[Albion] Albion "Sliding Doors" Moments

[Klaas]

And finally, for me the ultimate sliding door - the final minutes at Hereford, when their striker was suddenly clean through on goal, with only Mark Ormerod between the Albion and oblivion...

This

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Looking at this from the other side

Imagine if Brian Clough had stayed for as long as he did at Forest

 

[mac04]

Another was losing to Notts County in 91 play off final. Victory in that game and top flight football so close to the Prem years could have eradicated the opportunity for scum Belloti, Stanley and Archer to get their filthy hands on our club.

Maybe, but it didn't really work out too well for Notts.

 

[father_and_son]

the Hyypia situation is spot on for Sliding Doors reference, a negative that led to a positive.

To me this is absolutely what the club was/is about. We had been doing well but OG left us with the task unfinished. The club showed tremendous patience with SH, too much but it's admirable that TB didn't pull the trigger without at least giving him time to prove he could undo what he started.

Then CH arrived. I'm sure TB's attitude to Sami was a plus in his decision to come, given that other chairmen have dumped him far too soon.

The rest of course is obvious. Chris shows there is no glass ceiling. He maintains in the pitch what is also going on off it... Sustainable growth, not squandering the opportunity we have to establish ourselves as long term members of the top league.

It was a blip on an otherwise solid growth, but also the catalyst for some great times.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Saw this on Twitter this evening, from Opta's Nick Harris, and got me thinking -

https://twitter.com/sportingintel/status/1088912216613634048 (I still can't embed tweets)

What "Sliding Doors" moments have we arguably had? Robbie Reinelt undoubtedly; Stuart Storer undoubtedly. One could argue that not (admirably, imo) getting Hyppia in, we would have been robbed of the 'romance' of CH's tenure... Any others spring to mind?

Hughton was also interviewed at the time so if we hadn't gotten Hyypia in, presumably CH would have started earlier.

 

[Easy 10]

Surely a sliding doors moment is something that seemed insignificant at the time but transpired to be important. There was nothing insignificant about Reinelt or Storer. The five we scored in the fans united game would be a better example as no one imagined goal difference would be significant that season.

Good shout.

In addition to this, another sliding doors which we wouldn't have realised at the time was when the Football League decided that for season 96/97, goals scored, not goal difference, would take precedence. Had it been the usual goal difference, then a draw at Hereford would not have been enough...

(we were on -17, Hereford were on -15)

The following season it switched back to being goal difference.

 

[Eeyore]

Good shout.

In addition to this, another sliding doors which we wouldn't have realised at the time was when the Football League decided that for season 96/97, goals scored, not goal difference, would take precedence. Had it been the usual goal difference, then a draw at Hereford would not have been enough...

(we were on -17, Hereford were on -15)

The following season it switched back to being goal difference.

Good shout. Bless the designer of that policy. Albeit short lived.

 

[Fountainhead]

We're not 1903 Bury 6 Derby 0
1890 Blackburn 6 The Wednesday 1

Surely this is a mistake? Even in 1890 The Massive were well, Massive, and can’t have lost a cup final. I think you need to check your facts...??

 

[The Mole]

Looking at this from the other side

Imagine if Brian Clough had stayed for as long as he did at Forest

Or if Peter Taylor had followed him to Leeds... or is that Dirty Leeds (and Forest’s) sliding door moment?

 

[Lenny Rider]

A sliding door moment almost forgotten, Barry Lloyd outside the court ready to go in and put the club in administration, and almost certainly in the process lose his job, before he was stopped literally outside by Messrs Stanley and Archer who told him they had ‘another plan’, which unfortunately we later found out what that entailed.

Had Baz gone into the courtroom, administrator appointed, new owners found?
Goldstone saved?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Unless there was an alternative at the time then that wasn't a sliding door moment, unfortunately.

Maybe Victor Chandler offering Tony Bloom a job to set up international betting operations.

 

[GT49er]

Thread seems to be more about critical moments and seismic changes rather than sliding doors. For sliding doors. I'd go straight in for Sergey Gotsmanov - barely in before being. pinched by Southampton

 

[Lower West Stander]

My own one is a bit obscure but sticks out for me.

It was the 1-0 against Huddersfield towards the start of the 2016/17 season.

We were on a bad run and were absolutely awful most of the game - never looked like scoring. Then Knockaert had a shot from the edge of the area, took a lucky deflection and went in. After that we went on the run which got us promoted.

There were many things during that season in particular, Stockdale v Massive, Murray in the last minute v Brum, Pocognoli’s fee kick. But I don’t think any would have happened without that first win.




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[Reddleman]

For me Pritchard not signing for us is one. Had he done so and done okay we may not have signed Gross. Pritchard would never have as many goals and assists as gross did last season and we could have been relegated.

 

[Nottseagull]

Not as significant by a long way, but also Gordon Smith shooting straight at ManUre’s keeper.

Nonsense, that miss prevented our 1984 European CWC victory!

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

Nonsense, that miss prevented our 1984 European CWC victory!

Memory might be playing tricks

But I think man utd went on to play Barca & Juve

Imagine those 2 at the goldstone

 

[Nottseagull]

Thread seems to be more about critical
moments and seismic changes rather than sliding doors. For sliding doors. I'd go straight in for Sergey Gotsmanov - barely in before being. pinched by Southampton

Or maybe a match in which we weren't involved, a result equally as important as Storer's goal the same afternoon.
From The Hereford Times:

The ominous sound of the fat lady clearing her throat echoed around Brisbane Road at 10 minutes to five on Saturday afternoon. As news filtered through from the Goldstone Ground that Brighton had beaten Doncaster, the huge band of travelling Hereford supporters, who had kept up a barrage of unavailing vocal support throughout the game, realised that their team's defeat meant they were in bottom place in the Nationwide Third Division.
Now Hereford must beat Brighton in the final game to preserve their League status but a draw will be sufficient to save the Seagulls who have a superior goal tally. Hereford rarely looked like forcing a victory on Saturday and only when Tony Agana appeared as a second-half substitute did they succeed in finding a way through a solid Orient defence.
Adrian Foster and John Williams hardly managed a worthwhile effort between them all afternoon, but were given little support by a midfield which struggled to provide service from the flanks once Murray Fishlock had limped off with a recurrence of his ankle injury after 28 minutes. Hereford's best effort in the first half came from Chris Hargreaves who flashed a 20-yarder just over after seven minutes.
Orient were hardly more active in creating goal-scoring opportunities but Trevor Wood was called into action twice in the first 10 minutes to save from Peter Garland and Alex Inglethorpe. It was Inglethorpe who put the home side ahead nine minutes into the second half with a goal which had its share of fortune about it. Wood appeared to have blocked Inglethorpe's shot but the ball looped into the air and dipped under the bar into the net.
Nine minutes later United were further behind when Martin Ling netted with an angled drive from the edge of the box. Referee Steve Bennett chose to overrule his linesman, who was flagging to signal another player in an off-side position, to award the goal. Agana forced a fine save from keeper Paul Hyde after 74 minutes with a header from a Brian McGorry free-kick, but got his reward four minutes later when he met Rob Warner's corner- kick to head firmly into the net.
The goal stimulated Hereford to push forward a bit more in an attempt to secure the equaliser but their only real goal attempt was a mishit 30-yarder from John Brough which went well wide.
So in the end it was all in vain. The pain etched on some of the players' faces at the final whistle showed what a huge task awaits them at Edgar Street this Saturday.
Hereford: Wood, Norton, Fishlock (sub Warner 29 mins), Brough, Sandeman, Matthewson, Hargreaves, McGorry, A. Foster, Williams, Turner (sub Agana 57 mins). Sub not used: Debont.
Attendance: 5,599.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I Know *a girl* who always says...

That *she will will give me THE WORLD** some day...

 

[Sheebo]

I thought we were going to win with ease, after a quality performance at the County Ground, but irritating Swindon turned up and played well

Can still see Chippy’s goal now - was right behind that!

 

[The Albion Roar]

I am still pissed off about not winning the title as well. I hated that journey back from Villa Park and pathetic as it sounds never forgiven Stockdale

Good grief.

The Stockdale fella who gained us so many points that season? The Stockdale who was an integral part of that season's side? The Stockdale who saved three penalties in matches decided by one goal or fewer? The Stockdale who kept us in the game at Villa when they would have otherwise routed us?

Is it THAT David Stockdale who you can't 'forgive' - or another Stockdale?