can we do what we did in 1989/90?

[davidpinder]

Probably the best promotion year in my united history, i was just looking on youtube at the game against Leicester because i never get tired of watching it and i ask can we have a similar season? As you will know the game was played on May 5th, the same date as the Exeter game next year but i also noticed on statto.com that we didn't have a great record against the top teams taking only the following points.

Pos club points
1st weeds 1
3rd Newcastle 1
4th Swindon 6
5th Blackburn 1
6th Sunderland 1
7th west spam 0

Now Swindon aside that is quite a poor record and just goes to show that beating the poor sides and losing again the top sides you can still achieve promotion. I suppose the point i am making is maybe it is not just a coinsidence that we play on May 5th next year and even if the likes of udders, preston, charlton do turn us over we can still achieve promotion.

I would love the day in Exeter to be like Leicester and even though i would like promotion to be wrapped up by then a day like that would be great 22 years on.

 

[broomhillblade]

Probably the best promotion year in united's history IMO, .

The club was formed in 1889. That's a rather big claim to make. I recall that 1952/3 was pretty good.

 

[davidpinder]

The club was formed in 1889. That's a rather big claim to make. I recall that 1952/3 was pretty good.

Good point i have correct the post

 

[Darren]

Probably the best promotion year in my united history, i was just looking on youtube at the game against Leicester because i never get tired of watching it and i ask can we have a similar season? As you will know the game was played on May 5th, the same date as the Exeter game next year but i also noticed on statto.com that we didn't have a great record against the top teams taking only the following points.

Pos club points
1st weeds 1
3rd Newcastle 1
4th Swindon 6
5th Blackburn 1
6th Sunderland 1
7th west spam 0

Now Swindon aside that is quite a poor record and just goes to show that beating the poor sides and losing again the top sides you can still achieve promotion. I suppose the point i am making is maybe it is not just a coinsidence that we play on May 5th next year and even if the likes of udders, preston, charlton do turn us over we can still achieve promotion.

I would love the day in Exeter to be like Leicester and even though i would like promotion to be wrapped up by then a day like that would be great 22 years on.

Interesting that - our record against the top 7 in other promotion years was:

70/71 P12 W3 D6 L3 pts 15 (assuming 3 for a win)
81-82 P12 W8 D3 L1 pts 27
83-84 P12 W4 D3 L5 pts 15
88-89 P12 W5 D6 L1 pts 21
05-06 P12 W5 D5 L2 pts 20

So, 70-71 and 83-84 also saw comparably poor records against the top teams. Proof you don't have to beat your rivals to get promoted.

 

[Ted Danson]

how are we fairing compared to the 89 season, more or less points at this opint?

 

[Silent Blade]

70/71 P12 W3 D6 L3 pts 15 (assuming 3 for a win)

Didnt realise that it wasnt that impressive. We got only 1 point off bottom club Bolton. The 2-1 home win against Leicester (Champions) on Boxing Day was impressive (I was in the BLLT for that match which was rare for me). the goalless draw in the return game at Filbert Street was an exciting one and highlights of the game was shown on MOTD- Badger's powerful 40 yarder beat Shilton but crashed against the crossbar). Who could forget the 5-1 home win against Cardiff (3rd). looked up on google for the clubs finishing 4th to 7th (Carlisle (1 point), Hull (1), Luton (won at home lost away) and Boro (both 1-1 draws)

 

[Darren]

how are we fairing compared to the 89 season, more or less points at this opint?

We were doing better that season

P10 W8 D0 L2 F28 A10 pts 24.

Mind you our next 4 games saw us win 1, draw 1 and lose 2., so we had 28 points after 14 games - so we only need 3 wins out of our next 4 games to better that

 

[raul]

To see how that pans out, visit the Creepometer.

 

[shorehamview]

In 89-90 I could drink enough of Mr. Tetley's finest bitter to kill a Shetland pony and still finish the night in a dodgy nightclub supping shitty canned Red Stripe while trying not to stick to the floor. Then have a big sweaty kebab. And go out the following night and do it all again.

If I tried to drink more than a gallon now I'd be moaning about being full and needing a sit down. And spend the following day shaking like a shitting dog while demanding peace and quiet and PG Tips, with nothing stronger to eat than plain crisps and Rich Tea biscuits.

89-90 was a long time ago, in many more ways than one.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I'm more worried that we're going to do what we did in 79/80. Seem to remember we had a good start that year too before blowing it.

 

[alcoblade]

In 89-90 I could drink enough of Mr. Tetley's finest bitter to kill a Shetland pony and still finish the night in a dodgy nightclub supping shitty canned Red Stripe while trying not to stick to the floor. Then have a big sweaty kebab. And go out the following night and do it all again.

If I tried to drink more than a gallon now I'd be moaning about being full and needing a sit down. And spend the following day shaking like a shitting dog while demanding peace and quiet and PG Tips, with nothing stronger to eat than plain crisps and Rich Tea biscuits.

Getting old's shit, isn't it. Mind you, I still drink the same quantities, but 2 day hangovers are getting more frequent....

Still, it's better than the alternative.....

UTB

 

[Kenilworth]

Aren't you forgetting a fundamental that we had Deane and Agana that season?

That was also a 2nd tier promo season not an assault on escaping the third.

Given those two gems I would definitely agree we could storm this league and perhaps emulate what Norwich did last season if we went up at the end of this.

Considering we have Poorter, Cresswell and Eeyore - maybe think again.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I think the major differene is that back then we went back up to a level that a couple of generations of Blades had no memory of. We hadnt been in the top flight since four years before I was born, it was a length of time I couldnt get my head round and I think most Blades who were under about 19 then would have felt the same. Now wed just be going back to a level we were at last season or five seasons ago if we did back to backs (not that I think we will).

 

[Darren]

I think the major differene is that back then we went back up to a level that a couple of generations of Blades had no memory of. We hadnt been in the top flight since four years before I was born, it was a length of time I couldnt get my head round and I think most Blades who were under about 19 then would have felt the same. Now wed just be going back to a level we were at last season or five seasons ago if we did back to backs (not that I think we will).

I think thats pushing it a bit. I was 23 when we went up in 1990 and could remember United being in Division 1, even though we had last been there when I was 9. Through the dark days of the 80's there was a general belief that the club's "rightful" place was in the First Division and it was pretty easy to get our heads round finally getting back there.

 

[super_pig]

>supping shitty canned Red Stripe
Rebels?.. must have been rebels

 

[alcoblade]

I think thats pushing it a bit. I was 23 when we went up in 1990 and could remember United being in Division 1, even though we had last been there when I was 9. Through the dark days of the 80's there was a general belief that the club's "rightful" place was in the First Division and it was pretty easy to get our heads round finally getting back there.

That's not how I'd remember it, and I'm only a year younger than you. The talk of TC, Hagan and our rightful place in the top tier was the suff our dad's talked about and the history books suggested. For me, and the Blades I associated with, we were a spent force destined to understudy the pigs forever. That's why that day at Leicester will never be beaten, for me.

UTB

 

[Darren]

That's not how I'd remember it, and I'm only a year younger than you. The talk of TC, Hagan and our rightful place in the top tier was the suff our dad's talked about and the history books suggested. For me, and the Blades I associated with, we were a spent force destined to understudy the pigs forever. That's why that day at Leicester will never be beaten, for me.

UTB

Not sure how old you are but maybe it depended on whether you could remember United in the First Division. I first got into SUFC in the 73-74 season, so recalled quite well 3 years in the top flight.

 

[Revolution]

I agree with Walthy and Alco. I was 17 in 1990 and United in the top tier was the stuff of legend. My first real memory of United was 26 December 1979. The first division was something that happened to other teams.

 

[Darren]

I agree with Walthy and Alco. I was 17 in 1990 and United in the top tier was the stuff of legend. My first real memory of United was 26 December 1979. The first division was something that happened to other teams.

So you first memory was about the same age as mine, but mine was of a First Division team. Maybe I was of the youngest age group to see us as "naturally" a top tier team.

 

[alcoblade]

Not sure how old you are but maybe it depended on whether you could remember United in the First Division. I first got into SUFC in the 73-74 season, so recalled quite well 3 years in the top flight.

I'm called Alco for a reason. My memory doesn't quite match yours.



UTB

 

[oldblade]

Interesting that - our record against the top 7 in other promotion years was:

70/71 P12 W3 D6 L3 pts 15 (assuming 3 for a win)
81-82 P12 W8 D3 L1 pts 27
83-84 P12 W4 D3 L5 pts 15
88-89 P12 W5 D6 L1 pts 21
05-06 P12 W5 D5 L2 pts 20

So, 70-71 and 83-84 also saw comparably poor records against the top teams. Proof you don't have to beat your rivals to get promoted.

True, but if you don't beat your rivals beating teams like Wycombe becomes a bit more important!

 

[bricktop]

The majority of supporting life, we have been a second tier side, who generally aren't good enough to go up, and usually too good to down.

 

[Darren]

True, but if you don't beat your rivals beating teams like Wycombe becomes a bit more important!

Ah, but then we went up in 88-89 despite losing 6 of our 8 games against the 4 relegated teams

 

[super_pig]

brownie. i've always thought of us as a 'home' side.. if we have a usual season we win most at home and lose most away .. finish mid table.. if we have a mega season we win most at home and most away and get promoted.. if we have a bad season we lose most at home and the usual away form sends us down
edit: just reading this back it struck me as the most blindingly obvious thing to write.. but hey someone might get it

 

[oldblade]

Ah, but then we went up in 88-89 despite losing 6 of our 8 games against the 4 relegated teams

Yes, but that season we had good record againt the better teams. You can't have bad records against teams at the top and teams at the bottom and expect to go up.

Still a bit early to be sure, but at the moment it looks as though we can't cope with the better sides. Losing at home to both Huddersfield and Charlton without scoring a goal and conceding five suggests to me that without change to the side we are not good enough to mount a serious challenge for an automatic promotion spot.

The play off places might be possible. Huddersfield and Charlton could be a lot better than anyone else. But, I can't help noticing that although we have won six matches this season, only two of those wins were against sides currently in the top half of the division - Brentford in 9th and Colchester in 11th place. In fact Brentford are the highest placed side we have taken anything from.

It maybe that we have just been a bit unlucky and will start picking up points against the better sides, or it maybe that we aren't quite as good as we thought we might be a couple of weeks ago. The next few fixtures will probably tell us one way or another.