Big Match Revisited

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I was only 10 at the time of relegation. Maybe because of the lack of 24 hr media, twitter etc, it didn't seem such a big thing as it would be now.

As mentioned above, there'd been a narrow escape a year or so before, and Iooking back, I think there may have been a feeling that the club had to go through a sort of renewal following Nicholson, Neill, the ban from Europe (which ended up not affecting us.) I don't recall finances being mentioned , as it would be now.

On the day of relegation, won 2-0 home to Leicester I think and had to win something like 30 nil to stand a chance of staying up, but papers recorded an attitude of defiance rather than anger e.g... 'we'll be back' banners, going in the directors box .
I remember saying before that I thought the 70s viewed as a whole were enjoyable, the success in the earlier part obviously but also the closer connection with the players, the game not having many of the aspects that we moan about today. Even towards the end of a loss, if they'd tried hard, away fans would often sing 'we're proud of you'. It's almost impossible these days to discuss club football in a general sense without mentioning finances.

I saw a Big Match revisited couple of months back. From the relegation season I think, we were 3-1 up at home to a good Everton team, ten minutes to go, started trying keep ball, gave it away and drew 3-3.
Alfie Conn being candid in a post match interview saying he needs an honest conversation with Keith to see if he's wanted consistently and finishing with 'no way we go down'.
 
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1chriswaddle said:
I am so so envious of those who made the trip to the Dell,Southampton on the final day (can anyone who was there please share any stories)

Another away day that season which looks amazing on the YouTube footage is Mansfield (3-3 draw,I think?) Would love to hear any stories from that day too.
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Come and meet me at the Lane and I will bore you to tears with old war stories.
 
Just remembered an incident from back then that i haven't thought of for years.
My best mate at primary school was a half decent player and played for one of the local sides, Wormley Youth FC .The year we signed Ardiles & Villa WYFC asked them to present the player of year trophies, and were quoted £1000!! Now they couldn't afford that, so ended up asking others. Terry Naylor and Jimmy Holmes did it for nothing. Obviously Ossie & Ricky had been very poorly advised over this, it was the first time i recall an agent being thought poorly of by fans(Most fans didn't really know about agents back then ).
After that(Ossie in particular) threw themselves into the local community and did bundles for young teams and cubs, scouts etc.
 
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Relegation didn’t seem like the end of the world my first 2 matches were the last 2 home games v villa and Leicester (2 wins!!) and there was a strong conviction we’d bounce back (just like Man Utd did the year before the consensus being we were too big to not come straight back up and there was a fantastic atmosphere at both games - don’t remember any tears like you see now when a team is relegated . The season in division 2 was fantastic though not quite the stroll most of us expected!!
 
RomanzoCriminale said:
This was just a bit before my time (started supporting in 81).

Did those that were supporting when we were relegated see it coming, was it just down to bad management, crap players or were there lot's of injuries?
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We had been poor for a couple of seasons, however the season before it we finished in not too bad a position. But then went down a year later.
I was 9 and was devastated.
My brother and his mates, who were 10 years older than me, were upset to start with, then were just excited about different teams to play and facing Millwall.
 
mick derry said:
I was only 10 at the time of relegation. Maybe because of the lack of 24 hr media, twitter etc, it didn't seem such a big thing as it would be now.

As mentioned above, there'd been a narrow escape a year or so before, and Iooking back, I think there may have been a feeling that the club had to go through a sort of renewal following Nicholson, Neill, the ban from Europe (which ended up not affecting us.) I don't recall finances being mentioned , as it would be now.

On the day of relegation, won 2-0 home to Leicester I think and had to win something like 30 nil to stand a chance of staying up, but papers recorded an attitude of defiance rather than anger e.g... 'we'' be back' banners, going in the directors box .
I remember saying before that I thought the 70s viewed as a whole were enjoyable, the success in the earlier part obviously but also the closer connection with the players, the game not having many of the aspects that we moan about today. Even towards the end of a loss, if they'd tried hard, away fans would often sing 'we're proud of you'. It's almost impossible these days to discuss club football in a general sense without mentioning finances.

I saw a Big Match revisited couple of months back. From the relegation season I think, we were 3-1 up at home to a good Everton team, ten minutes to go, started trying keep ball, gave it away and drew 3-3.
Alfie Conn being candid in a post match interview saying he needs an honest conversation with Keith to see if he's wanted consistently and finishing with 'no way we go down'.
Click to expand...


Great post, love reading stuff like this, thanks.

and ofc Nutter-Naylor Nutter-Naylor and Tottenham Sean Tottenham Sean

Seems everyone felt a lot closer to the club back then, something Levy should perhaps try and understand more.
 
The relegation season is the first i really remember, although didnt see my first game until the year after in Div 2 . I dont remember being overly bothered by the relegation. I do however remember lots of piss taking even at 9 years of age. There was a crappy song at the time called 'rock bottom' and that was a constant piss take. I bloody loved the division 2 season though. It didnt seem quite the drop then as it is now, you could still be on MOTD and The Big Match and i think as Man Utd had been through it 3 or 4 years before us it didn't feel like a big deal.
 
17 yr old Neil McNab debut, bought by Bill Nick from Morton (?)

Cyril Knowles studio guest

Edit: how could we have been so crap that season?

Team was:

Jennings
Knowles
Beal
England
Perryman
Coates
McNab
Peters
Chivers
Duncan

Chivers subbed off but was suffering with a high temperature, Alfie Conn came on, 3 Scots on at the same time

Terry Neill the manager
In the dug out for the Barcodes - a certain Mr. Keith Burkinshaw
 
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RomanzoCriminale said:
This was just a bit before my time (started supporting in 81).

Did those that were supporting when we were relegated see it coming, was it just down to bad management, crap players or were there lot's of injuries?
Click to expand...

I didn't even think about it. It was just something that happened. Que Sera Sera. Maybe because I was young I don't even remember getting upset about it.
 
Very different then . Going down felt bad but not a financial disaster like today ,the club felt it was always trying to compete at the highest level even if it went pear shape those couple of years before relegation.
Straight back and the signings of 2 world class world cup winners at the top of their game,showed the club meant real business unlike today , would Levy do that , no chance. 2 years to show their worth which layed the seeds for the success of the early 80s .
Arguably the most stylish entertaining team .
 
1chriswaddle said:
I wouldn’t mind a season in the Championship now-it would bring many absolutely fantastic away days!!
I was still a teenager growing up in Northern Ireland during our relegation so missed out on those glorious away days.I am so so envious of those who made the trip to the Dell,Southampton on the final day (can anyone who was there please share any stories) Another away day that season which looks amazing on the YouTube footage is Mansfield (3-3 draw,I think?) Would love to hear any stories from that day too.
I know us older supporters have a tendency to look back with rose tinted glasses but those 70/80s away days really were truly special.COYS!!!
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Imagine the signings we'd be linked with/make in league one, there's a few on here who's head would literally combust

:bentley:
 
1882 said:
If it's the one they KEEP SHOWING, it's where we lose 0-3..,, actually, I thought it was the cup game against Utd they were showing (spoiler alert) which we didn't win either!

ITV seem to have saved about a dozen games only for the Big Match Revisited series.,, and I've yet to see us winning one.... I know we were PRETTY bad back then, but did we not win a single match in the '70s?
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Cheers for the info 1882

We were FAR FROM bad in the 1970s overall. We won THREE trophies, including the first ever UEFA Cup, beating AC Milan in the semi-finals. We also finished 3rd in the lge one season. So we did far better than we have done during the 13 years of ENIC.

Five of my all time Spurs XI Jennings, Knowles England Perryman Hoddle were all playing then at some time or other, with Kinnear a very strong contender for the RB too. And Chivers, Peters and Ardilles strong contenders for a bench spot. Alas despite his heroics in 81 I wouldn't be ble to find even a bench spot for Ricky

Obviously Ossie, Ricky and Glenn fully emerged in the 80s, but by 1978 Hoddle was already showing signs of greatness and 79-80 was one of his best-ever seasons. While the signing in 78 of our two Argentinian World Cup winning players was an absolute sensation. One of the biggest transfer coups in our entire history.

Yes we had a very dodgy patch between 75-78. But we came back really strongly and set up for another 3 trophies decade in the 80s.

Overall in the 70s we were the second best team in London, unfortunately not something we can claim to have been this century. Maybe things are changing though :)
 
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