Michael Brown on the battle of Bramall Lane

[Sean Thornton]

Confirms all that was suspected.

Santos wanted to do Johnson, and did, Suffo lost his head, and that would have been that. But Brown and Ullathorne picked up genuine injuries.

Megson, the ultimate pig, then saw an opportunity to have a pop at Sheff Utd in the Hope of points being deducted and to drop us back towards a relegation battle. ( we weren’t that secure in mid table if six points had gone west)

I don’t particularly like Warnock but he did nothing at all wrong in this game as the fourth official and FA investigation proved.

Megson is an utter out and out arsehole.

Not even Megsons coaching staff backed him up on his claims about Warnock telling the players to pretend they were injured.

 

[Plymouthblade]

Santos !

 

[Gin&Juice]

I remember watching the highlights of this on ITV's Soccer Sunday. They and John Helm made a point of showing the Johnson elbow the season before just before the tackle.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I’ll never forget the forest game at BDTBL that lit the fuse to the tackle. They had Platt as manager and were meant to be this exspansive passing side, playing the game in the right way, but they set about us that day like a team of ale house brawlers from some south yorks/north notts/north east derbyshire ex pit village. They weren’t playing for 3 points that game, more trying to settle things with two falls, two submissions or a knockout. And when they called for Mrs Santos over the tannoy, I honestly thought they’d managed to kill him.

Paul Hart was the manager, Platt had left the previous summer. That loss for us effectively ended any vague hopes we had of making a late run for the playoffs, and the elbow on Santos was terrible.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

"Undr the Cosh" mate, on itunes and soundcloud.

Just listened to the Crossley one, comedy gold.

 

[corkysbeard]

Legend...

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Paul Hart was the manager, Platt had left the previous summer. That loss for us effectively ended any vague hopes we had of making a late run for the playoffs, and the elbow on Santos was terrible.

George Santos was injured on the 10th March 2001. David Platt left Forest on the 12th July 2001. The Battle of Bramall Lane was 16th March 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1211216.stm

*drops the mic & leaves the room*

 

[LoughboroBlade]

George Santos was injured on the 10th March 2001. David Platt left Forest on the 12th July 2001. The Battle of Bramall Lane was 16th March 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1211216.stm

*drops the mic & leaves the room*

Apologies, I stand corrected! I only had one strong memory of Platt leading a Forest team to the Lane, which was the brilliant game where he got himself sent off at the death. Hadn’t realised this was his team for the Santos injury game.

 

[grafikhaus]

Browny 'I thought I'd torn a hernia and we had a game on Tuesday...'

I remember Patrick Suffo scoring a cracker against Rotherham at Bramall Lane, kop end on 22nd Dec. 2001.

Good summation here of The Battle of Bramall Lane.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Browny 'I thought I'd torn a hernia and we had a game on Tuesday...'

I remember Patrick Suffo scoring a cracker against Rotherham at Bramall Lane, kop end on 22nd Dec. 2001.

Good summation here of The Battle of Bramall Lane.

It's a pity he doesn't mention Megsobs claims were never backed up by anyone, nor that Brown was out for some time or that medical reports on NB and RU were submitted to the FA. He could have also mentioned Johbson insisting he did nothing wrong in the incident which led to Santos' terrible injury.

 

[Wards]

The podcast was really good having just listened to it - recommend anyone to give it a listen. Some good stuff in there.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I still think the whole thing looked dodgy from the moment we went down to 8 men. I can’t for the life of me explain why Keith Curle was kicking every opponent in sight almost trying to get sent off: I can also distinctly remember Brown jogging straight down the tunnel. As for an explanation for Browns interview above, I think it could be explained as “closing ranks”.

Still in the fence on this one

I can..

it was Keith Curle.

Exactly.
What's more it was Keith Curle let loose on a football pitch with a license to kick everyone in sight because he knew the ref wouldn't send him off.
Brown openly admits he was doing the same so he's hardly trying to pretend it didn't happen.
Brown and Ullathorne were both injured. An independent Doctor's report agreed and neither played again that season.

Still people would rather believe the Megson slander that has never been backed up by anyone or even repeated by him once the true facts emerged.

 

[diplomat]

One thing they don’t mention, which always sticks out for me... brown was talking about the ref not wanting to send people off, but he doesn’t mention Keith Curle who, at one point, virtually assaulted WBA’s centre forward and the ref just waves play on. It was utter madness and possibly the most enjoyable game I had attended up to that date. I was about 11, what a day that was!

Curley was doing a good impression of a man desperate to be sent off

 

[Sean Thornton]

Exactly.
What's more it was Keith Curle let loose on a football pitch with a license to kick everyone in sight because he knew the ref wouldn't send him off.
Brown openly admits he was doing the same so he's hardly trying to pretend it didn't happen.
Brown and Ullathorne were both injured. An independent Doctor's report agreed and neither played again that season.

Still people would rather believe the Megson slander that has never been backed up by anyone or even repeated by him once the true facts emerged.

Ullathorne missed the next four games. Brown didn't play again that season as you say.

Not Warnocks biggest fan but Megson clearly lied as there's no evidence anywhere of even his own staff backing him up.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

It's a pity he doesn't mention Megsobs claims were never backed up by anyone, nor that Brown was out for some time or that medical reports on NB and RU were submitted to the FA. He could have also mentioned Johbson insisting he did nothing wrong in the incident which led to Santos' terrible injury.

It was always laughable to suggest that Ullathorne, one of the most injury-prone players I can think of, was feigning injury. He was the left-back equivalent of Darren Anderton.

 

[TONY_TONY_AGANA]

F*cking loved Georgie Santos!

 

[Davalon]

Apologies, I stand corrected! I only had one strong memory of Platt leading a Forest team to the Lane, which was the brilliant game where he got himself sent off at the death. Hadn’t realised this was his team for the Santos injury game.

Like you I didn't think it was that game either. Must be mistaken then.

Just remember Platt scything someone down (Smith?) and getting his marching orders.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Like you I didn't think it was that game either. Must be mistaken then.

Just remember Platt scything someone down (Smith?) and getting his marching orders.

I’ve probably confused things with my reply – they were two different games, one with Platt player manager in 1999 (sent off) and one where he was just Manager in 2001 where the Johnson elbow occurred.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Exactly.
What's more it was Keith Curle let loose on a football pitch with a license to kick everyone in sight because he knew the ref wouldn't send him off.
Brown openly admits he was doing the same so he's hardly trying to pretend it didn't happen.
Brown and Ullathorne were both injured. An independent Doctor's report agreed and neither played again that season.

Still people would rather believe the Megson slander that has never been backed up by anyone or even repeated by him once the true facts emerged.

So if both Brown and Curle openly admit to kicking the opposition in a way that would normally get you sent off when we only had 8 men on the pitch, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come up with the conspiracy theory.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Listened to a few of them podcasts this morning.

I think the fact that its mainly ex-Championship level players is what makes it. Bit more down to earth and the stories seem a bit more candid. None of the usual clichéd, anodyne responses. The Crossley/Brian Clough anecdote made me laugh out loud, likewise the one about the Bury centre forward who was so pumped up after scoring he went in two footed on his own player straight after kick off.

Morgan on Warnock was funny as well - "He just loves money".

 

[Sothall_Blade]

So if both Brown and Curle openly admit to kicking the opposition in a way that would normally get you sent off when we only had 8 men on the pitch, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to come up with the conspiracy theory.

<< Megson was livid: 'They were being told by certain people to go down, come off. Michael Brown wasn't injured. Everybody's heard it, everyone knows what was going on on that line.
'I've been in professional football since 16 and I'm 42 now. I've never ever witnessed anything as disgraceful as that. There is no place for that in any game of football, let alone professional football.'
The Baggies manager said that if forced to replay the game, he would instruct his team to kick-off and then walk off the pitch in protest >>

The conspiracy theories put forward by Megson were:-

"Brown wasn't injured". He was injured. Independently verified and he didn't play again that season.

"Everybody's heard certain people telling players to do down injured and come off". Nobody else did hear it, including his own staff and the officials.

"If we're forced to replay the game etc...". Nobody ever mentioned replaying the game except him. We were mid-table anyway, so the defeat didn't matter.

 

[Kenilworth]

Good thread

This is good too - relevant cos it has two links to the Blades in it - and it's funny

 

[grafikhaus]

Remind me, somebody. Was TBOBL the game where a Blades fan jumped out of G or H Block in the South Stand, ran towards the West Brom fans, ripped a Union Jack with 'West Brom' on it draped over the railings and ran back with it to the SS?

 

[Large Mendonca]

<< Megson was livid: 'They were being told by certain people to go down, come off. Michael Brown wasn't injured. Everybody's heard it, everyone knows what was going on on that line.
'I've been in professional football since 16 and I'm 42 now. I've never ever witnessed anything as disgraceful as that. There is no place for that in any game of football, let alone professional football.'
The Baggies manager said that if forced to replay the game, he would instruct his team to kick-off and then walk off the pitch in protest >>

The conspiracy theories put forward by Megson were:-

"Brown wasn't injured". He was injured. Independently verified and he didn't play again that season.

"Everybody's heard certain people telling players to do down injured and come off". Nobody else did hear it, including his own staff and the officials.

"If we're forced to replay the game etc...". Nobody ever mentioned replaying the game except him. We were mid-table anyway, so the defeat didn't matter.

Good to hear to be honest. I’m not sticking up for Megson in any way as it’s quite clear that he’s a twat, but the whole sorry episode looked dodgy, even if it wasn’t.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Remind me, somebody. Was TBOBL the game where a Blades fan jumped out of G or H Block in the South Stand, ran towards the West Brom fans, ripped a Union Jack with 'West Brom' on it draped over the railings and ran back with it to the SS?

Something like that happened.

A fan from the away end ran towards the Blades fans holding up a West Brom shirt is the way I remember it.

At the time people were saying it was a Wednesday shirt but it must have just been a blue and white striped West Brom home shirt.

 

[TonyAgana]

I remember watching the highlights of this on ITV's Soccer Sunday. They and John Helm made a point of showing the Johnson elbow the season before just before the tackle.

So there IS footage of it, then? I never saw the elbow - don't suppose anyone has the clip?

 

[Bill Johnson]

Good thread

This is good too - relevant cos it has two links to the Blades in it - and it's funny

Cried with laughter watching that one.

 

[Davalon]

Remind me, somebody. Was TBOBL the game where a Blades fan jumped out of G or H Block in the South Stand, ran towards the West Brom fans, ripped a Union Jack with 'West Brom' on it draped over the railings and ran back with it to the SS?

Yeah that's exactly what happened. Watched him do it.

The funny part was that people in the away end didn't bat an eyelid and just watched him untie it, until he jumped back in the South Stand when they suddenly twigged and he started waving it at them.

 

[Booker4]

Ullathorne missed the next four games. Brown didn't play again that season as you say.

Not Warnocks biggest fan but Megson clearly lied as there's no evidence anywhere of even his own staff backing him up.

It didn't look good at the time and obviously at the time of Megson's interview he thought that Brown and Ullarthorne were faking it. The fact they didn't play after as mentioned on here backs Warnocks version up, unless you are cynical and think that Warnock didn't pick them to make it look like they were injured, but the independent Doctor that Brown mentioned backs up that Brown and Ullathorne were injured.

One thing hardly mentioned is that Warnock plays a big part in the whole thing by putting on Santos who was clearly going to have a go at Johnson. What did Warnock expect!? It was harsh for Santos to never play for us after that, with all things considered.

The West Brom game will certainly be interesting and Darren Moore played in the game too!

 

[axel smeets]

It didn't look good at the time and obviously at the time of Megson's interview he thought that Brown and Ullarthorne were faking it. The fact they didn't play after as mentioned on here backs Warnocks version up, unless you are cynical and think that Warnock didn't pick them to make it look like they were injured, but the independent Doctor that Brown mentioned backs up that Brown and Ullathorne were injured.

One thing hardly mentioned is that Warnock plays a big part in the whole thing by putting on Santos who was clearly going to have a go at Johnson. What did Warnock expect!? It was harsh for Santos to never play for us after that, with all things considered.

The West Brom game will certainly be interesting and Darren Moore played in the game too!

Just out of curiosity - you seem to say that it is partly Warnock's fault for playing Santos? Do you not actually think that it is Megson's fault for playing Johnson, who had actually fractured Santos' cheekbone the year before in an unprovoked assault on the Bramall Lane pitch whilst wearing the red of the scabs?