Retro Albion - Have your say for MK Dons

[Discodoktor]

Strange games off the top of my head....

- Palace 5 penalties - it's a fix turns to its a joke.
- Man city at goldstone when our head ball boy (man) gets sacked for heading the ball into the crowd in a thrilling comeback- features on good morning Britain
- Bryan wade 4 goals yet we knew he wasn't that good
- Bremner in goal against WBA

 

[bobby baxter]

Having two men sent off against Burnley early on: could have made our heads drop but the fans responded superbly and the players throw themselves into the game. In the end, we were gutted to have lost as we did enough to ensure a draw but it was a great atmosphere and gave us a real impetus for the rest of the season

Shocking miss by CMS during that game, a 1 - 1 draw would have been amazing

 

[Stato]

4-4 versus Orient at the height of the troubles. Scott McGleish disgracing himself, pitch invasion, someone having a go at Ray Wilkins in what looked like a junior school playground fight and some bloke climbing out of the North Stand and wandering behind the angry pitch invasion whilst rolling a fag. Some of the pitch invaders were shoved back into the NW corner at which point people started laying into them because they thought they were going to be the cause of further points deductions. Barry Hearn wanting us chucked out of the league.

 

[Bedsex]

I think it might have been a Zenith Data Systems cup game against Palace at the Goldstone, I don't remember the year though, possibly early 90s. I think we lost, so not a brilliant game. However, I do recall it being very cold, so cold in fact that the South east corner of the pitch remained frozen. On one occasion the ball ended up in that corner, a player went chasing after the ball and slipped over on the ice, whilst he was lying prone on the frozen turf another player ran to retrieve the ball and also fell over.

Later in the game, Palace scored, some of their fans came running onto the pitch in that same South Eastern corner and guess what? Yep, they all fell over! Scant consolation for the defeat, but still funny.

 

[LowKarate]

Doncaster away in 1997/98 where their chairman supposedly got some local non-league player to play in goal for them. The guy was supposed to be a friend or had done some decorating work for the Chairman and he got to go in goal and he was thankfully atrocious. He was so bad that there were some shots where he dived 3 seconds after they had already hit the net.

He helped us to win the game 3-1 and the Donny fans who had already protested before and during the game about the way the club was being run were furious and bemused in equal measure whilst we just laughed our selves silly. As history shows we were worse that year than in 96/97 but thankfully Donny kept us up.

Other odd games already mentioned that I would support are the Boxing Day water polo game against Bristol Rovers in 1990 and the York City 1996 Thursday morning replay and Mansfield games. Southampton after 9/11 definitely an odd one too.

finally I think the 7-1 away win at Chester in either 1999 or 2000 when Zamora scored his first hat-trick for us was another odd game for poor quality opponents, I seem to remember they were relegated on goal difference and that game was the swing factor for them.

 

[blueandwhitestripes]

Whilst not surreal as such, there are two games that stick in my mind which happened just a few days apart early on in the 89/90 season. First up, we went Brammall Lane and I think we went behind before leading 3-1 at one point (?) and then succumbed to a 5-4 defeat. Undeterred, me and the future wife went on to Molineux on the Tuesday night (?) where we won 4-2. I can't remember watching two Albion away games with so much entertainment in just a few days. Brings back happy memories

 

[AZ Gull]

Doncaster away in 1997/98 where their chairman supposedly got some local non-league player to play in goal for them. The guy was supposed to be a friend or had done some decorating work for the Chairman and he got to go in goal and he was thankfully atrocious. He was so bad that there were some shots where he dived 3 seconds after they had already hit the net.

He helped us to win the game 3-1 and the Donny fans who had already protested before and during the game about the way the club was being run were furious and bemused in equal measure whilst we just laughed our selves silly. As history shows we were worse that year than in 96/97 but thankfully Donny kept us up.

www.doncasterrovers.co.uk - David Smith

Brought in under the infamous Richardson/Weaver partnership from local Sunday League football in Cheshire. One of the partnership's famous one match "wonders". Played against Brighton in a 3-1 defeat and Rovers were then accused of fielding a weakend team. The game also featured Rod Thornley's only game.

 

[LowKarate]

www.doncasterrovers.co.uk - David Smith

Good find. He was overweight and so scared of playing in front of the away end that you could see his legs shaking.
I don't remember enjoying many other games that season, so this one was the stand-out game for me.

 

[Mackenzie]

A league cup game against Gillingham in August 1987.

The matches were played over two legs, we'd lost 1-0 at Gillingham and brought them back to the Goldstone the following week for the second leg. We managed to level the tie after a Bremner (I think) goal and then saw their goalkeeper Phil Kite get sent off.Replacing him was a tubby fullback called Paul Haylock, he was the shortest player on the pitch and surely it was only a matter of time before we got the winner, with them down to 10 men and an emergency keeper.

Someone however, was looking down on Haylock that night, we were peppering the goal with shot after shot which through luck and a fair bit of skill he managed to repel.

The referee blew for 90 minutes, but no matter we had another 30 minutes of extra time to tuck a couple away and win the game. We were virtually camped in their half for the whole of extra time, but just couldn't get that goal, it got ridiculous in the end and I think we just lost belief that we'd ever score. So penalties then, Ron Fearon (remember him?) in goal for us, Paul Haylock for Gillingham...this was it, we couldn't lose in penalties against an emergency goalkeeper kicking towards the fearsome North Stand. The Gillingham lads given this lifeline took 5 immaculate penalties, which Fearon barely layed a glove on, whilst Haylock saved one of ours taking our opponents through 5-4.

I left that night slightly bemused at what had happened not quite believing that we'd managed to lose.

Haylock^^^

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Chester! I think it was 7:1 (bit surreal winning by so much away) especially as we had been a bit rubbish for quite a few years then a young Bobby Zamora played his first game, bagged a hatrick, and the rest as they say is history!

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Also think that Chester match we played in a retro centenary shirt that year!? Could be wrong but Chester away definitely retro / surreal match, with one fan giving it the whole season ticket, scarf, shirt trousers on pitch at half time and led away by men in white suits. Trust me it had everything, then a full on protest at the end by all the Chester fans. It was just the best away day ever. Surely this is a contender!?

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

Chester fan, threw his season ticket, scarf, shirt etc. onto pitch at half time and was led away then after beating them 7:1 there was a massive protest after the match, totally brilliant / surreal day out!

 

[Stato]

Chester! I think it was 7:1 (bit surreal winning by so much away) especially as we had been a bit rubbish for quite a few years then a young Bobby Zamora played his first game, bagged a hatrick, and the rest as they say is history!

I seemed to remember that this might have also been Paul Brooker's first game. I know he was also brilliant that night. When we were 6-0 up and Chester scored, they played the Wah-Hoo! beginning of Blur's 'Song 2,' making the away end join in and laugh quite a lot. Goal music is poor at the best of times, but when you're 6 (six) down?

PS: When Googling details of what Paul Brooker's doing these days I was amused to see his Tweet from yesterday evening: "This boy Zamora knows where the goal is!!! #seagulls"

 

[Stato]

Double post. Kept getting a database error.

 

[GT49er]

There was a bizarre match at the Goldstone, must have been late eighties. Can't remember who it was against.

Ref stopped play, and waved away a steward who was in front of where the Lego Stand used to be. Steward stood his ground and stayed put, and the impasse, with play stopped, must have gone on for fully five minutes. Apparently the ref. didn't like the high viz jacket the steward was wearing 'cos he thought it might be confused for a lino's flag...............

Eventually negotiations were concluded and a resolution found - can't remember what it was - I think the club agreed to move the steward - but it was bl00dy funny at the time.

 

[Gwylan]

Replacing him was a tubby fullback called Paul Haylock, he was the shortest player on the pitch and surely it was only a matter of time before we got the winner, with them down to 10 men and an emergency keeper.

Paul Haylock! He was my step-father's son-in-law and,famously for Albion fans, the full-back barged out of the way by Jimmy Case for Brighton's goal in the 1983 QF against Norwich - he was still moaning about it five years later

 

[Gwylan]

Shocking miss by CMS during that game

That could describe any number of Brighton games though

 

[Working class pride]

Strange games:-

1. Every game at Gillingham
2. Every game at Withdean
3. Hartlepool at home Fans United
4. Hereford away to stay in the league
5. Orient at home when Ray Wilkins was punched on the pitch by a Brighton fan
6. Palace both Kelvin Morton Penalties game and the 5-0
7. Pompey 2-1 win at home when Khul lost his Cool !
8. Gary Nelson third division promotion year when the North stand sang Barry Lloyds Blue and White army at each other for all of half time for reasons I still dont know (only a season after Barry who? chants)
9. All games with Sergei "We've got a Russian international" Gotsmanov as he was far too good for anyone at the club when we signed him. For modern fans, like Vicente, but he had played in a European Cup final about a year before playing for us, was better than Vicente and he wasnt injured all the time.
10. Millwall at home in the play offs - we never stuck 4 past anyone and we did in that game.
11. Every new game when they closed another part of the historic East Terrace and the team got worse and worse to reflect it. Just how far the club had gone downhill in less than ten years from 1979 to the mid 80's made every game weird.. and it only got worse until Falmer.
12. Darlington at home when fireworks went off and everyone walked out in protest
13. Game when Bellotti was chased out of the directors box
14. Southend at home (I think) when Attilla brought his violin and there was a protest in the west stand
15. York City at home when the goal posts came down
16. York City at home when they played the game after the goal posts came down
17. Man City at home when Keith Cuss (head of ball boys) headed the ball into the Chicken Run to waste time because we were winning.. and he got sacked for it
18 Palace at home in the 80's when someone painted "Palace die"on the pitch in front of the away pen. The saw dust went as the game went on and by the end the writing was clear. How times changed, I dont think the press even reported it. Imagine that at Falmer?

Could go on really. Brighton is a colourful club off rather than on the field.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

That was a surreal game and very special. It was hammering down with rain that night and we were losing 0-1 to the tw@ts with about five minutes to go. Then Kuhl was sent off and Nelson & Bremner grabbed two very late goals. All the best fans in the world were on the East Terrace and are probably still drying out today. Life can be so cruel sometimes........

Strange games:-

7. Pompey 2-1 win at home when Khul lost his Cool !.

 

[Trelford Mills Guide Dog]

Whilst not surreal as such, there are two games that stick in my mind which happened just a few days apart early on in the 89/90 season. First up, we went Brammall Lane and I think we went behind before leading 3-1 at one point (?) and then succumbed to a 5-4 defeat. Undeterred, me and the future wife went on to Molineux on the Tuesday night (?) where we won 4-2. I can't remember watching two Albion away games with so much entertainment in just a few days. Brings back happy memories

The Sheffield United game would have been my choice, and was an absolute corker.
We actually went 3 - 0 down before a barnstorming come back saw us take a 4 - 3 lead.
Only for us to concede in the final minute and lose 5 - 4.