Your First Game - John Ashdown in the Guardian

[JohnDenver]

The Guardian's resident Blade writing about his first match memories:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/...n/26/share-your-first-match-football-memories

It's a spookily close approximation to my own as my debut year was the same. Even his observation on Richard Cadette is exactly the same as mine. We were too young to realise he was crap.

 

[Silent Blade]

Wally Downes, back to us after serving his suspension for being sent off after a fight with Mark Aizlewood in the 5-0 defeat at L**ds, got sent off after only 8 minutes of that Bradford game for a two footed waist high tackle on Karl Goddard (Wally later claimed he thought it was Mick Kennedy who he had battles with in the infamous Wimbledon v Pompey games) in the centre circle rather than chinning a Bradford player that John Ashdown had thought. In the last home game against Ipswich (we won 4-1), Wally Downes (in those days suspensions starts two weeks after sending offs) was about to take a free kick from outside the penalty box but the ref had spotted Paul Williams chinning Ian Cranson so Williams got the red card. when play restarted, Downes scored direct from the free kick!