30 Years Ago Today

[citysimmo]

... since my first ever City game - City vs Rovers at Eastville when we beat them 2-1 to knock them out of the FA cup.  I didn't enter the ground as a city fan (my mate at school had a spare ticket) but I certainly left it as one - the atmosphere was amazing to an uninitiated 13 year old, packed into the away end with cars blowing their horns as they passed on the M32 right next to us.  Of the match itself I only remember two of the goals, theirs down in front of us - I thought he had headed it back across goal but suddenly it was in the top corner - and then of course Martyn Hirst's winner as he shot in off the post at the far end.  Not a bad way to start and I was pretty much hooked from then on.

 

So here we are 30 years and several hundred games later - too many memories to mention but here are some that spring to mind:

 

Best season - the 89/90 season when "King" Bob Taylor hit 34 goals, coinciding with my best run of consecutive matches home and away (154) and some of the football that season and Bob's goals were truly stunning.  

 

Best matches - Freight Rover Final vs Bolton at Wembley 1986 - first trip to Wembley and it didn't disappoint.  Fantastic atmosphere, great match and I will never forget Glyn Riley's icing on the cake headed 3rd goal (his second) or the scenes back in town that night, dancing in the fountains etc.  Unfortunately I had only just turned 16 so I wasn't able to have a celebratory pint or two 

 

Forest away in the league cup semi final - sheer astonishment as Paul Mardon's goal put us in front and then ALMOST holding out for a famous win.  The other thing I remember was how tightly packed in us City fans were on the away terrace that night.  If memory serves it was around the same time as Hillsborough and every time I see those terrible scenes I think about that and how easily it could have been us.

 

More recently, play off semis against Hartlepool and Palace, obvious I know.  

 

Favourite players - King Bob, Rob Newman and super Scotty Murray

 

Biggest disappointments - play off finals, obviously

 

Missing the famous 1-0 vs Rovers at the gate when Louie Donowa scored the winner.  As well as missing seeing us beat that lot for the first time in ages, it was also the end of my run of consecutive games mentioned above and all because I stayed in the pub too long before the game and was one of many locked out due to the ground being full (all night happy hour at the Waterfront Tavern has a lot to answer for and not just that night!). To compound my error, I then went back to it too quickly - those who hung around got in in the end 

 

Missing the 1-0 win at Anfield, can't remember why now but must have been a VERY good reason!!  

 

Bringing us up-to-date, I am now a season ticket holder in the Atyeo with my boy and 7 friends and their kids.  Despite the lows, especially recently, I still love it and (among other things) live for Saturdays at the Gate.  In general terms, it is a very different game these days and, in some ways, not as much fun as it used to be (although thinking about it we do still have a right old laugh).  But would I be without it or have missed a second of what I (we) have been through with City over the last 30 years?  Not on your life and here's to the next 30!!

 

Thanks for reading   Hope it has brought back a few memories for the rest of you not-so-youngsters out there

[Shedman]

Same cohort as me halcian days