http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkfvJp5awJc

12 hours ago, Mr Grey said:

Cracking this, @Steejaycelebrating behined the goal in the 2nd half

 

I remember it well!

Great away day, lost H again though.😁

17 hours ago, Casino said:

Travel club?

Think we played wigan, next day

Yes it was a rare trip on the travel club coach, pre-driving days.  I think I only went because of the novelty of going to a game on Good Friday, it was a boiling day.   We still clapped them off at the end, different attitude in those days.  Yes, Wigan the day after.  It was a good weekend, I was happy to lose 5-0 as long as beat Wigan! (1-0 Chandler).  

19 hours ago, Casino said:

Itd be easy to google but i think headington soon became oxford united

I did wonder once I checked Headington. Strangely I would have thought that Oxford would have had a team bearing their name by then, given the historical nature of the place.

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Yes it was a rare trip on the travel club coach, pre-driving days.  I think I only went because of the novelty of going to a game on Good Friday, it was a boiling day.   We still clapped them off at the end, different attitude in those days.  Yes, Wigan the day after.  It was a good weekend, I was happy to lose 5-0 as long as beat Wigan! (1-0 Chandler).  

Point of order Sir.  The Wigan home game after the Oxford thrashing, we lost 0-1.  Ex RaRa Steve Johnson scored the winner for them.  It was a complete reversal of the back to back wins we got against both over the xmas period. 

8 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

Point of order Sir.  The Wigan home game after the Oxford thrashing, we lost 0-1.  Ex RaRa Steve Johnson scored the winner for them.  It was a complete reversal of the back to back wins we got against both over the xmas period. 

Well spotted!  I could have sworn that 1-0 win was that year, but you're right it was the year after.  I remember the Johnson header, we were terrible that day, and most days at the back end of that season. Yes 2 games in 2 days at Christmas too, beat Oxford the day after beating Wigan.  2 games in 24 hours just wasn't enough for me in those days, I did Bury v Rochdale on the same day as the 11am KO at Wigan.

^ Aye at xmas we were up to 4th before the wheels fell off at Bramhall Lane on NYE.  The back end of that season there were some dreadful games.  That Wigan one and Bournemouth (?) where we were beaten at home without looking like scoring. 

2 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

I did wonder once I checked Headington. Strangely I would have thought that Oxford would have had a team bearing their name by then, given the historical nature of the place.

Tis my city of residence this last 18 years. Headington is in east Oxford, home to the city's big hospital and probably the only reasonably well-to-do part of the east. I imagine at one time it was more of a place in its own right rather than part of the Oxford conurbation. 

Otherwise the east of the city is pretty much the opposite of the image everybody has of Oxford. All around OUFCs ground at the Kassam is the Blackbird Leys estate and further to the north there's the big Barton estate. Think Johnny Fold and Breightmet.

Not often I'm out in Headington but if I am I go to a gaff called Posh Fish that does exceptional fish and chips. 

Oxford City (the city's second team who recently knocked Northampton in the FA Cup) play not too far from Headington. They too moved grounds having previously played close to the city centre on the site of the flat that my mate and his Mrs live in.

Bet you're sorry you mentioned Headington now.

All good stuff. Enjoy football history, with all its sadness, greatness and humour.

https://youtu.be/Os5juoDWlEo

 

1 hour ago, paulhanley said:

Tis my city of residence this last 18 years. Headington is in east Oxford, home to the city's big hospital and probably the only reasonably well-to-do part of the east. I imagine at one time it was more of a place in its own right rather than part of the Oxford conurbation. 

Otherwise the east of the city is pretty much the opposite of the image everybody has of Oxford. All around OUFCs ground at the Kassam is the Blackbird Leys estate and further to the north there's the big Barton estate. Think Johnny Fold and Breightmet.

Not often I'm out in Headington but if I am I go to a gaff called Posh Fish that does exceptional fish and chips. 

Oxford City (the city's second team who recently knocked Northampton in the FA Cup) play not too far from Headington. They too moved grounds having previously played close to the city centre on the site of the flat that my mate and his Mrs live in.

Bet you're sorry you mentioned Headington now.

Good, interesting stuff and adds to knowledge of our history in a small way.  Hadnt heard of Headington and no idea we'd played them till this week.

3 hours ago, Duck Egg said:

^ Aye at xmas we were up to 4th before the wheels fell off at Bramhall Lane on NYE.  The back end of that season there were some dreadful games.  That Wigan one and Bournemouth (?) where we were beaten at home without looking like scoring. 

I remember that Bournemouth game, absolute garbage, crowd of 3,045.  McGovern used to lead the players to the centre circle when they came onto the pitch and wave to the crowd like the Leeds/Revie side used to in the early 70s!  Never did it seem more inappropriate, I bet the players were embarrassed.

10 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I remember that Bournemouth game, absolute garbage, crowd of 3,045.  McGovern used to lead the players to the centre circle when they came onto the pitch and wave to the crowd like the Leeds/Revie side used to in the early 70s!  Never did it seem more inappropriate, I bet the players were embarrassed.

The lads in the Manny Road North had a beach ball they were chucking around pretty much the whole game. Lobbing it over the fence and chanting to some obliging coppers to chuck it back. And of course saying "sssssssss" every time it went near the spikes on the fence. Then Bournemouth scored and everyone fucked off early.

17 hours ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

https://youtu.be/Os5juoDWlEo

 

That's amazing footage.  Either the tape is speeded up or they played at 100 mph.  It seems non stop, when the ball goes out of play or the keeper catches nobody has time to catch breath before its back in play.  Our keeper is well over worked but looks decent; outfield players love a bit of kick and rush, not much putting the foot on the ball in them days.

6 hours ago, paulhanley said:

The lads in the Manny Road North had a beach ball they were chucking around pretty much the whole game. Lobbing it over the fence and chanting to some obliging coppers to chuck it back. And of course saying "sssssssss" every time it went near the spikes on the fence. Then Bournemouth scored and everyone fucked off early.

I'd forgotten about "ssssss" being a feature of every home game when the ball went onto the perimeter fences.

Incredible that it was only 1984 when our crowd for a game was 3,045; we were in the top division 4 years earlier and 2nd tier the year before, we'd only had 4 bad seasons after a great decade.  Yet crowds down from around 20k to 3k home fans last few games of 83/84.  Thankfully most modern fans are a bit more patient/(enter other adjective to suit).

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I'd forgotten about "ssssss" being a feature of every home game when the ball went onto the perimeter fences.

Incredible that it was only 1984 when our crowd for a game was 3,045; we were in the top division 4 years earlier and 2nd tier the year before, we'd only had 4 bad seasons after a great decade.  Yet crowds down from around 20k to 3k home fans last few games of 83/84.  Thankfully most modern fans are a bit more patient/(enter other adjective to suit).

Our decline in the 80s coincided with a recession and mass unemplyment (4 million?). Throw in rampant hooliganism and fans fenced in, stood in the pouring rain and pushed around like cattle and going to a match was not always a fun experience.

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I'd forgotten about "ssssss" being a feature of every home game when the ball went onto the perimeter fences.

Incredible that it was only 1984 when our crowd for a game was 3,045; we were in the top division 4 years earlier and 2nd tier the year before, we'd only had 4 bad seasons after a great decade.  Yet crowds down from around 20k to 3k home fans last few games of 83/84.  Thankfully most modern fans are a bit more patient/(enter other adjective to suit).

The end of 83/4 was horrible. As has been noted on here many times even our one cracking performance came when the opposition fans from Yorkshire were chanting "win or riot". Where we found that performance from that day I do not know. Because the Bournemouth and Wigan home games were utterly dreadful.

On that subject - what do folk remember about that first ever visit of Wigan to Burnden? It was in my mind last Friday because I was thinking the Salford fixture meant nothing and that's definitely the way it was v Wigan that day in 84. 

I can remember their following only half filling that last section of the Embankment adjacent to the Paddock, it being a bright day and Steve Johnson's header to win the game for them (as mentioned higher in the thread). It was a loopy header from memory. I don't think we ever really seriously threatened to equalise that day.

As I've said before 83/4 is the one season from which there is no BWFC footage that I'm aware of. We only have memory to go from.

3 hours ago, Mannyroader said:

Our decline in the 80s coincided with a recession and mass unemplyment (4 million?). Throw in rampant hooliganism and fans fenced in, stood in the pouring rain and pushed around like cattle and going to a match was not always a fun experience.

Yes, valid points.  The average crowd in all 4 divisions went from 12k in 1980 to 9k in 84, and even lower in 86.  So following that trend its fair to assume that even if we'd stayed in Div 1 our crowds would have been below 15k.

5 hours ago, paulhanley said:

The end of 83/4 was horrible. As has been noted on here many times even our one cracking performance came when the opposition fans from Yorkshire were chanting "win or riot". Where we found that performance from that day I do not know. Because the Bournemouth and Wigan home games were utterly dreadful.

On that subject - what do folk remember about that first ever visit of Wigan to Burnden? It was in my mind last Friday because I was thinking the Salford fixture meant nothing and that's definitely the way it was v Wigan that day in 84. 

I can remember their following only half filling that last section of the Embankment adjacent to the Paddock, it being a bright day and Steve Johnson's header to win the game for them (as mentioned higher in the thread). It was a loopy header from memory. I don't think we ever really seriously threatened to equalise that day.

As I've said before 83/4 is the one season from which there is no BWFC footage that I'm aware of. We only have memory to go from.

Did we beat Plymouth 7-2 that season or was that 1 season either side? Didn’t their goalkeeper end up playing outfield in that game? Crudgington I think he was called

8 hours ago, Biggish Dave said:

Did we beat Plymouth 7-2 that season or was that 1 season either side? Didn’t their goalkeeper end up playing outfield in that game? Crudgington I think he was called

Yes that was 84/5 - our first win of the season at the sixth attempt. Pretty much 12 months on from beating Walsall 8-1 in 83/4!

Been watching this guys channel today its full of Okocha clips. Cheered me up and depressed me at the same time 

 

 

 

 

Back to postings of our Div 4 season in 87.88 and we've reached New Year's Day. A win over Stockport on Dec 28 meant we'd won 11 drawn 6 and lost 7 and started to get the promotion wagon on track again after a dodgy late November and early December. Next up was Scarborough at Burnden and the chance for revenge after the 4-0 away defeat in the third game of the season.

The Yorkshiremen turned up with a familiar face in goal - Jim "Seamus" McDonagh. This was a decade since our promotion season under Ian Greaves and he was very much towards the end of his career. 

In wind and often heavy rain the whites won 3-1 despite conceding an equaliser from the spot. Mark Came, John Thomas and Steve Thompson with yet another free kick bagged the goals. 

With 1988 under way we'd played 25 games and we were back in the mix at the top end of the league but with 7 defeats recorded we had little leeway for further slip-ups if we were to finish in the top three and get automatic promotion

 

Cheers Paul.

It was shocking weather that afternoon. I have a memory of Paul Atkinson,a loanee from Oldham, either playing or being announced as a signing that day.

Did Felgate ever save a penalty?  All the ones I can recall from that era, he seems to flop aimlessly to the opposite side of where the ball is going. 

1 hour ago, Duck Egg said:

Cheers Paul.

It was shocking weather that afternoon. I have a memory of Paul Atkinson,a loanee from Oldham, either playing or being announced as a signing that day.

Did Felgate ever save a penalty?  All the ones I can recall from that era, he seems to flop aimlessly to the opposite side of where the ball is going. 

I don't think he did! I can't bring any to mind.

Atkinson was the season before (86/7) and he didn't last long despite looking a cut above what we had. This was of course in the days before daft things like transfer windows were brought in.

One of my most significant burnden memories. We were guests of the great Sir Nat. He treated the 3 generations of our family at this game.

My pops (Grandad) took Nat to his first bwfc game, he was about 10 years older than Nat and lived next door to him on Thicketford Road. He remained friends with Nat all his life and attended his funeral in 1997.

What houses on Thicketford, out of interest?