Retro Albion - Have your say for MK Dons

Spencer Vignes · Oct 21, 2015

Morning all,

Spencer Vignes here - journalist, author, the guy behind much of the retro stuff in Albion's match day programme Seagull. And what a blinking gorgeous morning it is after last night.

But enough about Bobby and Mr Stockdale, I'll cut to the chase. Readers of Seagull will know that this season we're devoting the back third of the programme to themes (best Albion goals, best goalkeepers, Albion international players from the past, etc).

For the forthcoming M K Dons match the theme is going to be 'Albion's Strangest Matches', looking at a selection of games played out amid slightly wacky or just downright surreal circumstances. Now there are plenty of candidates - five penalties versus Palace in 1989, the Peterborough snow game from 1986 (from which I have yet to warm up), the night we played Southampton in the League Cup hours after the twin towers had fallen in New York City, and so on. However, I wanted to see which games stood out in the memories of North Stand Chat aficionados. After all, there are bound to be plenty that have slipped my mind from over the years or that I simply wasn't present at.

So over to you lot. Name a game, and why you think it should be considered. I can then word my piece accordingly around the ones that, in your eyes, really seem to stand out.

Have fun!

Spencer

Seagull58 · Oct 21, 2015

I'm sure these are both very obvious but they both seemed very surreal to me at the time and still do years later. The Bristol Rovers 8-2 game; 2-1 down after about 5 minutes, 5-1 down at half time. Couldn't believe what was happening. Then the Walsall 7-0 game; 0-0 at half-time and then a landslide of goals in the second half with Ward and Spider seemingly unable to miss.

Napier's Knee · Oct 21, 2015

Losing to Sudbury in the FA Cup, final season at the Goldstone - the pits of despair opened and sucked us in. That whole season was surreal. And the 8-2 Bristol Rovers game.

catfish · Oct 21, 2015

For me the game with the strangest feel about it was the re-match with York. Watching a home game on a weekday morning in a near empty stadium felt really weird.

Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews · Oct 21, 2015

York City on a Thursday morning?

EDIT beaten to it

Seagull58 · Oct 21, 2015

I'll give you 2 other strange ones Walton & Hersham 0-4 during the 3 day week, a few days after the 8-2 game. The 1-0 victory at Forest when they were top of the league and we were bottom. Lawro back from injury and playing in midfield. Gerry Ryan scoring after 10 minutes and us playing 10 at the back for the next 80 minutes. I don't think we got out of our own half in the second half.

Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews · Oct 21, 2015

Probably the feeling and the atmosphere Inbetween the two goals being scored at Hereford was the strangest I've ever felt at a match

Gwylan · Oct 21, 2015

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

Mr Banana · Oct 21, 2015

The Mansfield game where everyone walked out

father_and_son · Oct 21, 2015

Not all that Retro, but playing almost all the Derby team offside in the dying minutes of the home game 3 (maybe 4) seasons ago was my biggest "WTF just happened then?" moment.

explymouthnige · Oct 21, 2015

playing at Gillingham against Lincoln with only 3 flood lights working and in front of 1000 people

Spencer Vignes · Oct 21, 2015

Talking of only three floodlights working, I remember a game at the Goldstone (pretty sure it was either v Southampton or Leeds during the 1979/80 season) when someone actually started climbing a floodlight, getting so far up that the game had to be stopped. That was surreal, or is my memory just playing tricks on me?

Some good suggestions already (of which York City at the Goldstone on the Thursday already seems to be gathering a head of steam). Remember, the more surreal, the better. It's not so much the final scores that I'm looking for, but the odd circumstances in which games were played out in (such as York, Peterborough in the snow drifts etc).

Napier's Knee · Oct 21, 2015

Thinking about it a bit more - surreal but in a very very good way - Fan's United day but I guess way too obvious. Mind, might add a certain piquancy to the programme for MK Dons match to mention community saving football club.....

Spencer Vignes · Oct 21, 2015

Napier's Knee, you know what? That's so way too obvious that it hadn't even crossed my mind - and yet it should have done! An obvious suggestion, yes, but a great one. Thank you.

NooBHA · Oct 21, 2015

Here is a slightly strange fact

CH only scored about 12 career goals - Two of those 12 were actually against Brighton and both times when he scored, the other scorer in the match for Spurs was Ricky Villa

Spencer Vignes · Oct 21, 2015

Am I just being highly thick, but who is CH? Chris Hutchings?

Hiney · Oct 21, 2015

Chris Hughton I assume

The Orange Seagull · Oct 21, 2015

The match against Bristol Rovers where George Parris sneaked up behind the goal keeper and scored that cheeky goal, also that Hereford home game (i think it was Hereford) in 96/97 where a firework signalled a mass exodus from the Goldstone in protest at the board.

Medwayseagull · Oct 21, 2015

Winning at Anfield in the 82/83 cup run was pretty surreal - possible the biggest upset we ever pulled off.

Kit Napier's debut when we losing at half time and came back to win comfortably - cannot recall anymore details.

Gwylan · Oct 21, 2015

There was a game around Christmas about 25 years ago when the pitch was so waterlogged it looked more suitable for water polo. Amazingly, it went ahead (I think it was against Bristol Rovers but I'm not sure about that)

There was also the game against Torquay on 29 November 1970 (my 14th birthday) when my projected trip to the game was cancelled as the game was snowed off - only to find out later that it hadn't been. I didn't go to the game but that must have a strange atmosphere

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