Longest half hour in the Albion's history

[El Presidente]

19 minutes of the greatest ever game.

Truly appalling football, bobbly pitch, crunching tackles, some great comments from Tony Millard "Give it to Minton for Christ's sake".

it was like watching 22 Mr Magoos chase a balloon for 90 minutes. But without doubt truly truly amazing.

I remember Maskell one on one, their chance in injury time when Williams shot tamely at Ormerod, but had forgotten many of the other near misses.

 

[Tooting Gull]

You get a lot of disappointments in football, but every now and again a huge one goes your way and you're lucky enough to be there. A never to be forgotten day, though the last 20 was horrific to watch.

These days that sort of winner-takes-all game even in League Two might well be shown live on Sky, would have made gripping viewing even for neutrals.

 

[madinthehead]

I was in a pub in the west country, glued to the TV screen, which was was on, without sound but with the BBC sports program on..

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Wasn't there, but couldn't bear to listen to the last half hour. Went out for a walk until it was over.

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm not sure that I can watch that again...but I'll have to to because in my mind I always thought that Ormerod pulled off a worldy to keep us in the football league,

From El Pres' comment in the original post it seems it was a cocked up shot?


I very much doubt I will go so far to each end of depression and joy over 90 minutes again.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I am in the longest hour of my life at present, listening to Social Worker after Social Worker on the blower asking the same question about how to renew their registration!! 5 minutes to go and I am off for a pint and a falafel burger. Miump.

 

[Hiney]

Hands down the most important result in our history.

Just for the hell of it, I had a look at all the teams in the division in 96/97, and where they are now:

Wigan Athletic - Now in The Championship
Fulham - Championship
Carlisle United - League Two
Northampton Town - League One
Swansea City - Premier League
Chester City - Relegted from league Two in 2000, out of business in 2010, Chester FC re-formed - now in National league
Cardiff City - Championship
Colchester United - League Two
Lincoln City - National league
Cambridge United - League Two
Mansfield Town - League Two
Scarborough - out of business, re-formed as Scarborough Athletic
Rochdale - League One
Barnet - League Two
Leyton Orient - League Two
Hull City - Premier League
Darlington - Out of Business
Doncaster Rovers - League Two
Hartlepool United - League Two
Torquay United - National League
Exeter City - League Two
Albion - Championship
Hereford United - Out of Business

So four clubs from that season have subsequently gone out of business with varying levels of success in re-forming.

Who knows what would have happened if that result had gone against us that day.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I was there that day and can honestly state that it was THE most important game in our history.
Don't think there would be a BHAFC today if we'd lost.

Remember thinking that Hereford were sure to score when Ormorod pulled off that amazing save.

And the utter jubilation at the end reduced me to tears.

 

[Eeyore]

Hands down the most important result in our history.

Just for the hell of it, I had a look at all the teams in the division in 96/97, and where they are now:

Wigan Athletic - Now in The Championship
Fulham - Championship
Carlisle United - League Two
Northampton Town - League One
Swansea City - Premier League
Chester City - Relegted from league Two in 2000, out of business in 2010, Chester FC re-formed - now in National league
Cardiff City - Championship
Colchester United - League Two
Lincoln City - National league
Cambridge United - League Two
Mansfield Town - League Two
Scarborough - out of business, re-formed as Scarborough Athletic
Rochdale - League One
Barnet - League Two
Leyton Orient - League Two
Hull City - Premier League
Darlington - Out of Business
Doncaster Rovers - League Two
Hartlepool United - League Two
Torquay United - National League
Exeter City - League Two
Albion - Championship
Hereford United - Out of Business

So four clubs from that season have subsequently gone out of business with varying levels of success in re-forming.

Who knows what would have happened if that result had gone against us that day.

Just as notable is how five have had excursions to the top division. I wonder if any of the current crop in the Fourth Division will ever manage that now.

 

[BlueWhite]

OMG as we say these days. The greatest game ever. And really, ghastly terrible football. Good work their Hiney... there but for the grace of god and all that. By the way, the commentary when I tried to listen sounded like from outer space and morse code, which kind of added to the experience. I'd love to have heard 'Give it to Minton for Christ's sake' though. It all makes Tuesday's frustrating last 10 minutes look a bit pale. UTA.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Unbelievable relief standing in the market afterwards

 

[El Presidente]

Unbelievable relief standing in the market afterwards

Me too, she only charged a fiver and dressed in a nurse outfit.

 

[AnotherArch]

19 minutes of the greatest ever game.

Truly appalling football, bobbly pitch, crunching tackles, some great comments from Tony Millard "Give it to Minton for Christ's sake".

it was like watching 22 Mr Magoos chase a balloon for 90 minutes. But without doubt truly truly amazing.

I remember Maskell one on one, their chance in injury time when Williams shot tamely at Ormerod, but had forgotten many of the other near misses.

Always thought that it was Adrian Foster who chipped tamely into Orm's hands at the end. Well he is in my 'Opposition Hall of Fame' anyway - not many in there though.

 

[wolfie]

I took the dog for the longest walk it had ever been on in remote woodland, returning to the car at 5pm in trepidation at turning on Sports Report for the result.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Hands down the most important result in our history.

Just for the hell of it, I had a look at all the teams in the division in 96/97, and where they are now:

Wigan Athletic - Now in The Championship
Fulham - Championship
Carlisle United - League Two
Northampton Town - League One
Swansea City - Premier League
Chester City - Relegted from league Two in 2000, out of business in 2010, Chester FC re-formed - now in National league
Cardiff City - Championship
Colchester United - League Two
Lincoln City - National league
Cambridge United - League Two
Mansfield Town - League Two
Scarborough - out of business, re-formed as Scarborough Athletic
Rochdale - League One
Barnet - League Two
Leyton Orient - League Two
Hull City - Premier League
Darlington - Out of Business
Doncaster Rovers - League Two
Hartlepool United - League Two
Torquay United - National League
Exeter City - League Two
Albion - Championship
Hereford United - Out of Business

So four clubs from that season have subsequently gone out of business with varying levels of success in re-forming.

Who knows what would have happened if that result had gone against us that day.

Hereford Utd are now Hereford FC, top of the Evo-Stik Southern League Div 1 South & West, which is 2 leagues below National League North/South.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I wasn't there either, I was standing behind a goal at Burgess Hill FC listening to the radio. Towards the end more people were listening to the radio than were watching the game.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

My oh my! .... Who needs the Premier League when you can have excitement like that?
Heroes to a man.

 

[Sheebo]

Commentary just sounds like a robot to me...?!

 

[Igzilla]

I remember sitting in the stand (I was up by the halfway line) at half time feeling utterly bereft. Everyone around me was subdued and it felt like it lasted hours. Once we'd equalised, I don't think we stopped singing and bouncing up and down. Totally exhausted by the end. On our way back to Worthing, we stopped (somewhere) for a beer and food and people here and there who saw our Albion shirts were saying well done and clapping us on the back. But my god, we were woeful then. How times change

 

[Napper]

Just as notable is how five have had excursions to the top division. I wonder if any of the current crop in the Fourth Division will ever manage that now.

Just used the time machine and found this out

Carlisle
Notts County

and

Grimsby

all got there for 1 season.