[Official Site] Jan Aage Fjortoft: "It's a big game for both sides."

Jan Aage Fjortoft: "It's a big game for both sides."
Interviews

Ahead of this weekend’s big fixture in the Sky Bet Championship up at Middlesbrough, we decided to get the thoughts of a player who represented both the Reds and Boro with distinction.

Continue reading on the official site...

 

Great interview and a lovely little subtle dig at Hendrie. I think we all know the two of them fell out but it clearly still grinds at Jan Aage all these years later !!

 

He was a top striker.

 

Him and Ward up front, what a pairing

 

Yes, great interview that. We are lucky that we’ve had players like that pulling on the red shirt. Shame he didn’t stay longer.

There’s a bit of poignancy in there for me too. They have included a clip of the goal he scored for Boro against us in the pouring rain in 1995. I was there with my Dad sitting on the front row of the ESL, getting soaked. After a lifetime of following the Reds this was his last game. His eyesight was failing and he eventually went blind.

He died in July 1998. At least he got to hear our Premier League matches on the radio, even though he couldn’t be there to witness them. We tried to get him to go to the specially adapted place (corner of the old Kop) but he wouldn’t go.

 

Great memories. I remember him away at Grimsby (as a sub... again) and to entertain himself he placed two balls together at an angle at the edge of the area. Watson was in the goalmouth warming up. Jan Aage got Watty to try and save his shot. He casually waltzed up striking the back of the two footballs he'd placed, and they each nestled into the opposite bottom corners of the net as Watson stood motionless inbetween.

A grin and he just jogged off to carry on his substitute prep.

Sadly he had far too short a career with us.

 

Oh, and a quick thank you and well done to the media guys. There's been a big increase in interviews and commentary from ex players this last season (plus lengthier interviews on the community youtube page). Lovely to be connected to the past and heroes of different generations we all fondly miss.

Keep it up, it's greatly appreciated

 

I remember that day at Grimsby but it was tony bullock who never got anywhere near either ball

 

Fjortoft replaced Hendrie at Boro, and then replaced him again when he joined us. To get his own back, Hendrie picked himself and left Fjortoft on the bench when he was appointed manager. By the time Hendrie recognised he was past it, we’d already sold Fjortoft to Frankfurt. But at least we brought in Mike Sheron as a replacement...

 

What a shame this nonsense happened, and Hendrie has to take the blame here for his part in this.
Jan is always popular with the Swindon fans, I know a few of them and they never have a bad word to say about his time with them, because not only was he a good goalscorer he was apparently a really likeable bloke which I reckon also counts for a lot with most fans.