Spearritt of the Albion
Member
- Jul 5, 2003
- 220
We do people still perpetuate this myth a out 1978? It is a complete fallacy to suggest that sfc drew deliberately with spurs so they would both go up. Sfc were already promoted and were desperate for the win to make them champions. There was open violence between spurs and sfc fans at the preceding game at Brisbane road, and in the last game at the dell sfc battered spurs but couldnt score - and missed out as a result. Still, why let facts hinder 30+ years of unwarranted bitterness?
It's funny how people's opinions start differing over a period of time. As I remember it, Saints had virtually given up on the title as they went into the last game, one point behind Bolton who had a much easier home game with Fulham (which also ended 0-0).
However, Lawrie McMenemy was reported as saying, before their home game with Spurs, that they and Spurs both deserved to go up with Bolton. Although Saints were the better team on the day they missed a VERY clear opportunity to score late on and the rest is history. I'm not saying they didn't try to win but they were trying much harder not to lose. If either Saints or Spurs had lost we could have overtaken them. It was unlikely that we would have overtaken Saints but not impossible.
It was McMenemy's comment that left a bad taste in the mouth rather than the eventual result but you can understand why people thought that they fixed it.