Always liked Mike Trusson. He had a good shot on him too. I think he scored a brace at York in a 4-3 win in which we scored in the last minute. The game where Cooperman ran on the pitch at kick off and draped his red and white scarf around Bobby Hatton before getting nicked as he walked off. Some great away days!
 
Camden Blade said:
Matthews did score some stunning strikes. Two stick out in my mind. One against Oldham in a 4-2 win the first season I started to go regularly on the Kop as a kid. A free kick outside the box and he rifled it in. The second against Southend in a night match before Xmas and the Boxing Day debacle which he scored at the Lane End. Another thunderbolt. Can't place that Barnsley game right now. They regularly beat us around that era. Ronnie Glavin et al. I remember the 1-3 League Cup defeat at the Lane. The dream turned sour with Porterfield and we went through a 'Dad's army' phase signing big name players like Peter Withe, Phil Thompson, Derek Mortimer and Ken McNaught who were past their best. Although I liked McNaught, a tough no nonsense centre back. I'm sure we had Derek Mortimer or have I just imagined that! But we'll always have the 81/82 season! Morris, Hatton and Edwards were phenomenal that season and we beat First Division Arsenal at the Lane with a Bobby Hatton header at the Lane End in the League Cup. That and the Wigan and Bradford games mentioned in the article were special nights. Always liked Mike Trusson. He had a good shot on him too. I think he scored a brace at York in a 4-3 win in which we scored in the last minute. The game where Cooperman ran on the pitch at kick off and draped his red and white scarf around Bobby Hatton before getting nicked as he walked off. Some great away days!
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I remember Dennis Mortimer playing for us. Not sure about Derek?
 
Sothall_Blade said:
I remember Dennis Mortimer playing for us. Not sure about Derek?
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Yes, Dennis Mortimer came on loan to us in the mid eighties. In the few games he played for us, he was a quality player and could still plays bit (he was in Villa's 1981 European cup winning side along with Peter Withe who scored the winner, so could obviously play a bit). Think we wanted him permanently but we were strapped for cash and he moved to BHA I think.

Ken McNaught was also a solid lad from Villa. Mind u, Peter Withe was gash. Best thing about him was his wrist sweat bands which must have been as dry at the end of the game as they were at the start.
 
Sothall_Blade said:
I remember Dennis Mortimer playing for us. Not sure about Derek?
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I knew there was something not right when I wrote it.
Weasel said:
Yes, Dennis Mortimer came on loan to us in the mid eighties. In the few games he played for us, he was a quality player and could still plays bit (he was in Villa's 1981 European cup winning side along with Peter Withe who scored the winner, so could obviously play a bit). Think we wanted him permanently but we were strapped for cash and he moved to BHA I think.

Ken McNaught was also a solid lad from Villa. Mind u, Peter Withe was gash. Best thing about him was his wrist sweat bands which must have been as dry at the end of the game as they were at the start.
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Yes Withe was awful for us. Talk about slow. He scored a couple of headers. That was it. McNaught was in Villa's Cup winning side too.
 

Withe was a poor player for us who either didn’t put in the effort or was basically shot by then. There’s nowt wrong with some experienced old heads in your side but we were overloaded with them at times, the worst for me was Phil Thompson. There was little doubt he was well past his best but you got the feeling he must have been carried a fair bit by a quality Liverpool side because he was that shit. Talk about a player just going through the motions. Let’s hope Woodburn is a success here because after Thompson and Rush Liverpool owe us one
 
Weasel said:
Agree about Paul Richardson. He was total shite. Awful player.

Matthews was ok, but nowt special and I think he moved on to playing for Plymouth but I may be wrong. Only thing I remember of note about Matthews was a stunning volley straight from a corner that he scored versus a very good Barnsley side in a night match to save us from defeat. They played us off the park that night and we barely deserved a draw, but the kop went mad when we equalised with a few mins left. Still wasnt enough to keep us up though in the 80-81 season.

Just checked, it was played 31 March 81 and there was over 20k in the crowd that night. Not a bad attendance for those days and considering we were utter shit that season.
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Remember that goal Weasel , he did have a good shot on him ( was going to put that shot on the long range goals thread btw ) also had a strange run on him if I remember arms held at a strange angle .
Bottled the peno v Walsall though
 
Camden Blade said:
es Withe was awful for us. Talk about slow. He scored a couple of headers.
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An animal at Forrest and still a great player at Villa, but his legs had gone by the time he came to the Lane. It always seemed to me that the lazy chuff was trying to chest it in from the halfway line.

As an aside, our average age in tha mid-80s team must have been about 89.
Phil-100% Liverpool and I'm not going to get injured here-Thompson
John-Zulu-Burridge
Ken-hewn from stone-McNaught
Dennis-still got it-Mortimer
Peter-I've got medals you know-Withe
 
Yeah we also had Colin Morris and Ray Lewington too who were no spring chickens...McEwan did his best to bring age down but perhaps over did it..as many were not ready or good enough. Although there were some good kids like Mendonca, Marsden (and Wilder) who went on to have good careers elsewhere.
 
Deadbat said:
Yeah we also had Colin Morris and Ray Lewington too who were no spring chickens...
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The grey matter is failing me as I knew there were other grave dodgers.

Deadbat said:
McEwan did his best to bring age down but perhaps over did it..
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He also spunked what little money we had courtesy of the Blades Revival, on Space Caddette

A mate of my dad's who'd been on the club's books in the 70s once described McEwan's management style as being "the stick and the carrot method, but without the carrot..."
 
Peak Bubble Perm, that year was. Jeff King's effort is particularly unforgiveable. OTOH, no tribal tattoos to be seen...
 
Obvious highlights Darlington , Arsenal in League Cup , Bradford & Peterborough away

But remember trying to find Springfield Park and ending up at rugby ground , York in league & league cup , railway sleeper terrace at Rochdale & jumping turnstile at Scunthorpe , grass banking at Halifax & long trips to Torquay & Bournemouth and a visit to Atringham in FA Cup put that in room 101 eh ! even going to a Radio Aire Charity match vs Bradford at end of season . Brilliant memories & first bit of success I’d seen as a Blade .. Happy Days can’t brlieve that’s 35 yrs ago
 
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