Most memorabler - DERBY COUNTY (H)

[Gully]

Very good idea....for another thread!

Very difficult though as those wonderfully entertaining games which might not have much hanging on them, are not so easilly remembered as those 'backs to the wall' games where we grind out those unexpected results especially away from home.

Fair comment, many posters on here wouldn't have even been born when we won promotion on the last day of the 87/88 season...which remains one of my favourites, exemplified by the run to the fourth round of the cup and the home defeat to Arsenal.

I would also want to mention three games at Sheff Utd, two together in the mid 80's, one drawn in the cup and the other won with a Dean Saunders goal (to seal our first away win in something like 18 months)...plus of course the game more recently which we won with an Leon Knight injury time goal...see, we don't always throw away points in injury time, we sometimes win them.

 

[Brovion]

Well it would be rude not to and, for anyone of the 33,600 odd that were there at the Goldstone, it just HAS to be the 4th Round of the League Cup in 1976.

Albion had started the season on fire, storming the league div 3 and having already baeten 2 quality Div 1 (prem) teams in Ipswich & WBA but Deby were one of the really top clubs of the day.

Cup fever gripped Sussex. No fiddling about trying to cope selling 8,000 tickets back then, oh no. Selling tickets, and earning even more £'s, they were on sale for a reserve game with Charlton and nearly 18,000 turned up 9we won 3-0).

On the big night, the excitement was intense. The north was packed and singing, so was the South and even the west but then, just as the teams lined up for kickoff, i heared, for probably the only time, the roar of the hordes on the vast east terrace. I have never felt the same, before of since, the tingles that ran through your spine and the hairs standing on your neck at the noisde and electric atmosphere that fair rolled around the Goldstone.

Deby kicked off, attacking the south goal and sliced, like a knife through butter, right through the middle only for Peter Grummit to fling himself at the feet of the great Charlie George.

As the crowd gasped, Grummit launched a punt upfield and now it was Wardy slicing his way through the Derby defence and GOAL!!!!!! What a 1st min to start a game.

The game carried on at a hectic pace and and Deby eventually pulled it around to 1-1. Three train loads, and many by road, made the replay at the baseball ground where Albion gave a good account of themselves before bowing out 2-1 in what was probably our most memorable League Cup run.

Fantastic night and a fantastic Cup run. However I've got to say the Ipswich game was probably a better atmosphere because we won! The crowd was so loud that I came home hoarse and almost as deaf as if I'd been to a rock concert. The Goldstone in those days had an, admittedly short-lived, reputation as being a cauldron of noise; indeed the Daily Mail match report after the Derby game started something like "Derby came face-to-face with Brighton and their famed crowd last night."

Thing is I was, what 19-20 in those days and we just took it for granted. Yeah of course we got big, enthusiastic crowds: we were on the way up and we were never going back. If someone had told me that 20 years later we'd be playing at Withdean in front of largely silent, seated crowds of 5-6000 I'd have wept.

 

[Gully]

The sad thing is that many of those who just sit silently or whinge at Withdean, from my experience, are the older supporters who probably can remember the type of atmosphere at games that you are reminiscing over.

 

[Gwylan]

I remember the replay at the Baseball Ground being even better. I know we lost but there was a fantastic atmosphere and when Spider pulled a goal back, there was a real belief that we could grab a draw as Derby were looking a bit rocky.

That was a fantastic cup run. Remember that Ipswich were one of ther best teams in the country then and that Derby had won the League just a couple of seasons before, yet we matched (or bettered) all of those teams.

The away game was memorable for another reason too. I got into a card game on the Seagull Special and won the cost of my train and match tickets as well as a couple of quid more.

 

[Brovion]

The sad thing is that many of those who just sit silently or whinge at Withdean, from my experience, are the older supporters who probably can remember the type of atmosphere at games that you are reminiscing over.

Yeah, the tartan travel-rug brigade. We had them at the Goldstone too; we called them West Standers. And yes, some of the Withdean Whingers may once have been enthusiastic North Standers in their youth. Sad, but it's what sitting down to watch football does for some people, drains their enthusiasm.

EDIT: Without wishing to get too philosophical, maybe the whingeing from the older fans who remember the 'Glory Days' isn't just whingeing, but a cry of despair over what's been lost.

 

[Icy Gull]

Great night and Willie Johnston more than lost his rag, he aimed a kick at the referee if I remember rightly.

 

[Questions]

Yeah, the tartan travel-rug brigade. We had them at the Goldstone too; we called them West Standers. And yes, some of the Withdean Whingers may once have been enthusiastic North Standers in their youth. Sad, but it's what sitting down to watch football does for some people, drains their enthusiasm.

EDIT: Without wishing to get too philosophical, maybe the whingeing from the older fans who remember the 'Glory Days' isn't just whingeing, but a cry of despair over what's been lost.

Brovian you have summed that up so well in this and your last post.
I just could not emphasise to younger fans just how excited we got in the build up to the big games around that time (and they came thick and fast)

OK I`m long in the tooth now but I can tell you that if we were playing a top 6 side tonight in a cup match before 30 thousand in a stadium that would be rocking I would be nearly as excited as I was all those years ago.

Do you remember when the West stand would start their own song.
It was always ''Oh my what a referee''
God they could moan.

 

[Mendoza]

0-0 a couple of seasons ago, Alan Blayney saved a Idiakez pen. Jake cracked a 35 yarder against the bar (or that could have been Southampton)

That was the game, when Derby had to play in their training kit as all their kits clashed with us, and they didnt realise til the afternoon of the game, and the club shop had to print all the numbers on their training kit (without the names)



There was also the game where Fabrizio Ravenelli was a SUB and warming up infront of the north stand to some mild banter

 

[Questions]

Good side that. How many of our present team would oust any of those heros ? Maybe Murray on the bench ? Struggling after that boys.

PS..... 5 of that team went on to play in the top flight with us.

 

[Storer68]

Does my fading memory mistake me, but wasn't Graham Moseley in goal for derby that night.......

I should know cos I was there.

Well it would be rude not to and, for anyone of the 33,600 odd that were there at the Goldstone, it just HAS to be the 4th Round of the League Cup in 1976.

Albion had started the season on fire, storming the league div 3 and having already baeten 2 quality Div 1 (prem) teams in Ipswich & WBA but Deby were one of the really top clubs of the day.

Cup fever gripped Sussex. No fiddling about trying to cope selling 8,000 tickets back then, oh no. Selling tickets, and earning even more £'s, they were on sale for a reserve game with Charlton and nearly 18,000 turned up 9we won 3-0).

On the big night, the excitement was intense. The north was packed and singing, so was the South and even the west but then, just as the teams lined up for kickoff, i heared, for probably the only time, the roar of the hordes on the vast east terrace. I have never felt the same, before of since, the tingles that ran through your spine and the hairs standing on your neck at the noisde and electric atmosphere that fair rolled around the Goldstone.

Deby kicked off, attacking the south goal and sliced, like a knife through butter, right through the middle only for Peter Grummit to fling himself at the feet of the great Charlie George.

As the crowd gasped, Grummit launched a punt upfield and now it was Wardy slicing his way through the Derby defence and GOAL!!!!!! What a 1st min to start a game.

The game carried on at a hectic pace and and Deby eventually pulled it around to 1-1. Three train loads, and many by road, made the replay at the baseball ground where Albion gave a good account of themselves before bowing out 2-1 in what was probably our most memorable League Cup run.

 

[Peter Grummit]

Good side that. How many of our present team would oust any of those heros ? Maybe Murray on the bench ? Struggling after that boys.

PS..... 5 of that team went on to play in the top flight with us.

Great memories of that game though. I think we got to the ground about 545 to get a place on the bar halfway up the East Terrace. I was 13. I agree it was arguably the best atmosphere I can recall in the Chicken Run (Sheff Wed promotion also comes to mind - from the same season). Pandemonium when Wardy scored early on. The anticipation for the game was huge - my memory is that Derby were reigning Champions, but I could be wrong. And for once it was realised in the first minute.
I'm unwell but determined to make it to the game tonight having read this thread.

PG

 

[Storer68]

Forest were at the time holders of the European Cup and reigning League Champions.

The programme cover had Peter Shilton holding the European Cup and Tony Woodcock holding the League Championship trophy.

Granted forest was, i believe, the 5th Round and they were a top club but we had also moved up a division. Also, the earlier rounds had been pretty ordinary, infact i can't recall our run & your old man would probably struggle to too.

In 76/77 we were 3rd div. We beat Southend over the 1st round 2 legs then a draw at ipswich before beating them in dramatic style at the goldstone infront of 26,000 with a last min goal and we were down to 10 men due to injury.

Then we went away to div 1 WBA and tore them apart. Wardy scored the 2 goals but it could have been 5, and we had massive support to cheer us on. no, every game in that run was a good'un and the 3 games against Ipswich & WBA would each stand out as classics in their own rights.

T

 

[Dave the OAP]

Well it would be rude not to and, for anyone of the 33,600 odd that were there at the Goldstone, it just HAS to be the 4th Round of the League Cup in 1976.

Albion had started the season on fire, storming the league div 3 and having already baeten 2 quality Div 1 (prem) teams in Ipswich & WBA but Deby were one of the really top clubs of the day.

Cup fever gripped Sussex. No fiddling about trying to cope selling 8,000 tickets back then, oh no. Selling tickets, and earning even more £'s, they were on sale for a reserve game with Charlton and nearly 18,000 turned up 9we won 3-0).

On the big night, the excitement was intense. The north was packed and singing, so was the South and even the west but then, just as the teams lined up for kickoff, i heared, for probably the only time, the roar of the hordes on the vast east terrace. I have never felt the same, before of since, the tingles that ran through your spine and the hairs standing on your neck at the noisde and electric atmosphere that fair rolled around the Goldstone.

Deby kicked off, attacking the south goal and sliced, like a knife through butter, right through the middle only for Peter Grummit to fling himself at the feet of the great Charlie George.

As the crowd gasped, Grummit launched a punt upfield and now it was Wardy slicing his way through the Derby defence and GOAL!!!!!! What a 1st min to start a game.

The game carried on at a hectic pace and and Deby eventually pulled it around to 1-1. Three train loads, and many by road, made the replay at the baseball ground where Albion gave a good account of themselves before bowing out 2-1 in what was probably our most memorable League Cup run.

Great night at the Goldstone

Anyone remember Charlie George unleashing a shot that dissapeared into the North Stand and seeing the mass ranks scatter as it cannoned into the fans.

The Derby return at the Baseball game was a different affair...we were crammed into the away area and I couldnt see half the pitch

 

[Dave the OAP]

Still one of my all time favourite albion X1's, and I only started supporting them a year or two before

Grummitt
Tiler
Wilson
Horton
Rollings
Cross
Towner
Ward
KMellor
Piper
O'Sullivan
Sub: TBA

 

[London Calling]

You didn't mention, if I recall rightly but Derby were I believe the Division 1 Holders at that time and that is one of the main reasons for the big draw!

An excellent night, definately one of my best ever, rumours were that the crown unofficially was even bigger. It wasdue to go on the box, but I recall/ rumour that the TV station due to cover it, realised that our floodlights were not up to standard for a night TV match.

 

[pasty]

Well it would be rude not to and, for anyone of the 33,600 odd that were there at the Goldstone, it just HAS to be the 4th Round of the League Cup in 1976.

I was one of them

Selling tickets, and earning even more £'s, they were on sale for a reserve game with Charlton and nearly 18,000 turned up

And I was one of them

I remember it getting quite lively at Hove station after the Derby game. I was only 11 and nearly pooh'd me pants!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

was away and didn't get to either of the home games - but saw both the West Brom and Derby away games. They were both fantastic games at proper old grounds.

 

[sully]

I was 13 for that magical league cup game and it was one of my rare forays into the North stand at that time.
I recall that it was so packed that most of the time I just had to move with the crowd as I was wedged between everyone with my feet barely touching the ground.
Truly great days to be an Albion supporter. Part of the reason we can't match that nowadays is that none of the youngsters have experienced the fun and excitement of terracing. Seats are for old folk and short-arses and I mourn the passing of terracing at every game I have to sit down to watch.

My second favourite Derby memory is definitely when Ravanelli was parked on the bench at Withdean. I still wonder what was going through his mind that night.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

the game where mayo scored in the last few moments was the first time i'd left my house since being run over by a motorbike

i had a minor panic attack on the way there..........another during the game, and when mayo scored someone jumped on my injured body

it was good though, i saw ravanelli

 

[Dave the OAP]

in the charlton reserve game, didnt 99% of the crowd all go home at half time?

I seem to remember hardly anyone left in the ground when they ran out for the second half