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Lighter note:1993-94 video up


1960maaan

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Osman only made four signings that summer. Liam Robinson came from Bury for £130,000 and Hearts sold Ian Baird for £295,000. Ian Brown and Dave Martin were free transfers from Chelmsford and Southend. The one departure was Terry Connor who was released. The Vice Chairman handed his holding in the club to the Supporters Club so they could have a representative on the board. There was a difficult start to the season with a start at Molyneux, a home fixture against newly relegated Crystal Palace and a trip to Derby who would be seeking revenge for that 4-3 defeat. These games sandwiched a League Cup encounter against Swansea with the first leg in South Wales. August would conclude with a trip to Portsmouth for the pool stage of the Anglo Italian Cup.

Wolves had spent nearly £3 million on new players to launch a promotion push, but on the day the damage was done by their stalwart Steve Bull who scored twice in a 3-1 win. Mark Shail had been signed from Yeovil a few months before and was Captain. 18 year old Mike Wyatt and 17 year old Matt Hewlett, a pair of Bristolians made impressive debuts in this game and both turned in good performances against Swansea. Osman sat and watched at Molyneux, but made a substitute appearance in the cup game. Liam Robinson partnered Ian Baird in attack and scored the only goal by racing onto a long clearance from Welch. Shail and Aizlewood were the central defenders and the defence looked confident. Allison was a useful player to have on the bench. He and Baird scored against Crystal Palace. Then the bubble burst and Swansea won the return leg 2-0, at Derby Gabbiadini once more scored for a 1-0 win and Portsmouth won 3-1.

                 September began with a 2-1 win over Southend. Their manager, Barry Fry, afterwards stated that City were the worst opponents they had faced so far! Tinnion and Osman were the scorers which meant seven games, seven goals and seven different scorers. Managerless Oxford were now met twice in five days.  On the Tuesday they visited for the Anglo Italian Cup and lost 2-1, but their goal meant Portsmouth won the pool. On the Thursday they appointed Dennis Smith as their manager and on the Saturday City went to the Manor Ground in the League. Aizlewood was sent off and two penalties conceded as Oxford won 4-2. Julian Bent was carried off and missed the next two months. After studying a video of the incident City lodged an official complaint with the F.A. as the player had not even been booked. City then had the chance to climb from 20th to 7th position if they could beat Leicester, but the Foxes won 3-1. Brian Borrows was loaned from Coventry who made his debut against Charlton. This and the next game were goal less. A pair of 2-0 wins then lifted City a dozen places. Off the field, some supporters believed there was a lack of inspiration from the top and that a new Chairman was required. Two directors backed shareholders when an Extraordinary General Meeting was convened. The players publicly backed the existing board. Out of the blue, the F.A. charged City and Chairman Kew with charges of misconduct over grants. These events affected morale and the loan period ended with a pair of defeats. During November 1993 the dissident shareholders had a 57% majority at the EGM and took control with David Russe becoming Chairman. It was announced that the previous year’s loss of £750,000 had become a profit of £500,000. City did not contest the FA’s charges and were fined £40,000, but £30,000 was suspended for two years. Leslie Kew was banned from football for nine months.

                Also during that Autumn Osman set about reducing the size and age of his playing staff. Dziekanowski returned to Poland, Ray Atteveld to a Belgian club, Mark Aizlewood went to Cardiff and Gerry Harrison was loaned to a number of clubs. The one signing was Ian McKop, captain of the Zimbabwe national team. Trials were also given to Agent Sawu a fellow Zimbabwean and a Nigerian. A quirk of the computer fixture occurred on November 18th when City, Rovers, Bristol and Bath rugby clubs all had away League games. City drew four and won four of their next eight games. They lost at Leicester, but beat Wolves and West Brom. Generally 4-4-2 was used, but for some games it became 4-3-3 and at Crystal Palace 5-3-2. The final game of 1993 saw Nottingham Forest win 4-1 at Ashton Gate with a crowd of 20,000. Had City won they would be fourth instead of tenth. Seven points divided the top 11 clubs as they went into the New Year. City began 1994 with a 1-0 defeat at lowly Grimsby. Joe Jordan then returned to Bristol as he was now manager of Stoke who were higher placed than City, but it was a poor game. Nicky Morgan and Mark Gavin were released and then Ian Baird was admitted to hospital with a collapsed lung. Work began on turning the Ashton Park end terracing into the final all seated stand to be ready for the start of the 1994/95 season.

                Now came a FA Cup tie that offered the chance of an upset. City were drawn at home to Liverpool in a repeat of the quarter final of 20 years ago. Ian Rush put Liverpool ahead and Allison headed a fine equaliser.  City were getting on top when heavy rainwater fused the floodlights and the game was abandoned. The fourth round would see the winners away to Stockport so there was a tricky but viable route to the fifth round. In the rearranged game the scorers were again Rush and Allison, but City outplayed Liverpool and squandered many fine chances. Junior Bent alone should have had a hat trick that night. The replay at Anfield again saw City outplay Liverpool who were now unbeaten for 11 games. Again Junior Bent could not score, but Allison controlled one of his crosses and laid the ball off to Tinnion whose favoured left foot hit the ball into the Liverpool net for the only goal of the game. The Stockport game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and so the next opponents were known, the winners of the Charlton/Blackburn tie. When Stockport could play, Tinnion scored in the fourth minute and Allison hit a second half hat trick for a 4-0 win. Meanwhile Charlton won at Blackburn on a night littered with cup upsets. Only seven Premiership clubs remained at the fifth round stage. The fifth round was actually played on the correct date, again Tinnion scored early on and Charlton equalised, a fair result. Charlton won the replay 2-0 and went on to meet Manchester United who were to win The Double that season.

                In the League, Derby County were the next visitors. At one point Marco Gabbiadini jinked his way past four defenders and walked the ball round Welch. As he pulled back his foot to score once more against City, Welch pivoted and plucked the ball from his foot. Then came bottom placed Oxford who won 1-0 leaving City looking at a mid table position with a dozen games remaining. The 34 League games had produced 34 goals, half of them by Allison, so it was obvious where the deficiency was. Allison had been playing on a weekly basis and at the start of the season Barnsley had tried to sign him in an exchange deal. That was turned down and he signed a new contract when the new board took over. Two days before the transfer deadline, Tranmere offered £300,000 for him but that was rejected also. Due to injury he finished the season a month before his team mates, but he was top scorer with 20 goals.

                As the team was safe Osman introduced players from the reserves for the final games and experimented with formations. When defending it would be 5-3-2, changing into 3-5-2 when attacking. Against Grimsby there were six teenagers in the side. 19 year old Scott Partridge had been picked up as a free transfer from Bradford City and scored four goals in six appearances. 17 year old Ian Brown made his debut in goal for the final game and had a marvellous time. Osman would have much to consider during the summer. City were 13th, only five clubs conceded fewer goals and only six had lost fewer games. Conversely no one had scored as few, 47 in 46 games. Up on Tyneside, Andy Cole had scored 41 goals for Newcastle United single-handed! Shortly after the end of the 93/94 season, Swindon visited for Andy Llewellyn’s testimonial which ended 3-3. City’s team included Andy Cole, Joe Jordan, Rob Newman and Dariusz Dziekanowski whilst Mark Gavin and Nicky Morgan guested for Swindon.

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On 08/03/2017 at 16:50, David Brent said:

Cheers! 

Been looking forward to this one. My first game was in this season. I still wear the shirt.

Which game was your first? Having trouble with the upload of part 2 ( I think it's a Virgin Media problem) , obviously the Cup run plays a big part of the highlights.

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2 minutes ago, David Brent said:

The 4-1 defeat to Forest. December '93.

Wasn't Collymore playing for Forest then? 

Remember the game as they were giving out vouchers to all that attended which gave you a priority for Liverpool cup tickets.

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47 minutes ago, Robin Ashton said:

Don't remember an Ian Brown in goal. He was a striker signed from non-league (Chelmsford?), wasn't he? Was it Wayne in goal?

That's right, I was on a mates stag in Dublin last year, the guy driving us around in the minibus said he was playing with him at Chelmsford at the time and said that Chelmsford were going to release him when City went in and offered £80k for him! With regards to the goalkeeper, I believe he was called Wayne Brown, came up through the ranks, played one game then was released.

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