Man City & Brighton, and our '81 League Cup run

It struck me today that Man City played Brighton in the 'top division', and it brought memories back of 1981 again.
We beat both of these teams on our way to the Lg Cup Qtrs that season, and remember that they were both top division teams then as well.
(and remember Swansea were the other top division team who we knocked out that season!)

And did anybody realise, that all 3 of those teams were relegated down to 'our level' in the 2nd Division, a season or two later. How much has footy changed eh since then!.

 

There have certainly been a lot of ups and downs for all three teams since that season, Brighton in particular.

 

Hey Mario, Im sure you know more about BFC in 1981 than I do lol. I was only a kid in those days, so give me a chance eh.

 

My memory isn't great these days. What I meant about Brighton was they were in the first division, they got to the FA cup final a couple of years after our cup run but then went bust, went out of the league before bouncing back and getting back in the premier league. Swansea too were bottom of the fourth division and nearly went out of business. Football can be a funny old game.

 

You're right about your memory. Brighton didn't go bust and didn't go out of the league. They sold the Goldstone to pay off debts and played at Gillingham for a while. They sent Hereford down instead with a late equaliser.

 

If l remember right, all three clubs were in the top six of Division 1 when we beat them.

 

Shame that evening with Trevor Aylott never got re scheduled

 

Reyt player. Reyt team.

Banger showing current XI how to cross a ball.

 

It was a scandal how little we let Aylott leave for in '82, did we ever get a good deal with one of those transfer tribunals.

 

My memory might be playing tricks with me here, but when the transfer went to a tribunal both clubs had to provide details of what a player's salary was going to be in the new contract and what transfer fee was being offered/requested. Barnsley demanded a fee of £400,000, Millwall offered £80,000. When the tribunal set the fee at £150,000, they commented that if Barnsley valued Aylott as high, then why didn't the new contract offered to him reflect it?
Also, at the time it was widely commented that Trevor's wife was homesick for London. But never by Trevor, nor his wife.

 

Trev didnt fall out with Norman Hunter did he (like he fell out with Allan Clarke) ?.
What little I can remember, it seemed like he was just taking the chance of moving back down south again. Even though it was to a lower league club, and he still says these days that they were the best times of his career with us in 80 & 81!!.

 

No.
A few years ago, I attended an Evening With Ronnie Glavin at the Lamproom, alongside barnsley66. Ronnie said Trevor had phone him within a matter of weeks of the transfer, saying he'd made a huge mistake, regretted it, should never have left and wanted to return

 

Didnt he re-join us briefly, it might have been on loan in the mid 80s. But as with Ian Banks' return to us as well, that rarely works out the second time around.
Thats interesting to read that though Lil, that Trev regretted it and wished he'd never left when he did. How many of us feel that way though about certain things, and wish we could turn the clock back again!.

 

He came back on loan from Crystal Palace during the second half of the 1985/86 season. He didn't score and returned to Palace. On the Saturday after, we were at home to Palace. Trevor was named as substitute. He got on later in the game and scored in a 4-2 Palace victory. That Summer, he was released by Palace and a transfer was lined up. Unfortunately, history repeated itself and the contract offered was a poor one and he signed for Bournemouth instead. Then, in a matter of weeks, Barnsley lost their entire front line by transferring Hirst (to Wednesday), Walsh (Grimsby) & Owen (Bristol City) and started the season without a recognised striker on our books. We then proceeded to lose the first six league games of the 1986/87 campaign.

 

Yep, I remember it well kid, those 6 straight defeats at the start of season '86.
Remember as well when we were in deep trouble and Trev got Bournemouth's winner at our place, near the end of season '89. And then we produced our best result of the season four days later by winning away at eventual champions Leeds.