BladesPod: Palace recap + memorable matches: Port Vale 1999 & Arsenal FA Cup controversy

[Beans]

Afternoon all and happy new year to you,

Well, as you've probably noticed, watching United is pretty bleak at the moment - so Roygbiv and I are trying to get creative and talk about some more interesting things instead (not the weather). We'll still be covering each game - ideally in detail, if it's a good game, but Saturday was emphatically not - and that's exactly what we do here, including the one bright spot of a debut for Antwoine Hackford.

In the back half of the podcast, we kick off a new section on memorable matches from the past - leaving aside the obvious candidates like the Battle of Bramall Lane etc, of which plenty has been written/recorded about already. This week we discuss that infamous night match against Port Vale that signalled the end of Adrian Heath's career (I was going to say like this post if you were there but not sure if the forum can handle this post getting 40,000 likes?) and then finally my first ever away game, the replay that never should have been vs Arsenal in the FA Cup. Finally finally, a little preview of the FA Cup game with Bristol Rovers.

Thank you for listening, hope you're all keeping well.



And here on Apple and Spotify.

 

[DI36O]

Someone fill me in on the fate of Sagi Burton

 

[Roygbiv]

Someone fill me in on the fate of Sagi Burton

Jose Baxter

 

[IOM Blade]

Afternoon all and happy new year to you,

Well, as you've probably noticed, watching United is pretty bleak at the moment - so Roygbiv and I are trying to get creative and talk about some more interesting things instead (not the weather). We'll still be covering each game - ideally in detail, if it's a good game, but Saturday was emphatically not - and that's exactly what we do here, including the one bright spot of a debut for Antwoine Hackford.

In the back half of the podcast, we kick off a new section on memorable matches from the past - leaving aside the obvious candidates like the Battle of Bramall Lane etc, of which plenty has been written/recorded about already. This week we discuss that infamous night match against Port Vale that signalled the end of Adrian Heath's career (I was going to say like this post if you were there but not sure if the forum can handle this post getting 40,000 likes?) and then finally my first ever away game, the replay that never should have been vs Arsenal in the FA Cup. Finally finally, a little preview of the FA Cup game with Bristol Rovers.

Thank you for listening, hope you're all keeping well.



And here on Apple and Spotify.

Enjoyed the memorable game section.

My favourite game of the that era was a 3-1 home win Vs Bury, where the enigma that was Petra Katchouro bagged a hat-trick. Again, no video evidence unfortunately.

 

[pommpey]

We sold/swapped Curtis in late 2000. This was post West Indies trip. I was in touch with NW back then and asked him to play for my ship, HMS Manchester versus a Devonport dockyard team, where we were in refit. He was well up for it as he was down in Cornwall - or meant to be. I mentioned to the dockies that we had a special 'ringer' playing for us (it was a Thursday night game with a pie and pint in their bar afterwards) and after some arm twisting revealed it was the former Argyle manager and I have never seen so much manlove displayed. They were so excited at meeting him and being on the same pitch as him.

He called me on the afternoon of the match to tell me he had to stay in Birmingham having taken young Curtis down there. He told me (fucking ITK or what?) he was wanting Nuddy in exchange plus cash, and couldn't play. I, and the dockies were gutted and like United today, without JOC, we slid to a 1-3 defeat, with me giving the most obvious penalty away. I did hit the inside of the post from 25 yards though, goalkeeper rooted, ball bounces down across the 6 yard box. That would have looked good in front of NW.

He'd also threatened to play me in Trinidad (as no one wanted to play) but I'd already had a skinful at the match with the Caribbean Blades. Sometimes beer just gets in the way of everything, doesn't it? Blackwell went on instead.

pommpey

 

[Freddy Dunning-Kruger]

Fun fact: Sagi Burton is named after two communists - his full name is Osagyefo Lenin Ernesto Burton-Godwin.

 

[S64 Blade]

Good podcast as always. Enjoyed the recap back to the Port Vale game (I was one of the 40,000 there).

Kudos on keeping the toilet anecdotes going. I suspect Roygbiv was at the toilet when Deane and Fjortoft were sold?

 

[AWetFlannel]

In Norwood's interview, he did say that he should've done better before saying that Ampadu should've brought him down tbf.

 

[Roygbiv]

Good podcast as always. Enjoyed the recap back to the Port Vale game (I was one of the 40,000 there).

Kudos on keeping the toilet anecdotes going. I suspect Roygbiv was at the toilet when Deane and Fjortoft were sold?

I remember finding out the news the old way. Looked at the back of The Star on the way home from school

 

[S64 Blade]

I remember finding out the news the old way. Looked at the back of The Star on the way home from school

Disappointing to hear that.

 

[Roygbiv]

Disappointing to hear that.

I probably bought it and read it on the bog later though

 

[S64 Blade]

I probably bought it and read it on the bog later though

That’s the Roy we all now know.

 

[Crafty Blade]

Just checked my old, handwritten notes from childhood and I was at the Port Vale game.

Interestingly, I see we also played Latvia in a friendly at home that season, losing 1-0. I seem to recall Marians Pahars playing, presumably their only player of note.

 

[Beans]

Just checked my old, handwritten notes from childhood and I was at the Port Vale game.

Interestingly, I see we also played Latvia in a friendly at home that season, losing 1-0. I seem to recall Marians Pahars playing, presumably their only player of note.

I went to that too! Purely for the curiosity factor (and, I think it was only a fiver). Pahars did play, in fact I think he scored the goal.

 

[Revolution]

Jesus. Port Vale and the Overmars/Kanu game reviewed in an attempt to lighten the mood!

What can we look forward to next week? A review of cup defeats at home to teams lower than us in the pyramid?

 

[S64 Blade]

Just checked my old, handwritten notes from childhood and I was at the Port Vale game.

Interestingly, I see we also played Latvia in a friendly at home that season, losing 1-0. I seem to recall Marians Pahars playing, presumably their only player of note.

This was a random one! We were given free tickets at school and it became a few of my mates' first ever Blades' match. I was flicking through my old programmes last night, trying to find something and spotted this one. Will find it out and post some scans.

 

[Crafty Blade]

According to 'the complete record' book, it was vs. a Latvia XI on 28/03/00, att. 3,956. Doesn't confirm who scored for them but I think Beans is right it was Pahars. Vaguely remember the goal at the Kop end.

While I'm at it, according to the record book, we finished the season with 2 friendlies in Trinidad and Tobago in May 2000. One was a 0-0 draw against a team called Joe Public

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Public_F.C.

The other was a 3-1 victory against a Tobago XI (Kozluk (P), MacFarlane (2)).

 

[S64 Blade]

As promised here's a few images from the Latvia programme.



Neil looking very youthful - the same image which I assume Roy was referring to, on the Pod?

I wonder if Juris is a member of this forum?

Why did we play Zambia 3 times, within a week?

 

[Beans]

The other was a 3-1 victory against a Tobago XI (Kozluk (P), MacFarlane (2)).

"Kozluk's taking a penalty? You let Kozluk take a penalty?"

 

[Crafty Blade]

Does anyone have the programme from the Joe Public game?!

 

[Beans]

As promised here's a few images from the Latvia programme.


View attachment 102290View attachment 102291
Neil looking very youthful - the same image which I assume Roy was referring to, on the Pod?
View attachment 102292
I wonder if Juris is a member of this forum?
View attachment 102293
Why did we play Zambia 3 times, within a week?
View attachment 102294

Had absolutely no idea that Gary Johnson (of Bristol City fame, father of Lee) was the Latvia manager. Cheers for uploading these!

Kettering Town - Latvia - Yeovil Town. What a run

 

[S64 Blade]

Had absolutely no idea that Gary Johnson (of Bristol City fame, father of Lee) was the Latvia manager. Cheers for uploading these!

Kettering Town - Latvia - Yeovil Town. What a run

Me neither and it now makes a little more sense as to why we had a friendly, against at an international side, wedged between two Saturday games.

Neil says in his programme notes that Gary had tipped him off about a few players to sign. Alas we signed none of them. The only other names I recognise on their team sheet, aside from Pahars, are Kolinko & Rubins (both signed for Palace the following summer and had a good 3 years there) and Igors Stepanovs (signed for Arsenal that summer, didn't do a great deal, but probably would have been better than some we went on to sign).

 

[S64 Blade]

Does anyone have the programme from the Joe Public game?!

One of the Carrier Bag Firm will, for certain.

 

[S64 Blade]

Another page from the Latvia programme, for those of you who were losing sleep over who had saved penalties against foreign opposition, away from Bramall Lane.

 

[Swannyblade]

View attachment 102297

"Kozluk's taking a penalty? You let Kozluk take a penalty?"

I'm sure I've got a vague memory of Kozzy playing up front in Dane Whitehouse's testimonial and scoring for fun. It could have been a fever dream though!

 

[pommpey]

Another page from the Latvia programme, for those of you who were losing sleep over who had saved penalties against foreign opposition, away from Bramall Lane.
View attachment 102298

Still remember that Dynamo Kiev game. It was billed as 'Kiev Dynamo'. My dad mentioned in passing that we 'might' go to that and I got home from school, bolted my scran down and went on our front, kicking by ball up against the garages waiting for him to come round the corner on the end home from work at Sheffield Works Dept. But he'd had a fucker of a day and was knackered, and a bit late (he'd missed the Number 2 Circular too) and wasn't in the best of moods to lug me down to BDTBL under the floodlights for just a friendly against a team he'd never heard of.

I was WELL pissed off.

pommpey

 

[Large Mendonca]

Thanks for the namecheck Roygbiv

I have absolutely no recollection of starting that "Hope Wednesday stay up" thread on .........Viewpoints? SUISA ? but thanks for the reminder

I didn't go to the Port Vale game but i was at Highbury for the Tuesday night replay - I brought home a gold balloon from the game for a very young Small Mendonca; someone had written "Overmars is bent" on it

 

[Roygbiv]

Thanks for the namecheck Roygbiv

I have absolutely no recollection of starting that "Hope Wednesday stay up" thread on .........Viewpoints? SUISA ? but thanks for the reminder

I didn't go to the Port Vale game but i was at Highbury for the Tuesday night replay - I brought home a gold balloon from the game for a very young Small Mendonca; someone had written "Overmars is bent" on it

 

[Large Mendonca]

View attachment 102353

Good lord, fame at last - or is that infamy ??

 

[Mickey Jupp]

Would love to hear you do the controversial Reading v Blades match from 2007.